Questions about PCS
 

I have a few questions to make my recovery as quick as possible.

1. Is it ok to do something that gives you symptoms the day of, but goes back to normal the next day?

2. Can having an extremely bad headache for a long period of time kill cells in your brain?

3. How bad are screens and video games for recovery? (I try to stay off all of them as much as I can)

4. After 3 concussions back to back to back before the one before it was healed, proceeded by multiple from action sports before. How long do you think my recovery time could last?

5. Is exercise bad for your healing process? I'm losing lots of weight and am unhappy with it. I want to get back to exercising asap

6. Are minor muscle spasms that randomly happen in your arms, back, neck, legs, chest, and face anything to be concerned About?


Thank you for your feedback

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You're losing weight?? I'd guess most gain weight when reducing activities..

There are exercises/activities to maintain fitness , that might avoid added symptoms.. Main thing is usually avoid straining like lifting weights or lifting machines...and other head hitting risky activities. Like contact sports & such..

Various types of Yoga, tai chi, floor work, stretches, balance ball/ foam roller
walking/power walking if tolerated
stationary bike/ treadmill if tolerated..

Slow & easy is better than pushing thru any symptoms..or having increased symptoms..

"2. Can having an extremely bad headache for a long period of time kill cells in your brain?"

I doubt it unless the headache arises from something which is not related to PCS/TBI.

I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure theres no definitive answer to most of your questions. The best thing you can do is to listen to your symptoms and go from there. What triggers them, what your tipping point is, what helps, what doesn't and work on slowly building up your tolerances. That sort of thing. Every concussion is different so no one can tell a definitive answer that applies to your specific situation exactly, you kind of just need to be your own guide and listen to your body.

No one can say how long your recovery will take, its not something you can really control so theres no point in pondering over it.

I have never heard of headache killing brain cells unless its caused by an underlying condition like meningitis or aneurysm or something that would give other clear signs (high fever, confusion, numbness, etc) that something was seriously wrong.

Mark will likely give you a more in depth answer but that's all I got.

Yea I'm a 16 year old boy with a high-high-metabolism. I've lost 25 pounds almost. I went down from 140 to 115 about after 9 months of not being able to consistently exercise. Right now I'm pretty much limited to walks and I might try riding slow on a bicycle soon if my dizziness subsides.

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Yea that's what I thought. My PT said that if it gets up too high into that 7 to 10 range I'm at risk of killing nerve cells in my brain. Sounds strange because there are plenty of people with chronic migraines that get into the 7-10 range.

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According to research done at the University of Utah, headaches, including migraines, do not cause cell death except in a very small group who suffer a migrainous infarction. "You're more likely to be struck by lightning,"

Migraines: Do They Damage Your Brain?

Notice, he said the person may experience slow thinking or such for hours to even a few days but this is not from damage.

I've seen similar comments made by other doctors and researchers.

Pain and headaches can temporarily disturb brain chemistry causing changes in how one feels and function. This is no different than feeling weak or fuzzy because one has not eaten. Eating restores brain and body chemistry (metabolism) and normal function returns without any lasting damage.

Anxiety also disrupts proper brain chemistry.

Exercise and recovery
 

Exercise is actually good for your recovery. There are several concussion rehabilitation protocols that specifically include graded return to exercise, working just below the level that triggers adverse symptoms. Best to have a customised program developed by someone like a neuro-physiotherapist or an exercise physiologist with good knowledge of brain injury. My son's neuro-physio also had him doing exercises in a hydrotherapy pool. See what your dizziness will allow you to do and gradually build up. Exercise bikes are a good way to do some cardio. And definitely avoid lifting heavy weights.

Are you eating less than you used to?

If not it might be an idea to get a full check-up from your doctor; unexplained weight loss can be a cause for concern.

No I'm actually eating more to combat the weight loss but it's not really helping. I'm taking zonisamide. I refuse to look up the side effects so I don't send myself into an anxiety driven pile of crap so idk if that's why. It could be. But I've always had a high metabolism

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Why do you tie your weight loss to a lack of exercise? Were you doing muscle mass building exercise and diet?

Could it be you have a metabolic disorder or a psychiatric disorder that is driving the weight loss. I lost 38 pounds in 6 weeks 4 years ago due to a high stress event. My doc put me on Zyprexa for 6 weeks to stop the weight loss. I gained 12 pounds back to a healthy weight.

I recently lost 5 pounds due to the stress of moving. Exercise has never appeared to help me put weight on. Just the opposite.

There are changes the body goes through during adolescence that effect weight.

Weight is directly related to calorie intake. A rule of thumb is that a pound equals about 3500 calories. Eat 3500 calories less each week will cause a pound of weight loss per week. Raise metabolism with anxiety and those pounds can be lost without any change in diet.

To gain weight, one needs to consume an additional 3500 calories for each pound gained, even more if anxiety levels are increased.

Zonisamide has been used in treatment of obese adolescents (eg, Zonisamide for Weight Loss in Adolescents).

Perhaps you could talk to your prescribing doctor about whether another drug might meet your needs better.