Need help, not sure whats wrong
 

About a month ago I collapsed. Neurologist said it looks like a seizure. No one was around so its hard to say. Had CT scan, MRI, EEG all clean.

I bruised my head nicely when I collapsed so I must have slammed my head into the ground. To date I am constantly dizzy if I move my head, walk around too much. I have this feeling like Im dazed and living in a fog. Things dont seem real around me. Im finding it hard to concentrate for work and sometimes it takes me a while to comprehend things. Other times I comprehend with no problems.

I assume I got a concussion from my collapse, but the Nerologist said I should feel better by now. He said I might have post concussion. What does everyone think. It scares me as everyday I feel the same. In fact I feel worse than I did right after the fall.

It's good to be proactive
 

Welcome

As a TBI survivor, your symptoms are all too familiar to me. Unfortunately CTs and MRIs don’t do a great job of detecting many brain injuries. Diffusion tensor imaging, Quantitative Magnetic Resonance and Magnetization Transfer Ratio testing are more likely to provide useful information. Neuropsychological testing is also considered to be about 95% accurate. By the way, is this your first head injury?

On the positive side, you are only one month away from your injury. However, I don’t think I’d rest until I knew what caused the seizure. Have they put you on any anti-seizure meds?

Take Care,
Hockey

first head injury. No anti-seizure meds. Im a big believer in no meds. I happen to believe the side effects might screw me up more as I always end up being in that 1% who have problems.

lt1cruz,

Could it be that you fell and got knocked out and have amnesia of the fall? This would not be uncommon. Unattended head injuries are very hard to diagnose.

Do you have any blood sugar issues?

It could also be a TIA. Transient Ischemic Attack, otherwise known as a mini-stroke. There are unexplainable and almost impossible to diagnose or image.

I would not worry about all of the high end imaging *edit*. What they can show is still limited to those who have something worth imaging. A 6 tesla MRI would also show fine details.

I would consider an 18 to 24 lead QEEG done by a neurologist or Ph.D. who really understands QEEG waveforms. If he just relies on a computer analysis, it is not as precise at picking up minute differences.

Normal 14 lead EEG's only show chronic epilepsy, not transient problems.

My EEG shows normal but my QEEG is very indicative of brain injury dysfunction.

I would go in and get a QEEG done from anyone how does neurofeedback. They all send their info to the same place, so it doesn't matter whether or not they use a computer or not (it actually is all analyzed on a computer anyway).

You should also consider doing some neurofeedback. It is very natural way to get your brain to heal. Also, eat lots of protein and take high doses of Vitamin B12 (there is not upper limit for B12, so don't worry about overdosing on it) and omega 3's. Make sure you are also getting your recommended daily dose of B6. And, cut back on the sugar and carbs.
You probably do have PCS, but with neurofeedback, you should be able to come out of it (no promises though).

Just my experience
 

My posts aren't meant to advocate for any procedure or medication. I'm just offering up my experience and you can make of it what you will.

I had the high end imaging because I was in a car crash and seeing my torn axons and shrunken brain was the only thing that would make the other side see reason.

Of all the testing I've had, I found the neuro-psych the most helpful. The imaging told me I had damage; the neuro-psych helped identify how that damage was playing out in my daily life. Two people with fairly equivalent damage could have considerably different post-morbid function. It appears that who you were pre-morbid probably counts for something. For example, my scans showed considerable axonal damage in those areas that regulate inhibition. A gentle person before my injury, I now throw the occasional tantrum over trivial nonsense. A more aggressive person with the same injury might become violent. I’m a big believer in neuro-plasticity and pinpointing how the injury has influenced my function has helped me target my rehabilitative therapy.

I hear you on the drugs. Before I was hurt I’d never even taken as aspirin. Unfortunately, without anti-spasm meds I just couldn’t function. I appreciate your not wanting to take anything – especially when you don’t know what caused your tumble. I just hope you don’t fall again. On that note, I hope you’re in a position where you can get lots of rest. It’s so important not to do things that aggravate your symptoms.

Contrary to mhr4 comments about QEEG, not all QEEG's are analyzed by the same computer systems. There are many different databases used to analyze QEEG wave forms. Some practitioners have the analytical databases in their office computer software. Some (most) are more focused on ADHD/ADD with a smaller sampling of PCS/MTBI.

A Ph.D and/or M.D. would be a good qualifier. A good doctor will not depend solely on the computer quantitative analysis for his diagnosis. There are specific dysfunctions that the computer analysis does not have the ability to report on. A practitioner with BCIA certification is good too.

Since QEEG equipment is very affordable (less than $2000), many less qualified practitioners will offer it. They often use it to justify and direct neurofeedback without fully understanding the patient's condition.