PCS relapse???
 

Hello All,

I writing about my post concussion syndrome, here is my story….Nov of 2010 I got my concussion it wasn’t my first I had got a few before all playing sports. The symptoms went away about 3 weeks later. Then on Christmas was wrestling around with my brother and the symptoms came back. Went to the ER on New Years Day because of the dizziness and the told me I had vertigo. They gave me some pills and sent me on my way . Well month went by and nothing, finally went to a neuro and he said it was classic PCS ..I had the normal PCS symptoms headaches, dizziness, anxiety , etc… I had the PCS symptoms pretty bad but I just dealt with it. Did what the doctor said rested quite a bit and went to therapy ….well that lasted till early May then felt better 100% better to tell you the truth . So for about a month and a half I felt great like my old self.. So about 2 weeks ago I went to a friends summer home…Had a few beers and got drunk thinking I beat the PCS( yeah I know dumb) well I went to bed about 3am and for some reason woke up about 5:30am. Tossed and turned for a few hours and got up and drove home. Well that night I felt dizzy and really thought nothing of it, lack of sleep I’m thinking. So I went to bed and woke up with my PCS symptoms again. I was like come on really? So I let it go for a little bit thinking it would pass, well it’s a week and a half later and my symptoms have gotten worst. I feel like its Nov all over again, plus I’ve got new symptoms then before. I’m now sensitive to light, never was before , plus the headaches are way more intense . So my question is could the drinking really of done this or is it something else? I know you can have a relapse with PCS but from drinking? And no I don’t need to drink, to tell you the truth I drink maybe once to twice a month and its normally a couple glasses of wine at a restaurant or a few beers watching the game with the guys. Thanks for any help I can get. I went though almost 7 months of hell with this ..... And for all you people thinkin its never going to end it will hang in there I'm proof you can beat it :)

Well, actually, you have not beat PCS. It has you with a strong grip. Sensitivity to alcohol was the first thing my neurologist told me about back in 1971. You may be able to get back to normal except you will need to abstain from anything more than a glass or two of wine or maybe one beer. The slight head bumps from wrestling can be enough to trigger PCS symptoms.

Your history of multiple concussions easily puts you in the Multiple Impact Syndrome camp. Your brain will likely always be sensitive to even minor impacts and jolts. As you get older, this sensitivity will increase. By avoiding even the minor impacts, you can recover to a almost normal condition.

Don't be surprised if you have a recurrence of PCS symptoms from a normal sneezing attack.

You would be wise to establish a brain health nutrition regimen. Search this forum for nutrition and you will find many posts. Feed your brain good stuff and avoid bad stuff and you can live a full life. Avoid excessive caffeine and MSG or processed soy products.

Now, go be nice to your brain.

Good luck jbird hope it goes away more quickly this time. Personally I've found relapses to be the most depressing part of PCS.

I'm pretty sure getting drunk brought my PCS back in May, when I felt like I was over it. The symptoms came back a few days later and coincided with me returning to work, so I've never been quite sure what the main reason was - but the headache I had the morning after was something else, the worst of my life, and I knew I'd done something bad...

Mark you speak as if this sensitivity to alcohol is permanent -is this likely to be the case? (I too am in the 'multiple impact camp') I was assuming I'd be able to get drunk again at some point though I was going to give it a good long wait after 'recovery' next time.

I'm not an alcoholic or anything but I've realised since my PCS that I relied quite a lot on exercise/sport and on getting pretty drunk every now and then to blow off steam. Can't do either at the moment and it's not helping the stress. Obviously if this sensitivity tends to be permanent I'll stick to my fruit juice - month-long hangovers aren't really my thing!

If it were me, I would abstain from alcohol completely for a good long time - maybe forever. Even if you end up symptom-free for months or years, there is no way that having a few drinks is worth the risk of PCS relapses. As Mark said in another thread, "be nice to your brain." You can have a great life, an outstanding life, without alcohol.

Personally, I think I'm probably done with alcohol - and I drink very little.

The injured brain never fully recovers. It can recover to a fully "functional" condition but it will be intolerant of stresses, whether they are emotional, physical, or chemical. Alcohol is a definite chemical stressor.

The researchers used to say abstain from alcohol completely. In the recent years, they have suggested that a single serving per day is OK and may even be beneficial. The relaxation that can come from a single serving can be valuable to the brain. If one does not have other ways to relax, the single serving is likely OK.

You will need to remember that just because the noticeable symptoms are gone, that does not mean the brain has healed to a condition like it was pre-concussion. Once concussed, always concussed. Treat your brain with this in mind and you can lead a long full life.

Jeez, that IS depressing...

No football and no drunkenness - the only way I'm going to pass myself off as a red-blooded British male is to shout obscenities at every attractive girl I see (and then run away before they concuss me!)

More seriously, thanks for the advice guys - I'll try not to hold it against you ;)