Symptoms changing but seem to be getting better
 

Is it normal for your symptoms to change throughout recovery? I am now a little over 4 months in and it's much more manageable and I seem to be on my way to a full recovery in the future. This is thanks to a lot of the advice I've received on here so I really appreciate all your guys support and this community. However my symptoms seem to be changing now not for worse but are just different. I'm able to do more now than before.

I used to have a pressure feeling in my head as if my brain was pushing against my head and extreme head sensitivity as my main symptoms but now they are different. These symptoms were debilitating, but have subsided. My symptoms are much more manageable now.

I now have a different, mild headache (not nearly as uncomfortable) as opposed to the pressure feeling more as if it's being pushed on from the outside of my head rather than the inside that gets worse when pressure is applied to my head like laying down on a pillow. I have a strong off and on burning/aching sensation in my ears, but I'm not sick. For the last 3 weeks I have had sharp chest pain that varies in intensity only on the left side that gets worse when lying down or swallowing food.

I have episodic muscle twitches, weakness, and numbness now. Also sharp/aching random pains throughout my body that can last seconds to hours. Occasional holes in my vision (not floaters), occasional tinnitus. Occasional shortness of breath when laying down. I had none of these symptoms until recently and the other symptoms I used to have got better. Still have some short term memory lapses.

I was basically tied to the bed or couch for a good 3 months so some of this could be caused by slowly starting to do more, but some seem unrelated. They aren't related to anxiety as I stopped being anxious a while ago. None of the new symptoms really seem that concerning, just wondering if it's common for symptoms to completely change throughout recovery.

Again, want to reiterate my gratitude for this forum as it's really helped me recover. Thanks guys, Happy Holidays!

Even though one may not feel anxious, the brain can still behave as if you are anxious. Some of the twitching can be this non-emotional anxiety. The brain does some strange things that don't appear to make any sense.

Other symptoms are the result of healing. As a system heals, its dysfunction changes to a different stage in the healing process. When nerves are injured and start to heal, at first there may be numbness, then as they start to reconnect, they tingle, twitch and may have needle stick like feelings. The brain's nervous tissue goes through the same kind of stages.

You shortness of breath when laying down may be a result of you momentarily not breathing. It could be a muscle tension that causes you to hold your breath without knowing it or it could be an apnea where your brain stops telling your diaphragm to take a breath. Then as your brain recognized the need for oxygen, you start to breath harder as you feel short of breath.

Have you had any diagnostics or therapy for your upper back and neck ? You may have a rib that is partially dislocated where it 'plugs' into a socket at the vertebra. This can cause the chest pain. A dislocation at the back end of a rib will manifest pain or discomfort at the sternum end of that same rib. Spending too much time on the couch or propped up in bed can be a problem for a dislocated rib.

It might help to read the neck exercise post by sleepybo or get some advice on how to stretch and limber up from a trainer or PT.

I am in the same situation! Except for the chest pain - I don't have that (never did). It's been like that for about 1.5 months now. So I'm starting to get worried - is it as good as I'm gonna get? It's kind of frustrating considering that I was at a completely symptom-free stage for more than a year and got all my symptoms back due to a very minor bump. :( But I am hoping to make a full recovery some day.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I wish you all a complete recovery, a fantastic health and happiness!

I experienced the same things at almost the same timing as you. The chest pain was a pulled muscle untouchable from the outside but once I moved my head down and to the right to kiss my husband while laying on my side and the pain was reproduced. That's how I found out. It has gone away with time but can come back. It's right in the heart area and travels to the left neck sometimes. It has gotten better with upper cervical chiropractor.

I also had breathing issues and it was anxiety some I brought on and some what mark describes. Has subsided greatly. I do breathing exercises to relax my muscles.

For the muscle twitches and tingling of nerves (mark thanks for explaining this so incredibly well) I take gabapentin because for me it is much worse at night. I believe this is subsiding but can come back with stressful times. Also had tinnitus that came and went but that is gone now.

All this being said (I'm almost 6 months in) I have had symptoms reappear due to driving too much and the stress of the holidays. Just last night I had stressing out about holiday plans and my muscles started twitching.

Finally the headaches - mine changed like yours and I'm almost positive they are neck related as mark has advised me. It's been a long process with those headaches. Someone hugged me wrong last night and a headache came on strong and I still have it.

Happy holidays - wishing you the best and glad things are looking positive for you.

VB,

Laying on your side can exacerbate a dislocated rib. Ask your upper cervical chiro if he can check your back for ribs out of place. Laying on that rib will make the front end of the rib cause symptoms. Believe me, it sounds odd but I have lived with it. Got lots of heart tests because they thought the way the pain radiated up to my neck was heart related. My heart is strong in every way they can test it but I can still have these chest pains if I lay in the wrong position for too long.

I broke a rib in college that healed crooked so I have to be aware of that rib getting out of place. An overly aggressive chiro can upset that rib. My PT also has to be careful.