Mild Concussion a month ago/PCS
 

My doctor seems to think I have PCS. I hit my head very hard on concrete about a month ago. I fell out of a car and smacked my head. Had a huge lump. I was intoxicated. Went to Urgent Care to get checked out a few days later, no need for a CT scan just a mild concussion. Did not have any symptoms beside bruised head. Next day, I was very, very dazed. Felt like I was in a dream Day after that had some mild headaches. Went to my regular GP three days later. Again, no need for CT scan just had a mild concussion. I have severe anxiety. Now a month later, I get very slight twinges of a headache for a couple seconds near my eyes (3 or 4 times a day) where I hit my head. Some days I feel just fine, some days I feel dazed (foggy) for a couple of hours. This weekend, my head hurt pretty bad off and on all day, but it doesn't hurt today. My doc said people with anxiety/depression take longer to recover sometimes. She said don't need a CT Scan but would send me to one if this would stop my anxiety. I think I will have anxiety about radiation.

Do I need a CT scan after a month? Would I have any brain bleeds or blood clots? I read some of the other posts and my symptoms are pretty mild compared. I go to work, drive, etc, no memory problems. Just some headaches and occasional headaches.

paty,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Unless your headaches become intense and / or disabling, a CT Scan will just be unneeded radiation. You should read the sticky at the top called Vitamins.... It will help your brain tolerate stress and hopefully lessen your anxiety levels. B vitamins are very important and help the brain tolerate stress without so much anxiety and depression.

You need to stay away from intoxicating substances for at least a few months so your brain can heal. After that, you should avoid getting intoxicated. Once injured, the brain has much less tolerance for intoxicating substances.

There is a condition called vaso spasms or vascular spasms where the veins and arteries can spasm and cause pain. This is common in the temples or sides of the eyes. If yours last just a few moments, you are fortunate. There is no treatment for these events besides pain meds.

My best to you.

Thank you, Mark. You don' t know how great it is to hear from you. It sounds like you know your stuff.

Yes, my symptoms are mild. I don't feel dazed as much anymore (the first week felt awful, very foggy and then it would clear up in the middle of the day.) unless I am anxiety ridden I guess. The mild twinges of headache don't hurt much but I did get headaches that are at a level 6 out of 10, but that has only been about 3 times since the concussion.

So if there was anything internal I would know by now? I am in my 30's, healthy and have never had any medical issues. For this reason, the doctor did not suggest a CT scan and promised I was not bleeding and did not have blood clot. I keep having images of me walking around and having a seizure at some point. My anxiety symptoms confuse me with the concussion symptoms. I started Zoloft this weekend, very low dose. Hopefully that helps. I also got a massage for my neck, I hold all my stress there so maybe that will help with the headaches.

Also, where do I check out the vitamins portion that you are talking about?

Also, I feel just a bit slower at work. Not enough not to be able figure things out but just not myself :(

I'm sorry to keep asking questions but one more thing. Have other people had slight pressure headache where you got hit? That's where I feel I have the pinching/twinge feeling/pressure.

I would say ask your doc, this isn't something to play around with or take some info off the internet. People do die from concussions, and a CT can just make sure that you most likely will not die. It also brought me a lot of peace to know that this weird stuff that was going on with my body was not some signal of something worse that I was just ignoring.
One time of radiation won't kill you, but avoiding it could.
Good Luck!
~Margarite

paty,

The vitamins sticky is at the top of the index page. Here is a link to the vitamins thread http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread181974.html

A CT Scan is not called for unless you start having intense head aches or have a loss of motor function. Bleeds show up best at 72 hours post injury. After that, the body starts absorbing the blood. But, bleeds are very rare without the intense head aches or loss of motor function or speech, etc.

Thank you, Mark! I have had two doctors tell me that the CT scan was not needed unless I had severe symptoms which I haven't had, besides being foggy and I only had a medium sized headache on Saturday which may have been from being out and about with my family.

I think my anxiety gets the best of me. I am feeling much better and have not had any headaches. The foggy feeling is very mild now, maybe from the low dose of Zoloft.

Just to be clear, Mark, I would have shown signs of this within the first 72 hours?