Post Concussion Syndrome?
 

3 months ago I hit my head so hard that I fractured my frontal sinus bone. This resulted in a concussion and I was feeling symptoms of PCS (light headed, nausea) for about 2 months, then I started feeling pretty much normal. I started feeling slight symptoms such as light-headedness and nausea again a few days ago. This started the same day I began weight training again. 2 weeks after the concussion I tried to lift weights for a few days and this made my symptoms worse, so I stopped. Although this could be a coincidence, I think there is a correlation, since no other factors such as diet or stress have changed. Why would weight lifting cause my symptoms to come back? How long should I wait to start weight training again after I feel symptom free? Can I do light cardio exercise? Any diet recommendations?

Just to let you know, I have had 2 CAT scans and seen a neurosurgeon. The doctors did not find anything wrong on the cat scan (with the exception of the fracture)

You might want to read about chiropractic and the C1 -C 2 alignment also called the atlas and axis or upper cervical adjustment.

Could possibly be the vertebral artery getting affected by misalignments in the c spine.

Chiropractic care info- a good one can help with many symptoms:
http://www.upcspine.com/self.htm
http://www.uppercervical.org/subpag...b/about_faq.php
http://www.spineuniverse.com/index.html
http://www.coloradochiropractic.org/.../glossary.html

I dont think it has anything to do with my spinal cord. No neck pain or stiffness to indicate there is a problem with my spinal cord. I have seen 4 or 5 doctors and all agree that it is a result of the concussion. Just wondering if anyone knew why intense exercise would lead to my symptoms coming back. Does weight lifting decrease the flow of blood to the brain or something?

I was slightly misaligned for years and didn't know it - had no pain.
until I got shoulder & repetitive strain injuries.

The injuries aggravated the misalignments and more or less a chain reaction from there.

Do you have any symptoms in your hands or arms?
Can you hold arms overhead or forward for a long time with out any problems? like blood flow, numbess or tingling?

I was going to ask about holding hands and arms over head.

You might try weights in hands just small to start and moving
up. And things like that. I know I've been in physical therapy
from a post concussion since september, and its connected
to my neck. I'm just about ready to go out of therapy, but
will always probably need my tens machine. For the tension
in my neck and things. I still can't lift my arm's over my head
that well but its just that I've not used them that way much
yet. I need to slowly start doing things again.

Donna

Weight Lifting
 

Weight Lifting increases intracranial pressure alot and if you have not completely healed yet it relapses your symptoms. Your brain is not healthy enough to accomodate the change in pressure. Running also does to a lesser extent. You probably still need less intensity for a time.

Nancy,

That explains it. Do you have a link to this information or did you hear it from a doctor? I would like to read more about it. Thanks!

Nancy is right. I've suffered from PCS for almost a year and a half now and have similar symptoms. Prior to my symptoms, I lifted weights and ran on a daily basis. Since the symptoms started, I haven't been able to do anything physical at all, let alone lifting or running.

My advice is take it easy, as hard as it may be. I've tried months upon months of chiropractic as well, and it was no help. Chiropractic is likely not going to help with PCS.

dbc11 - do you think you are getting better or do you think this is a permanent thing? It's been close to 4 months for me since my concussion. Sometimes I think I am getting better b/c I feel good for a week or 2, then I start feeling symptoms again. Very frustrating.

I'm really not sure if I'm getting better. I'll have a few weeks where I do feel largely better, similar to what you said, but then I'll have symptoms again. The symptoms continually evolve too and they occur even without exertion. Like I'll have a couple weeks of a lot of lightheadedness, then a couple weeks of headaches, then a couple where I have more psychological stuff, like panic attacks and obsessive thoughts. It's a cycle of different symptoms it seems. But no matter what the other symptoms are, exertion makes them worse and brings on headaches and lightheadedness almost instantly.