Should I stop weight lifting from my PCS
 

It's 1 year and 2 months since the two concussions i sustained 3 weeks apart. The past couple months I have been slowly getting back into my exercise routine because my headaches are gone and my anxiety and depression levels are much better. I started off doing calisthenic muscle workouts (pushups, pullups, situps) and felt great doing them. i upped the intensity for about a month and felt great. Since i am a life long weight lifter I decided trying to get back into weight lifting. I have gone twice this week and haven't felt bad, but definitely not the way I used to feel. After my workouts and towards the middle and end of them I start to feel "foggy" and stuff. No headaches, just foggy and "not there". I dont feel this way when I do the calisthenics. Is this a sign that weight lifting may never be a good option for me anymore?

Also, I am reading on websites that if symptoms dont improve after a year, they are mos tlikely permanent. IS this true My symptoms have absolutely gotten "better" but can occasionally linger around. Any thoughts?

Should i stop weight lifting from my PCS? General questions also.
 

It's 1 year and 2 months since the two concussions i sustained 3 weeks apart. The past couple months I have been slowly getting back into my exercise routine because my headaches are gone and my anxiety and depression levels are much better. I started off doing calisthenic muscle workouts (pushups, pullups, situps) and felt great doing them. i upped the intensity for about a month and felt great. Since i am a life long weight lifter I decided trying to get back into weight lifting. I have gone twice this week and haven't felt bad, but definitely not the way I used to feel. After my workouts and towards the middle and end of them I start to feel "foggy" and stuff. No headaches, just foggy and "not there". I dont feel this way when I do the calisthenics. Is this a sign that weight lifting may never be a good option for me anymore?

Also, I am reading on websites that if symptoms dont improve after a year, they are mos tlikely permanent. IS this true My symptoms have absolutely gotten "better" but can occasionally linger around. Any thoughts?

It's been about 22 months since the accident I was in and I'm still dealing with a lot of impairments myself... but I can see that I'm still getting better! I just hate the word "permanent" - it's very scary and hopeless to me...

I think if you're experiencing fogginess after lifting weights, then it's time to stop because an increase in fogginess is definitely a "symptom". Either decrease the amount of weight and see if that helps or stop altogether for a while until you can try to start again.

I would hate to tell you that you can never lift weights again because I can tell you love doing and want to continue. I am craving returning to doing the things that I love to do too.

Maybe you're trying to increase the weight too fast for your new neuronal pathways can handle?

Have you tried doing another kind of fitness and exercise that is less "stressful"? That might help alleviate your desire to lift weights.

In regards to your "permanent" question...

I've read that some neuropsychologists think that significant improvements can be made for up to two years after a brain injury.

My neurologist recently told me that it's rare to see improvement after 12-18 months, but I wonder if that's "old school" thinking about the matter. New research is demonstrating that neuroplasticity continues throughout life - what that means for the survivors of concussions, I'm not exactly sure, but I try to find as much hope in it as I can.

And Space Cadet posted a blog here that was written by a woman who says it took her 4-5 years to feel close to normal again after sustaining a concussion. I wonder if that just means she got used to feeling the way she did and confused it for her previous level of functioning, but it sounds hopeful too.

penguinsfan7,
I merged your 2 similar threads together since they both had replies. :)

If you are weight lifting to muscle fatigue as in body building regimens, you may be causing too much muscle cell breakdown. You also may be just getting to much adrenaline flowing through your body which can over-stress your brain. Either one could cause the foggy feelings.

You will likely do better with lighter weights with more reps than heavier weights to fatigue.

Regarding neuroplasticity, I would like to see some research about where neuroplasticity abounds and where it is less likely. From what I have read, most neuroplasticity claims refer to a brains ability to develop skills later in life that would have more normally developed during youthful maturing.

There is a big difference between repairing damaged brain circuits and developing or strengthening under-developed brain skills. Most research appears to focus on the later concept of neuroplasticity.

To a person with PCS, there is a good value to neuroplasticity. Those under-developed brain circuits can be strengthened to help overcome the other weaknesses that resulted from the brain injury. A comparison would be, If you have injured and permanently lost function and strength in your right arm and hand, you can strengthen and improve function in your left arm and hand to compensate.

I was an avid trainer before my injury and a combination of the headaches/general health/lethargy saw me drop from 5/6 days a week to almost non existent. However on the advice of my neurologist I've thrown myself back into it , although taking it considerably easier & I've found it's really helped my headaches and concentration.

Obviously we're all different & it may not be right for you it's certainly helping me

I just found this little article and thought you might like to read it:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/55...luid-pressure/

lifting weights
 

Penguin i have recovered from PCS. *edit*.
I lifted weights when i was well enough to be in a gym/around people. I was well on the road to recovery by then though. I couldnt have done it when my symptoms were worse because the gym environmental and the jerk of the weights would have been too much. The gym/exercise gave e something to do other than sit around staring at the walls.