10 days later still just as bad
 

Unfortunately, none of my symptoms have improved. The most bothersome symptom is the confusion. Literally my mind can blank out for seconds at a time. I truly have compassion for anyone who has suffered through this. Throughout the day i have feelings of impending doom. I can't drive because the confusion is so bad and it scares me cause im having blank outs. Has anyone dealt with this symptom and if so how do you get through it? Im truly shocked my cat scan came back normal. Also, i dont have headaches at all. Maybe once a day I'l get what feels like a jolt in my head and it goes as quick as it comes. any advice is greatly appriciated

I suffered absence or petit mal seizures when I was a high school sophomore. Your blank outs could be seizures or then could just be those common PCS moments of confusion.

Blank outs can also be triggered by a startle or other sudden stimulus.

Have you been able to lower your stimuli and stress levels?

That is the most important.

Are you getting quiet rest?

Some of us will experience an anxiety attack from over-stimulation or startle. Others experience the other end of the spectrum and go blank for a moment.

Have you had anybody observe you when you have these blank outs. Their perspective of your event will be helpful to understand what is happening.

You may think it is only a second or two but an observer may notice it is longer. That would be valuable information to relate to a neuro.

As long as you are not putting yourself and others at risk by driving or such, I would try to get quiet rest and see if it resolves without getting too anxious about it.

Try to remember that you are still very early in your concussion recovery. Most doctors would not even want to see you yet. If these events are still a problem at 6 weeks, it would be time to see a neuro for some diagnostics like an EEG or qEEG.

My best to you.

nicnak,

My PCS symptoms did not show up until 3 months after the incident. The first symptoms that I experienced (and probably the most scary) was anxiety/panic attacks and confusion. I went through a period of about 3 months where I literally thought I was losing my mind. You can read some of my old posts from September through the end of December.

Here's one for you: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...mind+literally

I woke up in the middle of the night in September and felt lost, confused and "crazy". I rushed to the emergency room where they gave me a CT scan that didn't show anything new. From that day on, I had a slew of PCS symptoms show up day after day. Before the injury, I had no idea what anxiety was. Now, I know just about everything there is to know about it. Ever since that day, I had everyday panic/anxiety attacks that got worse and worse. I went through a period of 3-4 weeks (from the end of November until sometime in December) where I thought I was losing my mind. It was like a constant anxiety/panic attack that wouldn't go away. It was there when I woke up and it was with me when I fell asleep. Very scary...I was posting on here like crazy, trying to find out if it was normal, or if someone experienced something similar.

It eventually passed. It took a mixture of coping skills and anti-depressant medication. Ever since I started Mirtazapine, I haven't had a full blown anxiety attack.

So, just wanted to let you know that your not alone. I went through a very similar stage in my recovery. In fact, when I read your first thread, the first thing I thought of was me. If you have trouble conquering the anxiety on your own, it would do you some good to find a psychiatrist. You might benefit from an anti-depressant, perhaps an SSRI.

Keep posting on here and if you want to discuss something in private, you can send me a PM.

Nick