Mild concussion turned major
 

About a month and a half ago I got knocked out by a very strong, large guy. Originally I went to my doctor and he basically said that in the coming weeks I would wake up and all my symptoms will have disappeared. This felt reassuring so I basically continued my lifestyle as normally as possible. This included drinking alcohol (in excess on occasion)...

A month later everything started to feel pretty good so I went for 3 mile run to train for a race (I am not a runner). The next day I relapsed into much worse and now have even worse symptoms than I had originally. I went to a different doctor who gave me some advice. I quit drinking and took a week off to rest. Now, 2 weeks after relapse I feel no better.

I have a feeling that I turned a mild concussion into a major one, and the anxiety is killing me...

Have you been back to your doctor? If you feel really bad then you should go to your A&E/ER and they will have someone look at you there. Sounds like you need to see a neurologist - your doctor should be able to refer you to one. In the meantime try to rest and not to worry...

Chris,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. What you are experiencing is not uncommon.

You do not need to be seen by another doctor. You need quiet rest and good nutrition. No caffeine or alcohol. Minimal visual or auditory stimulation.

The jarring from the 3 mile run likely caused your symptoms to get worse but not a major concussion. Your brain was already struggling and you just exhausted it to the max.

Get plenty of healthy fluids. We have a vitamin and supplement regimen that many of us rely on. If you are up to taking on a serious vitamin regimen, let us know.

Also, it is not uncommon for concussion symptoms to get worse after a few weeks. The brain has brain cells that are struggling. If they continue to struggle, the brain finally shuts them down and lets them die off. The stress of the run could have also be enough to tip those struggling cells to a point of collapse. So, it is impossible to say whether your run caused the problem or if it was an inevitability.

So, try not to worry. Anxiety is bad for concussion recovery.

Let us know how we can help.

My best to you.

Thanks for the help! I'm all for a vitamin and supplement regimen. Please share!

Start with a B-12 (1000 mcgs daily) a B-50 or B-100 complex, D3, magnesium and calcium, a good multivitamin like GNC MegaMen, Omega 3, 6, 9 oil, and a few others I forget. The common multivitamins like One a Day have very low dosages. I take 19 pieces each morning. Have for years. My wife can tell when I have skipped a few days.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and MSG. Plus, no artificial sweeteners like Sucralose/Splenda, aspartame/Equal,Nutrasweet and other chemical additives like MSG. Also avoid high fructose corn sweetener.

Get plenty of quiet rest will gentle stimulation to help with the boredom.

And, learn to be patient. It takes a few months for good nutrition to help your brain cleanse from the toxins from your injury. Then, the healing can start.

My best to you.

is that b-12 and either b50 or b100 or just one of the 3?

Hey Chris - Welcome to the dark side.

A B-Complex contains all the B-Vitamins but usually a small dose of B-12. B-12 is very important to your brain so its recommended to take a larger dose of b-12. I take both a B-Complex and B-12.

Don't be afraid to ask questions! We are here to help!

Also - As depressing as it sounds - no more running. If you can walk around with exacerbating your symptoms then more power to you. Most of us are very limited in what we can do physically because it will exacerbate things. No heavy lifting either!

Vitamins to take
 

Thank you, I am taking sone of these things and will add others. Its been nine months since the incident and I find myself havibg a hard time the closer that anniversary date gets. Sorry for the typos, I get tired of fixing them. I had 98% effeciency before & struggle now. I have a question since you are so seasoned in this whole experience. My Neurologist said give it a year but I havent slept through a night since my accident & I want to go to the doctor about it. I wake up hallucinating & I think its related to sleep deprivation. Dhould I go or do you have suggestions other than melatonin as I already take 9mg

OP

I have the same story -- minor turned worse after running...
Did you feel any symptoms while you were running?