Alcohol Triggering Symptoms or Migraines?
 

I was diagnosed with a serious concussion at the beginning of august 2012. For two months I was in and out of my PCP with horrible symptoms.. after two months of rest and being miserable I slowly got better to the point where I had no symptoms and was back to my regular self.

Two months went by symptom free so I thought I was in the clear. During that two months I drank a few times and felt no repercussions, I felt fine the next morning besides a small hangover. Then the Saturday after Thanksgiving I went out with friends to watch the fsu/uf game, I got pretty tuned up, but didn't hit my head or anything. The next morning I woke up with a hangover, but throughout that next week at work it got progressively worse until all my symptoms came back in full force.

For the past month and a half or so, I've been resting for a week or 2 and then I feel fine and then I will have a few beers with friends and it seems like my symptoms come back the next day anytime I get drunk. Is this because I was heavily intoxicated when the Concussion occurred?? That's the only thing I can really understand.

I've had 2 neurologist tell me they don't think its PCS because I was symptom free for 2 months.. I've been told by multiple people that it might be migraines that are being caused by the alcohol since the accident. I was wondering if any of you had an input and if anyone here recovered and was able to start drinking alcohol regularly again without having to worry about your symptoms rushing back? I am 24 and was a college athlete, so I'm hoping in time my body will recover. I just started doing physical therapy this week and have not drank in 2 weeks and right now almost feel symptom free, but I know if I got out and have a good time with a few drinks, all my symptoms will come back.

I just want to know if I will ever be my normal self again and not have to worry about this always happening. I want to be able to cut loose and have a good time with friends and family without having to worry about my symptoms coming back. Will that ever happen?

I too recovered from my initial concussion and felt 'normal' for a week or two, then got very drunk, and all the symptoms came back.

Concussion involves a lot of chemical changes in the brain, and even after you feel completely recovered the brain has been shown to be more vulnerable to various factors such as stress and lack of oxygen (eg at altitude). My experience is that alcohol is one of the factors which the brain is less able to cope with following a 'mild' traumatic brain injury/concussion.

As much as I used to enjoy alcohol and as much as it was an important part of my social life, I can't risk going back to my post-concussion symptoms, which totally disrupted my life for so long. I am also concerned that the damage I have done to my brain through concussions will increase the likelihood of cognitive decline (eg dementia) as I get older. Both concussion and alcohol use reduce the 'cognitive reserve' that protects you from dementia.

As such I have decided that I will never get drunk again. I am finding other ways to enjoy myself, and it's not as bad as it sounds :winky: