Very Worried about PCS
 

A month back I got a concussion from playing hockey. Didn't loose conciousness but I finished the game. About two weeks later I relapsed because of exercise (High Intensity Interval Training). Now when I play video games or watch TV my brain starts to fog up and I feel dizzy. I never had this before throughout the concussion. Is this a bad sign or a good sign? What is the best course of action?
I need to get back quickly into the flow of things because I don't want to miss too much school.

Note: I have been to the ER twice and they refused to a CT scan saying that it wont show a concussion.

Rest rest rest! It is normal to have changes in concussion symptoms, especially in the months right after. An injury to the brain sets in motion many changes...a chemical cascade which can take many different turns. I think you need to take it very seriously, find a good doctor or clinic which has some knowledge of concussion (brain injury) and make sure you don't overdo things. Stay below the level of triggering symptoms.
There are other Canadians on this board so if you want to let people know what province you are in, maybe you can get some recommendations.

Hope things improve quickly for you!

Concussed Canuk,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. What you are experiencing is a normal concussion experience. How many concussions have you had previously ? How often do you suffer a 'dinger' from a hard check ?

The TV and video game problems are a sign that your brain is struggling. It sounds like your school and team are not offering any concussion information. There is NO WAY to speed up recovery. In fact, usually when one tries to speed up recovery, they end up making their recovery take much longer. The main focus for recover is QUIET REST. This means no working out, no video games, minimal TV and other screen time, minimal visual and sound stimulation.

Basically, you need to try to live a very boring life for at least a few weeks.

A few facts for you to consider for the future. Losing consciousness has little bearing on the severity of a concussion. Playing through a concussion can be extremely dangerous to the point of deadly. Even a concussion that does not manifest any symptoms beyond the first few hours needs to be treated as a dangerous concussion. A minimum time off from play is suggested at 2 weeks. Some research is suggesting this needs to be extended to 6 weeks before considering a return to play decision.

The brain is not like a bruised muscle. It can not tolerate injury upon injury.

Read the thread Vitamins. It has some good information.

Tell us more about your injury, your age, living situation, school endeavors, etc. It will help us point you to the best ways to
recover.

The ER was right. Unless you have severe symptoms, a CT or MRI will not show anything. There is nothing an ER can do to help unless you have lost muscle control on one side or the other or have vision changes, etc.


My best to you.

ConcussedCanuk,

You need to take a step back, get as much quiet rest as possible, avoid TV, computers, video games and busy places, and definately no sports. The less pressure you put on yourself the better, doing the right things at the start will improve your chance of getting better faster. I am coming through the other side of PCS but it has taken me nearly 5 months to do it. I would say this is because I was still trying to do things for the first 2 months which I shouldn't have, I am only gradually increasing activity now.

Im almost 17 and this was my first concussion. I never had this experience before and that's the reason I messed up. I have a full week off from school so that should help.
I was given a return to play sheet from the doctor. It just told me to rest and follow steps to full contact play.
I'm worried because the symptoms right now are different from the ones before. They seem to hurt less and go away when I'm not watching a screen.

If I were you . . .
 

I wouldn't play yet, under any circumstances. I would wait until you aren't having any symptoms before even considering any strenuous physical exertion, let alone one that could result in another head injury. You're young! Your brain is going to repair itself if you rest and take care of yourself. Did the doctor who released you to play know of your symptoms? I find it hard to believe that any conscientious doctor would release you to play! Take care of yourself and good luck!

They gave me a sheet with 5 steps and told me to follow it. The steps were rest-light aerobic exercise-drills-Contact drills-Full contact play. They also signed me up for a research clinic for concussions. I'm going to look for a concussion specialist to talk to in the near future.

I would definitely recommend seeing a specialist because they'll be able to more accurately assess your symptoms and make you feel a little more at home/comfortable with the possible rest/treatment your brain needs. i know it's a frustrating process - I too had my first concussion this year and needed desperately to get back to school and my sport (which I was on a scholarship to play at my college), and the last thing I wanted to hear was that I needed to rest/take the time my brain needs to heal. I cried for weeks about it, to be honest. But I soon found that whether I wanted to or not, rest was the only option to stop the pain. I think also you should listen to your body, what you said about screens is interesting and probably pertinent - if you get headaches when you look at screens, try to limit or shot down all computer/tv time if possible. If you require a computer for school, maybe try to explain to your teachers/professors what's going on and see if they can work with you. There are (hopefully) ways that you can still move on with your day-to-day life with modifications for now. I wish the very best for you

Its been nearly a full week of rest. The symptoms have gotten a bit better. But now I'm getting these weird tingling feelings in my head. Its been a full month since the concussion how much longer do you think these symptoms will last? How long did your PCS symptoms last?

There is no way to predict how long concussion symptoms will last. Some suggest waiting a minimum of 6 weeks before even considering returning to play.

The ACE or SCAT sheet they gave you are of limited value. You need to be more concerned for your brain that the authors of those papers are. It is your brain. I guarantee that you have suffered previous concussions. The others just did not cause lasting symptoms. Many concussions clear of symptoms within a few hours, especially if they are one the first few concussion.

The tingling may be due to neck inflammation. Try icing the back of your neck.

Please do not be in a hurry to return to play. You only get one brain.

My best to you.