Post concussion syndrome 6 months
 

Hi,
My name is Lynn. I was in a car accident 6 months ago. I sustained a concussion, whiplash, tinnitus and cervical radiculitis. I have been diagnosed with post concussive syndrome and see PT 3x/week for vestibulo-ocular reflex deficits and cervical neck therapy. I have symptoms of lightheadedness as well as dizziness to varying degrees on a daily basis. I also experience intermittent headaches and nausea. I am married, a mom of 4 busy teens, work part time and am anxious to get back to my normal routine. Currently I am on a LOA from work. My neurologist is encouraging in that he feels my symptoms will subside with rest and therapy. I am frustrated in the time it is taking to recover. If anyone has any insights please share. Thank you for listening:)

Hi Lynn,

I had a car accident 4 months ago and suffered a concussion, cervical neck sprain, rotator cuff injury and contussions to my head, also in PT and vestibular therapy.

You are definitely not alone with feeling frustrated, therapy and rest....we need to do it but it is frustrating as we just want to feel better right now.

I also get terrific headaches.

Others here I'm sure will have some good advice as this is new to me too, hang in there. :grouphug:

Post concussion syndrome 6 months
 

Hi Dagma1...Thank you for your response. It's so frustrating recovering from this type of injury. I can't believe it's been 6 months already. On a good day when you feel like you can push yourself and do more it backfires! I was driving to work and entered an intersection going about 40 mph. I had the green light and a lady turned without warning in front of me. I t-boned her car and hit the light post and then a tree. I am lucky to be alive. Thank goodness for seatbelts and airbags (all of them were deployed). I was instantly lightheaded and dizzy and had numbness and tingling in both my upper extremities. The seatbelt gave me a large deep bruise over my left upper chest. I have had constant ringing in my ears since the accident. My symptoms get worse when I drive, do computer work, am fatigued or stressed. I drink once in a great while and when I was out the other night with friends had 1 drink which felt like I had 5! I do a series of 12 exercises 2x per day to help with my vestibulo-ocular reflex deficit and whiplash. I can't wait to get normalcy back in my life! Thank you again for listening. I'm sorry you are going through this as well. I appreciate feedback or advice for recovering from PCS.

Welcome to Neurotalk-this has been an incredible source of support and information for many.

I got rear ended last year, and I have had many similar symptoms including convergence insufficiency (headaches from reading, hard to watch moving objects, etc.)

The horrible truth is that each concussion is unique. It is hard to put a timeframe on each recovery.

Finding the right doctors with pcs experience is important-but even then they are often at a loss in terms of recovery timeframes.

I found that I have perspective looking back in 3 month timeframes-I can see how far I have come in some areas, and how much more I have to go in others.

For me, headaches, neck pain and migraines still plague me (as does the vision and vertigo), but icing the neck, sleeping on buckwheat pillows and ensuring rest and quiet help.

Also, there is a vitamin thread by long-time veteran Mark from Idaho has been really crucial to recovery. Eating healthily and limiting caffeine is important.

I know others will contribute their tips. I am on leave from work and have 3 boys-so prioritizing my self-care has been difficult but crucial.

Best of luck!

sensitivity to sound
 

Yes, thank goodness we are alive, but....i'm 8months after my accident and my quality of life right now is horrible. I have extreme sensitivity to sounds (i've improved with light) and I get easily overstimulated. I can't go to the grocery store or drive...Everyone says rest and time, but i'm so angry.

Is there anyting that you do or that anyone does that helps? I can't sleep b/c the ringing in my ears is horrible.

Hi TZandme,
Were you in an accident? Do you see a neurologist? I sometimes sleep with my bedroom ceiling fan on low at night to help with the ringing. During the day it might help to turn the TV or radio on low but I know you had mentioned you were sensitive to sounds:( It's hard to believe it takes so long to recover from a concussion. Every day I wake up feeling the same. I fear I will never recover. I have 8 more weeks of time off from work. My job involves a lot of multitasking as well as high level cognitive functioning. I am dizzy and lightheaded every day to varying degrees. When I'm working on the computer and trying to concentrate and process information my brain goes into shutdown and I become increasingly dizzy and lightheaded. I find it difficult to talk with my family about how I'm feeling. I look fine. Unfortunately they can't see inside my brain. I wish I had a tangible picture to show them what is wrong like an X-ray from a broken bone. I was doing my vestibular exercises yesterday. It was the oculomotor:saccades. I was using 2 pencils. You have to hold the targets 12 inches apart and move your eyes quickly from target to target for 20 seconds. My 20 year old son was watching me and made a comment...."can't decide which pencil to use mom?" I have to say...it made me laugh!:p This has been a big test of patience for me. I was feeling a little better the week before last and pushed myself with my exercises. It backfired last week and I went backwards...ugh! I'm sorry you are still feeling like you are. I guess we need to continue to rest:sunchair: I just joined this forum yesterday for support from others with similar situations to mine. It is helpful to know I am not alone :grouphug:Good luck and please keep me posted on your progress.

Hi Lynn,

Who knew that going back and forth between 2 pencils would be so hard :confused: !!

I'm doing that too, actually my therapist just started me doing it again after a break as it was too difficult to do, it still feels like my eyes are bouncing up and to the right while I doing it and I get pain/pressure behind my eye balls, not fun.
I have to move my eyes back and forth soooo slowly but I'm told it'll get better. I cannot track an object properly.

You're right, we look fine so it's hard for others to understand.

How is your balance? Have you "walked the plank" as I call it? :winky: walking heel to toe...I sway from side to side.

It'll all get better, keep on truckin'...(I know it's soooo upsetting and frustrating some days) keep coming on to read/write, it does help to know you are not alone, hugs...:grouphug:

Hi Dagma1,
Thank you for your reply. It's nice to have someone to dialogue with that is dealing with a similar situation. Do you work? My worry is that I won't be healed by the time my 8 weeks are up. I am part time but carry the insurance for my family. My husband runs his own business. We're you in a car accident? I find myself giving other drivers a lot of reminder horns if they are turning into my lane. The lady who I hit turned in front of me last minute as if she was asking to be hit. I was entering an intersection going 40mph. I had the green light. It was so scary. The last thing that I remember before I hit her was "I'm going to die and I hope it goes quick and doesn't hurt" :( There was a loud pop as the airbag went off in my face. I hit her car, then a light post, then a tree. All I remember is white smoke and the feeling that I turned into a bobblehead! My head was spinning and I had instant numbness of my upper extremities. It's been a long 6 month journey. I have good days where I push myself with the exercises and then sure enough it back fires and I feel worse the next day. I now find myself referring to how I feel, symptom wise, in numbers. Like today I'm a 7/10. I can't wait to get back to work. I miss normalcy. What other exercises are you doing? I have to do the "plank" one as well. They call that "standing static". My feet are heel-toe and my eyes are closed and I have to turn my head from side to side for 30 seconds then up and down for thirty seconds. Seriously! I think this is a challenge for anyone! Keep in touch! Hope you have a good day ;)

Lkas,

Welcome to NT. Your injury sounds complex. It will help some others to read your posts if you use a double paragraph space every five lines or so. Some of us have visual struggles that make it difficult to find the start of the next line if the paragraph gets to be too many lines. 5 lines is the maximum for many of us.

It sounds like your therapy may be too intense. The injured brain needs quiet rest to heal. Even well intentioned therapy can be too much effort. The neck and especially the upper neck needs very tender therapy for some of us. Pushing for a return to a good Range of Motion too soon may be counter-productive.

Have you read the sticky at the top about vitamins and such ? There is a good comment about icing and how to make a crushable ice bag. Icing the neck to reduce inflammation is important.

My best to you.

Hi Lynn

Sorry to hear about your accident. I am nearly at the 6 month mark too. My accident was as simple as slipping on a tiled floor resulting in pcs.... I too find it very frustrating that this can take so long to heal, & find it difficult to understand! I wish I could have a little picture of my brain & know what's going on up there!!

My symptoms are a little different got really bad nausea to begin with but that has thankfully subsided. My headaches are daily at the moment but I have just returned to work which I don't think has helped to much. I use computers at work & have to deal with the public as I am a travel agent, it's been tough. I love my job & also was very eager to get some sort of normalcy back in my life. I also get really anxious & emotional, do you have any issues with your emotions?

& yes I guess rest is the answer but just how much does one need.

Hi Mark in Idaho and Travel!

It's so comforting to hear from others experiencing PCS. Good advice to make more spaces in my paragraphs. I was getting a headache :confused: previewing my post before submitting it because the sentences were so close together.

I have been using heat on my neck...I will definitely try the ice. By the way what's a sticky?

I have experienced some nausea but not bad. I just hate feeling like I just got off a carnival ride all the time. I get relief from PT but it lasts a few hours. It's this vicious cycle of "get the neck feeling better so I can do the vestibular exercises and get more dizzy again!" :Head-Spin:

I have been taking Ibuprofen to help with the pain and muscle spasms in my neck. I have a muscle relaxant but I'm afraid it will make my dizziness worse...ugh!

I hope you all have a good day! Thank you for your support and ear. :grouphug:

Hi LSAK
 

Thank you for writing to me. I do feel that I could have written that message, except for the excersices you are doing. I have to walk down my hallway, without touching the walls, and turn my head right to left over and over....oh I hate that excersice! For the past 3nights the ringing (which is more like high pitch piercing noise) just over takes my head. I can't put my head on the pillow on my side b/c it just is so intense. It's just horrible. I didn't think things could get worse. I make a little progress in one area and something else gets worse! I had to tell my boss I couldn't come back to work yesterday....(I teach HS Special Ed) so that line of work right now is not possible. I'm crushed b/c it's my dream job. I live and work within 5miles and i get into freaking car accident 1 1/2miles from my house! For the past 5 years I've driven 35miles one way to my school. It's crazy. I totally agree that, yes, I look fine- but i'm not. I found these clear wax earplugs. I like them b/c I don't look like a dork and I can squish them in real good. Walmart, I don't know where in the store b/c I didn't find them, since I can't freaking go shopping! Anyway, I am angry, very angry, I know I'm not supposed to be but I can't help it. I was just prescribed Respidone .5mg. I've been taking it for 3 days and nothing. Have you heard of it? Are you taking anything? He also increased my citalipran from 20mg to 40mg. (I was taking 20mg b/c of my ex).

I'm sorry you feel so crappy:( It's normal to feel angry and frustrated. I think you said you go to PT, right? I look forward to it the 3 x per week that I go. I feel a little better after they work on my neck. I get reassurance every time I go that I will get better....it just takes time....lots of time! I'm sure it will be the same for you.

I'm not on any medications yet for my dizziness. I'm afraid anything I take will make it worse. Did you try some low level background noise for the ringing? A ceiling fan, TV or radio? If the ringing is anything like mine it's magnified when its quiet or I'm tired. I'm seeing a dizzy and hearing specialist this week. I hope they can help.

I know about the job thing! My boss has been awesome. I have been off for 6 months so far. I have my dream job as well...I don't even want to think about the what ifs right now...

Hang in there! I'm happy this forum is here for us to connect with people :grouphug: with similar dx..talk to you soon

It does get better...but it can be very slow! That is a very hard lesson to learn, because we suffer as we wait for healing.
I also tend to measure progress in three month chunks. At the beginning it was in six month chunks.

Make sure you leave no stone unturned in terms of assessment:

Eg. Vision, vestibular, auditory processing, neck, etc.

Lots of good info on this site and brainline

Hi LKAS4,
 

Thank you for your kind words. I do have my ceiling fan on when I sleep, I will try to see about finding a small fan or something.

Do you get "shots" of pain in your head? They come and go, like a shot of pain. My pain in my head is very specific and I can totally identify where and how it feels. I'm trying to analyze what I do before the pain comes.

I've gotten better about not "losing" what I was going to say. I would talk and then just stop, losing what I was about to say. Crazy.

I have gotten better with some sounds, but I'm still unable to go to a store. I can't drive either b/c the pain in the front of my head is intense and I get sick. I felt it was too dangerous, especially since my daughter would be in the car too. But I rely on people for everything, errands, groceries, appointments.

Just recently I was supposed to fly to my dad's in Vermont but was unable to handle the airport. (my friend took me on a test run in the airport the day before we were supposed to fly). I cried everyday for 10days.

I keep making deadlines as to when I'm supposed to be better and July 10th was the deadline- I failed. I'm angry. I don't get sick, i'm not a person who gets sick easily or even takes a sick day from work. I just work, just do it. Now, I can't just do it. I'm angry....

Trying to go back to positive thoughts. I am alive and I am not blind (I thought how horrible it would be if the accident caused me to be blind instead and I couldn't see my daughter- that would be worse).

Hi Lynn,

I am on leave from work right now, thank God I have an understanding boss.

Yes, I was in a car accident, was rear ended by 2 vehicles, one a hit and run, in late March.

The first hit sent my head forward and the second was massive, don't remember if I hit my head as I lost a few secs but I had a contusion on my head so the ER Dr thought I did, afterwards I couldn't remember that there were 2 hits, kept saying there was just one massive one.

This happened on a Friday and I saw my local Dr on Monday, I remember sitting in the waiting room feeling so sick, knowing there were people around me but it was like a fog, out of body experience, couldn't see them properly, she kept asking me questions but I was blank. Those first few weeks were hell.

Do you get disorientated in the store? it's just too many people, noises, talking, bright lights.. my therapist says it's too stimulating.

The other exercise I do is stare at a small object and slooooowly move my head side to side, then up and down, that's a hard one and my eyes feel as though they are being pulled from behind with pain and pressure.

Have you read Mark's thread about vitamins? great advice there and I have it printed out.

How's your balance doing?
I am very active so I cried and cried when told I cannot go hiking or climbing, very emotional.

I get severe headaches too, got to watch how long I'm on the computer etc. Am going to see an neurologist, I do see a neurological OT, cannot remember exactly what it is that's wrong, the name of it..I see her again tomorrow, feel like I live at the therapy center :)

Thank God for this site, hope you're ok? :grouphug: