Yo-Yo PCS symptoms
 

Hi everyone,

During a game of sport 10 weeks ago I took a hit to the head that resulted in a concussion. This was my 4th, with the other 3 (all occurring over 3 years ago) only giving me mild symptoms and never taking more than a couple of weeks to resolve.

I was diagnosed with a definite concussion a couple of days later, displaying 70% of all the symptoms you would expect. I followed the sport england concussion protocol and did no physical exercise for 2 weeks. After this i did some gentle exercise at 75% of my maximum heart rate; no issues.

A few days later i made the silly decision to drink with a few friends (i'd done this with the previous concussions to no harm). The next day, with a hangover, i did the next phase of my return to play protocol and did a sprint session. I felt ill halfway though and went home. Over the next few days my symptoms got worse, even worse than they originally were. At this point i was bed bound with my main symptom being dizziness/light headed (this has always been the main symptom i've had with PCS).

I underwent a series of tests. My MRI came back showing everything to be structurally fine, and my cognitive function was very good. Blood samples showed my brain was still recovering from an injury. The doctors said i just needed rest and i should make a full recovery. This was encouraging and helped with the anxiety i had at the time.

Since then i have improved slowly over a couple of weeks before my symptoms have deteriorated again, with this 'cycle' happening twice now. Im not sure if I've been pushing too hard when my symptoms have seemed to improve, but I'm now getting very frustrated and anxious again. My current main symptom is still predominantly the dizziness/light headedness which i currently get from standing up/looking at a screen/talking for too long. Sometimes i get a mild headache, and my appetite isn't what it normally is.

What doesn't help the situation is that this means i cannot study for my college course, with me currently being in my final year. Doing any form of work at the moment will only set me back symptom wise. But at the same time i'm desperate to finish my course this year (for financial reasons), and I'm aware that every day i lie in bed recovering I'm falling behind on my course. Who knows if I'm going to get better again just to return to square 1 again?

Needless to say I'm very frustrated and anxious. The doctors are supportive but all they can prescribe is rest. None of my friends seem to understand how much this is affecting me. My promising sports career is in taters, I'm currently falling behind on my course, I can't live my normal social life and i'm emotionally drained by all of this.

Thanks for listening.

Reynold88,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

What you are experiencing is common. We call it the roller coaster of concussion recovery. It sounds like you are making a common mistake. Just because you are having a good day does not mean you can increase your activity level. Those good days are the days when the most healing is taking place. They are not days for increased activity. When those good days continue for two weeks, an increase in activity can begin to take place.

What sport do you play ? Rugby ?

It sounds like the Sport England Concussion Protocol is timeline based rather than symptom based. The Buffalo Protocol does not start a return to exercise until symptoms have resolved with no exercise, including head aches. Then, it adds exercise at 80% of the level that causes a return of symptoms.

It sounds like you need to choose between finishing your courses or resuming your sports. With care to take things slowly, you should be able to get some coursework done. Study periods with frequent breaks should be helpful.

My best to you.

Thanks for the reply Mark!

I played Rugby but i have come to the difficult decision over the holiday period that it is not wise for me to continue. My main concern is that i complete my studies now, although its hard to come up with a plan when it seems impossible to estimate a timeline.

I will check out the buffalo protocol, thanks for the heads up on that!
Am i delaying my recovery when i experience symptoms and/or when symptoms get worse?

Also, when you say that what i am experiencing is common, is that because that is a natural part of the healing process or because i am making a common mistake?

Concussions recover in a roller coaster process. Attempts at activity can cause the roller coaster. Unexpected stresses can also cause relapses. A bad nights sleep can be a cause. The key to recovery is learning to moderate life. Some try to rest up then have a busy active period thinking they can again rest up. Others think, I'm having a great day, I'll enjoy it and do something exciting. The important issue is reducing the peaks, regardless of the amount of quiet rest before or after those peaks. For many of us, we can expect a two week recovery after a single period of over-stimulation.

It is helpful to not push to a level of symptom return. There will be enough times when symptoms return after a delay from the activity, often, the next day. Then, one needs to look back at the last peak activity level as the cause of the relapse and moderate the intensity of future peak activity levels.

Reynold,

Yo yo is my experience.

Go easy on the exercise and running can be a real headache.

Chris

Do you mind if i ask you what your experience was/is?

Im currently not able to do any exercise. Just standing up gives me symptoms.

Reynold,

I had an unusual incident.

I was hit in the head by an anchor. I did not put it back in the boat when done with it...I set it on a platform outside the boat and figured I would idle slowly to the next destination. My grandson asked if we could go fast, I forgot about the anchor and when I accelerated it fell off the platform and was apparently skipping on top of the water. It weighs 20 pounds and was 60' behind a boat doing 26 mph. I made a turn to the right and my daughter saw it as it flew into the boat and hit me on the left side and right front areas.

Do the math cuz I can't but that heavy anchor was moving pretty dang fast to catch up to me.

It busted the skull pretty good but there was no brain bleeding, bruising or drainage, no tearing of that lining between the brain and skull and surprisingly little swelling or bruising to my head.

The fortunate thing is I was the one hit and not my grandkids, daughters or wife.

Bud

@Bud

Sorry to hear that, it certainly sounds like a freak accident.

I hope you have fully recovered/are on the mend.

Hi Reynold,

I had a similar experience. I got a concussion from rugby during my final year of college.

Have you talked to your instructors about taking an incomplete and finishing up your coursework when you're feeling better? That's what I ended up doing and it helped tremendously to have that stress off my shoulders. Don't know if that's an option for you.