Post concussion syndrome symptoms
 

I was in an accident on May 14th. I was rushed to the hospital and wasn't given a thorough exam. They released me with a benign headache. A week later I went to my neurologist ( I'm a migraine sufferer) and he said I had a concussion. I've had a CT scan that was negative but I have several issues that concern me. I have a headache (dull) every day. I have short term memory loss and speech issues. I feel like my mouth doesn't work as fast as my brain. I SOMETIMES slur, stutter, and pause when speaking. Has anyone else dealt with this? It scares me when I think about living with this long term

Mbolin,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

It sounds like you are experiencing classic concussion symptoms. You are only 3 weeks since your injury. You need to take a break and give your brain a chance to recover. It is normal for a CT Scan to be negative. It is extremely rare for a concussion to cause an injury that shows up on a CT Scan.

You need to rest and lower your stressful activity levels. Head aches can take quite some time to resolve. They are uncomfortable but moderate head aches are not a reason for concern. Nor are your speech or memory struggles. Most of us have experienced them. It may take a few more weeks or even a few months to recover. Nobody can say how long it will take. But, your symptoms are not a reason for concern.

There is not much the ER can do to treat a concussion.

Please keep in touch. We are here to support you as you struggle.

My best to you.

Mbolin, I came across this when I was looking for something else. Thought I would post it here for you

http://www.brainline.org/content/201...in-injury.html
How to Stop Fumbling for the Right Word After a Brain Injury

Personally I think you did the right thing in going to the hospital.
I think everyone who hits their head badly enough to have a concussion should been seen by a doctor and if that means the ER than so be it.
Lots of things can happen after people hit their heads that sometimes need to be checked. One of those things is a rapid spike in BP. I could go on...

Hi Mbolin

I am now 9 months post concussion and I have had everything you mention. The slurring, short term memory and word finding problems are mostly gone now.

Sorry you have to go through this too, hopefully it resolves quickly.

Unfortunately you need to limit stress until you are better, there are also other things you can do, browse through the forum The waiting gets really really annoying but it things do get better.

In terms of taking a break, I read something recently talking about 3-5 days of total cognitive and physical rest following concussion. After that, it was important not to exhaust yourself or exacerbate your symptoms but you didn't need to stare at a wall - find what works for your injury, every healing is different. Personally I couldn't use a PC, read or watch television for a very long time, though there are others who were fine with these activities.