Dealing with symptoms - NEED INSIGHT
 

Hi everyone,

I'm new on this forum and would like to get some insight and hear some of your thoughts on what I have to say.

I'm 20 years old, got my first major concussion about 6-7 years ago. It was really rough because it was mainly PCS rather than feeling the symptoms right away.

My second one occurred 2 years ago, wasn't major but I definitely still felt the effects of it. Symptoms didn't last too long which I was thankful for.

Finally, my third concussion happened in November 2016. This one felt different from my first two. The main symptom I had was severe pressure in my head, I do suffer from chronic migraines which I know adds to the extent of my symptoms. But, these symptoms have stuck with me until this very day. Not to the same degree as the first month after the injury, but I get headaches and migraines every single day. Tylenol doesn't help, nothing does.

I would simply like to know if anyone else has suffered from these exact symptoms or if anyone has something to say please feel free.

Thank you very much for your time

bugeyedfatwalrus,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear you are suffering.

I'm confused. Did your chronic migraines pre-exist your concussions ?

[I would simply like to know if anyone else has suffered from these exact symptoms ]

What symptoms besides your headaches ? Do you mean just the severe pressure ?

How did you suffer each concussion ?

What kind of diagnostics and treatment have you received ?

Have you tried anything besides Tylenol ?

Max dose Tylenol combined with max dose aspirin can be very helpful. My doctor recommended this combination to me. Excedrin is Tylenol, aspirin and caffeine. The caffeine should be avoided in most cases, especially with PCS.

Have you done any icing, especially the back of your head and neck ?

Have you had any treatment for a upper neck injury ? Most concussions include subtle trauma to the upper neck. This will not show on imaging. It is usually just strain and bruising that causes inflammation that can lead to muscle spasms and headaches.

I've had chronic migraines since I was about 10 years old and the main symptom I deal with is the pressure in my head.

I don't really have any other symptoms besides light headedness but it's not very prominent.

Each concussion was suffered while playing hockey, the most recent one I was cross checked in the back of the neck and fell rapidly to the ice. I was wearing a helmet but the blow to the front of head did create a pretty bad bruise, let alone the damage to my brain itself.

I have gone through CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy), did all of the basic concussion tests.

Unfortunately there's not much else I can take besides Tylenol because of the medication I have to take for my migraines. Excedrin is one of the medications I know I definitely can't take.

I have iced and all that jazz, nothing works. This has been going on for over a year and it's driving me crazy!!!

Up until this last concussion my headaches and migraines were under control, I seem to be slowly going back down the hill.

Do you have tenderness to touch if you press on the bony areas behind your ears ? The whiplash effect of a body check injury can mess up the upper neck and throw the brains blood flow system out of wack.

A Physical Therapist or upper cervical chiro can often help. You would want somebody who knows how to do gentle therapy, gentle traction and mobilization of the cervical vertebra, to help the cervical vertebra to settle into proper place and strengthen. It also requires learning to sleep with good head and neck posture.

Have you tried any dietary changes ? There is a diet called the anti-inflammatory diet. Some have found it very helpful.
Google 'anti inflammatory diet migraines' You will find a lot of information and testimonials.

I don't feel anything when I press on the bony part behind my ears.

Another thing I should mention is that I suffer from IBS which is a digestive issue, as well as general anxiety disorder. The anxiety and the migraines in a way control my life. I don't even have time to go see a doctor because school is so overwhelming.

A negative result from touching the bone behind the ear is good but does not rule out upper neck issues.

IBS is not always a digestive issue. It can be a neurological issue that manifests as a digestive issue. Plus, the intestines have the highest density of nerve receptors in the body. Anxiety often sets them into overdrive. I struggled with IBS symptoms for a few years after my most recent injury until I found a doctor who diagnosed TOS (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) and he directed me to a physical therapist who helped me minimize the TOS.

I have a cervical rib at C-7 and moderate injuries from C-6 to T-3 and some others that interrupt nerve signals to the esophagus and gut. I have a rib that likes to dislocate at the vertebral end that messes with my gut. I fractured a rib at the same time as a concussion injury in college that has been an on and off problem ever since. It healed crooked and puts strain on the rib to vertebral joint.

If you have been taking a beating on the ice, you may have some vertebral issues that need addressing.

Many with PCS find a full load of a challenging course work makes their PCS much worse. The stress of school can make life miserable for someone with PCS.

Are you taking any meds for your anxiety ?

What migraine drug are you taking ?

Are you taking any other drugs ?

I take 100mg of Sertraline at dinner time plus 50mg of trazodone 30 minutes before bed.

The Trazodone was prescribed to me a week ago to help with some anxiety issues I've been having.

I also take Symbicort for my asthma issues.

You should read the Vitamins sticky at the top. B-12, D3, magnesium w calcium, a B-50 Complex or other source of folate and the rest of the B vitamins such as a multivitamin for stress and a good dose of anti-oxidants, C, E, should be your minimum.

You can strengthen your immune system and maybe help with your asthma.

Most anti-inflammatory diets are also good at helping strengthen the immune system.

Chubby walrus,

Are your new headaches similar to your pre-existing migraines or are they different? Are they linked to light and sound sensitivity? Does thinking exacerbate them?

Once I hear from you I'll put some thoughts out there for you as I think your headache issues may have some similarity to mine.

MM

@Mark in Idaho I don't think I can take any more pills.
I'm so tired of taking the ones I am now, it's so frustrating to constantly have to remember to take them.

They are pretty similar to the pre-existing migraines. Same amount of pressure in the head. They come on really strong when I have to concentrate a lot on my school work.

What would you think if you could take some natural pills and be able to stop taking prescription pills that cause side-effects ?

Many of us have found that our damaged brains need extra nutrition to avoid having to take drugs.

Successful living with PCS can require discipline.

I did not see any migraine meds in your post ? Are you taking a migraine med or just Tylenol ?

I am taking Sandomigran 3 times a day, 0.5 mg each time.

Have you ever sought help from an orthomolecular medicine specialist ? It sounds like your Sandomigran is not doing the job. Maybe there is something else that can be done.

The stress of school could be changing how your body responds. Plus, at 20, your brain and body is finishing up with some age related changes.

I can't imagine school with migraines.

My best to you.

I have never heard of it, I'll definitely look into it.

Thank you for everything.

Chubby walrus,

Thanks for the info on your headaches. It sounds like things exacerbate your pre-existing migraines. This is not what I was guessing so I won't prognosticate any further.

What I will throw out there is that any form of relief from headaches is welcomed. I was diagnosed with PCS and post-traumatic headache. After over 3 years, my headaches have never stopped... they are relentless. However, I have found a few things that have made life a bit easier. I still usually take an acute analgesic every day, but this seems to provide some sort of management that is very welcomed.

Here's some things I've tried:

Amitrypline (up to 50 mg), nortrypline (50 mg)... both provided very minor relief but made me feel crummy.

Cymbalta: at 30 and 60 mg it did nothing for my headache pain. However at 90 and 120 mg it provided meaningful reduction (note: still have headaches with this but they are not crippling like before). One thing, the first 2 weeks of increasing the dose made the headaches very painful, but got better thereafter.

Short term pain killers. With the Cymbalta, Advil sometimes has a noticeable effect, but often is useless. The best short-term med I've used and continue to use is Tylenol 3 (acetaminophen, 30 mg codeine and caffeine)... these are powerful and most of the time remove the pain. Generally docs don't like you using opiod pain killers daily as they cause medication overuse headache (rebound headache). Life for me would be pretty bad with these. Regular Tylenol, asperin, etc, are mostly useless

Migraine meds. These are likely your best shot for relief, though they didn't work out all that well for me. Topimerate is the go-to choice for many pain specialists dealing with headache issues. For me, it did afford notable relief but caused my heart to wildly palpitate. Propanol is often a second choice. I went to a highish dose and did get some minor relief but left me with tinnitus in one ear. There are also others that can be tried.

Lastly, I use medical cannabis in an oil form. CBD-based oils absolutely do provide some relief, which on some days is enough to not use an acute pain killer. I also use THC only oil to help me get to sleep.

My point of this is that relief of headache pain is essential to helping get through PCS. Pain leads to poor sleep, anxiety, depression, and will exacerbate other issues. Finding any relief will lessen these issues an help you progress. Even if the trial and error linked to new drugs is difficult, it might be worth it in the long-term.

Just my 2 cents. Best of luck : )

MM

Thank you so much for the info.

I am going to look into everything I have taken in via this post and do some more research as well as talk to my doctor.

I am also planning to see a neurologist soon so hopefully this issue will be solved sooner rather than later.

All the best

concussion
 

I was taking 1800 mg. ibuprofen for about 5 months now but one of my doctors said to back off 600 mg. Now I am really in pain. Ins. co. fighting over some trigger point injections. feel like I am in hell.
brainy

brainy,

Have you tried max dose aspirin and acetaminophen ?

My neuro told me to mix the two. They work great for when I have one of those bad headaches. Enteric aspirin does not mess with the stomach.

Hey,

I am a 20yo . had a concussion two years ago. a year after the concussion I started getting headaches ( just a pressure on left side of my head) when I slept well ( like 10 hours). It is weird but when I have headaches, I feel better mentally and do better in many mental tasks. I also had a history of mild migraines before but I never take something for it because I don't think those pills are good.

SOmethng to cosider. After my last mTBI I couild not take meds anymore. EXCESSIVE sensory issues. It could be that you are developing sensory issues? I am sorry you have to deal with this again :-(
Iused to play hockey, too, but no more. :-(