Stubborn symptom, or questionable diagnosis?
 

This is my first thread on neurotalk.

I am making this because two days ago I had been involved in a car accident. My friends and I were going to fast along a windy road and did not notice a stop sign and sharp left turn. We had made contact with a wooden post which saved our lives. If we did not hit the post we would have gone off a 200 foot cliff.

I had braced for the impact and thankfully did not hit anything but the headrest behind me. I was sitting in the rear left passenger seat of the vehicles Nothing was wrong with me although I did have a minor panic attack and some ringing in my ears after the airbags had been deployed. I did not lose consciousness either.

The driver of the vehicle had received several injuries but everyone else was completely fine as well. Shortly after I checked myself into the ER to see if I had receieved a concussion they said I was fine. My pupils were normal, balanced was sturdy and I was cognitively exceptional. I even went to my neurologist today and she said I was perfectly normal and that I should stop worrying about it.

The problem is that I still have a quite painful headache that has not gone away since the accident.

On February 9, 2017 I received a TBI that has left me with personality changes, anxiety and panic disorder, and dissociation. I know what it feels like to have a TBI but this did not feel like it, the only symptom I have is this terrible headache.
I do currently have minor short term memory loss but it’s incredibly minor and could just be from the distracting pain of the headache. I am wondering if anyone could give me some relief for knowing what the cause of this headache could be and how I can effectively treat or eliminate it. I’m thinking it could be whiplash.

My fear is that this headache will last for a long period of time, I’m only 17 years old and will be starting university soon. I was told to take ibuprofen and have seen only minor relief lasting for a small amount of time.

I would treat for whiplash, sore neck muscles , trigger points and see if those things help.. Much of that you can do as self care via a web search & you tube for info..
Try heat/Ice on the muscles of upper back & neck which ever seems to work best.

Trigger points in muscles can cause headaches..
Free Trigger Point Charts
Pain Reference Chart

A thumb or any small ball or even a tennis ball on floor will usually work to try it your self. Be aware of and avoid artery & veins..

Logan32,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

It sounds like you may have suffered a whiplash injury and maybe an ear injury from the airbags going off. Jo*mar gave you good advice.

I am concerned about something else. You anxiety reaction to this accident suggests you need some help in learning how to manage your anxiety reactions. University is full of stress and anxiety triggers.

There are many things you can learn to help you cope with stressful events. A Neuro Psychologist may be able to help you find some resources. Learning how to deal with your personality changes will be important. Having rescue techniques to resolve panic attacks will also be important.

Regarding your headache, you may need to ask to increase your ibuprofen dose. If the pain level is manageable, it would be good to learn to endure it. Many of us have experienced chronic headaches that we learn to tolerate at lower levels.

Your headache could be resolved with proper treatment for whiplash, too.

Thanks for your suggestion, I have been seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist for several months and making progress on dealing with my stress. I have attempted to increase my ibuprofen consumption but it has caused stomach pains so I am attempting to refrain from a further increase in dose.

If you can't get relief with ibuprofen, try Excedrin. It is Tylenol, aspirin and caffeine. Or, you could just use Tylenol and aspirin as two separate meds but at the same time. Tylenol and aspirin were my god to relief when I had chronic head aches. I usually used enteric aspirin that does not dissolve in the stomach.

I hope your psychiatrist and psychologist have a firm understanding of how the injured brain reacts to stress. A Neuro Psychologist who is affiliated with a Neuro Rehab hospital and clinic often have great experience with neuro injury caused anxiety reactions.