Post concussion syndrome new concussion or no?- recovering athlete
 

Hi,

I am an ice hockey player who got a concussion 4 months ago and my doctor was having me do a re exertional protocol and eventually I was doing skating with a stick and puck. My friend accidentally lowered his shoulder and hit mesquare in the chest ( NO head contact )at a medium impact. This impact was last Saturday.

My very experienced and awesome doctor (this isn’t sarcasm he got me to where I was last week) said no new concussion but for the last week I have not been able to tolerate exercise anymore and my symptoms worsened and I sat after to get extremely fatigued after 7 days.

Does it look like my doctor is right and it is just a setback? Or does this seem like a new concussion. I’ve been extremely anxious and am curious. I have had a setback before in which I was hit by a football but it resulted in 2 days of increased symptoms and then it was fine.

Should be important to note that I had no symptoms immediately following the hit on the ice until 40ish hours had passed and I was able to exercise the next day with no symptom exacerbation.


Symptoms now that I have been suffering for the last 7 days
-6/10 pain level headache
-nasuea and loss of appetite (started today)
-extreme fatigue (started today)
-waking up in the middle of the night for 10 mins each night

These symptoms had already disappeared until I got hit. (Except a 3/10 headache usually)

Also should be important to note that I am very anxious and always look to the worst case scenario.

I'd say your anxiety is getting to you. A little bit of setback and you triggered a replay of past events. If you did traumatize anything, it was your neck. Most concussion related neck injuries go undiagnosed and untreated.

"My friend accidentally lowered his shoulder and hit mesquare in the chest ( NO head contact )at a medium impact. This impact was last Saturday."

You need to find a hockey league with safer rules. I don't believe any hits in hockey are accidental. They may be unintentional as the player went after the puck. "I was going for the puck but your head, chest, or body was in the way." But, a safe league will make rules that players must intentional play to avoid such hits.

Is my sudden exercise intolerance part of my anxiety?

Messing up your upper neck can impact how your brain manages fluid pressures, blood and CSF. This can cause a myriad of symptoms. As you try to work out and increase blood flow, your brain struggles to adapt to that increased blood flow. Add some anxiety and you have a double whammy.