Eating regularly
 

Anyone notice a connection between PCS and eating regularly?

When I was younger (twenties) I could go long periods of time without eating and I never had a problem. Now if I do this I will often get really spacey. I always attributed this to aging, but I've asked friends of mine, and they don't seem to have the same issue.

Anyway, I might be drawing a connection where there is none.

This last week though, I've gotten the spacey's a couple of times really bad after I've neglected to eat properly. So bad once I had to lie down, I felt so weird and dizzy. Eating a nutrition bar seemed to help (or it could have just been the lying down and resting). After that, I've been carrying snacks around with me.

There is definitely something going on with me and blood sugar levels, though. Once I start spacing it's hard for me to make decisions or think clearly. It's noticeable enough that my girlfriend can even tell. Eating something snaps me out of it within minutes, and I'm back to my normal witty and brilliant self. :)

I've attributed this to age and even the onset of diabetes, but never before to my concussion(s). As for diabetes, I'm pretty far removed from what is normally thought of as the diabetes risk group... I exercise religiously, eat healthy, avoid lots of sugar, and am skinny, if anything.

e-head, I totally agree with your observation. I also get more dizzy and feel weird if I get too hungry. I have to eat several small meals a day and try to eat healthful stuff - not always easy as I like sweets, ha. I read somewhere on the net that people should eat more protein after a head injury.

Did you still exercise after your latest bump on the head?

I haven't been, no. If I keep feeling better I'll start back up again, though. I'm convinced aerobic activity is actually good for my brain, energy levels, and mood.

At this point almost all of the really noticeable symptoms have gone away. That is, the bad headaches, dizziness, etc. I still feel a slight bit funky, though. It's hard to describe, it just feels like I'm a bit "off", whatever that means. Anyway, I'm sure people on this forum know exactly what I'm talking about.

I'm currently sort of obsessed with all this stuff, and I'm starting to wonder if reading about it isn't doing more harm than good... it can all just be so terribly depressing. I have to keep reminding myself that there are many degrees of injuries, and I have to remind myself that the body (and mind) are amazingly resilient.

Case in point: I was in graduate school when I suffered my really bad concussion, and just grading lab papers would exhaust me so badly I'd have to rest after just 15 minutes or so. Fast forward about 4 years... I end up going back to school and getting a Computer Science degree (and it wasn't that terribly difficult). So, clearly a great deal of healing had occurred.

I think now that I'm feeling better, and the truly disturbing symptoms have mostly subsided, my mind is free to worry about the more subtle stuff. Oh heavens. ;)

Anyhow... I ramble. I'm hoping to go for a little light running again in just a couple of weeks. Hopefully this "off" feeling will have subsided by then.

Cheers, and chin up!
e

Hey Sissy, in case you're debating it... after my really bad concussion, I think i waited at least 3 or 4 months or so before I did any kind of running. Then I started back really lightly.

I was still having light "headaches" then almost 24/7. "Concussion head" is what I used to call it, for lack of a better term. If I remember correctly, when I first started jogging again, exercise would actually temporarily make my "concussion head" slightly worse, but then 30 minutes or so after finishing it would actually feel better than before. I have no idea the why's of any of this, but someone on the board mentioned it could have to do with blood pressure and such. As I ran more and more my body seemed to get used to it.

I was reading on another website how the brain is REALLY vulnerable for the first few weeks after a concussion. After reading this, I may wait even longer now.

Whatever you do... start back slowly... and carefully.