Concussion - 7 months after
 

7 months ago i was assaulted and suffered a concussion and was unconcious for around 4/5minutes. I visited a&e and was let home after being examined by a doctor. I suffered all the common syptoms such as sleepiness, headache, dizziness, vomiting etc and was told that these will clear up in most cases within a few days.
After, 3 weeks had passed, some of my symptoms remained the same and the headaches were worse than they had been at first so i visited my G.P who prescribed me painkillers and amitripylene that would help with sleep in meantime until they started helping with the pain aswell.
Now, 7 months on my headaches are so severe its debilitating me! I'm off work at the moment and have been for almost 2 months. Im never away from the doctors and they keep giving me stronger and stronger doses of all these things and not much is helping. I'm due for a CT scan next week.
The headaches are always there but when the get really bad i'm crying with them, it feels like my head is going to explode as its that tight..its mostly the top of my head that gets the worst.
Has anybody else been in this situation or know anybody who has. What could be wrong with me? Maybe it isn't related to th concussion i don't know.
I'm desperate for help, i'm very frightened now!

Thanks for reading, any comments at all are welcome.

Hi, I'm so sorry about your assault. I was hit by a car while riding my bike six month ago and am still suffering from headaches every day. Sounds very much like you have post-concussion syndrome. Besides the headaches, I still feel somewhat dizzy or more spacy - really hard to describe. I also had the extreme head pressure and tension. Like others on this forum I have not really found anything that helps much. I take Fioricet for headaches, but it should not be taken long-term. Please remember that the head pain is not life-threatening, but I know it is debilitating. My life has been on hold since mid-May.

to sissy
 

I get severe pressure and tension aswell.
Ive also noticed my eyes feeling weak at times as if their struggling to focus almost.
Im on cocodamol, tramadol although it doent agree with me, migraine treatment and amitriptylene. Im concerned about taking all these daily although i need them to take at least the edge of the pain but the dr doesnt seem to be interested in finding the true root cause hes quite happy to cover my symptoms up instead. Its been so long now and the longer its being left the worse im getting.

I know what you mean, my neurologist told me to look on the internet when I ask him some questions. I was given Neurontin, which only made things worse and Topamax, which I am afraid to take now. What kind of migraine meds are you on? I read where some cause eye problems.

Their called Tolfenamic acid 200mg rapid tabs, take one every 12hours. its not preventative you take them as the headaches starting, have you heard of them?

First Sissy,
 

Okay, I'm going to say something first. Sissy if you haven't tried
the topamax. You might want to give it a try. Because its one of
the best medicines for getting migraines undercontrol. I've had
migraines since I was very young. And I'm now 49.

I've been on topamax, at my request for about 4 years now I believe.

Its controlled my migraines pretty good. I took a pretty good dose, till
this year. When I started having high blood pressure and needed to go
down on the topamax because it makes me foggy. But the veraplamin
also is migraine prevention. So they are doubled.

Very well controlled migraines most of time.

Donna

I'm sorry to hear about the traumatic way in that you received the concussion. I'd imagine that this harmed you in psychological ways as well as physically. :hug:

I'm just over five months out from my concussion and am still going through the battery of tests. Today I had a brain MRI to see if there is anything besides the concussion causing my symptoms.

As someone who was plagued for years with migraines, I feel very bad for you. I'm so thankful that headaches are NOT a part of my post concussion symptoms because I find them to be debilitating. I can at least work with the crazy symptoms I'm having- but headaches make working all but impossible.

I don't have any answers for you, but just wanted to let you know that I care.

~Lori

concussion 7 months after
 

Thank you very much for your really nice comment. Its good to know that there are genuine people out there!
My CT scan is organised for thursday, this will be my first scan since i was assaulted back 7 months ago!!

I wonder if you could help me with this... I saw a doctor on on occasion only, just a month or so ago. She said to me that if ever the case be im getting sent for a scan to deny a CT scan and push for an MRI only as this has tendency to trigger off cancer in people my age group?!
I'm a week or so of 20 years old?

...

Thank you for your really nice comment. Its good to know there are genuine caring people out there who are willing to listen and share stories.
I have a CT scan organised for thursday, it'll be my first one since i got assaulted 7 months ago.

I wonder if anyone could help me with this though... I saw a doctor on one occasion about a month or so ago and she told me that if ever the case be that my regular doctor should want me to go for a scan that i shouldn't agree to a CT scan as this has a tendency to trigger off cancer in my afe group?!
Im a week or so off 20?!
Anyone know if this is true? If so how big/small the risk is?

Thanks

what nationality are you? Some of your lingo is throwing me off.

Im dont know what an afe is, but ive never heard of cat scans increasing the risk of cancer. That doesnt mean it doesnt. I just havent heard that it will. I hope not as ive had 3 at this point.

If your british, maybe your doc is trying to cut down on national health services spending? idk, im going to go lay down.

I haven't heard of CT scans triggering cancer- but heck, seems that a lot of things are to blame for cancer these days.

I'd recommend an MRI at this stage in the game, from what I understand. I had a CT scan three days after I hit my head and they said it was normal. The MRI, six months later shows that I'm not 'normal'. So, take that for what it's worth.

By the way, in addition to this mess- I have a genetic liver disease and have had yearly CT scans on my liver since 85. So far, no cancer after 20+ CT scans! Hopefully that gives you a sense of comfort about cancer scares.

Post Concussion
 

My 23 year old daughter has post concussion syndrome. She has extreme head pain. After two years of suffering with it and getting no lasting help from meds. I started searching on the net for solutions. We seem to have hit on some. Look up " balance exercises on the net ", these are usually for people who have suffered strokes. For some reason when she does these exercises it diminishes her head pain ! Also, people who have suffered a concussion seem to be developing strange environmental allergies. Even though allergy tests all come back negative. It is some kind of an intolerance. We have discovered that if my daughter has any kind of milk products her face swells up as well as the back of her head. It feels like she has extreme pressure. The only thing that takes it away is decongestants and avoiding milk products. So keep a watch to see if your head pain is associated with anything you are consuming.
Good luck I hope you are well soon.

Thanks to everyone for your replys.

Im awaiting an appointment with a neurologist at the moment. Still seeing my GP reguarly who has been really good bt unfortunately not found any meds that seem to be making life any more comfortable. Trying to remain positive.

Good to know there are genuine people out there who DO understand.

Will keep yous posted.
Best wishes to you all!!

Owen, i'm Scottish. I speak English aswell. lol.
"afe" was a typing error, I meant age! My mistake.
I've been looking on the net about the cancer thing, there is a small risk although the advantages of CT scans far outweigh the disadvantages.
It was an emergency doctor I saw that told me the risk is higher in my age group (I was 19 at the time). Although I haven't been able to find further information on this. And a radiologist told me risj was minimal.
I very much doubt that the doctor was trying to cut down on NHS costs.lol. As she suggested for me to have a MRI done instead, I think that they are more expensive. Spending doesn't affect the doctor as they still get their pay either way.
I've had the CT scan done since the last post.
Wasn't trying to alarm anyone sharing what I was told.

All the best.

Post concussion syndrome and work comp
 

I had never heard of post concussion syndrome until it happened to me. I was attacked at work and my head was smashed into a concrete wall. No memory for some time after the event. Long very horrible long story short, workers' compensation is like a terrible long road of never-ending battles. With all the blanks in my head, the headaches as I have neverrrrr had, the hermit I have become due to the sensitivity to light, and just not being me anymore, ...I don't know if it will ever ever end. I thought maybe a few weeks... ok maybe a few months... well it has been a few months....
The work comp insurance company twists and turns and tries to do everything they can nottttttttt to give me adequate treatment and benefits. In this case, one must get an attorney and pray you can somehow make it until the court hearing- in Virginia, it may take awhile. :confused:
From not sleeping, ringing in the ears constantly, headaches as I never had, memory problems, gross motor problems, photo and phono sensitivity, oh let me not go on and on here we all have the gift of it all, from all of it, I do wonder, will it ever, ever go away? I had a neurocognitive study done by a Dr. Thomas Ryan PhD @UVA very prestigious - I was lucky to get that gentleman to do the testing- and I would suggest that people with PCS have it done also. Talk to your doctor. Have a GOOD STUDY DONE- NOT A FLY BY NIGHT LOCAL WHODUNIT.
I should quit writing now. Rambling here. God bless.

mendevirginia....
 

Hi there!
I rarely visit here, but received a notice that someone replied to my post.

Wow, hitting your head against a concrete wall- OUCH! I've had two head injuries since the one that did all the damage to my brain. I'm a fainter and FINALLY my doctor quit telling me that "some people are just fainters" after the last fall where I broke 7 bones in my face. :holysheep: So now I'm seeing a cardiologist too.

Anyhoo... The first faint was the one that actually damaged my brain in the back of my head. It shows up on an MRI, even. That brain injury caused me to have insomnia, parasomnia, myoclonic jerking, and mental confusion. All from fainting and hitting the bacdk of my henad on the corner of a wood dresser. I also got bruising on the front of my brain because my head whipped forward (kind of like shaken baby syndrome according to may neuro). This was 22 months ago (June 07) and since then have come to rely on a cocktail of drugs to make life more normal for me (klonipin, seroquel and requip). We've tried to wean off each of the drugs over the past six months, but that was unsuccessful. This looks like it will be a life-long thing.

I had another head injury in Jan 08 which I fainted and cracked open the TOP of my head requiring 14 staples (if I recall). That one, believe it or not, caused me no permanent problems.

In December 08, I fainted at the top of the stairs and fell on the right side of my face on the hard wood floor. That's where I broke 7 bones. No additional neurological symptoms, but I've been living with constant pain since that time. In addition to that, I haven't been able to chew, yawn, or say certain words and even kissing (wahhh!) without a sharp and harsh pain.

Since I was on such a cocktail of drugs already, the facial surgeon didn't want to give me pain meds, so referred me back to my neurologist. My neurologist started me on Lyrica and I'm now on 75mg 3x a day, but guess what? Right about the time I ramped up to the third dose, the (light, sound and quick movement sensitive) myclonic jerking and mental confusion started up.

This has been a long journey, and my Neurologist said that since it's gone on so long, it'll probably be a life-long one. At first she said that if it's not gone by a year, it's probably permanent. After a year, she said that she's seen patients recover for up to two years. I'm just 1.5 months shy of two years.

It has NOT kept me from being a productive, working individual though because my Neurologist said that not working would be the worst thing I could do for my brain.

So, I'm soldiering on.

My point to you is, go back to your neurologist and tell him/her that you want your symptoms FIXED so you can live as normal of a life as possible. My neurologist (whose last name also happens to be Ryan) has been very patient and good about doing trials of drugs on me to see if they're a good fit. It took about six months of trying this or that. Up until this week, she had me at the perfect levels of the best drugs for me. I implore that you ask your Neurologist to do the same for you. You do not want to be sitting at home living a hermet life. You'll eventually fall more and more down that black hole. You don't want that, and I don't want that for you. :hug:

This journey has taught me patience and has taught me that I need to slow down. Well, it's FORCED me to slow down, actually. It's also taught me to accept what I'm dealing with and learn to live as normal of a life as possible.

honey. i know very much how you feel. but i definitely feel that what you are going through is called post concussion syndrome. it is a really scary thing and i know exactly what your going through. it's almost as if you feel like your going crazy and feel helpless. but don't feel that way. because there is always an answer. if you haven't gotten to it already make sure you get to a doctor and have them check you for PCS. if in fact you do have it, it is a hard process to get through and the emotional changes are unbelievable. but i would recommend trying different types of therapy such as chiropractic care and accupuncture for your pressure points. i know it may feel as if everything's going wrong and nothing will ever get better but trust me in time, everything gets better. time heals all wounds. at 17 years old. i have dealt with post concussion syndrome since the beginning of my sophomore year. now going into the summer before my senior year i am still going through this terrible thing and hanging in there. it gets better. and make sure to keep your head up. remember what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger. hang in there kiddo :) your definitely not alone and you have a ton of people rooting for you to get better.