Hi Guys,

My good friend got a concussion playing hockey 7 months ago. He says he has no cognitive symptoms, no nausea, no dizziness, no headaches ect. The only thing he experiences is a "throbbing" on BOTH sides of his head. He only gets it when lying down with his ear pressed to the pillow.

I did not have this with my concussion so I was at a loss to explain what is going on. He said he would be completely normal aside from this, but he is unable to SLEEP with the constant throbbing he hears. He has tried Elavil, Imitrez (sp?), tramadol, Tylenol and Advil, which are migraine/headache meds...but he has no relief from any of them. I am wondering what this is? To me it sounds like maybe a nerve thing (occipital neuralgia??).

He was hit in the temporal lobe on the right side. I don't think it would be swelling of the arteries in the brain because it has been 7 months now. DO you guys thing this is maybe some arteries in his neck tangled with the nerves? OR do you think it is more dilation of arteries on the brain itself? He cannot distinguish if it is coming from the inside or outside of his head. All he hears is throbbing at night... Any ideas?

Throbbing is a vague term. Does he mean more of a pulsating, like hearing his heart beat? Throbbing usually is related to how pain or pressure manifests.

Sometimes, PCS can manifest as heightened awareness of various stimuli, such as sounds, visual images, etc. Could he have a old sensation that is now more noticeable? The brain can sometimes lose some ability to control blood flow/pressure.

Has he taken his blood pressure?
Has he tried noticing it while sitting up in a very quiet room? Even with it dark and his eyes closed?

Has he tried sleeping on his back, i.e. without his ear on his pillow? Concussions have a neck injury component. Maybe his neck is getting inflamed and causing this symptom.

Lots of questions, not many answers. Sorry.

I am not too sure what he means by "throbbing" but he has said it is like hearing blood pumping in his ears to the beat of his heart (so pulsating, yes). I am assuming it is similar to a migraine...but his is 24/7 upon laying down. I told him to plug into this forum...but he doesn't want an account for some reason. He does not hear it at all sitting up. So I am assuming it is a positional thing.

I asked him if earplugs would work...as I used them a lot...but he said they don't dull the pulsating at all. He wishes he could sleep sitting up because he does not hear it then. He does hear it on his back, but not as much as when he is laying on either side.

I wonder if it could be something in his neck...because he is not experiencing any other symptoms. I just wondered if there was anyone on the forum experiencing something similar. It's a strange symptom....

I honestly do not think it is a strange symptom. I think the bigger issue is more oriented toward what he is doing to further investigate it by experimenting, etc. I can tell you for certain, it is possible to sleep in a semi-sitting up position. I get some of my best sleep in a recliner chair. There are adjustable beds sold for similar needs, whether they are oriented to acid reflux or other positional problems.

Heightened hearing or other senses is a very common PCS symptom. Add this to any unresolved neck trauma and you have an annoying problem.

btw, He can participate as a guest on NeuroTalk. He will just have fewer privileges.

Do some research on "pulsatile tinnitus" you can get some more information about it. I have the problem also. In the left ear can I only hear it when lying down and it feels like my heart beats in my ear and shakes the pillow and my shoulder. My right ear can hear it all the time but it is more of a throbbing, whooshing sound that is rhythmic with my heartbeat. I am able to sleep though (I tune it out). It sounds awful for him, it must be a lot louder.

I had surgery on my right ear in November to fix some inner ear damage from the head injury so I don't sleep on that side, and don't know if it would feel the same as the left. I'm waiting for some more tests to figure things out. It can be an indicator of other conditions or it just could be there with nothing else going on. He may want to get things checked out by a good ENT, one who is mostly focused on the ears (neuro-otologist) rather than the nose and throat. It also wouldn't hurt to have his neck checked and adjusted by an upper cervical chiropractor (the gentle type, no snapping and cracking). If it is a blood flow issue that may help. Good luck!

my ears ring...and pulsate ...and my head throbs when i'm overstimulated...daily!!!

aireyden,

It would be interesting if you could take your blood pressure when you are overstimulated and these symptoms manifest. I would bet that your BP can get high. For me, it could get dangerously high, like 195/155. I have some emergency blood pressure meds in the cupboard just in case I cannot get my BP down by natural relaxation methods.

I honestly believe that everybody, especially those with PCS, should have a home blood pressure monitor. They can be purchased at the drug store for as little as $15 to $20.

mark...i have one ...headache coming on...i will check!!

I often get the same thing when I am trying to go to sleep. I found that if I use an airplane pillow (the ones that go around the back of your neck) at least at the beginning of the night, it can help me fall asleep. A lot of times if I use a softer pillow or prop myself up a little more so less pressure is on my head it helps. Basically I when I feel like this I cant have any extra pressure on one spot, it needs to be more spread out and away from the temples.
Good luck!
Margarite