Hello,

My husband suffered a servere concussion last April and continues to have symptoms a year after. He has ringing in his ears, sensitivity to light, difficulty with meetings at his work, trouble concentrating, driving in traffic for any length of time and the list goes on. I am wondering if anyone has more difficulty when the weather is rainy? We have had two days of humid wet weather and he his having multiple symptoms but no obvious reason for them.
Also scanning through some of these post, I noticed comments on diet. We are new vegans. Would a new diet work for him?

Thank you
Sharon

Hi Sharon,

I think diet and nutrition is an integral part of helping a brain to heal from trauma.

I was in a car accident that gave me a complicated concussion almost two years ago and I'm still suffering from lots of cognitive impairments. I'm unable to drive on the freeway or for more than a few miles at a time and only when I'm doing my best.

I understand that moral importance of being a vegetarian and/or vegan. (I've been a vegetarian on and off for many years in my life.) But please know that a recovering brain needs a good deal of protein in order to heal and a particular supplement called BCAA's. As well as all the other vitamins and minerals, especially the B's and Omega Oil. Please make sure your husband is taking all of these so his brain gets what it needs to heal as quickly and as well as possible.

I know there are other vegetarians on the board. But I'm personally glad that I'm currently not one while I recover, since it would just add stress to my life and recovering brains need to avoid as much stress as possible. (Even "good and wanted" stress is stress to a healing brain - it's like something more to think about, when it's already hard enough to think at all!) So, it might be easier for your husband to become a vegan later in his life, when his brain is managing life better.

This is almost certainly a result of low barometric pressure. I know that it's common for people with joint problems to have problems when the barometric pressure is low, and I would not be at all surprised if it also causes head injury symptoms to flare up in some people.

Hi, a vegan diet can be very beneficial for the brain. Be sure to include foods that are high in omega-3s, tryptophan, folate, calcium, vitamin D, and of course take a good B-12 supplement.

If you go to the website http://www.drnedley.com and get almost any of his books, they will tell you how to optimize your diet for brain health. The depression books are very specific, and although they focus on depression they come at it from a brain health perspective. The depression clinic I participated in relieved almost all of my symptoms after more than a year of PCS, and I started my vegan diet while there (I had previously been a lacto-ovo vegetarian).

There's a thread specifically on brain-friendly nutrition here: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...d.php?t=165807

Hi all,
I've been doing a bit of research about the potential long-term effects of multiple concussions and wanted to talk to people who had concussions years ago to see what is actually happening with their brains. Statistics online about incidence of dementia and Alzheimer's aren't helpful, so I hoped someone here could give me some sort of idea of what to be prepared for in the years to come.
I am currently a college freshman competing in D1 field hockey and track. I have had at least five concussions in the last four years. My most recent was from a car accident in June and the most severe occurred about a year ago during a field hockey game where I was knocked unconscious and returned to the game and was hit another two times in the head. My neurologist told me that statistically, I should be dead or severely mentally handicapped; but I am academically back to normal and even graduated as valedictorian. I lost my photographic memory after my second concussion and up until the most recent two, I have been able to recover completely.
That being said, I don't think I ever recovered from my concussion last September. I was kept out of school for three months to avoid taxing my brain. I have suffered from visual problems like blurriness and inability to focus and post-impact nausea lasted for months. I still struggle with sensitivity to light and concentration. My biggest problem is the pervasive headaches. If I do not take Advil in the morning, I usually cannot make it through the day without headaches, and I am unable to practice without more meds. As a college athlete, this concerns me. I do not want to be dependent on pain killers to practice, but at the same time, cannot perform when my head is spinning.
I have already decided that if I suffer another head injury I am done with contact sports, but I am still very concerned about the permanent damage I may have already done. I wonder if these residual symptoms will ever go away, considering they have been here for a year post-injury. Any advice anyone can offer would be much appreciated.
Sally

Mark in Idaho

I ended up on this sight after a google search into my anger issues and how it may be related to my long history of concussions. I have played almost every "main stream" sport as well as skateboarding, bmx and Motocross. Most of my concussion problems were a result of my bmx and motocross activities.It should be noted that I have always worn top of the line very high dollar helmets such as Arai and Shoei. These helmets have been tested as the best in the world.

Anyhoo, My first concussion that I can recall came before I was 10 yrs old (cant remember exact age). I was reported as briefly losing consiousness and being confused for the remainder of that day and tired for two days. I have since had 6 additional concussions where I have either lost consciousness or had short term amnesia, confusion, sleepyness, etc... I have only been to the hospital to be "officially diagnosed" with a concussion once but I also had two broken bones (wrist, collar bone) so the Doc's concern was on my bones and not my head.

My last concussion was 7 years ago and I was knocked out for a reported 2-3 minutes. I have no recollection of any of the events of this day or two days after except from what I was told by family and friends after the fact. I was reportedly severly disoriented, forgetful, vomitting, unbalanced, sleepy, and bla bla bla, yet no one saw it fit to take me to a doc. I was obviously too out of it to take myself. I reportedly forgot i had just eaten and would continue to eat new plates of food at a cookout that afternoon until someone stopped me after my 6th cheesburger and 4th brat (extremely high volume of food for me....or anyone for that matter)

My concern is that I have sudden out bursts of anger for no apparent reason. These outbursts started about a year after the above final concussion and have steadily gotten more easy to set off and more frequent. I have not seen a specialized doctor about these issues in particular but have discussed this and my other symptoms (headaches, becoming easily dizzy, poor initiative with anything but running, blurry vision at times, trouble concentrating and forgetfullness.) with my general practitioner and my eye doctor (blurry vision). I have had blood tests and extensive eye testing done with nothing being found "abnormal". My dizzyness is so easly triggered that I can not even stand next to a merry go round while I very slowly push my children around it without getting extremely dizzy and nauseous.

These outbursts result in only me yelling and then realizing myself or I have told my wife to remind me there is nothing to be mad about. I then take a minute or several to tell myself its in my head and I am able to move past and am then in a great mood for the other 98% of my day but I tend to have an outbust one to two times a day. I have read it is common to have anger problems as well as a long list of other symptoms and that these symptoms can last for several years or life.

I was very interested in your "Brain Healthy Diet" and take a multivitamin and fish oil daily...since starting these about a year ago I have seen improvement, but want to try other ideas as I am only 30 years old and am worried about what my future holds as far as dementia and the like. I know I laid a ton of info out there but I do not want to spend thousands on a neurologist when from what I have found or heard there is not a whole lot that can be done to help what I am experiencing.

Thanks in advance,
Aaron from Illinois

Aaron,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. You experience sounds familiar.

You were misguided when you attempted to rely on the best helmets to protect your head. Helmets do not reduce concussive forces by much. Their primary goal is to prevent skull fractures and the splattering of grey matter on the ground.

Read the thread Vitamin supplements. My suggested regimen is much stronger than a multi and fish oil. Most multi's are just a bit better than worthless. A good high strength supplement regimen will take about 2 months to see worthwhile improvement. You also need to stay away from caffeine and some other excito-toxins that stress the brain.

You are likely very sensitive to sensory overload. Too much visual and auditory stimuli can cause a fight or flight reaction. Other than sedating meds, the only way to control these is to proactively limit these excessive stimulations. Foam ear plugs can be a good start.

You may be able to get an assessment at a neurological rehab facility. A GP or PCP will not be much help with PCS issues. Most neuros are not much help with PCS issues. A Neuro Psychological Assessment may help or a NeuroPsych Doctor (PhD or Psych.D.) may have a therapy regimen than can help you.

Don't overlook upper neck injuries. They can contribute to dizziness issues and other physical issues. You do not need to have a sore neck for your neck to be causing problems. Every concussion has a neck injury component.

Watch the YouTube video series "You Look Great" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Xso...ature=youtu.be
Check out the TBI Survival Guide at www.tbiguide.com
Read the article at http://www.brainline.org/content/201...u-to-know.html

Your wife should be a BIG part of your support system. She can notice the early signs of trouble and gently pull you away. You both need to understand that these outbursts are your injury acting out. You can take steps to limit the risk of these outbursts.

Tell us more about the whens and wheres of you most common outbursts and maybe we can find a trigger. Tell us about any and everything you remember from the environment when you pop.

This is just a start.

We are here for you and your family.

My best to you.

When I was 15 I was on the back of a motorcycle with a fellow who pulled out in front of a car. I was knocked out and my helmet cracked. He pulled me up and I woke up and got on the back of his motorbike and we left. I vaguely remember leaving. I never went in to the doctor about this, but now I worry this may be affecting my processing of information, how I handle stress, how I remember things from 15 years ago. I am gifted in art. My question is-is there any way I can receive testing to see if this accident may have affected my processing and memory? Why do my eyes hurt when Im in florescent lighting and why is it taking longer to process information? Why do I wake up several times a night-I'm noticing these changes and I'm concerned. I'm 54 years old, very healthy, and Im not on any meds. I'm health conscous, and take vitamins daily,
Thank you

tdbc,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. It sounds like your are hitting the midlife version of PCS. As the brain ages, brain injuries from one's youth tend to become more prominent.

The testing your are asking about would be a NeuroPsych Assessment. It can diagnose your processing and other neurological functions. You also may benefit from a neuro-ophthalmological exam. Fluorescent light have a flicker that can be fatiguing.

Stress of any kind can make these symptoms worse. Sickness, emotional stress, physical stress, cognitive/mental stress, can all reduce the brain's ability to function.

Tell us more about your symptoms and the vitamins you take. We may have some advice to improve your brain's ability to tolerate day to day activities. You should try to limit caffeine, alcohol, MSG, artificial sweeteners, aluminum based antiperspirants, and a few other things. I'll comment more later after your respond.

My best to you.

Hi everybody - maybe someone can help me with a related problem: my 16-year-old son had a grade 3 concussion three years ago, unconscious for 5+ minutes, delirious for two hours. He was fully checked out and very careful for six weeks afterwards and seemed to recover fully.

About six months after that, he started to complain of not being able to sleep. It was intermittent insomnia at first but has grown increasingly more severe over time. We've tried everything - scrupulous sleep hygiene, melatonin (up to 90 mg at a time), theanine, benadryl, warm milk, warm baths, etc... The problem gets worse during school, but it's still bad during vacations and summers. He now regularly stays up at least one night a week and usually doesn't fall asleep until 3 or 4 a.m. When he does sleep, it's chaotic and not restful.

There's no question he's suffering from clinical depression, although which came first is unclear. I have found only one reference online that suggests that there can be long-term (and seemingly unrelated) neurological effects from a concussion. The CDC site doesn't support this idea, but they're the same people who claim there's no such thing as chronic lyme disease, a position with which I violently disagree.

At the time of his concussion, and for about two years afterwards, my son was a vegetarian. I tried to make sure he got enough balanced protein, but he's a teenager and hard to keep track of. Now I wonder if he needs some B12, at the very least.

Any ideas or help you can give will be much appreciated. Thanks so much for listening.