In addition to B12, you might have his calcium and vitamin D levels checked. Serotonin is converted to melatonin in the brain ONLY in the presence of vitamin D and calcium. If he is low in these, he will not be able to get restful sleep, no matter how much serotonin he has in his body.

Also, if he has clinical depression and is low in serotonin, that of course interferes with melatonin production as well. Sleep disturbances are actually the number one symptom of clinical depression.

We also had a thread a while ago that had a number of detailed suggestions for sleep. Here's the link: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...d.php?t=169324

I'm glad to have found this site. Last June, 8 months ago, I was in what I would have considered a minor car wreck. I was read ended at a stop light in my little flatback car by an f350 pick up going at least 55mph. I saw a chiropractor, neurologist, muscular therapists and opthamologists and a barage of tests later all they have found is that yes, I had a fairly severe concussion and severe whiplash... and said eventually the symptoms will settle, some.

I have lived with the symptoms now for 8 months and am being told my many people that I need to go back to another neurologist and see what the deal is. My optical damage causes my eyes to focus in and out on their own and not well so that causes a lot of issues I deal with but quite honestly I haven't felt "all here" since the wreck. I am in a fog at all times, though some times it gets progressively worse. I have dealt with the headache but lately it's seemed worse. By 3:00 in the afternoon I am completely fuzzy and near worthless at work. I still deal with a severe amount of weakness on my right side as well, something that has yet to be explained at all. Every doctor I have seen just can't help and I am quite honest tired of paying for yet another shrug.

Should I continue on with another doctor? New type of doctor? My neurologist was terrible, I was flat out asked why I was there when I went back to see her because of the multiple issues that kept coming back. I'm more frustrated than anything, it's all something I CAN live with, I'm just tired of doing so and being asked by everyone if I am feeling better yet.

MOMMYMBD,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Wow, that sounds like more than a minor car wreck.

Your symptoms sound like a common mix of PCS and whiplash. You will likely benefit from the help of a Neuro-Ophthalmologist. You also need some special care of your neck and specifically your upper neck. Have you had a CT or MRI of your upper neck? Imaging your upper neck with your head turned sharply to the right and to the left will be helpful to show any instability.

You don't say where you are or if you have an attorney. You need to be very careful about who you let diagnose and treat you. You also need a very knowledgeable attorney. Check out www.tbilaw.com and www.subtlebraininjury.com to learn the risks of being diagnosed by the wrong professional.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but based on experience, you are likely very early in your diagnostics, treatment and recovery. Don't let anybody try to minimize your condition. You would benefit from taking extended time off work to focus on quiet rest and recovery. I know how hard it is to take time off work but delaying your recovery is not a good idea.

I believe in chiros but I also know that there is a night and day difference between those who go through the motions for the fees and those who truly can facilitate healing. If your chiro has not had you icing your neck regularly, you are not getting the best care.

Please tell us where you are so we can refer you to possible help.

My best to you.

Thank you Mark. I appreciate being anywhere that people can get the jist of all that I am dealing with!

I had a neck MRI at the very early weeks, it was severely blurry due to muscle spasms but my neurologist didn't think that required revisiting. I had a CT done a few months after the wreck which still showed signs of the concussion but nothing more serious. I have not had any imaging like what you are refering to. I had a normal EKG, MRI of the brain with and without contrasts, and then the one of the neck. The only test that has shown anythin gbeyond the concussion was a swallow test my pcp had me do which showed that my Thyroid was enlarged due to th emuscles swelling around it. I had stopped seeing the chiropractor after the whiplast seemed to take over and the muscles all but failed in my neck. I was sent to a muscular therapist who worked them back to strength and continue to see the massage therapist in the chirpractic which does allignments that way since I have been warned against ever having neck adjustments again.

I had established with an attorney long before the symptoms got as bad as they are, and they are still in route of a settlement but at this point I am allowed to see whomever I need to. They're wanting a note from someone with a final diagnosis explaining my symptoms or else it's over where we are.

MY opthamologist is a high level surgeon but not neuro-opthomology that I see. Maybe that's where I should change route. My vision is not bad but blurry and unfocused and has a tendancy to get worse in light changes or long exposure to one light setting.

I took a while off of work, more my the fact that I was blacking out driving for a long time but I cannot take much time off now. I have been told to ice my neck, and have on occasion but it tends to make me more dizzy than is helpful. I had my head tilted down when I was hit, messing with my nails as I had been at the light for a bit so the damage was to the lower region of my brain mostly so that may be the reasoning behind that.

Sorry if that is all jumbled... brain damage

Your neuro's opinion of a blurry MRI of your neck does not rule out the value of another MRI with your head sharply rotated to the left and right. This was recommended to me by a whiplash and vehicular accident trauma research specialist at Oregon Health and Science.

If the attorneys are wanting a diagnosis, I would never rely on a fuzzy MRI for a negative diagnosis. This is the rest of your life that is depending on a good and accurate diagnosis.

My upper neck injury that is not imageable by normal CT or MRI causes me to stop breathing if I sleep with my head tilted. I know that I have some kind of damage to my left Atlas to occiput area. I also have an injury at C-5 and C-6 that were only imageable when a physiatrist ordered a very specific view. My chiro tried his best and could not identify the injury.

I say this to point out that not all images are equal plus not all radiologists are equal in their film reading skills. If you sense that something is not right, keep asking questions until somebody answers your questions with a degree of credibility.

My best to you.

Regarding your vision, you might also want to have a vision efficiency exam (VEE) from a practitioner at http://www.braininjuries.org or http://www.nora.cc It sounds to me like you might be able to benefit from some vision therapy. I had 10 weeks of it and it reduced my headaches and got me back to some daily activities like reading and driving.

Eowyn -

Thank you so much for those links. I actually found a doctor just a couple blocks from my work who does this therapy! I am checking with them now Finger's crossed. It definitely sounds like it would be a huge jump in the right direction.

I suffered a head trauma trimming a tree last summer. A tree limb about 18" in diameter was coming down after I cut it and the butt end I just cut swung back my way like a baseball bat. The surgeon who stitched me up said the baseball cap I was wearing oddly enough may have saved my life...he suspects it made the impact blunt instead of shearing. I don't know. But I have ungodly headaches daily, sometimes I'm awoke in the night screaming and crying cuz I feel like I've just been stabbed in the skull. My memory seems to be that of an 90 yr old man (I'm 42)...after 4 months of physical therapy to learn to walk right again Im still not walking like I used to. I feel like I'm in a fog most of the time.

This happened last June. Its almost March now. I truly feel like I will never get better.

Cleetdog, sounds like you and I are on the same time frame. The sharp pains are unreal at times. Mine travel due to no direct impact, but that tends to make it worse to me. I never know where it is going to hurt and quite honestly it's the most terrifying thing when it begins to hurt that badly. I've held my breath many times wondering what comes next, but it's never anything. Mine don't last long, some times it's just a pin prick pain and some times it's a bit longer but never more than a few minutes at a time, though they can be repetative. I'm sorry you're dealing with that though. For me, the ibuprophen 800mg and two tylenol rapid release pills (I should buy stock in them) seem to simmer it down a lot on bad days. That and getting cold, I am much worse any time it gets hot.

cleetdog,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Ouch, your experience with a 'widow maker' as forestry workers call them sounds horrible.

What have you been doing to help with recovery ? Melatonin may help with the spiking head aches. I think Mayo's web site explains 'primary spiking head aches.' I have had them.

Have you had any diagnostic on your neck, especially upper neck ? You may stress your upper neck when you sleep causing the head aches. Try icing your upper neck when you wake with these head aches. If it helps, it is a good indicator of a unresolved neck injury. You can make a soft ice bag by combining 1 part rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol with three part water in a zip lock baggies. Freeze it. Then you can mold it to fit your upper neck. 15 minutes on, 30 minutes off, repeat. Do this frequently.

Please feel free to tell us more about your condition. There are plenty of good people here.

My best to you.