I have experienced this same nervousness about if or when will hit my head again and still do, though to a lesser extent.

Also have the issue with being served when in a restaurant! Think the best approach is to stay still.... (Also admittedly don't like sitting on an isle seat in a restaurant with people walking behind me).

It has made me develop what can seem outwardly I'm sure like strange habits/ thoughts, which use to protect myself like:

- Ducking under lamps, even if they are reasonably high above my head
- Be quite apprehensive about walking in a crowd in rush hour and passing people quickly
- Be apprehensive about walking on the side of the pavement and getting hit by a bus wing mirror
- Getting into cars really slowly
- Being very careful of the car boot
- Opening doors very slowly
- Conscious when sitting on a bus of being hit by elbows or rucksacks as people move past me
- Checking whether I may have hit my head or not when unsure
- Being quite slow and ducking perhaps excessively on public transport, whether on a bus or train

All of the above, particularly checking if I may have hit my head are very time consuming. Whilst don't want to be careless and would not advocate that, I think if there was a scale between being careless on one side and hyper vigilant on the other, then need to move more into the centre.

These habits may have helped me to avoid hitting my head more, but equally might have made me more vulnerable to it too; think it is perhaps safer to be very careful at key times, not all the time. These habits certainly make me think about my head more, which often encourages negative thinking.

So to reduce the above, I worked on the conclusion that does not matter whether have these habits or not, it is still likely that will hit my head at some point. So why bother worrying about it; the choice not to worry is the right one.

Subsequently have been more assertive when walking down the street and more natural in my movements, which has made me more confident.

Also, happened to be describing the above habits recently to my best friend. Rightly or wrongly, we just ended up laughing at the abnormality of it. Would not laugh at another person in a similar situation; this whole challenge, which never expected or thought would have, has made me more emphatic, but found laughing at my behaviour, helped to provide some of the stimulus to stop the time consuming protective habits that have developed. Although for me, the roots of these habits are rational and lie in past experience.

The laughing point is a delicate one, and does not reflect overall attitude to those that are understandably fearful of hitting their head again, but since it helped, thought would mention it. Maybe it is preferable to crying over it and the seeming injustice of it all, which recently, have also done.

Hope your symptoms improve.

On Wednesday I finally went to see my new neurologist. She said that I do have PCS as I expected. She checked my reflexes and found no abnormalities and actually said that it would be a bigger red flag for my reflexes to be super strong rather than weak. That was a relief. She also said that I don't need to have an MRI because it will most likely be negative and I shouldn't have any CT scans for a while since I've had too many in the past 2 years.

She suggested physical therapy to strengthen my neck muscles and hopefully decrease the number of tension headaches I seem to be having. She also prescribed a muscle relaxer (Flexeril) for me to take for the next 3 weeks or so to see if that helps. The only thing that makes me slightly skeptical about the effectiveness of the medication is that there is a sticker on the prescription bottle that says that the medication can cause headaches and dizziness. Aren't those issues exactly what I'm trying to treat? Still, I'm willing to try anything so I'll see how it goes.

Thank you so much everyone for your support and replies!

Nightnurse: That's awesome that you're from MA too. I live near Newton and I've been going to Newton-Wellesley for all of my appointments. I know Brigham and Women's is great and I kinda wish I could go there or MGH for my care but unfortunately its too far of a hike for me.

I'm glad you're feeling better since taking a break from work!

i would be leary of flexeril in a pcs case. make sure that when you take it, you are not going to do anything that day. no driving. Flexeril tends to knock people out for a good chunk of time 6-12 hours. Especially if it is combined with a narcotic or sleep medicine. Dont take it during the day time if you plan on getting things done. What about elavil? have you tried that?

I understand what you're saying. As soon I heard "muscle relaxer" I got nervous. In my profession as a teacher, and I'm sure its the same for you as a nurse, it isn't great to be functioning at anything less than 100%. I was automatically opposed to this type of medication because I knew that I wouldn't be able to take it during the day and still expect to make it through work. The neurologist said that I should start with half a pill, take it 30 minutes before bed, and be sure to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. That plan makes me feel better but I know that I'm definitely going to wait until the weekend to start taking it. That way I'll be able to know for sure how it will affect me, without it affecting my work.

In regard to the Elavil that you mentioned, I have decided against taking any type of antidepressant again. In 2004 I was put on 10 different antidepressants within a year's time. I had a bad reaction to each one of them and decided it would be best to steer away from anything like that.

B&D,

The Flexaril has a half life of 18 hours. The earlier in the evening you take it, the less will be in your system during the day. It would likely be better to go to bed early and get up early so you have less in your system by the time your school day starts.

An important concept to remember with muscle relaxants is to be conscious of your posture at rest. You can make an injury worse of you rest in a position that allows your body weight to put strain on your neck or shoulders or an injured body part..

If you can, try to find a good position in bed where your whole body is supported in a good posture. If you can sleep in this position, you will have a better chance of letting your physical body heal.

It can take some time to get used to a thin pillow if you can sleep on your back or a very thick pillow so you can sleep on your side. Either one can help you maintain a straight neck position during your sleep.

My neck injury has been chronic since 2001. If I sleep with poor neck position, I will not get good rest and will have a very lousy day after.

Regarding the Elavil.. the dose for PCS issues is only 10 mgs, much less than the dose for depression. I can't imaging a year of trying 10 different anti-deprerssants. Your body never got a chance to clear the previous before being hit with the next.

You should seriously consider the nutritional supplements that are essential to getting the brain on a healing track. Not just a multi-vitamin or such. The injured brain often needs 4 to 10 times the RDA to help it purge the toxins.

My best to you.

I've had at least 5 concussions that I can remember, the worst being last December (2011). These 5 don't include hitting my head in the car, on kitchen cabinets, desks etc... After that last one, I got a an airplane less than 24 hours after (two planes, 5 hours of flying one way = not good), was on my feet constantly then another 6 hours of flying back home and ended up in the ER frequently over three days.

My question is this - while I still think I have lingering PCS symptoms a year later, can multiple concussions lead to issues that would mimick say Fibromyalgia, Lupus or MS? I've had a firm diagnosis of one of these and in process on another.

The worst symptoms are headaches and migranes (more frequently than ever in the past), painful neuropathy in my legs, lack of coordination, dizziness, nausea, confusion, loss of memory, anxiety and inability to sleep. I've also ended up with high blood pressure all of a sudden and a lot of weight gain since the last concussion. Another bad side effect is stuttering or loss of thought which has not changed since the concussion and has been a huge battle to deal with at work as I present a lot (daily) to Senior Management.


My scans (CT and MRI) were OK in December, but I've had a ton of other health issues since.

I'm back on amitryptiline (25mg), and also take ritalin and painkillers (butrans patch and tramadol) for joint pain, lisinopril for the blood pressure and ambian to sleep. Probably going to end up on effexor for the neuropathy if I can't get anywhere with amitryptiline.

Has anyone had a similar experience? I've thought of going back down the neuro route, but I'm not sure that it will provide me any "new" news. I already spend a ton of time at my Rheumatologist and now endocrinologist.

lilduk99,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to here of your struggles.

I think all of your symptoms could be from your concussions. More specifically, from the combination of concussion and the neck and upper back injuries that usually go undiagnosed after a concussion.

I suggest you find a physiatrist ( Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist) who has good experience with concussion and whiplash. You need a thorough evaluation of your whole body.

If your CT and MRI were clear, MS should not be considered. It shows up like a bright light in an MRI . I went through a similar scare but my neuro put me at easy based on the clear MRI.

What conditions are the rheumatologist and endocrinologist treating you for? Rheumatoid arthritis? You may be having symptoms that overlap leaving the doctors down the wrong path. Plus, the drug cocktail you are on sounds problematic. Your brain needs rest, not stimulants. Plus stimulants and strong pain killers can be rough when the brain is struggling. And,,, your brain is surely struggling.

It sounds like you need to take some time off to recover. Do you have some vacation and sick time available? Some time off with some massage therapy, maybe some physical therapy or chiro or such to help your spine relax and heal will be good. Plus, no caffeine or other stimulants or alcohol (maybe a single serving per day) plus good nutrition and vitamin supplements (strong on B's) can help your body and brain detoxify.

You need a doctor to quarterback your care. A good physiatrist may be able to do that. Finding that one doctor can be difficult but well worth the effort in research and time. Understanding the mix of drugs you are on should be high priority. You may want to have a talk with a pharmacist, too.

Try to slow down and rest. You and your brain need it before you have a serious collapse.

My best to you.

Well, here I am again.

It has been several months since my last post and my last concussion. After that last post, I decided not to follow my neurologist's orders and did not take the muscle relaxer she had prescribed because my PCP and I were both nervous about the effects that it would have on me. About 2 months after that, my PCS symptoms disappeared completely and life went back to normal...until last week. I suffered my 7th concussion last Thursday. I can't tell you how embarrassed and foolish I feel that this has happened again. I really fought the urge to even see a doctor because I knew what they would tell me but after a week of my fiance trying to convince me, I went to the ER. They told me what I already knew and said the same thing they always do, "you really need to be more careful." They of course couldn't give me a CT scan since I've had too many, so I just went home and dealt with the pain. I haven't told anyone about this except for my fiance. I didn't miss a day of work either because as usual, I was helping to cover for other people, and I honestly don't wanna hear anything they'd have to say about it, because I know people wouldn't understand. I also always worry about the fact that people will just think I'm lying when I say I've had another concussion. After telling people about my 2nd concussion a couple of years ago, my co-workers told me, "it's just a headache", so I made the choice to not even bother anymore.

I've become so good at putting on a front that no one even notices anything's wrong. I even try to take on extra work so as to not look like I'm slacking. My fiance says I've been confused and forgetful, and I've noticed that I do seem a little scatter-brained at work but I just have to keep going. I know it's probably the worst thing I could do for myself and I definitely pay for it at the end of the day but honestly, its better than what everyone would say if they knew.

My symptoms this time have been similar to the previous times. My sleep has been pretty good this time though, which helps. The confusion part is always the hardest to deal with because it scares me. I've also had this metallic taste in my mouth from time to time. I know other people have mentioned that they get that too.

I'm scheduled to go back to my neurologist next week and I'm looking forward to following up with her, even though I didn't agree with what we discussed last time. I figure I'll try her out again and if I'm unhappy for the second time, I'll go see someone else.

I guess I'm not sure how I feel. I'm angry and sad that this has happened again, and feel somewhat alone because I feel like I can't tell anyone I know about this.

Right now I'm just looking forward to having a restful weekend, and trying to heal.

This is seriously getting beyond ridiculous. I hit my head again today, twice! I'm really starting to feel like I can't leave the house ever again. I don't know what to do and I'm incredibly frustrated. This morning I hit the back of my head (the same place I always hit) on the sharp corner of a door frame, then on a wall a few hours later. I didn't hit either thing hard at all; most people would think nothing of it and at first, I tried not to either. Then about an hour later, it was like someone was repeatedly hitting me in the back of the head with a brick. I felt so dizzy and nauseous and I just wanted to go to sleep. I took some extra strength Tylenol as soon as I could and was able to get out of work a little early. I went home and laid on the couch for about 4 hours. I had zero energy and I kept falling asleep. My fiance had to keep waking me up. The Tylenol helped a little and I was able to eat something a while after, but still felt kind of queasy, dizzy and sleepy.

I have no idea what to do. Apparently I can't stop this from happening no matter how hard I try. I'm still having pain in the spot of impact from the first time I hit it a few weeks ago, and the pain increases whenever I lean forward. I've also noticed that any kind of jostling gives me instant head pain. Yesterday I was in the car and had to stop quickly and immediately my head started throbbing. The headaches have been coming and going but after what I did today, they're back to being just as bad as they were before.

I've also started thinking about the long term effects all these concussions are now/may someday have on me. I think about little things, like my intolerance to flashing lights, and occasionally struggling to find the right words/stammering. Are those the effects of all of these injuries? How would I even know for sure?

I just want to scream and throw things! Ahhhh!

Bright&Dark,

What meds are you taking now? Could that be contributing to some coordination issues?

The symptoms (other than head aches) are relatively easy to live with. Flashing lights are a common problem for many people. The word finding and stammering will not stop you from pursuing a full life.

As you note, developing way to avoid more head bumps will be valuable but it should not be a source of anxiety. Anxiety will only make it worse.

Learning to move about with a more deliberate direction can be a big help.

I had to learn to move with deliberate moves long ago. I don't even jump up from sitting down. It only takes a second to deliberately plan each move. It is more of a focus than planning. If you have ever had a twisted back, you needed to move a bit more slowly to avoid causing more pain. This is the focus to use.

I hope this helps. I still bump my head from time to time but I know I have reduced the frequency.

My best to you.