So, I got my first documented concussion March 26, 2011 during my lacrosse game. I didn't lose consciousness and felt fine after the hit. Later that day, I started feeling not "myself". I felt fatigued, foggy and kind of out of it. That monday the trainer at my school referred me to a concussion doctor and he confirmed it was a "mild" concussion. Well, two weeks went by and I started to feel pretty good, although i will admit now that i was not 100%. I would say i was at like 85%.

Anyway, when I came back for my first game three weeks later. I got hit kinda hard, but I felt fine and kept playing. Later that day, i started feeling tired, got a migraine, and felt nauseous. I went back to the same doctor and he told me that he thinks I re concussed myself. He told me that my season was over (which I was upset about) and told me to take it easy. And that is exactly what I did. My life revolves around weightlifting and I do it everyday. I had to stay away from the weight room for two months, wich mentally took its toll on me. Well, June came around and I started feeling pretty good. The headaches were very mild, the fatigue was wearing off and I was starting to feel myself again. I saw the doctor one more time and he told me to gradually get back into the swing of things, but not too quick! And low and behold, I was jackass and didn't listen to him. The day after he told me that i went to the weight room and went hard as hell. I felt fine, but I still was not 100%, but I was sayign to myself "the hell with it".

Since then, I have bumped my head a few times, taken some falls without hitting my head, not hard at all, just a regular old bump on something, I have done dives off diving boards and it seems my head isn't feeling "worse" just not better.

9 months later, here I am. I have mild headaches every day, I get lightheaded all the time, my vision is kinda foggy, sometimes my ears feel like I am on an airplane and feel like I want to commit suicide thats how much I can't stand living like this. My short term memory has gotten a little worse, concentration has gotten a little worse. Last week I went back to that doctor and he told me that I HAVE to stop the weightlifting for a while and this time I listened. he also prescribed me amantidine for the fogginess and it kinda works. The only physical activity I am doing is bodylastics bands in my basement. I start vestibular therapy next week and I hope it helps.

I have also had an MRI and it was negative

Another thing that I have been suffering from my whole life is hypochondria. I have really bad anxiety and the concussion has made it worse.

Please, I need advice from someone who has gone through this. I want to be normal again. I want to be the old "me". What strategies are helpful?

Hi penguinsfan!

Welcome to the forum, people understand what you're going through here better than anywhere else.

You have Post-Concussion Syndrome, and it is not uncommon at all for it to last as long as yours has, especially since yours has been fed by subsequent impacts and risky behaviour. Whilst every injury is different, there's no reason you shouldn't recover to feeling good again if you make some lifestyle changes.

The concussion which caused my PCS happened one day before yours, on March 25th 2011, also while playing sport. My recovery rate in general has been a lot slower than yours, and I did not get back to feeling like I could do all those things you talk about until much later than you did. This is probably because I have more of a concussion history than you and so my brain is slower to heal.

Yet from the sounds of things I am now 'ahead' of you in my recovery (not that it's a competition! ). I would put this down to the fact that I seem to have been lucky enough to find this forum earlier than you and to make the necessary lifestyle changes. Also because the good advice you have had from people, you seem to have often ignored (that's not a criticism, PCS often messes with people's levels of insight and makes them do risky or unwise things. Also, you obviously love your weightlifting, and it's hard to give up stuff that you love. But you have to give it up for a while or you won't get better).

So....

Rest is very important. Your brain has been injured (not all sorts of brain injury show up on an MRI - mine was clear too) and it needs a decent period of rest to recover without all the changes in blood pressure, blood flow, hormones etc that are brought on by weightlifting and other exercise, as well as the head movement that will be brought on by running or diving off diving boards. Exercise can be useful later in your recovery, but it sounds to me like you have never given it that chance to rest in the first place. You need to stop doing all that stuff until your symptoms are a lot less than they are.

This also includes cognitive rest. I stopped playing/watching computer games, action films, music videos, cinema, reading and other high stimulation mental activities, since although you may not realise it these things make your brain work very hard. I was also off work for a good few months followed by working part time at work for many months. I am only just approaching full time. I'm guessing you continued with school as normal as you don't mention this - this again shows me that I was much worse off than you for most of our recovery time since I could not have coped with this, but again, now I have less symptoms than you - because I gave my brain the chance to rest (boring, but necessary). This includes getting lots of sleep, if you can.

What you put in your body makes a big difference. Alcohol, caffiene and MSG will slow or reverse your healing. Fruit and veg high in antioxidants (google a list of antioxidant foods), fish oil, eggs and pork contain things which will help your brain to heal itself.

Stress and anxiety are bad, they flood your brain with chemicals which excite it and slow healing. In one sense you need to be more anxious, in that you need to take your condition seriously and start doing what you need to do to start healing instead of keeping on doing these risky things even when advised not to. But once you've put these changes into place, try your best to avoid anxiety. You have a plan now, you know how to get better and you're putting it in place, so you can calm down knowing that there's no reason it shouldn't work.

The reason you haven't got better so far is because of the wrong sort of lifestyle. Now that you're going to change that, there is less to be anxious about. It won't happen overnight and there are many struggles still ahead but by coming here you can get yourself on the right track. There are lots of people here who understand your struggles and who have symptoms as bad as or worse than you. So put thoughts of suicide behind you, you now know how to get better, and you have people to talk to who understand your pain.

Very best wishes and welcome again. I'm glad you found us

thanks I really appreciate it. Yeah I have stopped doing runnign and very strenuous exercises but the only thing I do know is the exercise bands in my basement but I don't go very hard. I went today for my evaluation for physcial therapy for my vestibular system and she thought that I would recover great because people have come in much worse then me and have recovered great. Hopefully everything works out well...

There are lots of great posters here to document all of the PCS symptoms, treatments, etc. I'm 4 mos into this. History of concussions, etc. This is the first time I've had to deal with PCS. Everybody is different, but for me; here goes.

Get as much "good" rest as possible. Quiet, dark room, etc.
Stick to a good diet. Stay away from sugars, fats, etc.
Be gentle with the exercise. I'm also a lifter and its hard to let it go, but it is necessary. Walk. Increase your distances gradually. Don't overdo it.

When you feel ready, lift light for short sets. It will feel silly and worthless. So be it. Very gradually increase reps to sets, staying light. If you overdo the physical (as well as the mental) exercise, you will pay for it with set-backs and increased symptom severity.

It is hard to accept. This is what you are dealing with now. It is NOT permanent.

Lose the suicide thoughts. You've worked too hard to get where you are and will be again. Use your family and friends for support, sometimes it will seem they care more about you than you care about yourself.

Good Luck to you.

wdl6591,

You misunderstand suicidal thoughts. They are symptoms of depression and often are not controllable. Instead of a buck up and stop the suicidal thoughts, professional help is suggested. Concussion often can cause or contribute to depression. It is important to get professional help to understand the difference between the occasional frustrated "I'm tired of this. Why should I go on" and those invasive thoughts that can over-ride rational thinking.

Fats have value to the brain. There is no need to add extra fats but meat protein is valuable to the injured brain.

Mark,

Having suffered from depression most of my life, been in treatment for the last 9+ years and been inpatient and outpatient as well; I understand suicidal thoughts all too well. As you suggest, there is a huge difference to feeling like you can't go on (which is what I picked up from the post) and having suicidal thoughts. I have never "felt" suicidal. I have had suicidal thoughts.
You are correct in that PCS can contribute to depression, and that professional help is extremely important.
Everything I hve read says to cut out unnecessary sugars and fats. It is almost impossible to cut out all.

wdl6591

In my many years of researching and following journals about concussion and brain injury, I have never read anything about reducing/restricting fats. Quite the opposite.

Where did you read to reduce fats?

Cholesterol drugs are also contra-indicated since they reduce the cholesterol than is important to brain function and healing.

Low cholesterol and dementia are found to be related.

Many of our youth are being improperly deprived of fats during periods of neurological need to the detriment of their brain development. At least the formula manufacturers are focusing on DHA and EPA.

We actually selectively add fats to our diet for its health benefits. Olive oil and coconut oil plus non-homogenized whole milk are our fats of choice.

Mark, The reduction of "unnecessary" (which I guess is pretty ambiguous) fats. mostly saturated fats is indicated in pretty much everything I've seen. Not necessarily in conjunction with TBI ot PCS literature. We do use olive oil in cooking quite often.
It's interesting about the Cholesterol tie-in. I take Crestor for Cholesterol and none of my MD's (including the Neuro) have mentioned it being an issue. Something for me to bring up at my appt. next week. I'll let you know what he says.
What foods help with increased DHA and EPA?
Thanks, wdl

My doctor has been trying to get me on statins for years. The risks are not worth the limited benefits.

It is advised to consider all the risk factors before taking statins. The only risk factor I have is high total cholesterol (244) and one of the other values (I forget, either LDL or HDL)

My BP is 116/75
Blood sugar about 80 to 90
No history of heart disease in family

In fact, my mother is 87 with similar cholesterol levels and a good heart.

The reason to lower cholesterol is tied to a combination of the risk factors. High blood pressure and high blood glucose are the key problems. The arteries get strained by the high BP causing microscopic fissures in the arterial walls. The mix of cholesterol and high blood sugar causes plaques to anchor to these fissures. If the blood glucose is normal, this does not happen. If the blood pressure is normal, the fissures do not appear.

So, controlling BP and blood glucose are the more important factors.

btw, My father was a life time eater of saturated fat foods. His total cholesterol stayed below 140. He died of dementia related to Central Sleep Apnea at 78 with a very healthy heart.

By not lifting do you mean I can't do exercise bands in my basement either? I asked my concussion doctor about it and he said I should be fine because it puts a lot less pressure on the brain then weights..