This is the thing that scares me the most, and it has persisted for 6 months now. I don't know how to classify this issue.

Basically, I cannot do anything physical for more than about 5-10 minutes. I mean continual activity, like when I try to fix a meal for my family or help out with cleaning around the house. Anything where I am physically active and moving around/manipulating objects for anything longer than 5 minutes, and in fact the more complex the activity the worse the effects are and the faster they manifest.

The effects are that A) I get a burning headache just above my forehead, in a very localized area. This also brings on the other headaches, like pressure on my temples and around my eyes. B) I get the cold chills and shivers in my limbs and spine. C) I get dizzy and unbalanced, light headed and weak feeling. D) I get very cranky and irritable (but that's most of the time, anyway).

When something like this happens, I am done for the day. The headaches will be severe, won't go away until I've gone back to sleep for a good while, and I'll be physically wiped out like I've just run a damned marathon. I mean, we're talking about pancakes and bacon here, for 4 people. The closest approximation I can come up with is when I have been dreadfully sick, like the time I got a bladder infection or a really bad upper GI infection, when you've been vomiting your guts out for a day or two, and you've stopped all that and the fever is broken and you try to do something normal in your life. Then WHAM, your body shuts you down in a heartbeat b/c it's not strong enough for normal activity yet. This is what it feels like, or the closest thing I can come up with.

Like I said this is the thing that scares me the most, that for some reason after 6 months I am still not able to do something as basic as pancakes and bacon for my family w/o the above symptoms. It feels like something major is still healing and my body needs all the energy it has to do that, but I would think after 6 months, considering nothing was broken, fractured, or bled from my injury, this should not still be a problem. But, I attempt something several times a week to see if I can do it, plus I love to cook and I'm damned good at it. Tomorrow is going to be Hell without my grill fired up!

So, thanks for reading this far. I'm going to be on my own soon as far as treatment goes since WC is kicking me to the curb, so I thought I'd look around. Nothing I've looked into describes what I'm talking about, but then again I may not have recognized what I was reading.

There is probably nothing WC can do to help you until you can identify the triggers to your relapses.

My first suggestion is your upper neck. If when you try to make breakfast, you are turning your head back and forth and up and down, you may be causing inflammation in your neck. Any soreness anywhere near your neck or behind your ears would be a symptom of this.

This same problem could effect your hormones, adrenaline, thyroid, etc. causing you to get grumpy.

There also may be kitchen sounds (frying and popping bacon) and smells that contribute to a sensory overload.

The doctors and therapists will not direct you to find these triggers. It is up to you alone.

There is also a possibility of fatigue from over-attending. You may be trying to keep track of too many things at once. Pancakes alone may be all you can do.

When we start to recover, it is one step/task at a time. Think of the old adage: Can't walk and chew gum at the same time. You may not be able to cook bacon and pancakes at the same time. Or maybe talk and cook bacon and pancakes at the same time.

So, try to break the morning down into all of the individual tasks. See it you can simplify your load then slowly add to that load every few weeks.

It can take quite a long time. Every time you over-do it, you make be backtracking with your recovery.

Frustrating but doable.

My best to you.

well whats frustrating is the only thing they've even tried to do is address the headaches with two meds; after that, they declared I was making it all up or that it's in my head. WC isn't going to help me at all; I have to get clear of them completely and find my own help it seems.

I did ask the Neurologist about my neck when this whole thing began and he said it's fine. I don't know on what basis he made that statement, because at that point the only people who had seen me were emergency room docs. One of the first things I want to do when I get control of my situation again is to have my neck checked out properly.

I found this http://health.mo.gov/living/families/shcn/ahi.php a couple days ago and have reached out to them but so far no one has returned our call. Government! Well, hopefully this is an avenue for treatment since no other doctor will touch my brain injury issues right now.

Hello:

I am sorry about your symptoms. My daughter had with you describe in A (headaches described as sharp temple pain) B, and C over (3) years with varying degree. She also had sleep issues.

Followed Marc's rec of multi, B Complex, and fish oil. Concussion doctor rec Vitamin D early on. She was taking those with some missed days.(teenager).

But it wasn't until she followed the recommendations in an article titled "How to Recover from a Concussion – Athletes Take Note" from Wellness Resources ( Vitamin Shop). Google to read full article which goes into theory of why it may work.

She took/takes - MSM sulfur, zinc, DHA, grape seed extract, bromelain, curcumin, quercetin, R-alpha lipoic acid, blueberries, magnesium, calcium AEP, quercetin, and acetyl-l-carnitine. pantethine, curcumin, niacin and took epsom salt baths.

She began this (4) months ago. Symptoms have dissipated and huge increase in energy. Hope this helps.

Scott,

Forgive me for not being more specific. When I mention a neck injury, you need to start the diagnosis. Just asking the doc is not enough.

When your neck is injured, there will be a number of noticeable symptoms. Your neck may be still and lock and pop. If may be sore. Or, it may not have any abnormal sensations. But, you may have a radiculopathy of a nerve that causes symptoms elsewhere. It may be sore and tender spots behind your ear or at the back of your head. Some will even have tenderness at the temples or forehead.

Tingling or numbness in an extremity or muscle twitching or other functional dysfunctions can all be caused by a vertebral injury that inflames the nerve root causing the problem to radiate to other areas.

Most of our PCS problems are up to us to define in a way that the doctor will take seriously. We all can and need to understand our bodies.

When I do this, this happens, not, I have this strange feeling. If the symptom is repeatable, then try to demonstrate it to the doctor. Don't expect the doctor to figure it out by some intuitive method. They won't.

If they are a WC doc, they will try to ignore symptoms that are not extreme.

bendintheroad,

The regimen from vitamin shop includes a big overlap of my regimen.

The MSM sulfur has the same effect as aspirin or ibuprofen. Zinc is in any good multi plus many B-Complex. DHA is in Omega rich fish oil. Grape seed extract has a great concentration of vitamin E, flavonoids, linoleic acid and phenolic OPCs but is just an expensive way to get these nutrients. Its best value is enhancing blood circulation. Niacin does the same and is in B-complex and any multi.

Bromelain is a pineapple derived enzyme that helps with digestion of protein and has some anti-inflammatory values. Curcumin is a component of tumeric and has a variety of values with claims to help with just about any illness or problem. Quercetin is a flavanoid/anti-oxidant. R-alpha lipoic acid is another anti-oxidant that also helps with sugar metabolism. It is common with women trying to increase their metabolism.

Blue berries are an excellent source of nutrients all of which are also available in other fresh fruits. Acetyl-l-carnitine is a powerful anti-oxidant with some neuro-protective values. Pantethine is a form of vitamin B-5.

Of all of the parts of this regimen, my opinion is the espom salt baths were likely the most valuable. They cause the subject to relax and rest.

The other valuable issue is this is an expensive regimen of supplements causing a better level of discipline in daily routine. The curcumin is the only supplement that is not commonly found in the other nutritional substances. In some articles, it is considered a noortropic or smart drug as is the acetyl-L-carnitine, an expensive supplement.

Many of these more expensive supplements have been discussed over time. Taken in context of the basic supplement regimen, they are of value but are not the foundation of getting a nutritional regimen started.

The basic regimen I and some others recommend is B-12 (500 to 1000 mcgs), B-Complex, a good multi like GNC MegaMen, D3, Magnesium, calcium, all of the anti-oxidants, Omega's, and some other things that I forget from time to time.

I tried an expensive 2 month trial of acetyl-L-carnitine and noticed no difference.

I have followed Byron Richards for many years but do not refer to his web site because he makes some claims and comments that are not based on fact or research and tend to support many of the false understandings of concussion. Plus, his web site and comments are extremely profit biased which is frowned upon in NT.

Any nutritional supplement regimen needs to be long term and consistent and combined with quiet rest and lifestyle changes. One intensely stressful event ( a wedding or graduation or break-up) can undo months of discipline by flooding the brain with toxic stress chemicals.

As others have noted, until they finally settled down to let their brain heal, they rode a roller coaster. This is a common experience across most concussion recovery articles.

Mark,

thanks for all the info. I don't think I grokked the word "relapse" as you used it in your reply, until earlier today. I had never thought of those episodes I described as relapses, because I've never reached a point where I thought I was getting better or that my symptoms were resolved. But, since you mention it I guess I could look at it that way. I do something to provoke an episode like that every week, sometimes twice or three times a week.

And I've laid out my symptoms for the neurologist but like you said, he's a WC doc and was only interested in treating the headaches and following the direction of the third party insurer who pulls his strings. I guess the best course of action is to try to get my case with WC settled, one way or the other, and seek help on my own.

BTW, do you know if medicines like Topamax or Depakote can have any effect on muscular tension, or in any way would contribute to my neck feeling "better" while I was on them? It seems like since I've discontinued the Topamax and have nothing at all going on, my neck bothers me a lot more than when I was taking those meds, either one.

Thanks again!

Since radiculopathy is due to the nerves functioning improperly, the Depakote and Topamax could have masked the radiculopathy.

I suggest you not settle with WC until you have a better understanding of your continuing symptoms.

Does your state allow you to find your own doctor after a time period has elapsed? Some states do.

btw, Much of my knowledge comes from using google then vetting the source of information. Google Topamax and Depakote and side-effects and you will find interesting information. The official sources are often limited but the patient blogs and such will have better information.

Scott, thank you for posting this. You were able to articulate my symptoms almost exactly to a Tee as what I am experiencing. (only I get HOT hot HOT rather than shivers) Other than that, I am dealing with the same. I now have some answers that I can go with, I would like to be able to walk for more than 5 minutes

Good luck to you, Scott!

...and thank you to all those who replied to this thread as I am lurking about and using the information for me!!!

Dolphinwolf,

Sorry to hear about your condition, nothing is more frustrating than sitting around a dark home and doing absolutely nothing. And not seeing improvement despite all that.

What are you doing for your symptoms? Are you on any meds? How do you cope with the fatigue?

Mark,

I have read this forum for the past (3) yrs. My only post are this post and to thank the person who pointed out the article on How to recovery from a Concussion -- and that the recommendations in the article appears to have worked at reducing overall symptoms and increasing energy.

When I saw that someone posted with similar symptoms including the body temp regulation- I wanted to share our success.

You made a statement of "have followed Byron Richards for many years but do not refer to his web site because he makes some claims and comments that are not based on fact or research and tend to support many of the false understandings of concussion. Plus, his web site and comments are extremely profit biased which is frowned upon in NT"

I did a search of his website that I found this article at and I found only two articles on concussions - the supplement recommendation and research on thalamus issues. I also noted that all his other articles appear to comments about research studies. Perhaps you are thinking of someone else

I posted the article not to push that websites or their vitamins/supplements, but that this appeared to work for my daughter after a long and arduous road with post concussion symptoms with (3) years of part time school because symptoms were to much to be in a school environment all day. To go from that and a recommendation from her Neuropsy as of last year that we should have a backup plan of an extra year of school or a gap year to where she is now is amazing to me.

I will say I was hesitant to post my daughter's success in symptom recovery because I see that you tend to comment on things in the manner that you posted to mine. You mentioned about changes i.e graduation that can bring on symptoms She went from Feburary of being so exhausted from walking to end of driveway to get mail, waking up with headaches crying in the middle of the night, body temp.regulation to being able to handle an all night school sponsored prom, going to school all day, and graduation/graduation parties with no symptoms in a short time frame ( 2 - 3 mths) of following the recommendations in that article. The supplements and epsom salt bath was the only thing that we changed with her and the only thing that we can tie the symptoms reduction and the increased level of energy.

I will say that because of your comments in another posting that I put off Neurofeedback that her Neuropsy Concussion Specialist recommended And note the Neuropsy did not do the Neurofeedback and did not recommend anyone in particular. He wasnt trying to make a buck. He had seen good success with other patience of his that had tried Neruofeedback, She started Neurobiofeedbck last June and she feels that helped with cognitive/focus. A science teacher noted to us that in September he felt she was not gong to make it in his class ( academically - not being able to hold onto material in memory and forgot previous learned math) to by January she had an A on his midterm. That was during time we did Neurofeedback. I also highly recommend Neurofeedback.

She had been through (3) rounds of PT and we were told she was going to have to live with the pain So we understand that as well. That pain has reduced.

I would caution you not to be so quick to put down or comment on someone else success in what appears working for them. I could point out statements in your above comments regarding the supplements that are not correct.

What may work for one person, may work for someone else and the goal of this forum is to support and exchange what may help.

I viewed this forum today to see if anyone had questions related to this and saw your comments. I probably won't be back to this forum as she is doing so much better and I will be getting her ready to head off to college. Something I would not have been predicting I would have been doing or saying just (4) months ago.

Best wishes to all in your varies recovery states