I fell down a flight of stairs 4 months ago... long story short, I have pcs and a herniated disc in neck, did pt for neck, thought it was better and now the recurring symtoms of tightness, achyness, throbbing pain from ear, neck, jaw, back &shoulder come and go. emotionally i feel not my self... i was probably 'clinically depressed' before the accident (takign well butrin) but now i am lost sometimes, cranky, mood swings, sometimes i feel like i am on speed and super focused on stupid things and other times just laying around like a bump on a log and cant get up. i am on wellbutrin and lamictal now. seeing no difference in my mental health. i still get confused, short term memory loss, headaches, problems in crowded place, driving, light sensitivity etc... is it possible this is a permanant thing? i also tried remembering back from my childhood until now and realize i have probably had a few (not diagnosed ) concussions. i am 45 yrs old, female, mother of 4 (21, 19, 13, 11) and used to be vp of a nationwide company, very busy life, i am a type a person always busy busy bsy multitasking pro. now i am blah. i havent worked since it happened and could not even imagine balancing my job, home, kids, bills, dinner, etc etc... my kids help ALOT. I feel like this is me now financially i am starting to worry... is this or is it possible it would be a permanant disability? what to do?

workingmom,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your fall. My 1st concussion was a fall down a staircase. Then I added a serious concussion from a bike accident a year later.

Your symptoms sound like Post Concussion Syndrome. There is very little that can be done to 'cure' your symptoms. The brain needs quiet rest and time to heal. There are no meds that will reduce the cognitive and memory symptoms.

You just need quiet rest for at least a few weeks before trying to prognose your future.

Resting with a family can be tough. There is a good video on YouTube called "You Look Great" that discusses these symptoms. It is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Xso...ature=youtu.be

There is also a great resource at www.tbiguide.com that you can download, print out and read. It will help you understand some of your symptoms.

In the mean time, get quiet rest, avoid caffeine, alcohol, MSG. Many of us have a vitamin supplement regimen that helps us.

Let us know how we can help. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here.

My best to you.

Hello and welcome to Neurotalk. It is very common for recovery from PCS to take more than 4 months, and it is also common to experience no improvement for the first four months or so and then start to improve later. Even though four months with PCS seems painstakingly long, especially if you're not experiencing any relief yet, it is way too early to make the assumption that you will never recover.

How have you been managing your symptoms? What sorts of treatments have you tried, and have any of them helped?

Perhaps the most important thing, which you may already know, is to get lots of rest and pay close attention to your body. If you get any early warning signals of being overstimulated, fatigued, stressed out, or foggy headed, it's time to take a long break.

I find that a weighted blanket really helps me to calm down when I am anxious and/or overstimulated. If you google 'weighted blanket' you should find some options for ordering them online.

Nutrition is very important. I probably will not remember all the key vitamins here (I'm sure others will add them), but the B vitamins are important--especially B6, B12, and Folic Acid. B12 is found in meat and animal products, but it is also available in sublingual tablets. Cyanocobalamin is the least expensive form, but it's also apparently less effective than methylcobalamin.

Also important are Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin D, magnesium, and branch chain amino acids (BCAAs). Some people use Acetyl L-Carnitine, and some evidence suggests that L-Tyrosine and L-Tryptophan are also important for brain health.

I'm probably forgetting some key supplements here, but others will add to these suggestions.

Some important foods to eat are blueberries, other colored fruits and vegetables (for various antioxidants), eggs (the yolks contain Inositol), nuts, and foods high in omega 3 fatty acids such as fish, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, etc. For a much more comprehensive list, see here:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread165807.html

It's important to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and refined sugar, as well as all artificial colors and preservatives. Ideally, one should try to eliminate as much processed food as possible from one's diet.

For some suggestions for dealing with light sensitivity, see here:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread166767.html

and here:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread163832.html

Take care and hang in there,

Pete

Oops. I meant to say that egg yolks contain CHOLINE, not Inositol. I take those two in combination in a capsule and always get them confused.