Hi,
First of all, you have no idea how happy am i to have found this forum. I almost shed a tear when i fould out i could find a bit of support in people with common experiences.

I'm a 25 year old male. I'm an avid competitive cyclist (or trying to be) About a year and a half ago, i was involved in a serious crash during a race, i was unconscious for less than a minute and woke up with some degree of amnesia that went away after a couple of minutes. When taken to the ER, i didn't have a CAT scan because the doctors thought that further damaged was unlikely. Long story short, i ended up having surgery a month later to remove a subdural hematoma. I still have the burr holes in my skull.

After a long recovery and ongoing battles with anxiety and depression that were misdiagnosed as epilepsy i managed to put my life back on track and started riding again.

In all this time i had managed to avoid falling off the bike up until last week. It wasn't a serious crash at all. I was riding back home at a very low speed (25 km/h) and hit a pot hole. Obviously, i was wearing a helmet and my head was the last thing to hit the groud, it was a very light hit to the left side of my head. In the past this small hit wouldn't have bothered me at all but this time i felt jolted and a bit dizzy although i didn't lose consciousness and managed to get back home on my own.

The next day, the headaches started and haven't subsided yet, their intensity varies. Sometimes i get tingling all around my arms and legs and I feel like my brain is swollen. The sudden anxiety attacks have returned. I don't even want to get back on the bike for now for fear of making things worse.

There's so many things i want to ask:
Is all of this normal?
Should i get a CAT scan?
Why did such a light hit affected me the way it did? What more can i expect from more serious injury?
Will it be like this for the rest of my life? Will it get better?
What can i do to prevent situations like this in the future?
What kind of medications or supplements do you use? What works and what doesn't? I've been reading for a while and found the following:

Resveratrol
Omega 3
Creatine
Vitamin B12

Anyway, i know I'm asking to many questions. But I'm just so relieved to have found a support group. I wish i had known about you guys a year and a half ago.

Thank you so much in advance!

Rob,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. My brain injury history started with a bike fall, too.

Your recent non-concussion is known as a sub-concussive impact. If this has happened before, it likely has contributed to an accumulation of injuries/damage that can be as damaging or more damaging than a single full concussion.

Nobody can say how long this current condition will last.

The only way to prevent it is to avoid any kind of impact or jarring trauma to your brain. You need to seriously consider the risks you take on.

How many falls have you had over your riding career? Bike helmets are not very good at preventing concussions. They are better at reducing fractured skulls and reducing the intensity of a concussion. If you helmet hits the ground, you have suffered at least a sub-concussive impact. The problem with sub-concussive impacts is they are usually ignored. No time off or any changes in risk.

There are strong records of athletes who have never suffered a diagnosed concussion who develop CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ) that leads to dementia. Football, soccer, hockey, rugby and men's lacrosse all have a high risk of sub-concussive impacts. It sounds like bicycle racing is also a risk.

The supplements you mention are inadequate. The Resveratrol is expensive for the value it offers. Creatine is more of a muscle nutrient but not as valuable to the brain.

B-12 (500 to 1000 mcgs daily) , good dose of all B-vitamins (B-50 complex), Omega 3 plus some 6 and 9, Magnesium, Calcium, all of the anti-oxidants (maybe in a high potency multi, GNC Mega men or similar).

Tumeric and cumin has value. You also need a good source of Essential Fatty Acids, especially BCAA (Broken Chain Amino Acids) found in meats, pork is the best source.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, MSG, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, Equal, Nutrasweet is the worst).

It is likely that your concussion is still in a critical healing period. You need to be easy on your brain.

There are no specific meds for concussion. Each symptom is treated individually.

Feel free to tell of about any struggles you have.

Thank you for using plenty of paragraph spaces. It made you post easy to read.

My best to you.

Rob,

Welcome! Mark gave all excellent answers! I'd take his advice. He's very knowledgeable and has been a great help to me as well.

I've had PCS for only 3 months so far and I'm still learning the ins and outs. The only advice to you is to listen to your body.

You are your only advocate. Even though you may feel anxious in your recovery and want to be healed already. The only thing you can do at this time is rest/sleep. I struggle with people not understanding.

My MIL told hubby to get me out of the house coz she believes I'm only suffering with depression...duh! But that's only a symptom with many to follow. She doesn't get it.. But, we do!

Feel free to share your stories or ask questions. We're all here for you.

Take Care,

Kelly

Thank you all for your comments and words of encouragment . I consider myself a lucky person, I know things could be a lot worse.

I guess now its just a matter of time

Yes, just take it one day at a time and keep us updated on ur progress

My best to you

Welcome! This is a great group! I'm new here myself! Im 6 mos post injury and at a stand still in recovery so I'm pretty frustrated. But felt just like you when i found this group a few days ago! i got teary eyed when i was reading the posts. I just wish i had a longer attention span.

GEt plenty of rest and hang in there. You will find lots of support and knowledge here.

Jen