As promised:

1)
Here is an interesting case study about a woman who had pcs after falling off a horse. Many of us have similar issues. Some treatment solutions near the end of the article.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc...=rep1&type=pdf

2)From the Audiologists's association website:

http://www.asha.org/publications/lea...91124/CAPD.htm

3) a great blog post on NOISE

http://www.fightingpcs.com/2013/02/n...further-study/

4) a powerpoint presentation on auditory processing problems after tbi )in military but they are just like us!

http://www.afaslp.org/AVAA%20conferences/Gallun2008.pdf

5) a powerpoint from an academic conference on brain rehab...explains a lot.

http://www.scripps.org/assets/docume...aud_fabian.pdf

From this last presentation...the slide which talks about the symptoms of central auditory processing disorder:

'Symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorders
Common symptoms of CAPD are:
• inordinate difficulty hearing in noisy or reverberant
environments;
• difficulty following conversation on the phone
• difficulty following multi‐step directions
• difficulty following long conversations
• difficulty taking notes
• difficulty with social situations—difficulty “reading”
others / pragmatic communication issues
• difficulty with spelling, reading and writing
• lack of music appreciation
• difficulty directing, sustaining, or dividing attention '



That's all for now. Hope it helps. I have called the U Conn. clinic and hope to speak with someone tomorrow to get more information about testing and therapies.

Leave no stone unturned!!!!
M

I was diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder with an Auditory Evoked Potential test (AEP) with qEEG processing. My doctor looked at the results and said, "You hear everything. How do you handle that ?" My wife responded, " He doesn't. "

It has been 12 years and I am still dealing with these issues. I have learned to avoid most environments where I will have a problem. I also use foam ear plugs in restaurants and other noisy places. I sit at the back or perimeter of a room where there will be less noticeable echoes.

I can hear echoes that nobody else hears.

My AEP was repeated a few months later to validate the results. My doctor was so impressed by the level of lack of auditory filtering that he repeated the test a few months later. I had it repeated years latter with the same results.

I may have a little better organic tolerance for sound but believe most of my tolerance is due to work-arounds.

Thanks Mark. I hear everything too....it is horrible! I have tried to avoid noisy places but it is a huge impediment to me going back to teaching which I still want to do, and to living a better life with my young kids.

If you have other suggestions for testing for this condition, i and others would appreciate it.

Mokey, I think I mentioned this before but I was in the same situation, pretty much ok at home but in noisy environments or confusion/busy places I was having sounds sensitivities, dizziness, brain confusion/fog, etc. Ever since starting Effexor, for these anxiety symptoms, they have been significantly improved! Even my light sensitivity.

I believe Mouse has had the same results. If you are that desperate, perhaps it would help to try this solution. You could see almost miraculous results. I was shocked what was helped by this medication. It allows the rest of the brain issues to start to heal better once the anxiety responses are controlled.

These are PHYSICAL anxiety responses, not emotional and you cannot control them on your own. If you don't want to try Effexor, there are other options.

For the others in this thread, I had no luck at all with my ENT but your situation may be different. There is supposedly only one type of dizziness that they can help with and mine was not that type. (if you roll over in bed and get dizzy and nauseous then an ENT may be able to help you)

Just some thoughts. Good luck to you.

CC

Thanks, Cycle crash! I am seriously contemplating digging into the cymbalta samples a doctor gave me last year! But my good doctor left to do other things and I have no brain injury doctor right now, so it is probably not a smart idea until I talk with someone. The new GP has no interest in this injury because it takes more than a seven minute visit to solve problems.
As soon as I find a doctor in this area, i will raise this as a possible therapy (drugs!).

I had a HORRIBLE experience with a new potential doctor on Friday....so difficult to find a good one!

Thanks!

Mokey,

I recommend you stay away from the Cymbalta samples until you have a doctor who is in support of you taking it. It will take a few weeks to see a difference anyway.

If you are going to self medicate, try a capsule of L-Tryptophan twice a day. It will show a change that day.

Have you ever had your B-12, D3, and folate tested ? You might be one of those who does not process (methylate, I think) B-12 and folic acid properly.

mrsD has quite a write-up in the Vitamins sticky.

Thanks Mark. I have had some basic tests...but The GP just said all in the normal range. I recall you or someone posting about different normals for tbi? I should ask for the exact values.

I will check out l tryptophan! Spouse is out shopping right now...will give him a new errand! Thanks,

Wow!

Your post on the auditory processing disorder took my breath away as it describes my difficulties and panic when I try to have conversations (with my children, husband, neighbors, even doctors)!

I cringe when the phone rings (but I have 3 kids so I have to answer!). I cannot really follow conversations beyond the weather. Any conversation conveying steps or information is torment. It is so hard to take notes even!

I also mishear (train for tray, etc) all the time.

I mean I have a PhD, wrote books, and gave lectures internationally - so I use to be smart. But now--I cannot read and it is so hard to listen (because we hear so much)!

If not an ENT, then what kind of specialist? I'll ask tomorrow and see what the doctor says.

Thanks SO much-I feel so empowered now. You are all so great.

Berkeley Brain...i am in your shoes (phd, etc) and feel exactly the same way. You are still smart...just suffering after a terrible injury. I have done a few international conferences out of stubborness...no going out with the groups, no coffee break chit chat, no receptions or banquets...the most recent one in NYC almost did me in (the only quiet place I could find was the women's washroom on some upper floor in the rockefeller centre. Sat in there fully dressed with earplugs and an eye patch for 1 hour after my presentation to a room of 300 with spotlights, etc. it was hell.....i was not as good as I used to be....but I did it. So you will get there again. It takes time to heal. When we are used to being so efficient and effective with our brains, this is hard to understand.

I try to count my blessings (it could have been much worse) and focus day to day. Today was awful....as has been the past two weeks...but tomorrow will be better!

I hope the information gives you some more insight. I think we are all trying to understand what this monster of an injury is! Hang in there.