Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Concussion Syndrome For traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post concussion syndrome (PCS).


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Old 04-18-2013, 09:23 PM #1
DFayesMom DFayesMom is offline
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Default Ugh! First day of traditional vision therapy

My eyes hurt! My head hurts! Is it going to get better? Quickly? Or should I plan on not doing anything on those days?
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I have recovered my cognitive function, and I've overcome severe vertigo through sensory integration therapy. Wellbutrin has helped me escape depression. I have recently had a few stress-related migraines, as well as headaches stemming from eye strain. I'm also dealing with tinnitus, lack of stamina, extreme light sensitivity, and eye pain. Diagnosed with 9 different vision issues: convergence insufficiency, pursuit eye movement deficit, egocentric visual midline shift, photophobia, visual information processing delays, accommodative insufficiency, saccadic eye movement deficit, lack of coordination, and central peripheral visual integration deficit.

*First concussion: October 2010. I was pregnant and got rear ended. I associated my mild PCS symptoms with baby brain and blamed my light sensitivity on allergies and dry eyes.
*Second concussion: December 2011. I hit my head on a wooden beam, saw stars but did not lose consciousness, and I had very disturbing PCS symptoms but didn't go to the doctor.
*Third concussion: August 2012. I caused a car accident as a result of PCS symptoms. Thankfully no one was injured but me. My husband confronted me, and I finally sought help and took medical leave from work. My symptoms worsened, and I developed severe vertigo.
*Fourth concussion: November 2012. I was riding in a car with a friend and we were hit head on by a driver who lost control of her car. I didn't have a big increase in PCS symptoms.
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Old 04-18-2013, 09:30 PM #2
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Hang in there! The first month is rough-I would get migraines after my vision therapy.

Now in month 4, I get slight headaches, but no migraines. The fatigue and pain diminish as you strengthen your vision. I was told the pain meant progress!
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The event: Rear ended on freeway with son when I was at a stop in stop and go traffic July 2012. Lost consciousness.

Post-event: Diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, ptsd, whiplash, peripheral and central vestibular dysfunction and convergence insufficiency. MRI/CT scans fine.

Symptoms: daily headaches, dizziness/vertigo, nausea, cognitive fog, light/noise sensitivities, anxiety/irritability, fatigued, convergence insufficiency, tinnitus and numbness in arms/legs.

Therapies: Now topamax 50mg daily; Propanolol and Tramadol when migraine. Off nortryptiline and trazodone. Accupuncture. Vitamin regime. Prism glasses/vision therapy. Vestibular therapy 3month. Gluten free diet. Dairy free diet. On sick leave from teaching until Sept. 2014.
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DFayesMom (04-19-2013)
Old 04-18-2013, 11:19 PM #3
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What issues do you have with your eyes? if it's convergent insufficiency, you can just wear blue tinted glasses(and prisms if your visual system can handle that) and your eyes will self correct. After wearing my glasses for 6 weeks, I was tested again and while I still had convergent insufficiency, it was much better than it was.
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Old 04-18-2013, 11:36 PM #4
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It was tough the first few months. Take it easy...but it is so worth it!
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What happened: Legs pulled forward by a parent's hockey stick while resting at the side of the rink at a family skate....sent me straight back. I hit the back of my head (with helmet) on the ice, bounced a few times, unconscious for a few minutes. September 11, 2011. Off work since then…I work part-time at home when I can. It has been hell but slowly feeling better (when I am alone☺).

Current symptoms: Vision problems (but 20/20 in each eye alone!) – convergence insufficiency – horizontal and vertical (heterophoria), problems with tracking and saccades, peripheral vision problems, eyes see different colour tints; tinnitus 24/7 both ears; hyperacusis (noise filter gone!), labyrinthian (inner ear) concussion, vestibular dysfunction (dizzy, bedspins, need to look down when walking); partial loss of sense of smell; electric shocks through head when doing too much; headaches; emotional lability; memory blanks; difficulty concentrating. I still can’t go into busy, noisy places. Fatigue. Executive functioning was affected – multi-tasking, planning, motivation. Slight aphasia. Shooting pain up neck and limited mobility at neck. Otherwise lucky!

Current treatments: Vestibular therapy, Vision therapy, amantadine (100 mg a day), acupuncture and physiotherapy for neck, slow return to exercise, magnesium, resveratrol, omega 3 fish oils, vitamins D, B and multi. Optimism and perserverance.
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DFayesMom (04-19-2013)
Old 04-19-2013, 02:32 AM #5
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Default Thanks for the encouragement!

See my signature for my problems! Convergence insufficiency is the big culprit at this point though, as other issues have resolved or at least improved after sensory integration therapy.

I don't think it's true that prisms correct your convergence insufficiency, but rather, they can help you cope until your vision self corrects. My convergence insufficiency has been going on two years, I'm guessing, and I have had no progress, so I don't think my vision is going to self correct. Too many head injuries! Hopefully this vision therapy will work!

I'm using binasal occlusions instead of prisms.

Of course, now I have insomnia, so I'm probably going to feel like hell all day tomorrow too! My baby and my sick coughing husband keep disturbing my sleep! Once I wake up, it takes me forever to get back to sleep. I know messing around on my phone isn't helping, so I'm signing off!
__________________
I have recovered my cognitive function, and I've overcome severe vertigo through sensory integration therapy. Wellbutrin has helped me escape depression. I have recently had a few stress-related migraines, as well as headaches stemming from eye strain. I'm also dealing with tinnitus, lack of stamina, extreme light sensitivity, and eye pain. Diagnosed with 9 different vision issues: convergence insufficiency, pursuit eye movement deficit, egocentric visual midline shift, photophobia, visual information processing delays, accommodative insufficiency, saccadic eye movement deficit, lack of coordination, and central peripheral visual integration deficit.

*First concussion: October 2010. I was pregnant and got rear ended. I associated my mild PCS symptoms with baby brain and blamed my light sensitivity on allergies and dry eyes.
*Second concussion: December 2011. I hit my head on a wooden beam, saw stars but did not lose consciousness, and I had very disturbing PCS symptoms but didn't go to the doctor.
*Third concussion: August 2012. I caused a car accident as a result of PCS symptoms. Thankfully no one was injured but me. My husband confronted me, and I finally sought help and took medical leave from work. My symptoms worsened, and I developed severe vertigo.
*Fourth concussion: November 2012. I was riding in a car with a friend and we were hit head on by a driver who lost control of her car. I didn't have a big increase in PCS symptoms.
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Old 04-19-2013, 08:18 AM #6
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I'm about to start vision therapy with lights. Is that what you're doing? I have to go for 20 sessions... 3 x per week. I was hoping the therapy was something they could show me and I could do it at home on my own but of course there's equipment involved so you have to go in and do it there.

I hope it gets better for you!

CC
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I'm a 39 year old, female, accountant. On July 2, 2012 I crashed my bike at the end of a 65KM road ride. I was fine that day but woke up the next morning to my current world.

Ongoing symptoms include: dizziness, blurred vision, light and noise sensitivities, cognitive problems, uncontrollable emotions/depression/anxiety, headaches (but they're getting better), mental and physical fatigue, difficulty communicating and sleep disturbances.

Currently seeing a fabulous Neuro Psychologist and vestibular physiotherapist and hoping to soon see a neuro ophthalmologist. I am currently doing 20 minute stationary bike rides daily, 20 minutes of meditating, 15 minutes of Lumosity and lots of resting. I have not been able to work or drive since the accident.

The things that have helped me the most since the accident are vestibular therapy, gel eye drops (for blurred vision, sensitivity and dryness), amitriptyline (10mg), and meditating. I am finally starting to see some slight improvements and am hopeful!

My brain WANTS to heal itself... I just have to let it and stop trying to get better!
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Old 04-19-2013, 09:35 AM #7
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Re: role of prisms. My neuro opthamologist (and the scientific research papers I have read) say the value of prisms is two-fold

1) to correct your vision (like normal glasses do...ii.e.without fixing the problem) to take a huge cognitive load off of your brain (vision consumes so much) and

2) to stimulate neuro-plasticity in your brain...i.e, to promote healing, not just in that particular deficit.

So even though it doesn't get rid of the deficit, I think this approach helps a lot of people. Many of us will wear prisms for the rest of our lives, I have been told.

Hope it goes well!
__________________


What happened: Legs pulled forward by a parent's hockey stick while resting at the side of the rink at a family skate....sent me straight back. I hit the back of my head (with helmet) on the ice, bounced a few times, unconscious for a few minutes. September 11, 2011. Off work since then…I work part-time at home when I can. It has been hell but slowly feeling better (when I am alone☺).

Current symptoms: Vision problems (but 20/20 in each eye alone!) – convergence insufficiency – horizontal and vertical (heterophoria), problems with tracking and saccades, peripheral vision problems, eyes see different colour tints; tinnitus 24/7 both ears; hyperacusis (noise filter gone!), labyrinthian (inner ear) concussion, vestibular dysfunction (dizzy, bedspins, need to look down when walking); partial loss of sense of smell; electric shocks through head when doing too much; headaches; emotional lability; memory blanks; difficulty concentrating. I still can’t go into busy, noisy places. Fatigue. Executive functioning was affected – multi-tasking, planning, motivation. Slight aphasia. Shooting pain up neck and limited mobility at neck. Otherwise lucky!

Current treatments: Vestibular therapy, Vision therapy, amantadine (100 mg a day), acupuncture and physiotherapy for neck, slow return to exercise, magnesium, resveratrol, omega 3 fish oils, vitamins D, B and multi. Optimism and perserverance.
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Old 04-19-2013, 12:10 PM #8
DFayesMom DFayesMom is offline
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Default In my research

I hadn't come across the info on neuro plasticity. Is this info in recent scholarly articles? I'd like to read about it!
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I have recovered my cognitive function, and I've overcome severe vertigo through sensory integration therapy. Wellbutrin has helped me escape depression. I have recently had a few stress-related migraines, as well as headaches stemming from eye strain. I'm also dealing with tinnitus, lack of stamina, extreme light sensitivity, and eye pain. Diagnosed with 9 different vision issues: convergence insufficiency, pursuit eye movement deficit, egocentric visual midline shift, photophobia, visual information processing delays, accommodative insufficiency, saccadic eye movement deficit, lack of coordination, and central peripheral visual integration deficit.

*First concussion: October 2010. I was pregnant and got rear ended. I associated my mild PCS symptoms with baby brain and blamed my light sensitivity on allergies and dry eyes.
*Second concussion: December 2011. I hit my head on a wooden beam, saw stars but did not lose consciousness, and I had very disturbing PCS symptoms but didn't go to the doctor.
*Third concussion: August 2012. I caused a car accident as a result of PCS symptoms. Thankfully no one was injured but me. My husband confronted me, and I finally sought help and took medical leave from work. My symptoms worsened, and I developed severe vertigo.
*Fourth concussion: November 2012. I was riding in a car with a friend and we were hit head on by a driver who lost control of her car. I didn't have a big increase in PCS symptoms.
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Old 04-19-2013, 12:18 PM #9
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Default Therapy with lights!

Quote:
Originally Posted by cyclecrash View Post
I'm about to start vision therapy with lights. Is that what you're doing? I have to go for 20 sessions... 3 x per week. I was hoping the therapy was something they could show me and I could do it at home on my own but of course there's equipment involved so you have to go in and do it there.

I hope it gets better for you!

CC
Is it sensory integration therapy? That is with lights in an office environment. If so, I had tremendous success with this, but mine was every day for an hour and a half for 12 days in the office and then 18 days at home for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. My understanding is that they customize programs for different people, so that's why I thought maybe you might be doing the same thing. It didn't solve all my problems, but it got rid of my dizziness in just one month, which I never imagined was possible. The therapy I am doing now is not with lights. It is like little vision games you play to exercise your eyes, and I have to do it once a day at home and once a week with the therapist.
__________________
I have recovered my cognitive function, and I've overcome severe vertigo through sensory integration therapy. Wellbutrin has helped me escape depression. I have recently had a few stress-related migraines, as well as headaches stemming from eye strain. I'm also dealing with tinnitus, lack of stamina, extreme light sensitivity, and eye pain. Diagnosed with 9 different vision issues: convergence insufficiency, pursuit eye movement deficit, egocentric visual midline shift, photophobia, visual information processing delays, accommodative insufficiency, saccadic eye movement deficit, lack of coordination, and central peripheral visual integration deficit.

*First concussion: October 2010. I was pregnant and got rear ended. I associated my mild PCS symptoms with baby brain and blamed my light sensitivity on allergies and dry eyes.
*Second concussion: December 2011. I hit my head on a wooden beam, saw stars but did not lose consciousness, and I had very disturbing PCS symptoms but didn't go to the doctor.
*Third concussion: August 2012. I caused a car accident as a result of PCS symptoms. Thankfully no one was injured but me. My husband confronted me, and I finally sought help and took medical leave from work. My symptoms worsened, and I developed severe vertigo.
*Fourth concussion: November 2012. I was riding in a car with a friend and we were hit head on by a driver who lost control of her car. I didn't have a big increase in PCS symptoms.
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