[Weyhey]

Hi, new to the forum and desperately in need of some advice.

I suffered a concussion in January of this year. Symptoms continued and I was told it was PCS. To this day things aren't any better and I was also recently diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety. They reckon that one thing has basically lead to the other. To be honest I'm not so sure where the symptoms for one begin and the other end.

Where I live no one has heard of PCS and no one understands or even really believes it. It's been going on for so long now that my boyfriend/family think I'm just dragging it out and faking it. I've basically tried to stop complaining or mentioning anything because I know everyone is fed up with me. Naturally they assume that everything is ok then. I'm facing daily jibes of how I'm just lazy, don't want to work, there's nothing wrong with me etc. This is particularly upsetting because from the age of 14 I worked full time hours through full time school, tech and uni with a bit of voluntary work on the side. I'm 23 now, finished uni last year and this is the only break in work I've had. I've worked my butt off up until January but now I'm just lazy.

I'm at the ten month mark now and I'm not coping. I just want everything to end. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. How do you cope? How do you manage pain? I really don't know if I can take it anymore.

Thanks.

[poetrymom]

Hello and welcome here. This is a good place.

Why not make a signature thing that tells about your symptoms etc.

Read the vitamin stickie at the top and the stories about hope. There is hope to be had here.

I am not that medically minded and am tired. My tinitis is acting up and I need to rest.

Anxiety is common with PCS so reduce stress every way you can in your life. I won't go on and on as I am just plain worn out.

Take care

pm

[Weyhey]

Thank you for your reply. I can't figure out how to do a signature so ill just outline stuff here I guess.

In January I was walking to catch my lift for work. It was really icy and the hill was steep so I was being cautious. I slipped anyway and hit my head off a sharp pointy wall. I was shocked and everything happened so fast that its not really all that clear. I got up feeling really embarrassed above all else and continued on my way. I felt bad that day and got sent home. Went to hospital and they told me it was a concussion.

My symptoms were headache, lack of balance, slurred speech, feeling of dreaming while awake, seeing spots, nausea, weird thumping in ears, dizziness, feeling exhausted, unable to sleep, unable to concentrate on anything.

I went to the docs and hospital a million times in the following weeks as nothing improved. Told it was post concussion syndrome by the hospital. My GP didn't know anything about it really. She actually looked it up while I was there.

It's now ten months later and everything is the same except for the slurred speech. I do find it hard to think of the words I'm trying to say though. I've also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder so there's a million symptoms from that too: panic, feeling hopeless, crying spells, thoughts of suicide, inability to leave the house etc.

I'm really at my wits end.

[poetrymom]

Hello again!

I had pretty bad dizziness for awhile. It got better when I got vestibular therapy. I had to get a referral from a neurologist for that.

I have not had really bad headaches, but have had a few. I had to quit drinking caffeine and have stayed off of that even now that I am better.

Is there any way you can rest your brain? I mean really give it rest like no reading, no TV, no screens, nothing stimulating -- even driving etc.

I had to leave work for awhile in order to get better. Some people have no choice but to try and work while healing their brain.

I know other, very experienced people will weigh in here. I am limited with what I can tell you for getting better, but I do offer hope.

all for now

pm

[poetrymom]

Hello other more experienced members

Please weigh in here. I think this individual could use some help.

Thanks for having a look.


Sincerely,

pm

[Mark in Idaho]

Weyhey,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. You have been given some good comments to start. You really need to read the sticky at the top about Vitamins. Check out the links at the bottom. They will be useful for your family and friends to understand what is happening to you.

Anxiety is probably the most common symptoms of PCS other than the pain/head aches.

The anxiety comes from your brain's inability to process the many sensory stimuli that a healthy brain can process without even trying. Our brains get easily overwhelmed. The filtering mechanism that stops the extraneous stimuli from needing to be processed often stops working.

Read the TBI survival guide at www.tbiguide.com to get a better understanding. When you understand your injury, you can better explain it to others.

The simple solution is quiet rest. This means seriously limiting stimuli, sound, visual, tactile, smells, etc. You want to do just enough activity to keep a good supply of blood flowing through your brain. A good rule of thumb for activities is activities and tasks you do with your hands, except keyboards. Playing solitaire with real cards. Knitting and crocheting. Other manual crafts or tasks.

Walking a dog in a quiet area can be OK. Get some ear plugs. I like the yellow foam cylinders that you twist until they fit in your ears. They then swell back to fit your ears. They will help you block a lot of ambient sounds. they will also help you hear your foot plant . It is amazing how hard a foot plant can be. It resonates into your head. For some of us, this pounding only makes our symptoms worse.

btw, the pounding you hear is likely your heart beat / pulse. It was always there but you brain was able to ignore it. Your blood pressure may rise from over-stimulation. This can make the pounding louder and even cause a head ache.

Please feel free to tell us about your struggles.

My best to you.

[Vanilla Bean]

Hi Wheyhey,

I just joined too. I'm 29. I had a concussion in July. I have developed seizures (or, "seizure-like" activity) as well as a list of other things that come and they go.

I have had anxiety attacks since the concussion. They are so terribly frightening. I just sit through them, and tell myself they will pass. Also, I allow myself to have bad days. If I experience a good day, or a better day, I thank God and try to live in the moment and soak it up.

I recently had a horrible time getting my loved ones to understand what I am going through. It's so easy for people not to realize what's going on. I am trying to find the supportive people and stick to them. I also like this forum because people are pretty upbeat and it's a place for "mental rest" = knowing people will understand.

You are 23 which is good because you have many years to heal. Also, try getting second opinions if you can. I am in the process of doing that.

VB

[Weyhey]

Thanks for the replies.
Can I ask what vestibular therapy is poetry mom?
I think my brain is 'relaxed' most of the time. I can't really concentrate enough to read or watch tv anymore, which is a real pity because reading was my favourite thing.

Mark in Idaho, thanks for your input. I'm slowly working my way through the TBI guide but the vitamin sticky kinda confused me. Do vitamins really help? I'm on cymbalta right now and I know it has a lot of interactions with other meds/pills. I know you can't take the 5-HTC thingy anyway. I suppose I should ask my GP about what's ok to take and what isn't.

I used to like sewing but the machine was too noisy. Earplugs! Such a simple solution that I never would have thought of. I ventured out yesterday and got myself some of the wee yellow ones like you said. Oh my, they are amazing! Thank you so much for suggesting that.

Vanilla bean, seizures sound so scary. You poor thing! I hope that it is resolved soon. I know what you mean about the anxiety attacks. It truly is terrifying. I always feel like I'm going to die at the time. Afterwards I feel stupid for thinking that, but at the time it feels very possible.

From reading through this forum, I have found so much info I didn't know before. I didn't realise that depression and anxiety were common in those with PCS. At the minute I'm only being treated for the depression and anxiety which seems a bit silly now if they're actually due to the PCS and nothing is being done for it.

Thanks guys for your comments and inputs.

[Mark in Idaho]

Good nutrition for your brain is important. The B's help maintain the blood brain barrier and also help the myelin sheath around the nerve fibers to repair and strengthen. There are no vitamins or supplements that will interact with Cymbalta.

Did you mean to say 5-HTP ? I do not recommend taking 5-HTP. The brain does not know how to control the amount of 5-HTP available. L-Tryptophan, the precursor to 5-HTP is metered by the brain as it transforms to 5-HTP. This means the brain gets the amount of 5-HTP that it needs, not any more.

Try watching TV with head phones. The focused sound may make a big difference in your ability to focus on the dialogue. You could try this first by using ear buds and watch a program on Hulu or other online TV source on your computer. If it makes a difference having the directed audio (ear buds or ear phones), then investing in a wireless set of head phones for TV watching would be worthwhile.

I doubt you will get much support from your doctor for taking vitamin supplements.

More later regarding this.

My best to you.

[poetrymom]

Hi again

Vestibular therapy is -- or has to do with the system that regulates balance. The therapist gave me eye exeercises to do, and also some things like walking and looking up and down at certain intervals.

She examined me and found I had some pursuant eye issues which were making me feel dizzy. ((Riding in a car was horrible and I had to cover my eyes in order not to feel sick or too stimulated))

I got a referral from a neurologist to go to a vestibular therapist.

I hope this helps.

sincerely,

pm