[don cox]

I had a car accident almost a year ago in which I was knocked unconscious. about 3 months later I started having retention issues and short-term memory issues. My Neurologist said I had PCS and said it could go away soon but warned it may last a long time. My symptoms got better for about two months but then got worse. I had 2 MRI's which showed nothing. My symptoms now are more like dementia, which the doctor said PCS could turn into. They are: constant pressure in the head, getting angry over little things and paranoia.

I'm going to get a second opinion next week but from what I can tell, PCS is what it is and there's not much that can be done.

Is this normal?

[Mark in Idaho]

don,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

It does sound like you have PCS.

What have you done to help your brain heal ?

The injured brain has much more nutritional needs than the healthy brain. check out the Vitamins sticky at the top. Vitamins are not a cure all but they help your brain tolerate stress.

Many of us have learned to accept and work-around our struggles. Research shows that those that do have better long term outcomes.

Paranoia is not a common symptoms but you may be experiencing anxiety and interpreting it as paranoia. The anxious mind tends to struggle to 'let go.' This focus on little things can manifest as paranoia like.

The anger and outbursts is common and we need to learn to recognize those impending events so we can remove ourselves before we explode. Sometimes, we get stuck with a stubborn like thinking (rigidity of thought) where we can't let other thoughts, sometimes more rational thoughts, intervene and diffuse the situation.

Please feel free to tell us anything. there are lots of good people here.

May best to you.

[don cox]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

don,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

It does sound like you have PCS.

What have you done to help your brain heal ?

The injured brain has much more nutritional needs than the healthy brain. check out the Vitamins sticky at the top. Vitamins are not a cure all but they help your brain tolerate stress.

Many of us have learned to accept and work-around our struggles. Research shows that those that do have better long term outcomes.

Paranoia is not a common symptoms but you may be experiencing anxiety and interpreting it as paranoia. The anxious mind tends to struggle to 'let go.' This focus on little things can manifest as paranoia like.

The anger and outbursts is common and we need to learn to recognize those impending events so we can remove ourselves before we explode. Sometimes, we get stuck with a stubborn like thinking (rigidity of thought) where we can't let other thoughts, sometimes more rational thoughts, intervene and diffuse the situation.

Please feel free to tell us anything. there are lots of good people here.

May best to you.

Thanks Mark. I guess acceptance is where I'm trying to get to.

I take omega 3. What else would you suggest?
Blessings

[Lara]

Hello Don,
Welcome to NeuroTalk.

There are excellent posts in the "Sticky" threads at the top of the forum including this one below that I've taken from the main Vitamin and Supplement Sticky thread.

Vitamin and Supplement Regime

[MicroMan]

Hi Don,

Sorry to hear you have what definitely sounds like PCS. Mark's advice is solid. In general, head pressure and anger/frustration issues are pretty typical, unfortunately. It might be worthwhile finding a counsellor/psychologist that can help develop some mitigation and coping strategies.

Just a thought.

[Hockey]

Sadly, a conventional MRI is not sensitive enough to show damage to the brain's tiny axons. The best way to access your brain injury is to undergo neuropsychological testing. You might want to ask your doctor for a referral.

I agree with the others that your symptoms and mechanism of injury make PCS a probable diagnosis. Fortunately, most patients make good recoveries. You are quite early in the process and, as many people here will tell you, recovery from TBI is rarely a straightforward trajectory of constant improvement. Sometimes it can feel like two steps forward, one step back. So try not to despair when you have a bad patch.

Welcome and good luck.