[kilgore trout]

I suffered a black out concussion from a bike accident 11 days ago and my mind has been in a almost a constant haze. I forget little things, for instance last night my GF and I went to the store and I completely forget where she parked when we were leaving, that is something that is very uncharacteristic of me.

Everything seems random, for three days i had insomnia and then last night I slept great. Yesterday and today I've had moments where I've been extremely anxious, a completely new symptom for me. Also, in the past few days I've been beginning feel soreness in various localized places e.g. a spot on my back, my wrists. i feel OK at times, and I'm able to laugh and have a good time, but then suddenly i begin to feel cloudy and depressed, at which point i begin question whether i ever actually felt OK.

There are some signs that I'm getting better, such as I'm able to read now without moving at a snails pace, my focus and comprehension is far better then what it was, say 4 days ago. However, I'm eating myself up because everything I'm reading on the internet is telling me that this will now be a life long issue. I feel like I can cope with the insomnia and all of the other symptoms but the haze in my brain is unbearable.

my doctor prescribed me Paxil because i had had some success with it in the past treating depression. I'm a little scared to take it because I remember the last time it took me a week of really ****** side effects before I started getting the benefits. other than that he Hasn't really given me any guidance. He wants me to call back in a couple of days to see about setting up a CT scan.

I've been taking a few vitamins since the crash, fish oil curicumin and zinc, nothing too extensive.

does the brain cloud get better or is this my life now?

[Jomar]

Often that is the case, symptoms increase for awhile..
How long or if long term , no one can say, just too many variables.

Best tips are be gentle to yourself, don't push beyond what you can tolerate with no symptoms increase. Sometimes that is a learning curve.
Eat nutritious foods, cut out junk/booze etc.
Limit loud places, visual overload, aim for relaxation and calmness as much as possible.

the useful stickies are above on the main PCS/TBI main page.-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum92.html


you may want to consider upper cervical adjusting,and/ or a very good gentle chiropractor..

[Bud]

Trout,

Pcs hooked you...couldn't resist that.

Welcome to PCS symptoms, you aren't losing your mind...strange stuff can happen.

You will get better but be patient.

Bud

[Mark in Idaho]

kilgore trout,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your bike wreck.

First, you are very early in your recovery. There is no point is getting anxious when you have plenty of time to get better. What is more important is for you to relax, slow down your life, and be patient. It might be worth taking time off from work or working half days. If you are putting in a full day at work or school or whatever occupies your day, taking breaks during the day should be a priority if you cannot reduce your work load.

For the next two weeks or so, you should be living a very moderated life. Limit your socializing and NO alcohol or other mind altering substances.

Regarding the horror stories on the internet. 85% recover from a concussion within the first 6 weeks. Many more within the next few weeks to months. The scary posts you are reading are from the rest. You may experience an increase in symptoms before you start to recover.

A concussion is a process, not a one moment event. The impact starts a cascade of events including the roller coaster ride of emotions, etc. This is normal and to be expected.

I agree with you about avoiding Paxil. Most concussion trained docs prescribe amitriptyline or nortriptyline in small doses for before bed to help with anxiety, insomnia and headaches. It does not sound like your doc has much concussion training. A CT Scan is not much value unless you have severe symptoms that indicate a risk, severe headaches, loss of motor control, slurring your words, and other basic neurological dysfunctions. If you experience any of these, a CT would be advised.

Read the Vitamins sticky at the top. It has lots of good information, foods to avoid, etc.

You may have suffered a subtle upper neck injury. 80% do. The head bone is connected to the neck bone...... Sleeping and resting with a good head and neck straight posture is advised.

And, take a break about reading everything you find about concussions. Anxiety is not good for recovery.

Please keep in touch. We have heard everything and know what you are going through.

My best to you.

[CenterIce]

I hope you're able to heal fast. Unfortunately for me it's been over 10 months but I am making progress.

One thing I learned is that for the first few weeks, at least in my case, people will be able to relate to the fact you injured yourself and you're in the process of healing. After some time, however, they don't understand what it's like to have PCS.

I would suggest getting a doctor's note written on his letterhead that indicates you have been diagnosed with PCS and what you require to get better. For example, that you should avoid loud noises, etc. Also, he should mention that you are seeing him/her for rehabilitation.

This has helped me immensely in dealing with everyone from my therapist to family members.

[kilgore trout]

thanks for the replies guys.

im really having a hard time. i dont have headaches like many of you talk about here, my main symptom is my fogged or cloudy brain. i can barly form a thought that consists of more than a few sentences. i cant seem to calm my mind, i keep breaking down in tears. i have no appetite at all, im currently trying to eat but everything taste terrible.

i cant really see anyone about this because i dont have insurance, i signed up for obamacare but it wont kick in until march, i have no idea how i can wait that long without relief.

i am a waiter at a busy loud restraunt, that is my only for of income, if i cant work that job anymore i cant pay rent and i certainly wont be able to afford healthcare. i even went so far as to look in to disablity but the goverment wont even look at my case for 3 months post acciedent. i will be homeless by then.

this really seems like the end of the world

[Jomar]

How did you hit?
face first, side of head, back of head?
Any cuts or scrapes, bumps?
How long were you out, seconds or a long time?

uninsured medical care-
https://www.google.com/search?q=Hosp...d+medical+care

[kilgore trout]

i hit my right cheek, bad enough to give me a really bad black eye. other than that i only had some road rash around my temple, so i probably hit there too. i black out but im not sure how long, long enough for someone to get out of there car and pick me up off the street. as soon as i was woken up i was able to talk and respond to verbal commands, i was able to make a couple phone calls.

[missmarch1978]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

kilgore trout,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your bike wreck.

First, you are very early in your recovery. There is no point is getting anxious when you have plenty of time to get better. What is more important is for you to relax, slow down your life, and be patient. It might be worth taking time off from work or working half days. If you are putting in a full day at work or school or whatever occupies your day, taking breaks during the day should be a priority if you cannot reduce your work load.

For the next two weeks or so, you should be living a very moderated life. Limit your socializing and NO alcohol or other mind altering substances.

Regarding the horror stories on the internet. 85% recover from a concussion within the first 6 weeks. Many more within the next few weeks to months. The scary posts you are reading are from the rest. You may experience an increase in symptoms before you start to recover.

A concussion is a process, not a one moment event. The impact starts a cascade of events including the roller coaster ride of emotions, etc. This is normal and to be expected.

I agree with you about avoiding Paxil. Most concussion trained docs prescribe amitriptyline or nortriptyline in small doses for before bed to help with anxiety, insomnia and headaches. It does not sound like your doc has much concussion training. A CT Scan is not much value unless you have severe symptoms that indicate a risk, severe headaches, loss of motor control, slurring your words, and other basic neurological dysfunctions. If you experience any of these, a CT would be advised.

Read the Vitamins sticky at the top. It has lots of good information, foods to avoid, etc.

You may have suffered a subtle upper neck injury. 80% do. The head bone is connected to the neck bone...... Sleeping and resting with a good head and neck straight posture is advised.

And, take a break about reading everything you find about concussions. Anxiety is not good for recovery.

Please keep in touch. We have heard everything and know what you are going through.

My best to you.

Listen to Mark. He was a great source of info for me a month or so ago when I also was panicked about the initial symptoms and signed into this forum for help. His guidance has really sent me in the proper direction and calmed me down from all the anxiety of not understanding, not knowing what to expect/do, and worrying about recovery. (Thanks again, Mark!)

Sent from my SM-T110 using Tapatalk

[Doozer]

The good news is that this will improve and heal, and you will learn to cope with it while it does. It just seems like you won't right now. That's the good news. The bad news is that the brain can take quite a while to do so, but don't panic and worry. Stress makes you heal slower. Your healing will go through a natural process while your brain recovers. Things that will help you are staying calm, taking supplements like high dose of good quality krill oil, coconut oil, a mushroom supplement called lions mane and high quality vitamins. Your diet matters more now as your brain is in a sensitive state while it heals. Keep your diet good with fruit, vegetables and good clean proteins. Avoid junk food, sugar and definitely sweeteners, alcahol, smoking and recreational drugs.

Learn what triggers your symptoms, everyone is different. The less you trigger symptoms, the quicker you'll heal. Don't overthink what's happened, it's tempting and can become obsessive, try not to fall into that trap. Concentrating on symptoms can and will make them worse. On good days don't over do it, you've probably not recovered until you're symptom free for a good month or two. Overdo it and typically you'll pay for it a day or two later, the brain has a symptom lag which will hit you after you've pushed too hard.

Exercise if you can, but only lightly to your tolerance level. The brain is energy hungry, and if your body is using energy, your brain will struggle in its injured state. Write stuff down if you're struggling with memory, this will improve with time, as you recover, light stimulation will help, but only little by little. Don't overdo it. Get help, if you can't work or pay your bills, make adjustments in your life from any support network you may have. Explain to them the situation as best you can. We all need support sometimes, I've learned most of this the hard way.

Be kind to yourself, be patient, this could take months but may not. Don't worry about time scales too much, you'll get yourself back, it just takes time. I wish you a speedy and good recovery.