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


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Old 12-06-2017, 04:18 PM #1
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Hi all. I stumbled upon this forum today, and I finally feel like I've found people who understand. While I feel my case is probably very minor compared to what I've read here, it's definitely nice to read that I'm not alone.

A lil info about my PCS. I'm on my second concussion (both MVA-related... One head on in 2015 and one rear-end in Oct 2017...neither my fault, and I didn't hit my head either time).

I'm so new to this PCS stuff... Missing lots of work (at a job I started just a week after my second MVA) due to severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and what feels like depression.

So, I guess, hello there.
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Old 12-06-2017, 06:33 PM #2
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Hi Alexis

Welcome to NeuroTalk .

The TBI/PCS forum is very active so I am sure that you will get lots of support and helpful suggestions from other members.

Best wishes.
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Old 12-06-2017, 09:11 PM #3
Mark in Idaho Mark in Idaho is offline
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MsAlexis,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Your symptoms list is very common here. What diagnostics and treatments have you undergone?

A no head impact concussion screams upper neck injury and the concussion symptoms that come with that. Imaging may show no injury but your symptoms are saying something else. The inflammation to the brain stem and surrounding areas can cause all of the symptoms you have. Some call it a brain stem concussion.

The challenge is finding the right professional to help you. Upper cervical chiropractors (NUCCA.org), Physical Therapists, Osteopaths, and such call all help if you can find the right one who understands the specifics of such concussions.

Please feel free to tell us anything. We have heard it all. We are here to help.

My best to you.
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Old 12-06-2017, 09:18 PM #4
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Chiropractic treatments have gone well, but chiropractor has removed headaches from my treatment plan, as nothing was helping.

Neurologist yesterday said symptoms were classic PCS. He's got me on Topamax now. Amitriptaline, toradol, and tramadol from my primary were no help.

CT and MRI were normal.

What else? Any input is welcome!

This is all so overwhelming.

Thank you!
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Old 12-06-2017, 09:21 PM #5
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Oh, also, I've been experiencing wicked, vivid dreams/nightmares, and strange, almost feverish chills/sweats... But no elevated temp...

Loss of words... Like... Searching for the word... I know what I want to say or write, but can't seem to grab it...

Lack of focus/concentration...
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Old 12-07-2017, 02:08 AM #6
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Does chiro use other modalities besides adjustments?
Any soft tissue massage or trigger point - hands on work?
ultra sound, If stim, cold/soft laser?
Advanced PT might be helpful if chiro does none of those above..
Trigger points / muscle spasms can be quite problematic and refer pain & symptoms..
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Old 12-07-2017, 04:50 AM #7
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If your chiro was using the Twist the head and pop the neck adjustment procedure, he was likely being too aggressive. It is fine for C-3 and below but C-2 and above will be stressed by such aggressive treatment. The inflammation that aggressive treatment causes can trigger inflammation and poor blood flow and poor breathing during sleep. These issues will cause nightmares and stressful sleep. The resulting poor quality sleep with trigger cognitive and memory issues. Word finding is a common struggle.

Traction and gentle mobilization helped me. Both my chiro and PT used it.

You may need to find a different chiro who has a better understanding of C-1 and C-2. There are chiro associations that teach only C-1 and C-2. NUCCA.org is one. upcspine.com and others explain it. Goodle upper c spine or upper cervical spine.
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Old 12-07-2017, 08:05 AM #8
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We have done a ton of muscle work, some stim (though I don't know which one), one round of ultrasound, a few rounds of traction, some PT...

You guys are making me think it's time to find a new chiro. I'll check that link later today (it's day 3 in bed with a splitting headache). Headache doesn't even seem like the right term at this point.

How can I move past the fears of going broke and losing my job? (I'm an hourly consultant... I don't have paid time off from work, and probably not even short term disability). I've tracked lost wages for the purposes of the other party's insurance, but I'm being too realize it may be a while before I see a reimbursement for that...

Thank you guys so much. No one told me what to expect with this, but I definitely feel a lot less crazy since I've found you all!
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Old 12-07-2017, 03:12 PM #9
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Many find that finding the right chiro can make a big difference.

Are you an independent contractor or an employee ? What benefits do you have? What state are you in? Some states have state disability programs that you have been paying for with paycheck deductions. You should figure out these answers so you do not worry about the unknown.

It would be worthwhile to read two web sites. TBILaw.com and SubtleBrainInjury.com Few attorneys really understand the needs of people with your injury. Finding skilled and knowledgeable representation is important.
They may know whiplash but not whiplash causing concussion.

My daughter suffered a whiplash concussion in a head on a few years ago. I understand the struggle you are having.
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Old 12-11-2017, 01:01 PM #10
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Mark, I'm a contractor. My only benefit is health/dental/vision. I still need to check into short term disability through my employer. And I'm Illinois...I don't know what my options are there.

Here's the progress(?) I've made, though...

Last week, I found a chiropractor who works with C1 & C2 injuries. He did x-rays (which my other chiro didn't do) and found severe neck injuries (ligament damage, reverse curvature, alignment issues). He is now working with me intensely to repair the damage, strengthen the muscles, and correct the alignment issues. I forget the name of the therapy, but but basically has me lifting weights with my head. He tells me I have extremely poor neck strength for someone my age (35). And though I'll never get full restoration of proper spinal neck curvature, we can get close with strengthening, injury repair, and proper adjustments.

I'm excruciatingly dizzy...nauseated...headaches...just general malaise...sitting in the bathtub this weekend and shaving my legs wore me the f*** out. All my usual spunk is gone. I don't feel like myself anymore.

Cognitively: I've been journaling my issues. Word and memory issues, concentration issues, etc. It is interesting to notice how unimportant those things seem in the days that follow. I called my neuropsychologist about a re-evaluation (more on that in a bit).

Emotionally, I'm a mess. I cry a lot. I'm frustrated. I'm stressed. I'm tired. Sometimes I can put on a happy face and make the best of the day, and sometimes I can't. I bounce back and forth between wanting to give up and accepting it all for what it is. I've found that asking for help isn't that hard. My babysitter (who also cleans houses) is willing to help me with some housework (since I'm too dizzy at the moment to bend and scrub the bathroom). My boyfriend will help me empty and load the dishwasher. The grocery store will shop for my groceries (for a small fee). My boss (talked to him today) is being amazing and recognizes my efforts to do whatever I can just to be at work. I'll take the job and show up when I can as long as they'll let me. My living expenses are relatively low, by design, which is coming in very handy now that I'm living on approx 1/3 of my usual income. My boyfriend (who doesn't share finances with me or live with me) has told me "we'll make it work...I have money"...so, that helps too. I have some retirement, and I'll dip into that before I lose my house. These are all the stresses I've been going through...bouncing back and forth between not worrying about them and simply accepting them. It's exhausting, but I think I already said that, and I'm sure you guys already know all of this and have probably dealt with so much worse. Thank you for understanding that it still sucks.

Back to the neuropsych...back in 2015, September-ish...I had a crippling panic attack at work. My boyfriend took me to Express Care. They gave me Xanax and sent me on my way. My primary didn't like that I was on Adderall for ADHD and now Xanax, so she sent me to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrist wanted to get to the root of it, so he sent me to see said neuropsychologist. Several hours of testing and thousands of dollars later, I learned that I don't have ADHD (a diagnosis I got in my early 20s)...I have a severe panic disorder that causes cognitive issues. After about a year of CBT and some meds, I was good. No more daily meds, and a .5mg of Xanax every month or so when I have to deal with family gatherings or a party or something. NBD, right? Thinking back now, and after reading a lot about PCS, I can't help but wonder if the spike in anxiety was caused by accident #1 in Jan 2015 (complete with whiplash and concussion). Nothing I can do about it now, except chalk it up to a learning experience, but I did realize that I have a sort of a cognitive baseline from my previous neuropsych evaluation...Neuropsych is willing to do a re-eval, but wants to wait 4-6 after accident in case symptoms spontaneously resolve (as, he says, they often do). So, appt scheduled for Feb 5.

Acupuncture appt scheduled for Saturday. Thought about reiki. I'll try anything at this point. Standing on one foot in driving rain with hands in the air, maybe?!

One last thing: Is it really worth contacting a lawyer at this point? Or should I hold off until it's time to settle up with the other driver's insurance company? What are the pros/cons?

Thanks so much for listening to my rant. Feels good to get it all out....

*exhales* much love to all of you
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