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


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Old 01-21-2018, 05:25 AM #1
NorwegianGuy NorwegianGuy is offline
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Frown I might have had several concussions this week. I need help

My first diagnosed concussion was about 7 years ago. I slipped on ice in the school yard and banged my forehead into the pavement. I was very out of it the first few hours and went to the ER. It resolved quickly (a couple of days), but I developed an anxiety disorder and ocd some time after. I think I have always had tendencies of ocd though. I had another concussion 7 months ago where I hit the top of my head on a door frame. Luckily, it was at the start of the summer vacation, so I had plenty of time to rest both mentally and physically. I have struggled with PCS since that concussion. I attended school full time 2 months after. I was slow and steadily getting better, but I have had my ups and downs.

My symptoms are: attention deficit, difficulties concentrating, memory problems, depression, impaired thinking and impaired sensation in the whole body (but particularly the left half of the body and my left cheek). The first few weeks after, I had all of this plus: brain fog, insomnia and sensitivity to light and sound.

The impaired sensation was barely noticeable at the start. A week after the concussion a physician did a small neurological test on me, where one of the things she tested was my sensation. I didn't notice a difference then, but I later discovered that there was a noticeable difference. The lack of sensation has since been a way to pinpoint how bad my symptoms are at the moment, and whether I should rest or not. Has anyone else experienced a lack of sensation?

I have had several small relapses by getting small bumps and jolts. Some of these include: stepping down to hard, hitting my head on the car door frame, a haircut from a barber that seemed to be in a hurry - she was very rough and careless and my hair was done in record time (10 minutes). There has also been some moments at my driver's licence classes: a VERY bumpy road and a mandatory task where I had to hit the brakes as hard as possible to get a full stop from 80 kph (50 mph). 6 months after, some days I felt almost normal again, a rough car ride with my brother and driving over potholes every single day etc. has made it worse. And the cognitive demand at school has only made matters worse. I feel completely exhausted after every day at school, especially since we have to use laptops for almost every class. When I get home I lay down and listen to music or podcast the rest of the day.

This week everything got a lot worse.
On monday I hit my head at the edge of a desk as I stood up after plugging in the laptop charger. I immediately felt a little dizzy but also got a bout of anxiety. I went for a short walk right after to get some fresh air. The same evening, I had a driver's class. I didn't drive, but long story short, the driver braked to a full stop two times from a speed of 35. Although not as sudden as when I had to break to a full stop. I didn't feel much worse until I got home. I was very dizzy and foggy. I haven't been to school since this day.
Wednesday night I experienced severe shaking and jerking in my body. This happens when I get anxious enough, and I was very anxious. But I had yet to experience my neck and head jerking from being anxious. I had some severe head jerks as I was about to go to bed. I am afraid that any of them could have caused yet another concussion. I think I read on this forum that it is easier to get concussions the first few weeks after you have had one. I also got hypnic jerks multiple times as I was about to fall asleep. I have only gotten more shaky and more anxious and I am having tremors in my neck, and now my symptoms is as bad as they were after the concussion last summer. I get very easily startled now. Yesterday my dad called me, and I involuntarily tightened all my muscles so that my entire body and head jerked.

My parents have since the concussion last year had a hard time believing me. And wouldn't let me have time off from school, not until monday. It seemed like my mom was finally coming around, but now she thinks I'm overreacting (I might be, that's why I am posting here for guidance). She got very very angry with me yesterday because she thinks I am being to careful and taking it too easy. I have abstained from doing basically any amount of physical activity, and I have just been at home listening to music all day, trying to relax. Yesterday she read an article that said the opposite of the countless of sources I have read about what to do after a concussion. The article said that you should push through symptoms and not rest much at all and get back to your normal life as soon as possible. I guess it makes sense for most peoples concussions, which resolves within a couple of days anyway.

I have just recently gotten a referral to a neurologist, but I probably have to wait a couple of months.

Is it possible that I have had multiple concussions this week? Do you think I could have gotten permanent brain damage? Or am I going to get CTE? What should I do now?
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Old 01-21-2018, 10:45 AM #2
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NorwegianGuy,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Your concussion last summer sounds very minor. I think you are right. Your OCD has you all wound up about every little movement and possible symptom. Add to that a doctor who is clueless. She appears to have ignored your neck. The left side symptoms indicate a neck injury. These are very common with head impacts, especially top of the head.

Your mom's reading is one perspective of concussion recovery. Your doctor is the opposite perspective. What your mom read is closer to the best understanding. You need to get on with your life and stop worrying about every little bump. The neuro will not be helpful unless your neck is addressed.

Do you have access to a physical therapist/physiotherapist? Or an upper cervical chiropractor or therapist who treats upper cervical injuries? The upper neck injury is what I call a subtle neck injury. It does not have any neck stiffness or other symptoms. It just causes inflammation that disrupts nerve function and blood flow. 80% of concussion have a neck injury.

The therapy would be gentle traction and manipulations. Maybe some trigger point or myofacial release therapy. Gentle neck strengthening exercises without pushing for range of motion is usually best. Most important will be your discipline. Laying in bed or lounging/resting with poor head and neck posture will make your symptoms worse.

Resolving your anxiety is very important. The stress hormones you cause to flood your body magnifies everything. Some have needed medication. An SSRI or tricyclic helps some let go of looking for symptoms. At the present, you appear to be looking for symptoms with the reinforcement of your doctor.

Read the vitamins sticky at the top. The first post and the link to the update of the first post are worth reading.

I don't think you had any concussions this past week. Nor have you had any in the past few months. And you need to stop researching concussions, 'countless sources' is not good.

The current best research says to rest for the first 24 to 48 hours after a concussion but to get safely active after that. Your brain needs good blood flow. Rest does not cause good blood flow. Non-stress activities are important. Keep you mind and body active. Go for walks. keep you mind occupied with things that keep you from obsessing about concussions, every little bump, the risk of CTE (very low risk for you) and on and on.

It is interesting. As I read your list of symptoms, it sounds like you are copying them from a concussion web site. This is the result of too much reading about concussions. Stop that. More than half of what you read online about concussions is wrong. Most of it is outdated. Even the Mayo Clinic had bad information up to about 5 years ago.

You need to make sure you are getting good sleep with good head and neck posture but only sleep during normal sleep times. NO napping during the day.

You don't say where you live so it is not possible to recommend sources of care/therapy. Are you in Norway or just a Norwegian Guy? Does your health care system have a delay getting to see specialists or physical therapists?
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Old 01-22-2018, 09:14 AM #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho View Post
NorwegianGuy,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Your concussion last summer sounds very minor. I think you are right. Your OCD has you all wound up about every little movement and possible symptom. Add to that a doctor who is clueless. She appears to have ignored your neck. The left side symptoms indicate a neck injury. These are very common with head impacts, especially top of the head.

Your mom's reading is one perspective of concussion recovery. Your doctor is the opposite perspective. What your mom read is closer to the best understanding. You need to get on with your life and stop worrying about every little bump. The neuro will not be helpful unless your neck is addressed.

Do you have access to a physical therapist/physiotherapist? Or an upper cervical chiropractor or therapist who treats upper cervical injuries? The upper neck injury is what I call a subtle neck injury. It does not have any neck stiffness or other symptoms. It just causes inflammation that disrupts nerve function and blood flow. 80% of concussion have a neck injury.

The therapy would be gentle traction and manipulations. Maybe some trigger point or myofacial release therapy. Gentle neck strengthening exercises without pushing for range of motion is usually best. Most important will be your discipline. Laying in bed or lounging/resting with poor head and neck posture will make your symptoms worse.

Resolving your anxiety is very important. The stress hormones you cause to flood your body magnifies everything. Some have needed medication. An SSRI or tricyclic helps some let go of looking for symptoms. At the present, you appear to be looking for symptoms with the reinforcement of your doctor.

Read the vitamins sticky at the top. The first post and the link to the update of the first post are worth reading.

I don't think you had any concussions this past week. Nor have you had any in the past few months. And you need to stop researching concussions, 'countless sources' is not good.

The current best research says to rest for the first 24 to 48 hours after a concussion but to get safely active after that. Your brain needs good blood flow. Rest does not cause good blood flow. Non-stress activities are important. Keep you mind and body active. Go for walks. keep you mind occupied with things that keep you from obsessing about concussions, every little bump, the risk of CTE (very low risk for you) and on and on.

It is interesting. As I read your list of symptoms, it sounds like you are copying them from a concussion web site. This is the result of too much reading about concussions. Stop that. More than half of what you read online about concussions is wrong. Most of it is outdated. Even the Mayo Clinic had bad information up to about 5 years ago.

You need to make sure you are getting good sleep with good head and neck posture but only sleep during normal sleep times. NO napping during the day.

You don't say where you live so it is not possible to recommend sources of care/therapy. Are you in Norway or just a Norwegian Guy? Does your health care system have a delay getting to see specialists or physical therapists?
This is from Mayo Clinic as of now:

*© 1998-2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.*

Thank you for your thorough reply

Are you saying I shouldn't rest, even though these kind of activities actually increases my symptoms? The more I rest the better I feel. Wouldn't it be okay to rest as long as I sit straight with my neck properly alligned?

I read somewhere that physical activity helps with neck injuries, but makes concussions worse (and also PCS I assume). Just now, I rode a stationary bike for 15 minutes, and I felt dizzy and "out of it". So should I stop excercising when my symptoms worsens?

So could I have both PCS and a neck injury?

I know the anxiety is a major issue that magnifies my symptoms. Especially now that I get twitches in my body and neck, sometimes leading to my head shaking uncontrollably, making me feel worse again. Bumps and jolts also certainly makes me feel a lot worse, and sets my recovery back. Would the neck injury be the reason I react to jolts and bumps?

I am in the prosses of getting medication for my anxiety.

I started taking some dietary supplements daily, a month ago: B-complex, Omega 3 and curcumin & pepper.

There is a symptom I forgot to mention: My pupils vary in size, like they can't adjust properly. And just recently, I have started to have to have frequent and persistent headaches and a hurting neck. Previously, I have only gotten headaches when I have pushed my mental and physical effort to the max. And that is how I feel right now - I feel like I should stop using screens and pushing myself too much and have both mental and physical rest. My face also get very hot now that I push too much.

Yes, I live in Norway. Physiotherapists and chiropractors however doesn't usually require a referral. I have found a well recognized chiropractor near my area that I might try. Feel free to recommend specialists or physical therapists if you want/can.

Last edited by Chemar; 01-22-2018 at 03:46 PM. Reason: ** admin edit due to copyright : © 1998-2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.
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Old 01-22-2018, 05:31 PM #4
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I said non-resting means low stress activities. 15 minutes of pushing on a bike is not low stress. Heart rate (bpm) is a good indicator of stress level. If you can pedal at 100 bpm for 15 minutes but get symptoms at 120 bpm, pedal at 110 bpm.

YOU need to discover what your tolerance levels are. But, lounging with your music all day is not good. If 15 minutes on the bike left to out of it for just a few minutes but you recovered soon after, that is fine. If it causes a headache that last for a substantial time, reduce your effort the next time.

I row for 10 to 20 minutes at 26 to 28 strokes per minute (2000 to 4000 meters). When I get off the rower, I am a mess for 2 minutes or so. I get a sip of water and 5 minutes later I am kicking butts at the ping pong table.

Mayo is wrong about mental and physical rest until you are recovered. Mild activity, both physical and mental is important.

As an anxious person, you have a doubly hard recovery because you stress your brain thinking about your concussion. The researchers have documented how anxiety makes recovery take longer.

You need to find low stress activities to keep you mind and body occupied.

There is a huge gap between pushing yourself to the max and rest. Find a low stress spot in the middle.

There is a lot of low stress online content. YouTube How To videos that teach everything under the sun tend to be slow and low stress. I like to watch blacksmithing, coach building, timber frame building, homesteading and many other genres. It can be quite interesting to learn the old school ways things were and still are made. If the background music is too harsh, I just turn it down.

If you go to the chiro, ask if he has gentle neck techniques. Most chiros are too aggressive when the adjust the neck of people with PCS.

When you reply, use the Post Reply button at the lower left. The button at the lower right quotes the prior post and is a pain to scroll past.

You need a lot of curcumin extract to get a benefit. The B-Complex may be weak on some Bs. Post the dosages in it. D-3 should be added, especially for winter in Norway.
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Old 01-22-2018, 10:53 PM #5
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Think low stress activities.. like walking, yoga, stretching, crafts, art...then increase slowly in baby steps to next level if no bad effects happen..
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Old 01-23-2018, 10:35 PM #6
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Norwegian,

This is my question to your thread title,

If you have to wonder if you received a concussion do you honestly think you did receive one?

I bet you and most of us here have known with a few exceptions when we did end up concussed.

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Old 01-27-2018, 04:01 AM #7
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I take around 2 g of curcumin. And I forgot to mention I do take vitamin D, it is in the same supplement as omega-3.

The B-complex contains: Thiamine; 1,4 mg, Riboflavine; 1,6 mg, B6; 1,5 mg, B12; 2 micro g, Folate; 200 micro g, Niacin; 19 mg NE(?), Panthotenic acid; 5 mg, Biotin; 30 micro g

I have had two craniosacral therapy sessions. After the second one I have sometimes felt my skull/something in my skull moving (it felt the same as when the therapist moves it). The back of my skull has also felt slightly uncomfortable when laying down, plus a very minor ache at first. Do you, Mark or anyone else have experience with CST?

Is it "normal" to feel increased symptoms when yawning? Yesterday I yawned four times in a row, and I feel the same increase in symptoms as when I experience minor jolts. My neck also hurt on the left side a couple of minutes after.

I also had multiple major neck twitches in the middle of the night that I haven't experienced in a week. I have felt a little better each day since the incidences last week, but after tonight I feel significantly worse again. Does anyone have advice on how to prevent these uncontrollable jerks (hypnic jerks?) in the middle of the night? I wasn't particularly anxious either.
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Old 01-27-2018, 04:07 AM #8
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Bud,
How can I know if it is a concussion or "just" a setback? Last week, after the headbang at the desk, I felt as bad as I did right after the concussion last summer. And since the threshold for getting concussions lowers the first few weeks after an initial concussion, and I felt much worse after every time I had a major head jerk, I start to wonder.
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Old 01-27-2018, 05:44 PM #9
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NG,

Your B-Complex is lousy. Very low doses. You could use twice the folate and 1000 times the B-12. B-12 and folate help the blood brain barrier rebuild.
If you can get a B-50 Complex plus an additional 1000 to 2000 mcgs of methylcobalamin B-12. Some believe a source of concussion symptoms is due to a weakening of the blood brain barrier that happens with a concussion.

I have seriously researched CST. The head therapy is quackery. The spinal manipulation can be very good. Many DOs do osteopathic therapy that does not included the cranial 'readings' and treatments. Others on NT have reported strange issues after a cranial treatment.

I do not think your recent events were concussions but rather strains to your upper neck. The vertical jarring can easily inflame the C-1 level and cause a myriad of symptoms that overlap with concussion symptoms.

Yawning can cause movement or stress to the C-1 cervical area.

You would benefit from not looking for symptoms. It appears you are focused on every detail. Anxiety will take symptoms of 1 on a 10 scale and make them appear to be a 8 on a 10 scale.

The sleep twitches could be from inflammation due to poor sleep postures. It was for me.
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Old 02-02-2018, 08:57 AM #10
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Mark,

I had an MR done yesterday (of both head and neck).

Would the scan show an upper neck injury?
Would the images be useful for a chiropractor or a physiotherapist?

I went to a physiotherapist today. I mentioned that I might have a neck injury. At the start she put a lot of pressure on the top of my head. It made me hurt on the top, but also in my teeth/jaw area(!). After, she treated my neck, which also made me hurt a lot. I did have increased mobility after the treatment.

If I do have an upper neck injury; could she have made the injury worse?
And is there something in particular I should request from the PT?
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