Be sure to have your hormones checked. I have done hyperbaric, chiro alignments etc and in the end is was a low testosterone issue cause by the concussions. he is better now. he develped panic attacks anxiety, etc from the concussion. at one point any slight movement would trigger the syptoms. thats all gone now . he started to feel better after 6 weeks

there are very few doctors worth a **** in this area so be sure to do your research, im not allowed to specify a doctor or link here. im from canada so he was covered except for perscriptions so its not promoting but these are teh rules of this site. get yourself checked and if your hormones (testosterone, thyroid, vitamin D etc ) are in the low range be sure to see a doctor that specializes in HRT. My son was treated for low testosterone, low vitamin D and thyroid

MrPCS,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

We used to recommend blood work as a standard. Good to get a reminder.

Testosterone is rarely an issue although hormones in women are more often a struggle after a concussion. D-3 and thyroid are part of the blood work that can be worthwhile. Testosterone should be tested 3 times to get an accurate read. One doctor did a single test and said I was low. He prescribed T cream. My face exploded like a teenage boy. A 3 test protocol was done and my T was found to be at 6 times the normal level.

D-3 is a common deficiency. We just recommend D-3 supplements without even testing blood levels, especially in the higher latitudes. Thyroid is rarely an issue but it is important because it can be easily treated if it is off. Ruling out thyroid as a cause of fatigue is important.

Low T can be treated in some by taking the hormone DHEA. It is a hormone that helps regulate the others. It is available over the counter in the US.

B-12 and magnesium levels and sometimes calcium are important. The injured brain needs to be at the high range for B-12 for many with PCS. We recommend 1000 to 2000 mcgs of methylcobalamin B-12. The rest of the Bs are important because folic acid is needed for myelin repair and to strengthen the blood brain barrier that can fail after a concussion.

The first 6 weeks are considered the normal time needed for a spontaneous recovery. 85% will recover within 6 weeks. Glad to hear he recovered within that range of time. Those that don't are likely to have a prolonged recovery. That is when PCS is diagnosed.

The rules for Newbies limits the spam artists who just want to promote a product or clinic and never post again. Tell us about your experiences and you will be able to post after the required number of posts. I don't remember what that magic number is.

Mark

Thanks for the welcome. There is no product promotion here.

I respectfully about on testosterone and the other important hormones being causitive for PCS. Please research. Hormones can be the issue in many cases of concussions. The imbalances happen immediately or slowly over time. I have seen the results of the therapy first hand as my son went through it. When he started any slight tap or reasonably fast head movement brought back his concussion symptoms. Now he is fine.

He is not the only one thats been helped. Anyone reading this please get your levels checked and google hormone imbalance caused by concussions. There are doctors treating military personnel now in the US with HRT

I will post more when I have time. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to post links.

What I have found in my research is there is a lack of understanding of the HRT area. Your Dr is typical. You must see an HRT expert and if possible one that has treated PCS patients. The forums that focus on HRT/Testosterone are full of complaints about regular doctors not understanding and approaching it wrong.

I was seen by a HRT specialist. He is the one who tested me wrong. I am very familiar with HRT and suggest bio-identical HRT for those who need it. Testosterone is usually bio-identical but others are often analogues.

Many HRT specialists are also human performance specialists. They can get a bit off track with their protocols. We usually suggest finding a neuro-endocrinologist who understands concussions.

Here is an interesting article about the pros and cons and the controversy of HRT. Head Cases: Pituitary Incidents Arising from Traumatic Brain Injury - Endocrine News

One of the challenges with hormone issues is the proper tests can be very expensive and insurance balks at the bills. One can easily get billed $800 or more. The concept of 'not medically necessary' is the excuse because the FDA does not have an approved protocol.

I think that this statement in your link sums it up nicely "There is no debate that TBI-related endocrine dysfunction is a widely missed diagnosis."

And indocrine disruption can cause some serious issues that are similar to PCS. For example low testosterone can cause fatigue, depression, ruminating thoughts, anxiety etc. Things my son had .

There are several articles and studies out there . One from 2006 shows that after 3 months 56% had hormone deficiencies and after 12 months it was 36%. Isn't that significant numbers ?

Its worth the money to get checked. Ive seen the results if this is your issue.

As I understand it someone can end up with a permanent or semi-permanent shutdown of the HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) from concussions. The HP part of the HPA are part of the brain region and is vulnerable to concussions with some experiencing a transient loss of hormones, some taking a year to four years to recovers and others never recover. The HPA can be restarted. It doesnt necessarily mean hormones for life.

Get your hormones checked and rule it out.

If you would like to use the Reply button to avoid quoted text, here is an Image showing the location above & below on the left side of posts.

https://www.neurotalk.org/members/10...cture8377.html

Also to correct a miscommunication, he had PCS for about 3 years. Within 6 weeks of starting his Hormone therapy he was starting to feel better.