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

Here is a study of prevalence of hormone deficiency related to TBI. Mild 17%(GCS 13–15), moderate 11%(GCS 9–12), or severe 35%(GCS 3–8).

Pituitary dysfunction following traumatic brain injury: clinical perspectives

Incidence with concussions is not part of this study.

The simple point is, yes, hormones are an issue but with only a small percent. The challenge is getting a doctor who will prescribe the tests and understand the results. One NT participant found a specialist at USC Medical Center. I don't think she needed the expensive hormones mentioned in the study listed below.

Growth hormone, if needed is $15,000 to $20,000 per year. Adrenocorticotropic hormone costs even more.

B-6 is used to help in place of adrenocorticotropic hormone.

What does the research say about the process behind head movement and symptoms?

How much did hormone therapy cost for your son?

For many, head movement appears to trigger upper neck inflammation that triggers symptoms.

**I hope ** this does not dissuade people from getting checked.

If I could post links I would post another study that has much higher percentages.**

**

**

My son was on it for about a year. The concussions affected his hypothalmus/pituitary so he took clomid in addition to thyroid. Cost about 100/mnth. In Canada if its a medical condition the Dr is covered so that was no cost. His symptoms included depression, ruminating thoughts, sleep issues, slight head movements causing increased concussion like symptoms, anxiety, severe panic attacks, didnt like to leave the house ....All the "mental illness" type symptoms showed up at the time of concussion or later on. They are gone now as he has a general sense of feeling good. The over sensitivity to head movement, taps etc resolved itself sometime into the therapy - I cant recall when.

** I dont want to get into a factoid debate. I just want to raise awareness and communicate what I have discovered in my multi-year journey to find relief for my son. If you're not getting better after at least a few months or getting worse get checked.

People should research doctors who do Hormones and concussions and get the lab check done. Its worth the money. The cost for a full test is about 500$ I think. If you want to research some more google concussion and hormones.

The Dr. has my son on:
Vitamin D
Vitamin B12
Fish oil ( the EPA/DHA is very important. google it for inflamation)
Clomid (For low testosterone - Discontinued now)
Arimidex (For estrogen/estradiol management - Discontinued now)
Dessicated thyroid

Wow, Those hormone stimulating drugs are way off label. One is used for breast cancer, the other for infertility. I doubt many HRT specialists in the US would be willing to prescribe them for concussion. Off label prescribing would make insurance coverage difficult.

The online comments show them being prescribed by the sports performance focused doctors, often with steroids and such.

I'd stick with pursuing a neuro endocrinologist.

My symptoms were very similar to your son's. My mind was settled down with an SSRI. I eventually replaced the SSRI with 5-HTP and L-Theanine. The sensitivity to movements went away when my upper neck was treated and allowed to heal.

But, an important part of this is quite simple. Every head injury is different. Doing the various diagnostics to cover all the bases is worthwhile.

** Those drugs are commonly used for HRT for secondary hypogonadism where restart of the HPTA is the intent. They are not used if lifetime HRT is the intent.Google and you will see that.

Ok Ive done what I can here. **. Just want people to know there's a potential medically identifiable issue so they should get checked. The studies bear this out. If you are 20 and your testosterone is far below the range of normal then you have a medical issue. Giving them an SSRI does not correct that.