From what I have seen, they are almost useless when it comes to PCS -> Take this anti-depressant and get some rest is the typical answer.

Tony,

Sounds like you are on the right track by seeing a neurophysiologist. Keep me posted, I am very interested in hearing if your EEG changes after jarring your brain.

Yannimac,

I saw the neurophysiologist in early April (a couple of weeks after my first post on this issue) & at this stage I think I'll follow up with the EEG and cognitive therapy.

Happy to keep you posted. However, it'll probably be a couple of months before I go back to Sydney (i live in another city) to do the EEG test.

Tony

agntornge
 

this is the first time ive heard anyone else besides myself describe these types of symptoms. ive had about 11 concussions. the first one that caused pcs was in 2001. it took about 5 years before i was able to run again but eventually i could without problems. now im back in the same boat. i suffered 3 concussions in iraq from roadside bombs, all within 2 months of each other. now i cant do anything "high impact" like running, jumping, contact sports..
docs dont know anything. it feels like my brains loose inside my head and any quick movement or shaking of my head will give me another concussion. im wondering if my problem might be in my brainstem since it feels like my brains just sloshing around inside my skull.. any one know anything about brainstem injuries?? all ct, mri scans ive had have been normal. just curious..

Sorry to hear your situation - it's a tough one and a lot of us here on this board can relate. I appreciated your description (feels like my brains are loose in my head) as I've had difficulty trying to express how this symptom feels. To me, it's like when an elevator stops to quickly, and you get a little "butterfly" in your head...very weird sensation. Not vertigo, not really dizziness, but like you said, like our brains are loose.

I saw a really good vestibular physiotherapist who deals with balance and she explained that when we injure our brains, the information input from our eyes and ears to our injured brain isn't interpreted like it used to be (before injury). And our sense of where we are in space is off. I have been doing "habituation exercises" to retrain my brain where I am, and this is helping, although very slowly. And if I overdue anything, especially driving or being in a moving vehicle too long, this particular symptom comes back with a vengence. I literally have to spend more time resting, with quiet and no visual stimulation, for it to calm down.

Good luck,
MargN

Loose Brain
 

Hi - I feel the same that my brain is loose in my head. I have often joked about needing a stabilizer like a ship. I have been into fast long walks lately and 2x in this last month I have ended up with major headaches and vomitting and then the inevitable jabs in the you know where. I now know for certain that I have to be very very careful about the level of physical exercise I do.

Since purchasing my "black box" which reduces back ground noise I have found the car a lot better as a passenger but sudden bounces or jerky corners give me a headache.

Lynlee

Hi there agntornge. I see that you're new to NeuroTalk so I wanted to extend a welcome to you. 11 concussions is an awful lot of head injuries to go through. I'm sorry that you had all this happen to you.

I went through one nasty head injury with ensuing Post Concussion Syndrome, but mine seems so darn trivial to what you went through.

It's good however to know that you found your way here to this forum. There are a whole heap of wonderful people here.

Welcome again. Please make yourself at home.

agntornge
 

thanks for the welcoming koala. yea i see there are plenty of people here in a similar situation. that makes me feel good. not to see that all these people have to go through this but that there are people out there i can relate to. i know dealing with this sucks.. and im sorry everyone has to deal it with. for those who were just recently injured going through this for the first time, just know that it does get better. time is really the only thing that helps. try not to let your emotions get the better of u. i know it can be hard but itll only make things worse. you will get better..
good luck.

This post strikes a chord with me -

In my case the trigger is:

Either:
• a blow to the head
or
• exposure to sustained vibration (e.g. persistent heavy hammering, using an electric jigsaw, dragging a shopping trolley with hard wheels along half a mile of bumpy pavement, leaning head on the window of a train...)


Symptoms:

• Very blurred vision (sometimes a blind spot), often to lower left of visual field.

• Numbness in (predominantly left) hands, feet and above upper lip.

• Sometimes slightly garbled speech.

• These initial symptoms are always followed (20 minutes to 1 hour later) by a severe headache (above/behind both eyes) which can take days to completely fade.



First happened when I was 24 (following a collision when playing football). After it had happened a couple more times (once after another collision, once after heading a football) I went to see my doctor who said it was caused by temporary interruption to the blood flow to the Ophthalmic nerve. He said there was no lasting damage and I could carry on with football but not to take up greater contact sports such as rugby!

Anyway, after a few more similar incidents I chose to pack in football altogether (because of being completely dehabilitated during the 24 hour headaches).

Ever since, I've suffered occasionally - I'm now 44 and have had probably 12-15 repeat attacks (usually triggered by vibration) of varying intensity.

I'm an otherwise very fit & healthy individual. I do not suffer from headaches other than those that follow these triggered attacks.

The only way I can deal with it is to try and sleep until the headache fades.

Does anyone think these repeat symptoms are really indicative of concussion (rather than migraine with aura)?

If so it would appear that I'm just (since the original incident when I was 24) very susceptible to concussion?

There is a neurosurgeon who used to be a NFL team doctor who calls these sub-concussion impacts. He is the only one who has ever acknowledged this as far as I have seen. Dr. Julian Bailes is at University of Virginia.

I have these same problems. I believe they are concussions to those of us with very susceptible brains. I can get them from riding in a car down a rough road. I have received them from shaky roller coasters. My first was from riding a "Tilt-a-Whirl" at an amusement park.

I have learned how to reduce their likelihood. If I am riding in the car on a rough road or even on a roller coaster, I must not have my back and shoulders, much less my head against the framework or back of the seat. It is amazing how much vibration can be absorbed by the spine, especially if it is hunched or relaxed.

I can get the same concussion symptoms if I shake my head NO or turn my head back and forth to much.

When I go out to pick up after my two dogs, I have learned to turn my shoulders to look for the 'targets'. It slows the speed of rotation of my head.

Be cautious mentioning this to a doctor. They will try to tell you it is impossible and is just 'in your head.' Been there, done that, got a 'somatoform disorder' label in my medical records. "Somatoform disorder' can be the kiss of death in your pursuit for medical help.

I wish they would just say, idiopathic, which means 'of unknown origin.' But doctors do not like to say "I don't know or understand."

They prefer to say somatoform because it puts the burden on the patient, not the doctor.

Lucy,

What is this 'black box" you mentioned in May?
I have horrible problems with background noise.

Regarding these loose brain impacts.

Do any of you ever get the sensation that you were "punched in the nose," when all if was was a shake or mild bump?

How about a metallic taste in your mouth, like you are chewing aluminum foil?

How about a feeling like your eyes are circling?

These symptoms are a good sign that I have suffered a 'non-concussion' concussion or as Dr Julian Bailes calls them, sub-concussion impacts.