Hi, I just signed up here, names Nick and I'm 18. I suffered a concussion 3 years ago my freshman year of high school. I fell about 11ft onto my head pole vaulting, they told me I was out for a half hour then they drugged me up so I didn't wake up until 5 hours after the indecent and had no idea what hospital I was at, never even knew they picked me up in a helicopter till someone told me hah.

Doctors told me nothing about post-concussion syndrome back then but I was in a program at high school - half days and such for the rest of that year. I suffered pretty bad symptoms that first month, constant headaches, couldn't walk quite straight, and had some pretty good dizzy spells that would bring me to the ground, etc.

I saw a doctor for headaches a couple months later, he gave me some pills that never worked so I just didn't go back. Then just figured things would get better with time, of course most of the first symptoms got better.

But, three years later here I am still having problems. I saw a family doctor for constant headaches a months ago. By constant I mean I wake up literally everyday with a headache and they last all day long, ranging in degree. I tried pill after pill with that doctor, one even sent me to the ER for a racing heart, that was fun ha.

He sent me to a neurologist that put me on propranolol, which I am currently on but yeah it didn't change a thing.

But, back to some more info stuff. I worked a lot this summer, over 70 hours a week on irrigation systems and now I'm a freshman in college. I spent they whole day with a friends dad working on systems. He noticed I definitely had problems focusing and with remembering things so yeah I'm thinking oh **** what else is wrong with me - is this related to my concussion?

I am very sensitive to light, driving at night with headlights, sitting in certain lighted rooms, looking at a flashlight, etc will always give me a headache, well a worse headache lol. Once in a while I'll get these weird vision things, like a whiteout or flash or something for god knows what reason - just random for a couple seconds, no idea. Along with that I have kinda blurry vision related with my terrible problem with headaches. Really is starting to wear me out physically and mentally.

I've only seen a neurologist for headaches now and thats all they are treating me for. But, now it seems I might have problems with memory and attention, ugh. I'm going to bring it up this friday when I see another neurologist. I've never really noticed any deficits that have affected my academically as I am a physics major, and it comes easy for me.

But I don't know, I can come up with examples of memory problems, difficulty concentrating, finding words and such but I don't know whats normal? I mean its been 3 years, I just can't tell myself what's normal as far as those things go. I'm coming to this forum looking for answers I guess and to talk about it, not sure how to approach things or were to go now.

Oh yea and sorry for writing a essay haha.

hi nick
sorry to hear your going through this, has the neuro done an MRI and CT scan, and checked for inter crainial hypertension the white outs, could be due to pressure on the optic nerve . my HA/ TBI effects my my short term memory eg sequencing, like instantly forgetting what the next action is, but it dose not effect what my brain has stored, just takes me a lot longer to retrieve it, or if put under pressure my mind will just blanks out on me, get them to check out your neck as well. I had and think I still have a crainial CFS leak which is giving me low CFS pressure HA it gets worse and worse then, I start to get twinkles in my peripheral vision and feel like I,m gona puke, so I lay down with my eyes shut and it gets so I can function, but light dos ant bother me so if your hypothalamus was injured it could cause high CSF pressure HA and effect the optic nerve talk it through with your neuro

welcome to the board and keep posting it helps us all

Vini

Hi Welcome to NeuroTalk Hope folks here can be as much help to you as they have been to me.

Thanks, I haven't had any kind of tests since that first month. All the neuro and doctors have done is fed me pills that never work. Maybe I can request some scans?

Thanks Hopefully I can help others out too.

Man, a 70 hour week! No wonder you're having trouble remembering things and concentrating. I don't think you'll find any answers. Science just isn't advanced enough to tell you why these things are happening and even if it was, unlikely that the docs could do much about it. From the little research I've done following my injury 6 months ago I've found out that there don't seem to be any fast rules with brains. I did notice however that a brain can be working harder after a concussion for up to 7 years so it's a good idea to take it easy when things start to get too much even after 3. My injury was a relatively mild one which made me confused for 15 minutes but I still have problems with concentration and my short term memory isn't what it used to be. I however suffered acute anxiety and depersonalisation, the dp from which I am still recovering from may account for some or all of this, again, noone knows, so you and I just have to be positive and find ways to live with it. Sounds like you're doing ok though if you can work hours like that and are in full time study. My guess is that in a few more years your problems will be history, if not sooner.

You definately need to have some more test done.

I'm not sure but did I also read your in school taking classes, or not.

But you might want to consider a neuro-psychological test to see what
kind of memory things, and other things are now messing up.

Its something that can help.

Donna