Hello everyone - It's been about 2 months since I hit my head. I didn't lose consciousness when I fell. And thankfully my symptoms aren't nearly as intense as some of the people that have posted. But they have persisted. My main symptom is a definite feeling of depersonalization or fogginess that never leaves me. I also still have a sensitivity to bright light and loud sounds. At first I had a big problem with fatigue but that seems to have mostly gone away.

I don't have insurance so haven't been able to talk to a specialist. Luckily, a friend of the family is a cardiologist and has a good friend who is a radiologist so I was able to get a CAT scan which thankfully came back negative.

I'm trying to figure out the best lifestyle to help me get back to normal fastest. I'm used to exercising daily so have been trying get back to my normal routine gradually. I do feel slightly more hazy when I do a cardio workout but that goes away quickly and mostly it makes me feel better and I feel great to just to be working out. What do neurologists usually recommend when it comes to exercise and minor PCS symptoms?

I've read that often the biggest problems from PCS are caused from the psychological reaction to the symptoms. So I'm trying to maintain my normal lifestyle as much as possible without bringing on and prolonging symptoms.

A lot of my social life revolves around alcohol. I have no problem staying away from heavy drinking (definitely best for me anyway), but it's somewhat depressing to not be able to have a couple of drinks when I'm out and about. Is drinking usually completely off limits while recovering?

I also get a lot of happiness from reading and watching movies. What's the usual feeling about these activities? What about using a computer? Watching movies made me slightly woozy at first but it seems to be better now. Prolonged use of a computer kind of disorients me but I guess it would normally as well.

After reading a lot of the posts in this forum, I'm mainly feeling thankful that things aren't worse. Still, the symptoms and all these uncertainties about them and how to make it better has caused a lot of stress and really put my life on hold. I appreciate any insight anyone can provide on how to get things back to normal as soon as possible. I'd love to hear what neurologists of people with similar symptoms have said.

I wish everyone the best and hope everyone gets well as soon as possible and stays positive.

esilver81,

My recommendation would be to avoid alcohol. I was told this by my neurologist. Later, when you are feeling better on a consistent basis, you could slowly reintroduce alcohol.

Regarding reading, computers, and other activities, I have learned to recognize when I am becoming fatigued from an activity. I stop the activity at the FIRST sign. I then either go rest or switch to a different activity that does not cause fatigue.

This will be the most valuable skill you can learn. As soon as you start to sense that foggy or glazed over feeling, change your environment or activity.

Regarding the light drinking, If you do it because it relaxes you, then it has a neurological effect. That effect can be detrimental to your healing. If you can tell the day after that you had alcohol the night before. then it is too much.

I can get a hang-over from just one beer. A hang-over is just your brain saying that it has been traumatized. Notice how much there is in common between a hang-over and the aftermath of a concussion.

So, you now have enough information to make your own informed choices.

Now, go do the right thing.

My main symptoms after a similar non-ko concussion over a year ago were very similar to yours ie. depersonalization, fatigue. I reacted VERY VERY badly. I was so scared I had permanent brain damage and this made my symptoms much worse. I was suicidal for many months and it took all my strength to get through each day.

I found that stuff like TV and the computer would tire me out and send me spinning quite quickly but I did them in small doses and then would just chill and recover. It was probably a good 4 or 5 months before I could watch a film.

I also got no help basically because PCS isn't taken seriously here in the UK...it's barely even recognised and certainly not treated. I was on my own so just read stuff on here and on the net to work out what I needed to do to get better.

Basically I think you need to just listen to your head. When it feels like it's getting too much, stop and do something else. It's really weird cos it's such a foreign feeling to be mentally tired. I had always gone through life being able to concentrate and perform highly at all times and it was so distressing to be unable to do the things I loved. Exercise is best done lightly.


I can still feel it now and it's over a year ago. The world isn't as vibrant and i don't feel fully in it again yet. But every month it gets a bit better.

Hope your recovery is quick.