Any injury to the CNS can take years to heal to an acceptable level. When I realized that I was losing my back muscles, I exercised by using a rowing machine. I eventually lost the use of all my paraspinal muscles but found that I had unwittingly increased the power of other muscles which took over the load.
One thing I used to do was to find out where the "top" was. I exercised until I thought I had "gone over the top", then remembered not to take my exercise that far in future. The CNS will repair at its own rate and cannot be forced by excessive exercising (despite what you see in movies).
Always bear in mind that Dr Kildares are figments of authors' imagination. In real life, Doctors know very little of the human nervous system and can only offer opinions.
Subtle cerebellar signs quickly disapppear due to central compensation, but that does not mean the problem has disappeared. Unless one has actually suffered from a neuro problem it is impossible to imagine what a neuro problem entails. Those very young, fit Doctors, can in reality have no idea at all what a neuro patient is suffering.

Well the doctor visit was just like the others...really no clue. He said that the MRI came back clear so they really don't understand why I am having this issue. He made the same suggestion that I should find my limitations then work from there. He did say that once the chemicals in the brain get messed up they might never be the same again.

So from the stand point of the scan I have healed...why don't I feel that way. This has to be one of the most frustrating injury (actually most serious) that I had to deal with. I did have to laugh at one point, he said it is just all in my head and that I was fine. I said yeah I know it is all in my head.

He wants to see me in six months, at this point I don't see him helping so probably won't return.

I decided that I am going to see a friend of mine who is a doctor to see what he has to say. I figure he will be straight-forward with me about what is going on. We were on vacation last week and I suffered from a headache the whole week. One day I wanted to play tennis. That lasted about 1/2 hour before I had to quit because my head was just throbbing. I tried it again another day and experienced the same thing. One day I was getting on a tube to just lay out in the sun. While getting on the tube, my head hit and I could just feel my brain go from front to back. Our town has round-abouts and I can't even go through those without feeling like my brain is moving from side to side. I understand the frustration. I was taking between 6-9 ibuprofen a day. That's not right. I guess I don't really know what I am looking for. My headaches are what they are, but I really like to be active and this is putting a huge damper on that. My family doc thinks I am depressed, the psychiatrist says I'm not depressed. The neurologist says that symptoms could last up to 6 months. I am going on 8 and still have the symptoms and sometimes worse than they were a few months ago. I wish I could get back to "normal" but from what I read here that may never happen.

Those of you who complain of headaches when you do any exertion should go to the drug store and buy a blood pressure kit. They are very affordable and can be used to determine if your headaches are blood pressure related.

I believe every home should have a blood pressure kit. They are very easy to use. There are semi-automatic kits where you have to pump the squeeze bulb and full automatic kits that inflate automatically.

Walgreens has a semi-automatic model for $39.99.

Buy one and learn to take part in your own health care.

Mark,
I do have one of those machines and have been bringing up to my doctor that my blood pressures seem high after I run. They are in the 200's. I had a stress test and my highest pressure was 220/54. They said that was OK. They also said that my VO2 level was low and that I was just out of shape. When asked how I can build up any endurance with the headaches and shortness of breath they said that to just take it slow. 3 years later I am still taking it slow but still can't build up any endurance.

One of the suggestions was that the brain autonomic system is not responding to the increased in blood flow etc. when I am running or lifting weights. They said there is nothing they can do for that. I just had some blood work done and my CO2 level was marked high but doctor said it wasn't high enough to be causing me any problems.

Thanks for your reply and I will keep checking the blood pressures and heart rates - maybe something will show up.

A BP of 220/54 does not sound right. The 220 is extremely high. The 54 is extremely low. What was your starting BP? How was your head ache at that high BP?

What is your normal resting BP?

Mine is about 115/65 to 120/75, give or take.

When my BP spikes, it can hit 195/155.

I was asking what your BP is when you have a head ache as compared to resting. That will help you understand if your head ache is BP caused.

If the diastolic was accurate at 54, it says that your vessels stretch and dilate well. That is usually a sign of good vascular health. This vascular dilating can cause head aches.

MdotDdot's comment about a calcium channel blocker to stabilize vascular size may be worth a question to your Doctor.

Maybe you need to exercise more often so your fluid pressure in your brain normalizes to the BP effects.

I exercise and a lower heart rate and BP for 45 minutes or more. I don't know my pulse or BP but my respirations are probably around 25 to 30 per minute.

Since my accident my BP pressures have been running around 136/65 or higher. When I was in ICU my pressures were running very high. My heart rate NOW is always in the 50's.

Before my accident my pressures were in the 110/70 range and my heart rate was in the 60's, low 70's (All of these numbers are at rest). Until I am constantly in the 140's my doctor will not put me on medicine. I told him I would really like to see my systolic pressure <130.

On my stress test my starting blood pressure was 133/70 and I was told they expect the systolic number to go up and the diastolic to go down as mine did. So they said everything was fine. It took me a week to recover from the stress test. I felt like I got hit by a truck.

You wrote: "Maybe you need to exercise more often so your fluid pressure in your brain normalizes to the BP effects. "

I would if I didn't feel like someone was hitting me in the head with a hammer

I see a new neurologist in 3 weeks and I will bring up the calcium channel blocker. Maybe start out on a small dose to see if it helps.

Thanks again for your reply Mark - hope all is going good for you.

SIB

Just a note to say how very, very much I admire those of you trying to continue work out regimen following TBI's. My hat is off, and I salute you. I wish I had more to offer, but I gather that jiggling the brain about following tbi, even remotely, can cause pain. Running, therefore, sounds risky for H/A. Congratulations to all of you! billie

Thanks,

Its more that we need to show we are alive I think.

Donna