post concussion syndrome

[rickymx92]

i had my first concussion 3 months ago from a bad crash while riding and was knocked out for about a minute. i went to the er after and the ct scan checked out normal. i had a horrible headache that day and the next but then i felt fine. about a month after my crash i started getting really bad headaches and dizzy. its now 3 months later and i still have horrible headaches and very bad dizzyness everyday. anybody ever get this? any suggestions on how to treat it and how long it will last? iv been to the neurologist he prescribed me hydrocodone but even that doesnt help me

[DrMark]

time for a new neurologist with expertise in head injuries. Hydrocodone isn't the best medicine for this.

[maureen]

time for a new neurologist with expertise in head injuries. Hydrocodone isn't the best medicine for this.

For sure...2nd opinion time.

[rickymx92]

thanks for the quick replys. i just got back from the neurologist for a 2nd checkup and i told him the headaches have gotten worse. he prescribed me some steroids and told me to take larger doses of the hydrocodone and only time will heal my head. he is also going to have me go to some brain physical therapy classes. i also asked him if caffeine was bad for my head or if any vitamins would help and he said no. from what iv read nutrition and diet is supposed to help but maybe not....

[maureen]

Hmmm...did you see the same Neurologist? A second opinion with a different Neurologist whose expertise is head injuries would be the next step. Be very careful with the pain medicine you can get use to those which is not good. As far as the steroids go take them with food, add more dairy to your diet while on them as they can rob your bones of calcium (not a big issue if just for a short time) and know that they can cause some nervousness and trouble with sleep while you are on it. Supplements....best to wait on that until your second opinion...I would think a high quality fish oil would help to decrease inflammation (that is what the steroid is for) if that indeed is the issue. I did some research....I did not see steroids as a typical treatment approach to post concussion headache. An MRI was recommended as well unless you had one at the intial injury. The PT could help. Try to cut down on the caffeine and see if it makes a difference...don't go off cold turkey as that you stimulate different type of headache which could confuse things. A second opinion with a different neurologist is a really good idea. Good Luck.

[rickymx92]

yeah i saw the same neurologist. how would i go about finding a neurologist who specializes in head injuries in my area? the steroids actually seem to be helping the headaches and i had a ct scan the day of the crash and it checked out fine and i just had an mri about a week ago and he said all was normal which is good just frustrating how theres nothing else they can do

[92db]

I'm not a doctor and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last evening but I would get your neck adjusted by a chiropractor. I was riding at a buddy's place in Texas back in the day, took a header then the next day my head was killing me. After suffering for three or four days I got an adjustment and my headaches went away. I realize my deal isn't the same as yours but thought I would throw this into the mix.

Dizziness might be an indication you're dehydrated....hydrocodone will only further dehydrate you so be sure to drink a big glass of water every time you take your meds plus drink water regularly all the time.

[maureen]

Here are some places in Texas....If you google the bigger teaching hospitals in your area and then look at the neurologists listed most will have the description of their interests/fellowships/specialities. I am glad you are feeling a bit better and the MRI was normal. I am a big believer in accupuncture....that might be worth a try.

https://www.texasneurology.com/headacheinstitute/

http://www.austinneuro.com/our_doctors.php

http://www.ntnc.net/physicians.shtml

[rickymx92]

thanks again for the replies. i will probly be looking into getting a 2nd opinion. another quick question. once im back to normal, hopefully soon, im kind of skeptical about continueing riding. if i was to hit my head again would the post concussion syndrome come back even stronger? i love riding but just dont want to have to go through this all over again. i would of course buy a top of the line helmet before getting back on the bike also

[602]

After getting a concussion, it is much easier to suffer from more concussions down the road. "Milder" hits will do more damage after a prior concussion, than they would if no prior condition had existed.

[rickymx92]

yeah its definately frustrating thinking about never riding again but i guess its just whether its worth the risk or not. i have college coming up so i dont want to screw that up with another head injury. i dont have any other hobbies that are anywhere near as fun though

[maureen]

if i was to hit my head again would the post concussion syndrome come back even stronger?

After a head injury you definately want to avoid a second trauma for a least one month - you are out of that time frame so do not worry too much. Once this is behind you riding should be fine. A good helmet is key - making sure the fit is correct - good and snug. Try to focus on fun positive things - being nervous about your health actually seems to make post concussion headaches worse. Make sure you are getting exercise and at least 8 hours of sleep. Eat well and no alcohol. Talk to your parents about the accupuncture idea too.

Maureen

[dblracer]

+1 on the chiropractor. Amazing the kind of terrible headaches you can get from a misaligned neck. And it ain't expensive to get it adjusted, or irreversible, so even if that doesn't fix it, you're not out a lot or do more harm to yourself. Find one that knows sports injuries. Good luck.

[hackman162]

Another thing, if you havent done so already, you probably want to replace the helmet you were wearing when you crashed.

[alwho44]

don't ride until the headaches, dizzyness goes away. Took me 10 years at one point.

Brain will heal on it's timetable not yours.

[rickymx92]

man if the headaches and dizzyness lasted 10 years i would probly never wanna risk riding again that just wouldnt be worth it. im slowly finding out what worsens my symptoms and two things are exercising and reading