permanent damage from concussion? Can I still be treated after a long time?? help.

[melendez983]

as far as I can remember, lived my life knowing something wasnt quite right with me, Ive never been good at sports because I dont have good coordination, suffer depression/anxiety, overweight, trouble focusing, trouble staying on tasks, etc...despite all this, I try to live a normal life. During a recent conversation with some friends, we were mentioning injuries we've had and I recalled my head injury. I fell off a bike right onto my head at the age of about 13, I had a huge swell on the left side of my head, I was by myself at the time, so I just walked home, I didn't mention it to my family, I just remember being sleepy, so I went straight to sleep with all the pain. I kept hurting for days, but I didnt see a doctor, nor mention it to my family, to this day I still have small notch on head that can be felt. Suddenly, I am connecting the dots of my previous mentioned symptoms to that specific injury. its been about 15 years, is there any hope of recovery for me? should I see a neurologist? please help.

[Hidden]

Hi Melendez983. It might be worth seeing a doctor about this as any bang to the head can be serious. I'm not an expert on these things as my experiences involved my daughter who was in a car accident this time last year so it's quite a different scenario but I would definitely get yourself checked out or at least see the doctor and see if they can refer you to a specialist in this field. Hope you get some answers and please keep us posted how you get on. Take care Jo xx

[melendez983 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. I will. It's been so long since my injury that I just live with it, it's mild, yet enough to notice, I constantly forget, making me look bad at work. it may be permanent but knowing at least gives me some comfort.

[headwayuk Partner Headway]

Hi Melendez,

Thank you for your enquiry, and I am very sorry to hear of the continuing effects from your injury.

It would certainly be worth seeking medical advice about this. The effects you describe are complex, they could be explained by the head injury, but it is also important to rule out other possible causes.

I would suggest that yes, a neurologist would be a good specialist to see to assess any lasting effects of your head injury, and you might also like to read the following information on possible hormonal imbalances after a brain injury: headway.org.uk/hormonal-imb... as this could also be a reason for some of your symptoms.

You can take this information, along with our guide for GPs, to your doctor to ask for help. You can view our guide for GPs at: headway.org.uk/gp.aspx

'Treatment' of the long term effects of a head injury generally focuses on rehabilitation and good support. Most people find that with the right help, rehab and answers to your questions, the effects become much easier to deal with and manage. Medication can be useful for managing depression and anxiety, and if hormonal imbalance do turn out to be involved, you can discuss therapies with your doctor.

Headway provides a range of information and support that I think could be a big help for you at this time. Can I suggest you contact our helpline on 0808 800 2244 or [e-mail] to talk this through in more detail.

Best wishes,

Headway

[melendez983 in reply to headwayuk]

Thank you for the information, it is interesting because last month my doctor performed a blood test for some a separate medical condition and discovered my hormone levels are low for my age. They should be in the 700 range, I'm about 300. I will discuss with my doctor if the injury has to do anything with it.

[spartan300]

a brain scan should show any damage.

[nemo_really in reply to spartan300]

Depends, I think it has to be fairly gross for a structural scan to show any damage; diffuse damage is harder to detect. Perhaps functional scans will show something, but (despite my specialist thinking it would be really useful in my case) getting one is another matter. My diagnosis is based on medical history (head injury + moderate pre- and post-traumatic amnesia), EEG abnormality (eg, excessive temporal lobe slow wave activity) and persistent, discrete functional deficits (eg, poor attention and impaired verbal memory) that affect all normal activities and are present across a wide range of environments and circumstances (my work desk is just as chaotic as my home desk and it doesn't make any difference how loudly the wife/kids/boss, or even Me, shouts. .. sigh)

[spartan300 in reply to nemo_really]

you will not know till you have a MRI scan, push your doctor for one, I got my brain damage from a vaccination.

[nemo_really in reply to spartan300]

I've had structural MRIs, thanks, but they're not particularly informative - apart from having a few more "white spots" than normal, there's nothing that stands out. However the EEGs show that there is something going on that is consistent with my symptoms, hence the diagnosis of diffuse damage.

[melendez983 in reply to spartan300]

Thank you

[nemo_really]

Certainly you should see your GO and get it investigated.

"Hope for recovery"? Probably not. We're not yet at the "repair" level in our understanding of the brain. However, is always worth keeping an eye on the situation.

"Hope for improvement"? Yes. A large part of the problem is identifying what specific problems you've got (eg, verbal memory, attention, ...) and then seeing what methods are available to help you work round them. I don't think there are any universal panaceas, though, and things that help some people may make little difference to somebody else. I'm hoping to start ADHD drug treatment soon for brain-injury induced attention problems - in 30+ years, I've never managed to habituate the standard diary/alarm methods, so I'm praying (literally and metaphorically) that I'll be one of the large percentage who, according to my specialist, are helped by medication.

[melendez983 in reply to nemo_really]

Thank you

[melendez983 in reply to nemo_really]

Thank you. I am connecting the dots on my forgetfulness, mood swings. My doctor recently discovered I have a very low hormonal level, Not normal for my age. it was discovered accidentally as he was looking for something else. I will further investigate

[Cauthery]

Hi

I really suggest you see your GP and explain everything exactly how you have to us. The brain is so precious and if the side effects have come back it seems important you get some help.

I'm sure your fine if you've gone without pain for 15 years. Good luck