Post concussion symptoms coming and going

[Charlie-36]

I bashed my head just over 3 weeks ago. I didn't pass out or lose any blood but felt very unwell for a week after. I was seen in the hospital a few days after the injury and they did a ct scan which came back clear. So I felt lot better after a week and then it flared up again after having my hair done for couple days. I then felt fine no symptoms. This week I had a couple of days of not sleeping very well stressed and generally feeling run down and since yesterday I have the concussion symptoms back again. Is this normal for the symptoms to come and go and how long can it last? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Tortie14]

What is usual is for medical people to miss concussion and not treat it properly. One of the doctors at my practice said he wasn't sure there was such a thing as Post Concussion Syndrome (well, I thought, talk to a neurologist). No two head injuries are the same and so what you are experiencing is "normal". My advice - ring Headway Helpline and contact your GP to register your problems and if they persist get referred to a neurologist. Don't assume they are right when they give you the all clear. I was given the all clear after CT scan and my GP treated the whiplash injuries to neck, back, shoulders and hand but ignored the cognitive problems and I had to go through another doctor in the practice armed with info from Headway and this forum to get a referral. It was worth it because having the MRI and psych assessment helped to clarify what bit of the brain was effective and what cognitive processes were compromised and they gave me strategies to cope. You may be luckier than me and your concussion may not last long. My advice - talk to Headway helpline and be proactive if your symptoms persist.

[Charlie-36 in reply to Tortie14]

Thankyou Tortie14 I hope you're feeling better soon it's extremely debilitating when it flares up! I'm feeling okay again today so I'm just hoping it doesn't keep on flaring up. But with your advice I will defenatily pursue it with my Gp if it keeps causing issues..

[Charlie-36 in reply to Charlie-36]

But I will get in touch with headway helpline first so thanks again!

[Hidden]

Hi Charlie, I had a fall and banged my head about 6 weeks ago - I'm having the same problem of good days and bad days with the post concussion symptoms, it's so frustrating. Yesterday I felt fine, but had a bad night and have been feeling rough all day, especially with the heat. All the advice I've been given is the same, get plenty of rest, don't push yourself too hard, be patient - that's the hard bit I guess. I hope you'll soon be feeling a bit better.

[Charlie-36 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Flora2 Thankyou so much that's reassuring! It's really dibilitating when it flares up isn't it, I hope you're feeling bit better tomorrow. Its very frustrating but we just need to rest as much as we can!

[Hidden in reply to Charlie-36]

Hi Charlie, just wondered how you're getting on? It's now 10 weeks since I banged my head- I think things are improving very slowly but I'm still having quite a lot of bad days. And the increase in anxiety has definitely not got any better. The unpredictability is so frustrating. And for the last 2 or 3 days I've been feeling really exhausted. I'm hoping it's not anything to do with the concussion though. Maybe I'm just catching up after all the disturbed nights during the heatwave - also I have Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease with fatigue as one of the main symptoms - not a good combination with post concussion. Hoping for more energy tomorrow ..

[Charlie-36 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Flora2 I'm sorry to hear you're still struggling. I'll be 7 weeks since my concussion this Thurs and I defenatley am still having bad days. Even the spot I wacked is still sensitive and I can really feel it when I've had a bad night with sleep. To be honest I have just felt so run down ever since this bloody concussion and a couple of times I very lightly tapped my head ( by accident) near to where I banged it and straight away I feel sick and headachy it's so frustrating! I did see my dr last week who has taken some bloods to check nothing else is going on but he didn't seem that surprised that I was still having symptoms. The fatigue is really tough! I hope you're feeling a bit better today..

[Hidden in reply to Charlie-36]

Sorry to hear about your painful/sensitive head, I hope the blood test results will be ok. I had a blood test today for thyroid and cortisol levels to see if my pituitary gland is working ok as I've been having some odd symptoms.

I'm not quite so tired today, I think it's mainly a flare up of the Sjögren's syndrome but that seems to be happening much more often since I banged my head. And I'm feeling very dizzy today, partly I think because of my neck, I need to go and see the chiropractor to get it adjusted (ironically I was on my way there for treatment for an ongoing problem when I fell). I haven't felt up to doing that yet but really will have to make the effort soon. Some days everything seems like a big effort doesn't it? Good luck