Anybody had a sudden relapse after a number of yea... - Headway

Headway

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Anybody had a sudden relapse after a number of years ?

sospan profile image
19 Replies

I have a cold, which is pretty awful but not man flue ..... I was out shopping by myself (yes blokes can do it) when I started to fell a little strange as I continued shopping my walking started to get a little more laboured and my speech started to go and felt a lot worse.

When I got home, I had the same symptoms and feelings as I had whilst I was recovering from my head injury several years ago.

Over the years I had gone through the usual slow recovery and then as improvements stop you realise this is as good as it is going to get and have to live with it.

Never happened before to me, has any one else experienced anything like this after several "good" years ?

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sospan profile image
sospan
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19 Replies
cat3 profile image
cat3

It seems we're good at advising others to know their limits and avoid stretching them too far, but don't always practice what we preach. Our compromised brains are extra susceptible to the effects of viruses and other ailments and, after a lifetime of 'working through' what were previously minor illnesses, we tend to underestimate the effects on a less robust version of ourselves.

I had a heavy cold over Christmas and it was like traipsing through treacle with much puffing & panting walking up the bridge to the supermarket !

Have you ever been affected by seizures Sos ?...……..and how're you feeling now ? Cat x

sospan profile image
sospan in reply to cat3

Hi Cat

I haven't been affected by seizures in the past and feel fine now the morning after.

Yesterday, it felt like I had been taken back in time to about 6 weeks after my injury. I was very unsteady, difficulty getting my words out and feeling a bit bewildered.

Whether it was some form of TIA or fatigue or a whole combination of things, i don't know but never experienced it before.

Over the last 6 weeks my previous injuries are coming back to haunt me. How are your joints doing ?

cat3 profile image
cat3 in reply to sospan

The joints are probably my worst issue these days. I used to have steroid shots every few months to relieve the pain & stiffness but had warnings last year from the specialist nurse about recent studies on associated risks, one of which is Diabetes, so been coping cold turkey.

So been trying to 'Man-up' since then. But I'm seeing a new specialist at some point to see if surgery might solve the Trigger finger issue so at least I can peel potatoes etc...……..and let go of my money in the supermarket !

Sorry you've been revisited by symptoms Sos,; are you sure you haven't been regressing back to pre-injury exertions ? x

sospan profile image
sospan in reply to cat3

I have long been accepting of the head injury and the associated problems - like the wife asking me for a garden fork from the shed and me coming back with a rake.....

Like you, my joints are the worst thing at the moment especially the knees, hips, fingers and neck. Started to develop trigger finger as well with only my thumbs, index and middle fingers working well. Don't mind small things like coins but cutting things with a knife is a problem

Wish there were some effective medication out there. Most pain specialists I have seen, haven't come up with a solution to the pain - stay an Co-Codamol and take Amytripalene or Brufen with it.

As you say it could be a combination of the cold and doing too much that brought it on. I have gone through 7 years 2 months since my head injury and have over done things before but not had symptoms return like that

cat3 profile image
cat3 in reply to sospan

I relied on Co-Codamol for years but developed an intolerance (sickness) to them late last year. I tried a break from them but it didn't help so stuck with Paracetamol now ……...which is as effective as a chocolate teapot.

I'm presently researching CBD which I've used before in oil form, but thinking of trying the capsules ; just wish they weren't so expensive (considering how cheap the raw material is to produce).

I do think it's a condition which is exacerbated by the cold weather ………… so roll on Summer ! Take care Sos. Cat x

sospan profile image
sospan in reply to cat3

I been taking it for 15 years and much like you, something builds up in my system and I have to go cold turkey for a while. Which is like hell on earth.

Be interested to see how you get on with the capsules, as the oil I tried was foul and didn't seem to get any benefit.

Yep, cold damp mornings living in Wales one of the few places on the planet looking forward to global warming

swedishblue profile image
swedishblue in reply to cat3

Cat, I'm sorry but part of your post - "trigger finger has caused you problems in letting go of money in the supermarket" made me laugh...I'm sorry. Having a vivid imagination I could well visualise the scene! Till assistant thinking "aye up, we've got a right one here resisting payment". Just my woeful soh. x

cat3 profile image
cat3 in reply to swedishblue

Sorry Blue, I'd missed this reply.... Well your (very perceptive) comments had me in stitches too ! You just amount sum it up what goes through my own mind ; so embarrassing at times ! 🙄 xxx

sospan profile image
sospan in reply to cat3

The last time I tried to pay with lose change, it was a disaster

The bill came to something like 78p and I had a more than enough change to pay for the items, but just went blank. I had to give the coins to the person at the till and ask them to give me back the left overs.

So embarrassing

cat3 profile image
cat3 in reply to sospan

Fortunately the only time I've had to ask the cashier to prise my fingers open (purse in one hand cash in the other) she turned out to be a fellow sufferer ! Phew.....

I remember years ago at my local newsagent I couldn't understand why a regular customer always paid by handing her purse to the assistant ………...now I know ! x

sospan profile image
sospan in reply to cat3

Amongst all the things we have all discovered as part of having a head injury, I am always astounded by the amount of the other injuries and illnesses people have and yet still carry on. If the cashier hadn't mentioned they were a fellow sufferer you probably wouldn't have known.

cat3 profile image
cat3 in reply to sospan

It's true Sos, but there's that big contradiction in human nature where we want our disabilities to be acknowledged and respected...…..but do all we can to appear 'whole' and in control.

If we weren't such a proud species...…… ??

swedishblue profile image
swedishblue

CBD Oil might be just the thing. I was speaking to a lady in the village who's dogged by painful joints and she's considering ordering from the US. There they offer more effective strengths of cbd oil for specific conditions. Not sure about the contraindications when combined with prescribed drugs though. Surely in this day and age, there's something to help wouldn't you think! If you need a contact either of you for a US supplier let me know!

sospan profile image
sospan in reply to swedishblue

Thanks, tried some CBD oil on here a few years ago after some other members recommended it.

I got some from the CBD brothers. For me the taste was pretty bad and didn't seem to get any pain relief. I can see some people get good results which great

swedishblue profile image
swedishblue in reply to sospan

I'll leave this article here;

abc.net.au/news/2019-03-09/...

Cannabis oil has gained popularity in Canada (where its legalised, in the States and parts of Australia. So many chronic pain sufferers are benefitting.

Sospan, there are different forms of CBD, such as tinctures that absorb under the tongue. It could be worth investigating and trialling it again if your pain is unbearable. It is afterall a natural product as opposed to manufactured opiates that affect kidney and liver function in the long term. I am fortunate not to have arthritis or chronic pain, but I think I'd choose this over anything else.

Feebie8 profile image
Feebie8

Yes, I think so...I gave myself a concussion in November and was feeling like I was starting to get over the mountain. This last week though I do think I have a cold (my brain must have forgotten what a cold is because there is no association at all with symptoms in my head). I recognise the stuffed up and runny nose bit but my fatigue, headache, coordination (mostly when walking), memory and visual anomalies all got worse again. The most annoying bit though, I was maybe getting too comfortable with being able to laugh and enjoy myself during conversations BUT I got snapped back to reality quickly when I seemingly forgot myself and laughed too hard a few times this week and I felt like there was an axe in my head again...I don't know...

sospan profile image
sospan

Similar issue, I have bumped my head several times since the initial incident and boy does it hurt a lot more each time.

The relapse only lasted and went by itself, a real mystery

pleyland profile image
pleyland

I have what I call good and bad head days.

I can’t complain because most of the time im ok, I can work, I can operate like nine afflicted folk.

Occasionally though I just find it draining beyond belief.

It’i think it’s the thought that no matter how fit, no matter how much I challenge myself, this is it.

I think we need to try as hard as it is, to say things could be worse.

Sorry that probably doesn’t help much.

Annie-GBIA profile image
Annie-GBIA

Hi Sospan, yes it is quite 'normal' to feel as though you have relapsed when you aren't well - particularly with a flu virus that will trigger and immune response and that immune response triggers white blood cells to fight the virus.

The immune response floods the system with inflammation and it is this inflammation that is causing the regression symptoms.

Don't worry - things will return to how they were as soon as you get the bug under control.

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