Hi,
I’ve just caught my first cold since my mild TBI August 2023 and it feels a million times worse than a small cold. I’m not sneezing or blowing my nose much but the fatigue, headache and general aches are similar to having a really bad cold.
Is it normal for a cold to significantly worsen all your post concussion symptoms?
Thanks
unfortunately is seems that yes this can happen - happens to me everytime I get sick - sometimes I know I’m getting something because my head symptoms come on with a vengeance 😩 covid was worse than anyone else in my house the first time round but with each time after not as bad. I am now 5 and 6 years out from my tbi’s and things have defiantly improved heaps however any illness or bugs make my head symptoms and fatigue return for the duration. Good news is they go once I’m feeling over the illness👏👏
My headache was also how I knew as they had subsided but also came back with a vengeance. I still have fatigue everyday but comes as and when I have to a task or activity but with the cold it’s at its peak all day.
Thanks
Hello Juventini, thank you for posting this. I'm six years down the line from the MTBI and I think that any virus does seem to knock me sideways now.
I’m only 13 months but stagnated with recovery since 6 months ago.
I think it’s just my resilience is a lot weaker and similar if I don’t eat enough, have disturbed sleep or go a few hours without water it has a huge impact.
Yes, I'm not sure what the connection is, I remember grumbling to my consultant that brain injury fatigue, and post vaccine grottiness ( the original non mRNA Astro Zeneca one hit me badly) and flu all felt the same, and he said broadly that the way you feel is all caused by the same thing - so I imagine it's something to do with inflammation in some shape or form. If your recovery is stuck, it would be worth tracking down a sports physio specialising in concussion. Mine helped me a lot. Also neuropsychologists specialising in brain injury are enormously helpful.
I have been seeing the vestibular physio since October and stagnated with the brock string exercises. I was hopeful at first as I was making good progress then everything just became slow and it seems my resilience with my eyes is very low.
I’ve also been seeing occupational health but for me, I know how to plan my day for breaks etc, it’s just hard to accept that’s what I need to do and sometimes it’s not possible as things just need done so I do go through the boom and bust.
I was hit by a drunk driver and was slow sorting things with my solicitor. At first I thought I just need 3 months or so to get better so just focused on trying a phased return to work which failed and the vestibular physio work.
Solicitor has organised a neurologist in January and also trying to get the other party to fund a neurophysiological plan and to see an ophthalmologist. Hopefully this should be agreed in the next week or so.
Someone who has worked with sports concussion is a good idea, I’ll what happens with the solicitor first
Thanks!
At least you're getting some support. Neuropsychologists are really good for us. Mine was very effective. What horrible luck to get hit by a drunk driver. None of us exactly planned to be here though, did we?
Sports physio I went to was Theo Farley - he lectures on concussion. iseh.co.uk/consultantdetail...
I’ve not seen a neuropsychologist yet. Hoping the neurologist refers me as the head injuries unit keep talking about stress even though I tell them my stress is from my brain not working as it used to and not stress causing my brain not work.
Today was my last day under the nhs as I’ve been discharged and can carry on with the vestibular exercises at home.
I did do a cognition test where I had to remember a number of animals or words etc I done this over two 1.5 hour sessions as 3 hours was too much for my fatigue. They said I was low average so there isn’t an issue but everyday life doesn’t come with instructions and memory for a few minutes so it’s
Completely different to what I experienced trying to go back to work and just in normal day to day life. I think this may be why I never got to see a neuropsychologist.
I’ll ask my solicitor about the link you sent as could be useful.
Thanks!
Good, did you get to see the neuropsychology report after your tests? Mine mentioned issues with executive functioning - so decision-making was and still is to a milder extent difficult. Was the person carrying out the test working for you, or for an insurer? The issue with stress is as you say tied up with dealing with the effects of the injury - and the worry about work. What I've been putting down to fatigue lately seems to be triggered by mental overload as much as anything - doing one thing is fine, try to prioritise a few different things and sort of metaphorically fall over.
My neuropsychiatrist noted that I had an over sensitivity to stress - but I think it's all part and parcel of the same thing. Ironically I had a fast paced pressured job before.
I’m quite against the idea of stress but my stress resilience is really bad since the injury. Beforehand, no matter what was happening in life I could always continue, focus and have an energy boost to get things done. I’ve gotten over the work worry, which was maybe at its peak in March. I’m lucky to have income protection insurance although a big dip it means things are just about manageable but I do worry about my career but there’s nothing I can do as it’s not just down to trying. Symptoms are just too bad I have to accept to rest.
The test was done by a psychology clinician so not a neuropsychologist. Just stated I was low average to average and should recover to premorbid state in 3-12 months and that the issues I was complaining about were not seen in the test and could be due to outside having more stressors etc
I told them the test wasn’t close to what is needed for normal life. Remembering a list of animals after 30 seconds or so is different to sitting in a meeting and analysing the information to ask questions and then recall the meeting the next week or month.
The test was so basic and due to mental fatigue I had to do in two sittings. So if we had of continued I would have likely completely failed the second half of the test.
My solicitor has organised a neurologist for January so will what happens then. Occupational therapy from the head injuries unit did do two practical tests which I failed. The hardest one was trying to bake two different cakes. Far too much information to follow and think of even though each only had a few steps and ingredients. We had to stop as I set the towel on fire and hadn’t realised and was just confused by the smell of smoke.
For those tests I had to read and decide how to do each step so it was just a disaster.
It’s strange as sometimes my brain works to think of questions etc when at hospital but then struggles with basic new things to do.
I was head of finance so had a lot of responsibility and everything requires thinking so the mental fatigue was instant and I was making some quite basic big impact errors so I knew I had to give up and go on the sick in the hope proper rest would enable me to fully recover. This was back in February!
Running water/cold sensation over the brain
WILL A COLD UPSET RECOVERY?
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI/Concussion) Treatment
Colds etc: are they worse after BI?
Awful Cold and 'Lemon Tree'
