post concussion syndrome?

[horsegurl1970]

Hi, I have had several concussions over the years, riding horses, with no helmut! dumb I know.... In 2007 I was leading a horse through a gate and he bolted out and knocked me in the head with the gate and the weight of his body. Ever since then I have had many problems, speech, hearing, dizzy spells, really bad anxiety and some terrible raging episodes. All the problems that go with a concussion. Anyways I have been to 3 neurologists and the last one finally said post concussion, I finally had my 3 year headache diagnosed as a chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and am on meds for it. Now I have sleep problems, I sleep to much. At least 4 naps a day, uncontrollable need for sleep. I went to a sleep study and have not heard the results yet. My question is, could this really be post concussion syndrome? does it last 3 years? my symptoms are not getting better, meaning my speech, gait, dizziness ect. Memory is bad, and getting worse. I heard you can recover from post concussion syndrome and as time goes by you get better, but I keep getting worse. I dont even want to go out of the house anymore, I used to be a social butterfly. I hope you can at least lead me in some direction.

thanks

[caregiver222]

The word "post-concussion" syndrome covers a lot of ground. Scientific American Magazine did an article a while back specifically addressing this issue. One of the most famous people suffering from this disorder was one of the singers from the "Beachboys" who underwent significant personality changes following a concussion that forced him to socially withdraw and stop singing. One of the problems is that head impacts can cause internal bleeding or pressure on the blood supply to the  pituitary, which controls hormonal production.

All that being said, the human brain is resilient, and I would never say that you will never return to normal.

I would recommend you consult an endochronologist.

[kaybost]

now i have been living with post concussion syndrome for about two years now and is still  slowly getting better. but all things take time. maybe you do have it but its just taking alot longer for it to heal kinda like me, but hey everybody's different. but just in case. i would try consulting with a doctor or having a MRI or a CT scan done on your brain just to be sure of whats going on.
i wish you the best of luck :)
and hang in there. your not alone and there are many people out there just like you.

[horsegurl1970]

thanks for your email and support. I have had MRI's and CT scans, my concussion tests that they made me take showed some failures lol... But my scans were all normal. Thanks for letting me know that I am not alone!

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,
How are you? What was the result of the sleep study? The symptoms of post-concussion syndrome often improve after the affected person learns that there is a cause for the symptoms. Indeed, education about the disorder can ease a person's fears and help provide peace of mind. It also helps to have a a strong support system. Take care and keep us posted.