Feeling Off for months now, anyone else?

[KatieW99]

Here goes.  On Jan 14/09, I took a bad spill down 13 hardwood stairs, going unconcscious, breaking my nose and getting stitches between by eyes.  I had a pretty severe concussion, but after a couple weeks bedrest I was up and running fine.  About a month after the accident, I woke up feeling off.  I had extreme vertigo and tightness in my head.  I figured I'd sleep it off but it has not gone away.  My symptoms are consantly changing but none the less, scaring me.  I visited an optometrist and my eyes are fine, I also saw the audiologist and got some wax removed, hoping that was causing the dizziness, but it didn't help at all.  I had blood tests and x-rays of my face and neck, thinking it had to do with my fall, but everything came up clean.  My headaches got worse a couple of weeks ago and I visited the doctor.  He attributed the aching neck pain and head tightness to stress and anxiety.  I never considered that because, is it really possible to wake up one day and feel like that?  I do have a high level of stress in my life but its never been a problem until after my fall, however the doctor said it has nothing to do with my fall.  Lately, I have experienced uncontrollable twitching in my leg, hand, and arm muscles.  Last night, I was on the verge of sleep and I woke up feeling like I had a huge adrenaline rush.  I got up and walked around and was shaking and chattering my teeth uncontrollably.  I watched tv for an hour and went back to bed.  I am always hot and flushed in my face for no obvoius reason.  My hands and feet are cold and clammy and I get the chills throughout the day.  I notice my heart pounding at night when I lie down and it feels like my whole body is pulsing, I usually go to sleep with an extreme whooshing and ringing in my ears.  I always have little aches and pains throughout my body: chest and kidney area mostly.  I don't know whats wrong with me but I cant live like this anymore, its affecting my everyday life because I always feel spaced out and foggy, just distant from reality.  Does anyone know what this could be?

[Paxiled]

Look, none of us can diagnose you from the internet, but a doctor can't diagnose a concussion without testing symptoms in some way.  A concussion is a clearly defined something, not just a term thrown around.  I would probably go back to your doctor and clarify what's going on, and ask to see a neurologist.  The problem is, your symptoms are right in line with post concussion syndrome, but anxiety symptoms include almost anything.  I mean, look at the posts here, we get all kinds of weird physical and mental stuff.  But yours started after a fall and a doctor saying you had a concussion.  You need to advocate for yourself in a stronger way and eliminate any physiological explanation before attributing this to anxiety.  Concussions are nothing to fool around with; I mean, it's not the worst thing in the world, but the problems do last a while.  Get a better doctor if this one doesn't give you what you feel you need to solve this puzzle.

[KatieW99]

and I usually notice the fogginess and blurred vision in only one side of my head/eye. Is this normal?

[KatieW99]

And is it possible to just wake up one day like this? With extreme vertigo and dizziness?  It is totally fine somedays and really bad others, but I just woke up one morning and had this issue.  How does that happen?

[KatieW99]

No, my doctor just said I had a concussion, there was no tests for it.  And I had a CAT scan in November because of a seizure but everything came up clear, but I haven't had a scan since my fall.

[Paxiled]

I'm confused.  You said you were diagnosed with a concussion.  That would mean you saw a neurologist or another specialist in order to get that diagnosis.  If it's a concussion, the effects just don't go away just like that, they linger.  So is it a diagnosed concussion by a specialist?  Have you had a CAT scan?  I mean, a regular PCP can't really diagnose a concussion.

[KatieW99]

I havent been put on anything for it. I was on antibiotics for a while because he thought I had an infection but that did nothing.  My doc also said to take 3 advil, 3 times a day. I did that for 5 days with little to no improvements so I stopped.  Im just at a loss.  I am always feeling off, and its affecting my life because I am so worried that something is truly wrong with me.

[SassyLassie]

Your symptoms sound similar to me. Back in the 80's, I took a fall down a flight of stairs, I started head first and somehow ended up landing back wards, meaning I hit the back of my head, wow, it hurt and sure scared me. Well, for a couple of days, I was fine, then all of sudden one night as I was getting ready to sleep, I had a massive adrenalin rush and felt like I was dying. I jumped out of bed and sat in a chair in the living room, I was petrified and all alone. I was married at the time, but my husband was playing music at the Elks club, he had his own band. Well, I sat there for awhile, then finally got up enough nerve to go back to bed, but, I was shaking, could not think straight, oh my, you name it, I had it. I told my mom the next day, and she told me it was a bad panic attack. Well, ever since then, my nerves have NEVER been the same, it was the start of years of anxiety attacks and so many doctors and tests, I have lost track, they all tell me it is "anxiety state" which means "nervous breakdown" Well, whatever, I have had this trouble off and on in different degrees since I was 23 and I still can have one once in a while when I get too stressed. It stinks big time.

[Paxiled]

Because I read the sports pages a lot, it sounds like concussion syndrome to me.  Football players get it a lot.  So while it could be anxiety attacks, you did suffer a concussion.  Are you seeing a specialist for that?

[rox011]

It sound like anxiety attacks to me. At least when I go through a tramatic event in my life I start experiencing anxiety attacks and panic attacks. The cold and clammy hands and feet happen to me all the time specially while I'm having anxiety attacks so does the spaced out, foggy and distant feeling.  Did your Dr recommend you take something?