Aspergers with Traumatic Post Concussion Syndorme

[LLouise1961]

Is it possible that someone with Aspergers would have a longer and more difficult experience  to recover from a head injury (post traumatic concussion /headache) ?

( An unleashed dog unexpectedly ran into me and caused me to fall backwards, and the back of my head hit and bounced off of the ground.  I did not lose consciousness. However, about 30minutes later I began to feel a headache develop. The headache stengthen over next few hours. I went to an urgent care facility and was sent for catscan at ER. ER Doctor found no issues in catscan and diagnosed it as concussion.  THe headaches continued and 2 months later, it was diagnosed to be traumatic post-concussion syndrome)

Being an engineer/computer architect , my work requires mental concentration and detailed analysis.
SInce the accident occured in late FEbruary ,  I have had to work from home part-time where I can keep my environment very low stimulus.


My recovery has taken a set-back the past 4 weeks.  The setback has come from extra stimulus rooted in stress caused by confllicts in the work environment with other people (This type of conflict is now very difficult for me to cope with moreso than ever before).   The stimulus causes the intensity of my headaches to increase abruptly in magnitude.  And I either shutdown from my blood pressure dropping or a shutdown following an emotionally ehuasting meltdown during which I become very confused and fearful.  My only solution is to stay away from environments which have certain types of conflict.

It is as if this head trauma has decreased coping mechanisms that I have managed to develop over the years.

QUESTION;   I am wondering if the head injury I sustained in late Februrary is having a more profound effect on me due to Aspergers?    Is the Aspergers causing my recovery period from head trauma  to be longer than it would be without the Aspergers?

I am facing now possibly taking a Medical LOA to let my head rest so that the headaches will dissipate back down to a more manageable level  ( where they had been 4 weeks ago, before the conflicts at work flared up).


thanks..

[nameneeded]

This sentence in your question is one that really resonates with me: "It is as if this head trauma has decreased coping mechanisms that I have managed to develop over the years." I was in a motorcycle accident in 2017 and suffered a concussion. I also have post-concussion syndrome, it has gotten better, but it has never gone away.

Up until the initial recovery process I did not realize that I was ADHD (everyone around me did, of course) and I did not realize that I was somewhere on the ASD continuum (again, most people around me guessed it). I thought I was just quirky and smart.

As I lost all of the coping mechanisms that I'd taught myself over the years, however, I had to confront myself as a child in my late 40s. At the same time, my youngest son was being evaluated for hyperactivity and ASD. This gave me a chance to really evaluate myself using all of the literature and then talk to my doctors.

There isn't a lot of research done that correlates ASD and mTBI (mild Traumatic Brain Injury... actual diagnosis for "concussion" where I am), but there have been some articles that suggest that those on the spectrum are more likely to suffer post-concussive syndrome.

I realize that your post is older than my accident, but your question resonated with me and I wanted to reply. I hope all is well with you.

[lremartin]

i have aspbergers and suffered a severe concussion 13 months ago..i still have short term memory issues and severe headaches, in which my head muscles go numb...i have been to the emergency rooms many times over the past year for the pain and numbness and the only thing that works is dilauded & valium mix...being in public is too much stimulation and i get anxious and panicky...trying to work is too much after a couple hours...i am now filing for disability.

[SamPCS]

With Post Concussion Syndrome headches, exhaustion, sensitive to stimulation all common.  I had a mild brain injury and PCS followed though I don't get headaches much but I have lots of other symptoms.

I also has to work from home since I cannot handle stimulation etc.,  Of course there are lot of headache meds (prescription drugs not OTC) which may help you to get some relief.  If it is manageable avoid taking meds.  Acupuncture, Vision Therapy helped a few with Post Traumatic headaches.

[Trazy6]

Thank you so much for sharing, I understand so completely and feel as though no one around me can. I've had brain injuries since ages 7 & 8, which (only in hindsight of course) made coping with Asperger's-or-some-form-of-mild-autism, as well as a medical condition, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, while growing up in a home with chronic verbal and emotional abuse and Aspie behaviors modeled all around me- all of this unrecognised, undiagnosed and even pathologically DENIED. Over about a 10 year period I diagnosed all of these myself becuz the Dr's had missed every opportunity to do so, all with such overwhelming evidence and basis in fact that Dr's basically immediately conceded on every count. And I know I am off-topic and yes to the poster- there was an "interaction" there- the HI makes it harder to notice/adjust/cope with being on the Autism spectrum, and the AS stymied coping w/HI- it's a chicken-egg thing. I am deliberately off-topic tho- sorry, no offense- I just like to take every online opportunity to ask to meet 1 person- just ONE English-speaking person from The Globe, who has Asperger's, brain injury, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, adn is an abuse-survivor. You've got to be out there.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
I am sorry to hear what you are going through. You could be suffering from concussion which can cause mood swings. Other than that it can also be a post traumatic stress disorder. A MRI of the brain should be done and a psychological assessment by an independent neuro-psychiatrist will help assess the situation correctly.  Though Asperger’s by it self will not prolong concussion, the diagnosis of concussion in Asperger’s is often overlooked and some other cause or the disease itself attributed to as a cause of symptoms post injury. Hence it is important to consult a neuro-psychiatrist.
Hope this helps. Take care!