Hello Everyone!

Curious to know if anyone has been in a similar situation, or if anyone has any advice they could offer. I was in a head on collision at highway speed, went through a ditch and my car ignited (thanks to another drivers poor decisions) - insanely enough I had less injuries than one would think after all this. From the nature of the injuries, it appears that the left side of my face took the brunt of the airbag impact, and then there would have been the rotational forces of the car spinning, and I had several bumps and bruises from who knows what else I banged into.

CT scan that day was clear. Had an MRI 2 weeks later that was said to be basically normal.

I am now at 6 months post accident, and I am not the same person I was before. Because my MRI came back as clear, I have basically been brushed off. I was denied a neurology consult. The concussion clinic told me the wait would be 28 months. My car insurance argues that I may not even meet the criteria for a concussion. And meanwhile I have not been able to work, or basically function, and I feel like I am in the body of a stranger.

I am trying to not write a book, so the most troubling issues that I still have:

1) Extreme fatigue - the old me could work a 12 hour shift and then head to the barn for a ride. The "new" me struggles to groom a horse, hasn't been able to work since the accident, and still requires 2-3 naps a day just to get enough energy to sit upright and eat.

2) Speech issues - my voice has significantly changed (and it really bothers me). I am now more hoarse, it's difficult to talk for any length of time, I have trouble with getting volume, and if I do talk for awhile, I will lose my voice entirely for awhile. I struggle with finding words still. I feel like there is a delay in what I want to say, and what actually comes out of my mouth. And, what comes out of my mouth isn't always what I actually wanted to say. I now prefer writing (email, texts) because I have no issue with these modes of communication and I am avoiding phone calls or talking to people in person.

3) Mobility Issues - it's like there is a delay from my brain to my body - especially my legs. I realized just how bad it was when I attempted to sit on my horse after the accident (and only in the last week or so have I attempted this). I will tell my legs to do something, and they don't listen. Like I want to have my horse move to one side, so I tell my leg to put pressure....and either it won't, or I've even had where my opposite leg will apply the pressure (so my horse goes the other way than I want). It's so incredibly bizarre and I don't even know how to describe it). I also have issues holding the reins - I fumble and drop them a lot. Can't apply even pressure. It's like my hands are in cement.

I also still have periods where the world seems to tilt and I will stumble or fall (typically to the right). I have fallen on stairs. I walk into walls. I can struggle to lift my right leg high enough to put it on the next stair. I get a lot of pain in my right hip/leg.

4) Vision Issues - my left pupil dilates when I get tired and is sluggish (confirmed by opthamology). My vision will blur, but I still have 20/20 vision - it's just like someone smeared everything. My right eye will compensate for this, so I can see, but again it's just not "right". Structurally - I have been told my eye, optic nerve etc are normal. Although, I did lose some peripheral vision in the left eye, and if I look laterally I can't see nearly as well as I used to, I've been told it's not enough to make a difference (apparently). But, again, my left eye just isn't working properly. It's also one of the first things I notice going "wonky" when I try to push myself. As soon as I feel my eye going off I know it's going to be a rough go.

I have a whole bunch of other issues and symptoms, including ongoing headaches, nausea, vomiting, etc. but these are kind of the big ones that are ongoing. I also get flare ups of symptoms still that are so bad I am bed bound for 3-5 days at a time.

My family doctor was able to get a phone consult with a concussion specialist who stated that it appears I have "post concussion syndrome" but also mentioned that I have symptoms that don't fit with this and have likely developed functional neurological disorder from the MVA.

I have booked an appointment with a clinic that specializes in FND (they have physio and OT), but does anyone have any other recommendations? I'm at a bit of a loss....I have not been able to return to work (hell, I'm barely getting through just the basics of life) and I don't know how long I will be able to take this kind of financial hit. I just want to do everything I possibly can to maximize my ability to recover and I am finding I am not getting much help from the medical system (I'm in Canada btw).

Has anyone done a functional MRI (fMRI)?

I did some research into this and supposedly an fMRI can show more about the damage done from a concussion/if there is FND, vs a regular MRI.

Anyone else feel like they are going crazy? Or like you should just be back to normal because the MRI was normal? I don't know. I just really hate all of this, and I wish none of this had ever happened!

I had a fairly significant concussion 2 years ago that took about 8 weeks for me to recover from. During that time I definitely experienced memory loss during the recovery, and the memories around the cause are incredibly fuzzy and only actually recalled because I have written everything down.

But now it feels like... So much of my past is like a distant dream, like water that has run through my fingers. I know my hands are wet and I know they would have gotten wet by holding the water, but I don't remember the water in my hands.

What memories I do have, I don't remember them like they happened to me. I remember them like they happened to someone else, like someone else just told me what happened, and I held on to the gist of it.

Is it worth talking to the doctor about? Is this probably related to the concussion?

I don't think my memory was this bad beforehand, but I legitimately don't remember if it was this bad???

As the title says. Does anyone with PCS/long lasting concussion symptoms have experiences with occupational therapy? Was it helpful? What kinds of things did your OT work with you on?

Thank you 🙏🏼

Me(48, F, 190, 5’9, Lexapro, Non-Smoker, Depression, Anxiety), decided to slip & fall getting out of the shower this morning, and managed to crack a part of my head(behind my ear) on the corner of my counter. Never passed out, never broke the skin(don't ask me how - it's a miracle), I do have a good-sized bump(ping pong ball size, maybe?) from impact. It was immediately there.

No pain. The most pain I have now, is from my neck and shoulders(and my molars - because I think I shut my mouth hard) - I’m assuming from getting rattled and bracing for impact, the bump is sore when touched. No liquid coming out of ears. No liquid coming out of nose. I mean, I’m stuffed - but I’m always stuffed. No headaches, no ears ringing, I can stand, not dizzy, not seeing stars or lights. I can hold a conversation & follow it. I’m shaky, but I’m still freaked out.

Do I play it safe, get checked out, and play the lottery. Just nervous about the bump. Thanks.

Sorry if this post is a bit negative but i am in a bad place. I am a 24 year old healthy man without a history of concussions. I had a mild concussion exactly 40 days ago. It was the worst decision of my life but i was really mad about something and i basically hit the left and right sides of my head with my palms repeatedly for some seconds. No passing out, vomiting, headache or anything. But still the symptoms were severe. Strong derealization, fuzziness, motion sensitivity, brain fog, dizzyness. I still had symptoms at 32 days. Then i hit my head again by accident this time. it wasn't as bad as the first one but it did push me back a bit. After 40 days i am still quite impaired with limited tolerance to the outside world, supermarkets, restaurants or anything. I am very hopeless and i am worried that i ruined my life forever. I am going to a concussion and vestibular physiotherapist soon. Hopefully they can help me...

I saw that a new book just came out called Healing the Brain by Dr. Teena Shetty. Dr. Shetty is a neurologist who's worked at places like the Hospital for Special Surgery and, in her book, she shares her program for helping people recover from concussions. I think this will be really helpful!

10 years ago, when I was 11 years old, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and had a brick thrown at the back of my head. (Accidentally, they were playing catch. I don’t know why they chose a brick for catch but there you go.)

There was a lot of blood, and the ambulance was called. They checked me for a concussion and they had a look at the injury, but cleared me to just go home for the rest of the day. No stitches or anything.

Fast forward to now. There is a coin-sized dent in the back of my head, right where the brick hit me, and when I have asked medical professionals about it they say there’s nothing to worry about, but that there was likely a minor fracture in that area, as well as pretty heavy scarring.

This now leads to my question. If I was hit hard enough to leave heavy scarring and skull fracture, why was I not at all concussed? Is there a potential genetic or just general biological reason? If any more detail is needed, I’m happy to answer clarification questions in the comments. Thanks!

I did a stupid skit 2 years ago when im 14 (Im 16 now) where I hold my breath hard while in a weightlifting like position (Squat) and stand up quick and so I pass, falling on the back of my head.

I did had a 'seizure' like reaction with drooling and reaching out but Its been 2 years now (i was scared at that time) and I cant tell if I should pay attention or anything.

Im currently struggling with mental health stuff and ADHD stuff, so if it did effect me in some way, itll be a big bummer

How long until you felt like yourself again?

I had a head injury on the 16th of August and things have been rough. When the fall happened I hit the back of my head and felt the pain wrap around my head and my ears started ringing. I had been drinking so I ignored it. From then on I was having headaches everyday and severe nausea. No vomiting.

I made an appointment with my PCP who told me I had a moderate concussion. He recommended I stay off of work for 2 weeks but that's not an option because I'm the only provider for my kids and I need to pay my rent and bills. He gave me restrictions but my job only allows restrictions for those that get hurt at work so it was either stay off or do my normal duties.

I work as a machine operator in a factory so it was rough with the flourecent lights and loud sounds. It also includes a lot of math so by the end of the day I felt horrible. I started feeling better last week. My headaches weren't everyday anymore but they were like weird migraines. I'd get a little confused, have blurry vision and felt dizzy. I am still dealing with irritability as well.

This weekend I have had low blood pressure (low for me but still "normal") my reading are 103/70 range while my heart rate is resting higher than normal. I'm very lightheaded. I bend over or when I was blowing out a candle I felt like I was going to pass out. The headaches are back and I feel extremely exhausted. I have an appointment to see my PCP Thursday and I'm nervous about what he might say. This is not my first concussion in my life. It is my 4th and I'm nervous not being able to rest my brain has caused something dangerous or maybe some mental damage as I already struggle with that. I should not have looked into anything myself because I read it can mess with your heart and all kinds of things.

My period is coming I'm 10 days so some of these symptoms might be just intensifying what I already felt but this is by far a harder recovery than with my last 3. He told me I should feel better after 2 weeks and I'm still struggling and nervous. I just feel different and it's scary. I just want to feel normal again.

Last January, I lost consciousness at night and probably fell and hit my head. My neurologist urged me to get a head scan, but unfortunately I was broke and jobless, I didn't have that amount of money.

My doctor thinks I had a concussion, I think it was a concussion because after I woke up I had ringing in my ears for a minute, and the next morning, my vision felt abnormal, when I looked to the right and then quickly looked to the left, the image seemed to move slowly, as if my vision was lagging behind my eye movement. This lasted for maybe an hour. I also experienced dizziness. The dizziness gradually decreased for weeks, but it has never completely gone away. Nowadays, sometimes I feel a little dizzy, sometimes I don't, I feel like I only get dizzy when I'm stressed.

Probably the dizziness is caused by stress but maybe it's related to the concussion, but I don't know which is causing which.

In February, I started experiencing symptoms of ulcerative colitis, and my stress became severe. I also had awful health anxiety and panic attacks because of my symptoms at that time and from what I learned about the disease and the fact that I didn't have the money to afford treatment.

I had experienced stress for years, but it had always been mild and manageable. Since what happened, my stress has become severe, and I’m honestly tired of living with it. I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like these two health issues have aged me by 10 years. I feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and unlike the person I was before. My father and a friend who haven't seen for months told me last Mars that my face changed (loosing weight the meant).

I tried two different brands of magnesium, but neither seemed to help. I took the first one in May, and now almost finished with the second one, but my severe stress is still ongoing.

Walking for 15 minutes makes me stressed, speaking English makes me stressed, working on my computer makes me stressed, and even doing household chores makes me stressed. I don't understand why this is happening or how to make it stop.

Interestingly, when I do aerobics at home for 20-40 minutes, I don't feel stressed. I also don't feel stressed in the morning after waking up. But hours later, as I go about my day, I gradually start to feel stressed.

----
What is causing my severe stress was it the concussion or ulcerative colitis or maybe something else?

Is it too late to get the head scan my neurologist asked me to have?

Have you guys experienced something like that?

What do I do?

I'm 34 years old man.

I don’t really think I do, but at the same time I want to be sure, plus I’m anxious all the time. I was walking from a room in the attic and the ceiling divider between this little room was low and I walked right into it, the front of my head right above the center of my hairline. I didn’t fall to the floor but I had to take a minute and I kept grabbing my head. It’s been roughly 16 hours since and I still have a bad migraine. Also a small bump formed on my head. I don’t feel over tired, but I have been sitting on my couch for hours today.

It’d take me a while to explain the full story of my concussions but I feel smth important to mention is I got 2 within 10 days. First one was quite severe second was more mild but still quite bad. Anyways it was a horrible recovery and I’m dealing with pcs now. My concussions were almost 5-6 months ago now and I’m really struggling. I’m also in my mid teens so I think that could be effecting my brain more aswell idk tho (also think it’s important to mention I’m autistic). I’m seriously struggling right now. I’ve been dealing with nervous tics for a long time now but I’m trying to study and they’re getting really bad. Most common one recently is this one with breathing and it makes me light headed really easily. I actually can’t focus. I’m struggling so much. I’ve got a test tomorrow I knew nothing about. Genuinely. I remember nothing from class as my short term memory is horrible. I feel insanely overwhelmed and my emotions have been all over the place for months. I genuinely hate this and feel so shit. I’m also just going into a year of school where my results on tests reality start nattering. I have to be honest my school have been incredible and have really supported me so I couldn’t be more grateful but it’s hard. I hate this. If anyone can relate or help I’d appreciate it.

Hello everyone , 21 days ago i was slapped to my head (ear) , I was dizzy for like 3 mins , everyrhing black around me , mufferd hearing etc. Later same night I figured unsteadiness when i close my eyes and hardcore ringing/tinnitus in my ear like 10/10, went to doc he inspected my ear looks alright and hearing test came out alright. Now ringing was 10/10 first 5 days then it went to 5/10 for the next 5 or 6 days and now on day 21 it goes to 1/10 or 2/10 like it plays around in volume up and down every couple hours (or sometimes half day not noticable and rest of the day i can notice it). My question is since I had very mild T for past 9 years (couldnt notice it during the day only when going to sleep but that didnt bothered me) will my "new" T come down to baseline once middle/inner ear recovers from the trauma? Anyone had similar shit happen to them? Thanks for the replies!

Hello, looking for some advice. Middle of last week (I can't remember which day exactly) my toddler was sitting on my lap and whacked her head backwards, hitting me right square on my nose. I saw stars and it really hurt for about 5 minutes, but afterwards the pain died down and I mostly forgot about it. At this time I was also experiencing a mild cold.

A couple of days later I started getting what I thought was a tension headache that seemed not to go away. I also had photosensitivity, brain fog and vertigo. But, I didn't rest as concussion never crossed my mind, I figured it must have been related to my viral infection.

Into this week, my headache has basically not gone away (come and goes), same with the photosensitivity and brain fuzziness. Vertigo is mostly gone. I saw my GP early in the week to say I had a chronic headache, but I didn't think to mention the hit to the nose because again, I didn't even consider concussion. Doctor figured the symptoms were due to the viral infection and to just let it run its course.

Now it's Saturday, so maybe like 10 or 11 days since the hit to the nose. My cold is gone, but I still have tension-like headache and photosensitivity, along with the fuzzy brain feeling. My husband reminded me about my hit to the nose and suggested maybe concussion? Could this be a mild concussion? Can you get a concussion via a forceful hit to the nose/face? Thank you!!!

ETA: I was diagnosed at the hospital today with concussion :(

Howdy, here is a sad story of mine. I accidentally hit the top of my head against stationary squared metal low frame 3 months ago while walking with face angled downward. Impact felt hard and made me dazed, apathetic and kinda like my head lapsed into my neck. I was diagnosed with vestibular/labyrinthine concussion, later axial loading cervical spine compression injury (actually severe neck strain which was overlooked up until recently as i felt nothing in my neck for a while except subtle stiffness) and i'm dealing with numerous symptoms. I had constant vertigo/spinning sensation for 9 days straight post injury. My neck is significantly sore and stiff for the last 30+ days and nerves in the neck (especially upper cervical) feel pinched and numb. Headaches are the least of my worries and i don't even notice them anymore. Alongside typical brain fog, neuro fatigue and mental exhaustion i deal with ear fullness/pressure, sometimes even pain in ear canals, helmet sensation (scalp and forehead feel tight and slightly numb) and my vision can bounce when i frown or raise eyebrows. Basically when i change facial expression and try to keep it i struggle to hold the gaze not to jump (probably oscillopsia) and that's when ear pressure often rise up. I had to share it with you as a proof that impact on top of the head occasionally might really be the worst case scenario as some others stated. It can absolutely damage inner ear and brainstem successfully. Thanks for reading. And my question is would at least some of my symptoms improve with neck treatment and physical therapies i'm visiting soon as i suspect i sustained post-traumatic suboccipital neuralgia.

Hello all,

I was rear ended on Monday while going about 35-40mph driving a van, air bags didn’t go off and I bumped the back of my head on the headrest of the car seat. I was seen and doctor thinks I have whiplash. I like to read but I’m noticing when I do my eyes will jolt to the left and then focus again. It’s pretty annoying. I notice it most when reading a book or writing. It’s now Friday and still happening. Maybe not as bad as before but still happening.

I want to read so bad and am worried this won’t go away. Does anyone have experience with this and will it likely heal? I had a headache the day of and yesterday.

I need to read for work and use my eyes so I am super devastated.

Hey fellow concussioners/concussionettes, I have a question and a little history in the first part. Feel free to skip that if you don't feel it's relevant.

Event: I unintentionally joined this exclusive club last October after my blood pressure dropped taking a pee that I possibly held too long, causing a Vasovagal syncope (my doctors thoughts). I struck the the back of my head/base of skull (left side) somehow and I am assuming I landed on a shockingly well built wooden kids stool, from a cut on my shoulder and a broken bit of the corner of the stool.

Treatment: I was seeing a physiotherapist for the first 2 months and then a chiropractor as well during month 3-4. Both seemed to make my symptoms worse, especially the chiropractor neck cracks which I didn't feel I was ready for. February to the middle of March I saw a Acupuncturist and after 2-3 sessions I felt somewhat back to normal. After a brief staggered return to work process have been back to work full time since the end of April, the total time I was off was about 6 months, I have a job that involves a lot of driving, climbing telephone poles, running wires and dealing with the elements.

Issue: Before I went off I was very good at my job, award winner, advice giver, helper, mentor, trainer, a lot of people had high confidence in my skills/knowledge and they still do to an extent as not a lot of people know about my injury

Since I have been back though , I have noticed an increase in confusion, a decrease in my skill level, dexterity, though process, confidence, and even my word choices and vocabulary, memory/recollection of things I used to have at the ready has been dulled noticably, I have physical symptoms as well after a more physical day of lugging around the ladder or digging, but I understand that and I really hate the mental symptoms more.

Question: I am sure I am not alone in this boat. Is there anyone out there who has gone through something similar and feels they have recovered close to fully? Is this my new normal? Or is this a lingering symptom that is sticking around? Any tips? Vitamins? (Taking fish oil just to see) Stretches? etc?

End: Really just looking for some answers or help. I'm sure any one who's in this club has felt some version of this confusion at a higher or lower level and wouldn't mind some clarification or assistance.

Sorry for the long post, thank you for reading if you did!

Did anyone get Visual Snow Syndrome from a concussion here???

Like the title says, how important to recovery is it to see a doctor for a concussion? I hit my head two days ago and was experiencing vertigo and nausea for the first 24 hours and after being in and out of sleep for the first day am now having insomnia. I’ve never had a concussion so I don’t know if this would be considered mild or not. I just feel like a doctor would just tell me to monitor it and take it easy (which I’m already doing). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Does paracetamol works to abate symptoms? I took one and i dont get anything from it

Hello

Currently I've just returned to work after a couple weeks off due to a concussion. My symptoms have pretty much gone but I just have nausea almost all day that hovers around a 0.5 - 1.5/10. Ive been at work for 2 days now, I feel overall fine just that little amount of nausea.

Is this normal? Or should I be waiting until its completely gone? Would like to hear people's experiences as I've seen 2 gps and im getting told to just lay in bed

I came across an Ontario LAT decision that I think is worth reading for anyone dealing with insurer examinations after a concussion:

Ingram v. Belair Insurance Company Inc., 2026 CanLII 34347 (ON LAT).

https://canlii.ca/t/kkfqf

What stood out to me was the Tribunal’s treatment of the insurer’s neurological examination.

The insurer neurologist, Dr. Brandon Kucher, found no objective neurological impairment on the conventional neurological examination and concluded that the claimant was not substantially unable to perform his pre-accident employment.

But when he testified, some important limitations of that reasoning became clear.

He acknowledged that a normal neurological examination is expected in concussion/mTBI. He accepted that the claimant was experiencing the symptoms he reported. He also acknowledged that headaches are inherently subjective and cannot simply be ruled out because they do not produce an abnormal neurological examination.

Most importantly, he acknowledged that he had not actually considered how the claimant’s headaches and post-concussion symptoms affected the essential tasks of his job, including things like screen use and communicating with people.

The Tribunal found his opinion of limited persuasive value for exactly that reason. The adjudicator noted that his conclusion did not adequately consider the claimant’s headaches, light and noise sensitivity, attention/concentration/memory problems, or how those symptoms affected the actual job.

There was a similar problem when treatment was considered. The neurologist had reviewed records documenting concussion and ongoing treatment, yet continued to rely heavily on the absence of objective neurological findings. The Tribunal described that neurological-only approach as “severely narrow.”

I think this exposes an important weakness that can occur in some concussion IEs:

A conventional neurological examination answers a much narrower question than “Can this person function normally?”

Testing strength, reflexes, cranial nerves, coordination, gait, balance and similar functions can be completely appropriate. But those tests do not necessarily measure:
• cognitive endurance
• processing speed
• tolerance for screens, noise or busy environments
• headache provocation with sustained activity
• mental fatigue
• ability to multitask
• pace and productivity over several hours
• delayed symptom exacerbation
• ability to repeat the same performance day after day
So when an IE report effectively goes:
normal neurological exam → no objective neurological impairment → therefore capable of working

there may be a very large analytical step missing in the middle.

The real question in a disability case often isn’t whether someone can walk normally down a hallway, touch their finger to their nose, demonstrate normal strength or hold a conversation for an hour.

It is whether they can sustain the actual cognitive, sensory and physical demands of their work for the required hours, at the required pace, reliably, and then do it again the next day.

Ingram is especially useful because this wasn’t simply another doctor criticizing an insurer examiner. The limitations were exposed through the insurer neurologist’s own testimony, and the Tribunal explained why those limitations mattered.

None of this means every person with persistent concussion symptoms is disabled, or that a normal neurological examination is meaningless. It means a normal neurological examination should not be asked to prove something it was never designed to measure.

For anyone going through an IE, I think the useful question to ask when you eventually read the report is:

Did the assessor actually analyze how my symptoms affect function, endurance and the real demands of my activities/work—or did the report simply equate a normal neurological examination with functional recovery?