How long should whiplash/post-concussion syndrome last after an accident?

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I was rear-ended 2 months ago by a car going 30 MPH. My doctor told me I had whiplash, but no broken bones. Since then, I keep having spasms in my neck and along my back. Also, for 7 weeks, I've been having crazy headaches.

Before the accident, I was an active, healthy 115 pound teenager. Now, I feel awfully sore a lot (back/neck), and not really the good type of sore, the kind I'd feel after running a few miles. I've even had to stop exercising and quit the track team, because the pain is so bad. I take Motrin, but sometimes it doesn't affect my pain or headaches.

The doctor thinks it's probably just post-concussion syndrome. I never passed out, but my brain probably shook up. I just want to know, is it normal to feel so awful 2 months after an accident? When can I feel better? I know it could be worse, but I feel like this is just so annoying, because my health was perfect. =(
No it is not normal to feel like that so long after an accident.

If anything it sounds like your symptoms have been getting worse when they should be getting better.
I'm not so worried about the post-concussion syndrome as I am about your neck. Sounds like you've gotton nasty neck injury... and it's something you definatly want to get taken care of before it turns into a Chronic injury and effects you the rest of your life.

Will probably need some Physio/Chiropractor

Go back to your Dr. and ask for a referral to one or both!

Good Luck!!  (+ info)

How do you deal with post concussion syndrome?

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I posted this question a couple days ago but did not get much of a response. I suffered my second concussion this year in september (the first one in february) and now I am pretty sure I am suffering from post concussion syndrome. I did not have any problems after a week with the first concussion, but am suffering many problems with this one. I still have constant headaches, problems sleeping, problems concentrating, my memory is off, and my personality has been different. I feel like I am never going to get better. Please somebody give me advice on how to handle this from a personal experience or information you just know. Any and all answers will be appreciated. Thank You!
I hope I didn't answer you before and give you a unhelpful answer:) But I don't remember! LOL! I have been dealing with post concussion syndrome (pcs) for 5 years.

You need to see a neurologist with brain injury expertise. Don't waste your time and money going to one who doesn't have it. I didn't know any better after my concussion and wasted 9 months with a bozo. When I finally got to see an expert I had hope again.

I am not a doctor but from my own personal experience I would definitely say you are correct in what you are suffering.

96% of people who have this are symptom free by 6 months. Guys get better faster than girls and younger people get better faster than older people. I was in my 30s when I was hurt.

Right now all the doctors can do is treat the symptoms. There is no magic pill for recovery.

The neurologist can get you on some medicine for the headaches. Prevention is key in headache management. So you need to try the medicines to see if they can cut the headaches out. It is hard to concentrate or do anything else with a headache or a migraine. The doctor will give you some tips for working on a routine to help you sleep better. They can also prescribe medicine if they feel you need it to help you sleep. But don't be surprised if they don't give you a sleeping pill. An expert neurologist has lots of tricks up their sleeves for trying things that might not seem logical to the rest of us, but actually work. For concentration they might give you exercises to try to work on. They might also have you try an ADD medicine and there are several other types of medicines that they can try for concentration that are not ADD meds. For memory - again you might need to try (as you are able) to work on things that would normally help your memory to get better. I actually take an Alzheimer's medicine. I didn't try that med until I found my expert neurologist 9 months after the accident. It wasn't until 3 weeks after I started the medicine that I actually remembered something without an outside trigger to trigger my memory.

The neurologist might also refer you to a occupational therapist. I know this sounds weird. But they are the ones who can measure your abilities in many ways and advise you and give you the right kind of mental exercises to do to help in your recovery.

Personality issues - that is rather vague and could cover many things. I would say that I had personality issues. I had a very low tolerance to stress. I would think I was handling something and then "flip" as I called it, and start yelling and cussing somebody out. Social skills down the toilet, inappropriate behavior, impulsivity, and more.

At the beginning mine was so bad I had to relearn how to get dressed, do math, make a decision and many other things too long to list here. They immediately put me on an antidepressant medication to try to help avoid me going into a depression. That has been very helpful in the prevention department. I was put on an anti-anxiety as well but not for personality problems. The anti-anxiety got rid of my stuttering and helps with word finding and other similar issues I was having. I also went through over a year of twice monthly visits to a psychologist to learn to love (or at least deal with) the new me.

So your recovery at this stage will be a combination of some drugs (to try to aid recovery and prevent long-term problems), and mental exercises to help.

They will want to get you back to your normal routine as soon as possible. However to be able to do that you will have to get some of your medical problems out of the way first.

Good luck to you and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

(I just looked at your profile - and LOL it was me who answered you before - sorry. The other thing I find with my own injury is that I take things very literally, and respond only to what is asked - even where someone else might be able to infer need for information. At least this answer is different - hopefully it is more helpful!)  (+ info)

Went to ER last night. Post concussion syndrome. Have a question about it?

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So 9 days ago I was hit in a indoor go karting accident, a wearing a helmet. Have had headaches, (that go away with meds). But my eyes, have been dazey that the only way I know how to explain it, and I have been feeling nauceous. Anyways, they did a cat scan and they said that my cat scan came out normal (and that they also compared it to my last cat scan in 2005) whatever that means, which that one was also normal. Anyways, she said it looks like I have post concussion syndrome, and that it will get better in time. But I just feel dazed, no major headache, just dazed and out of it, and the back of my head hurts a little. Can anyone explain this, and will it get better? Thanks
I kinda feel like I have a haze over me, and if it would be lifted I would be fine. :(
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-concussion-syndrome/DS01020 Go to the mayo clinic experts in this field.  (+ info)

Any good treatments or recommendations for Post concussion syndrome?

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I concussed myself four years ago mountain biking and had post concussion syndrome for a year and a half before complete recovery. A month ago I hit my head again and have had a reoccurance of dizziness, fatigue and headaches for which I have seen a neurologist and been diagnosed with another concussion.
Does anyone know anything thats helped them recover quicker? I'm doing all the usual tricks of rest periods during the day, sleep, keeping away from noise and not drinking.
Does anyone know about caffeine and concussion - as that does seem to make me feel better in the short term at least.. for concentration at work!
Unfortunately it's a poorly understood disorder and therefore often ignored. So instead of having a specific treatment for the disorder, doctors tend to treat the individual symptoms instead.

Certainly an overuse of otc pain-meds and prescription pain meds can cause an increase in headaches. Stopping these or at least slwoing down the use of these can help.

Memory wise, reminder aides can help, a pocket calendar or an electronic organizer that can be carried around can help you to recall and remember what you need to until you recover.

The main key though is try to avoid stressing on the disorder, easier said than done though. I think the best key to that is education. Arm yourself with knowledge and see if there are some support groups that you can join, even online to help you along with your recovery. The Brain Injury Support Group Alliance or BISGA is a great start:
http://www.bisga.org/  (+ info)

Post concussion syndrome or something else?

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I was heading out to the lake with friends and I was climbing into the backseat of the truck and dinged my head on the roof of the car. I did not knock myself out. I had a headache for about 20 minutes. It hurt quite a bit but, like I said, i felt fine. However, I did drink 4 beers on the lake after this while I was on the boat. Probably not a good idea but I felt fine that afternoon.

It has been about 2 weeks and I'm starting to feel a little dizzy and light headed. However, I have had no headaches, blurred vision, amnesia, nausesa or any other signs of a concussion. Should I be worried? Did I give myself a mild concussion dinging my head even though I did not knock myself out and I did not have a bump. What should I do for myself treatment wise? I don't want to worry but I haven't felt like myself the past few days. Please advise! Thanks so much.
be careful,light concusion  (+ info)

Concussion & Post-Concussion Syndrome?

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I was just diagnosed with a mild concussion and post-concussion disorder (I hit my head on a wooden fireplace mantle and have had an awful headache and dizziness for about 10 days, now). What do I do next? Rest and meds? Go about my daily life?
Well first of all you saw an idiot dr. if they didn't give you some guidance!

I hope that the rest and meds will do it for you and that all will be well soon. However, I still deal with post concussion syndrome (pcs) 5 years after the fact. I had to relearn how to get dressed. And as you can tell, when they tell you that you suffered a mild concussion, the symptoms can be anything but mild!

I can tell you more about what to expect if you tell me more about what you are dealing with. Is it just headaches and dizziness or are you dealing with other stuff too?

Also, I just answered a similar question for someone else. It might help as well: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An6UGwLpD6uOUpBW8pRUTY7sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20091203144440AAAt3jc  (+ info)

Is it possible that I have Post Concussion Syndrome?

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About 4 years ago, I received a mild concussion from a traveling carnival ride (they called it the scramble - the one where where three circular rales of carts spin and the whole spins as well creating a sense of being whipped from side to side.)

I think the operator had it on too fast and I immediately felt naucious and had the worste headache of my life. I felt like I was lucid for the next couple of days, but go better after a weeek and a half.

Two months later I went to a theme park and went on too many roller coasters. I felt naucious again so I went to see a doctor. They ran some tests that said I had a mild concussion - they told me it was probably aggravated the previous one. They told me avoid anything strenuous for some time and gave me some meds for the first few days, but no serious damage or anything.

I have noticed in the years following that I very susceptable to headaches whenever my head is jolted in a sudden direction. from spinning, heading a ball.
do youhave tunnel vision, scale your headaches for a month but saying this a c.t. scan would be a good option (you get a clearer picture make sure you have not got a tumour or fluid build up 'THEY DO SAY YOUR EARS ARE YOUR BALANCE' SO Best of luck mate and keep off the rides for a while at least...  (+ info)

I've been having a few symptoms of what I think is post concussion syndrome. Can I do any harm playing sports?

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I got a concussion for the first time in November playing varsity soccer and took a little over 3 months to recover. I started playing sports (basketball) at the end of February and felt fine for the most part. I started playing soccer again for my club team in the middle of March and collided with another girl's head going up for a header. I had a headache and a few minor symptoms for a week...I dont know if this was a minor concussion or just sensitivity...Lately (past 3-4 weeks) i realized that Ive been pretty fatigued, irritable and gone through many mood changes, had some trouble sleeping and focusing. Im not sure if this is post concussion syndrome or a minor concussion or my imagination...If it was PCS could I hurt my head anymore by playing soccer and lacrosse? Am I more likely to get a concussion?
You need to see a neurologist, and PRONTO!!!
You've had 2 concussions in under 5 months. Damage is cumulative-- just because you felt better does not mean you are OK or that you can play contact sports. Neurons in the brain stretch and shear and take a very long time to recover, if they ever do.-- we're talking years.
In the past year after pro-wrestler Chris Benoit murdered his family and then committed suicide because of brain damage due to numerous concussions, post-concussive syndrome in high school sports has been all over the news. Now, the recommendations include not sending a player back into the game if he/she has ANY symptoms of a concussion-- even if it's just feeling dazed. The other recommendation is NO contact sports after 3 concussions, no matter how "mild" they are or seem to be. Also, if a player is suspected of having a concussion, they need to be seen in the emergency room.
Tell your mom, and ask her to consult your primary care doctor and ask for a referral to a neurologist. This is serious and cannot wait.  (+ info)

post concussion syndrome, is it real?

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Done all the usual searches. But do you think it's real? Agitation, memory problems and even drinking too much? My friend had a grade 2 concussion with frontal lobe bruising, and we don't know if we should talk her in to going to a pricey specialist in Canada. Help? thanks.
thanks, guys! to clarify, we're talking a year later. She's just not the same. Injury from an accidental fall, so no emotional trauma or anything...
As far as I know, it just takes time for a person to regain all of their facilities after a concussion. Sometimes, it's a day, and sometimes it's weeks. People with a concussion initially forget everything completely so they don't really know if they are better or not.  (+ info)

Is adderall prescribed for post concussion syndrome?

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I received a concussion over a year ago after being hit by a car, the MRI showed no brain abnormalities and my neurologist said there is no way to tell when the symptoms will subside. I'm still experiencing a loss of focus and inability to concentrate as well as other symptoms. I read that these symptoms could last years. Do you think a doctor would prescribe ADD medication to me for post concussive symptoms?
I know what Adderall is normally prescribed for but if post concussive syndrome mimics ADD then wouldn't it be possible to be prescribed it?
  (+ info)

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