How long does post concussion head pain and cognitive fatigue last?

@raggedyanne
You may want to consider seeing a Speech and Language pathologist for an evaluation and treatment.

@emdlewis
yes, has been 5 years ago but was told that i shouldn't still be in pain...
that was 4 months after my initial fall and injuries. They found a ruptured disc. the headaches it came down to ocular migraines . broken floating rib didn't help any. as For the other issues you describe and the doctor not listening, i would be looking for another doctor. My daughter got lucky in that in her 5th try landed a good one and he treats us both. very talented younger man. i can only hope you find one that still cares about every patient that is his and treats them with respect. good luck. Have a rest of the day blessed and Ps, after time some of the symptoms have gotten better and no i did not get the disc repaired would have meant surgery and i am not for that at all after having a tumor removed from my brain.

@patty78962

I got whacked on the top of my head by a 10 foot long pole that jumped out of someone else's make-shift brackets 7 feet up. Gee it has been an interesting 10 months. 3 different vestibular physical therapists because I moved from a great one to be closer to my neurologist and other better medical services. 1 therapist was down right mean to me----so I dumped that office and person, reported her to Patient Relations and my neurologist. Have been going to a 3rd one but now she doesn't think she can fix my tipping walk, and dizziness when I look up. Saying this may be as good as I'm ever gonna be. Okay. That's hard for me because I used to walk a mile a day and now I can't. Can't follow the story line in a book or a movie with too many characters. I also mess up with words. I usually catch myself after I have said "bread" when I meant "bed". But that stuff is hard for our daughters and grand kids to witness. Once in a while to screw up is no big deal, but every day?
My sweet husband died of a rare cancer six days after diagnosis, almost 15 years ago. I can't comprehend 15 years. Even before the concussion I couldn't grasp 15 years. I found a great counsellor/therapist. He is young enough to be my son, but I can talk to him. He gives me tools to manage anxiety and depression and grief and trauma. In a week with too many of those he will see me twice in a week, we've done that a few times. I told him those extra sessions are helping him pay off his student loans. Every week he has me write a story about my husband --it has been a real help to me to remember the good times, the not so great times and the goofy ways my husband made me laugh during hard times.
I also am a writer, but now I don't have the patience for proofreading and I'd like to scream over the spell check--I know what word I want to use! I have witty remarks to share too, some of my friends say I should go to an Open Mic Night and do stand up comedy just telling life stories. But can I remember the punch line? I suppose I have to admit, being 75 and creeping up on 76 doesn't help my brain injury any either. My neurologist asked me how old I was. I said, "My license says I'm 75, but I'm in denial." When the heck did 75 creep up on me? Probably in the last 15 years when I've been in shock and a fog without my husband.

@raggedyanne You are so right! Everyone should obtain and keep copies of their medical records, and review them carefully to see if their doctor's not got his or her facts wrong, because it happens all the time. I also strongly encourage everyone to prepare a memorandum they give to every one of their doctors for inclusion in their file that details their history and pre-existing medical conditions before the onset of the condition for which they are seeking treatment. If that memo is in your medical record, then your doctor is charged with knowledge of its contents.

@gablou17

I was going to attend a special birthday party in March 2024, in Michigan, so, since I had heard Covid was coming to the USA on international flights, and 2 of my nephews were coming from London, and a niece from Texas, I got my first Covid vaccination.

2 days later my auto immune disease, Schleroderma, exploded into a flare, worse than when it all started back in 1981. I was covered in brown polka dots--not a look I recommend. My face and neck had the familiar itchy red, purple patches.

Medical conditions for women have only been researched in recent years. All other research has been on men. I like men, some of them, but why have women's health concerns been disregarded for centuries?

The first nincompoop dermatologist I went to said I had to see a rheumatologist before she could prescribe Prednisone or anything else to halt the spread. It took 8 months to see a rheumatologist. She asked me to tell her my Schleroderma story so I said it started in July 1981. Rheumatologist, said, "Wait a minute." She went to her computer and saw that the nincompoop doctor had said it started in February 2024. She asked me about that. I said, the Flare Up started in February 2024 after a Covid vaccination. She said, the Covid Vaccination ignited my immune system to attack where it had attacked before. She said if she had known I had had Schleroderma for over 40 years she would have gotten me in sooner.

What I learned: If you are receiving a referral to a new doctor you need a copy of it, so you can catch mistakes.

I would like to know how long Post Concussion Syndrome lasts too. 19 months here.

And @johannawest Thank you for your post. Your multitasking and math issues caught my attention.

I'm 19 months with PCS. I'm just now able to do some basic math without having to write it down like in elementary school or use a calculator for super simple add and subtract. I was a passenger in a car accident. I still have facial pain, regular headaches, wrong words coming out, spacing out or going completely blank when asked a question, needing to write things down, constant ringing that makes it difficult to sleep, have issues working computers/phones, lose track of time, and have trouble taking the stairs (walking down is more painful than walking up them). It took a year before I got my balance back and I credit neuro-feedback and infrared therapies. A lady told me about it and said insurance covered it (she had Cigna). An email would take me 3-5 days, if not a whole week - because if I didn't finish it, I'd have to start all over again. My train of thought was just gone - like POOF! then deer in headlights look. Then on the 20th or 30th attempt, I'd finally get it written and sent.

I don't have insurance and I don't know what happened, but the auto insurance closed the medical claim and ignored me. So I didn't get the medical attention I should have had, just thank God he was with me, because I barely remember the first 2-3 weeks. Was barely awake the first week, then forced myself to stay awake and moving around 2-4-6-8-10+ hours. The seat belt injuries were brutal. I used infrared therapy 5 hours a day and it still took 10 weeks for the deep bruises to dissipate, then months for the deep tissue pads to break up and go away. I never thought the cracked ribs were ever going to heal (4 months) and I still have a sore spot when the Doctor checks it.

Experts tell me I likely have facial fractures and 99+% just take time to heal. That like 1/10th of 1% require surgery.

My left eye socket/cheek area still hurt (a constant ache, headaches, and pressure like pushing a bean bag on your face & eye).

I was really worried I'm still having headaches, forgetfulness, pain in my face. So I saw an opthomologist. Good news is that he said all the testing looked good and that my vision was still 20/15. And he, like the other DRs, said to see a Neurologist. With no insurance or referral, doesn't seem likely I will see one.

My biggest frustration is how long it is taking and how slow (& small) the improvements are. I've given up everything I use to do, because I'm barely making it through the day. House and yard and behind and showing it.

I joke that I feel like I'm in a Gunsmoke episode, using old remedies. But I'm finding out many people are reverting to the tried & true home remedies for most things due to the high cost of healthcare. Even with insurance, they opt for alternative treatments over the expensive options with insurance.

If anything, do to my situation - I have a whole new respect for alternative therapies and homeopathic. I realize it is all based on thousands of years of Chinese medicine, just never needed it until now.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would be so devastating and life altering. And there are days where I get down and wonder if I'll be like this forever. Forgetting where I put things or key points makes it very difficult to socialize. Days of staring at the computer or phone, trying to remember what to click on.

Thank you

@jenniferctbisurvivor
Hello, I am also going into my seventh month and I am totally with you. It is hard going from a high functioning professional to managing a constant headache, overwhelming fatigue, cognitive challenges - not being able to motivate, multitask, read to no longer being able to process math (yet). Journaling has been a godsend as an outlet for how I am feeling (as my short term memory is shot) I can go back and see how much I have progressed. For 2 months I just sat in a chair and stared at the birds and the yard with no sense of time. Now I can speak clearly and I am no longer a fall risk. Thank goodness for my therapist’s! Keep up your therapy. Small wins add up. And keep up with this group! I am starting a new PT based on something I learned in group! Good luck & Thank goodness for this group!!!

I am a 69 year-old retired female attorney. I have likely suffered from ADHD and OCD all my life. I rode horses for 40 years (now retired), first over fences and then in dressage and suffered a number of concussions in horseback-riding mishaps over that time. I experienced post-Covid immunization brain fog after my two Pfizer shots in April 2021, and then suffered a TBI in a car accident that was not my fault a year later. Research of the impact of ADHD on the minds of seniors is still in its infancy. Despite my history, my issues -- brain fog, confusion, cognitive overload, exhaustion, my husband is typing this post because I can no longer navigate digital devices, etc. -- were "diagnosed" by no less than three treaters as Alzheimer's, which a blood test last May proved I didn't have. All other common neurodegenerative processes have been ruled out. A neuropsychologist who conducted an evaluation of my condition blew off the TBI I had sustained in the car accident, saying that because I had no skull fracture or intracranial bleed all effects of the TBI should resolve in 6 weeks to three months. After living with an Alzheimer's diagnosis for four years, my neurologist now says my deficits are the result of "chronic TBIs" exacerbated by anxiety. (Duh!). The ignorance and biases of the medical profession when it comes to these issues is profound, which makes all the more important Mayo's expertise and this chat group for mutual support. I encourage all of you, however, to prepare for yourself and your providers a very detailed medical history going back as far as you can remember and regularly update it with what you notice about your current deficits and how they change over time. Childhood illnesses, traumas, etc. can prove critical to any diagnosis. Don't assume that anything is unimportant. Let your providers decide what is relevant and what is not. And the nature and progress over time of your signs and symptoms -- what's gotten better, what's gotten worse -- is also critically important. Put it all in writing so you will always have it and can refer back to it and supplement it as needed. Above all, remember this was not your fault, be good to yourself, and stay strong.