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Suggest Treatment After Traumatic Brain Injury
Question: Dr sheppe (psychiatrist) my history is i had a fall almost 4 years ago of a caraven banged the left side of my body my head hurts all the time feal like something is moveing around inside when i try to do any exersize my neck head feals like its going to pop & feal like i am being strangeled & cant breath my heart is going very very fast more that 100mbpm
Brief Answer:
Consultation
Detailed Answer:
Thank you very much for using my private service. I now consider you my private patient and will do everything I can to assist you.
I have looked over your electronic reports including the MRI of your brain.
My opinion about what is going on here involves two diagnoses. First, you have experienced traumatic brain injury. Second, you are experiencing panic attacks.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a term that means you have suffered a head injury that is now causing symptoms. The good news is that your MRI report is basically normal, which means there is no serious structural damage. But that does not mean you are not having very real symptoms. Common symptoms after TBI are headache, nausea, and neck stiffness. For treatment of headache, I recommend consulting a neurologist to consider treatment for migraines. This might include a beta-blocker, an NSAID, and/or a triptan. This pain should decrease with the right medications.
Now, the sensations you are describing such as feeling like things are moving around in your head, feeling like you cannot breathe, with a very rapid heartbeat are all symptoms of a panic attack. You are having an anxiety response that is disproportionate to the situation, meaning that you are actually very safe and nothing is imminently wrong with your body, but your body is signalling a fight-or-flight response that is making you feel very strange. The good news is this is very treatable. I would start an SNRI such as venlafaxine to combat these attacks, which also has a bonus because SNRIs are also used in the treatment of chronic pain.
Let me know what you think, and if you have further questions.
Dr. Sheppe
Consultation
Detailed Answer:
Thank you very much for using my private service. I now consider you my private patient and will do everything I can to assist you.
I have looked over your electronic reports including the MRI of your brain.
My opinion about what is going on here involves two diagnoses. First, you have experienced traumatic brain injury. Second, you are experiencing panic attacks.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a term that means you have suffered a head injury that is now causing symptoms. The good news is that your MRI report is basically normal, which means there is no serious structural damage. But that does not mean you are not having very real symptoms. Common symptoms after TBI are headache, nausea, and neck stiffness. For treatment of headache, I recommend consulting a neurologist to consider treatment for migraines. This might include a beta-blocker, an NSAID, and/or a triptan. This pain should decrease with the right medications.
Now, the sensations you are describing such as feeling like things are moving around in your head, feeling like you cannot breathe, with a very rapid heartbeat are all symptoms of a panic attack. You are having an anxiety response that is disproportionate to the situation, meaning that you are actually very safe and nothing is imminently wrong with your body, but your body is signalling a fight-or-flight response that is making you feel very strange. The good news is this is very treatable. I would start an SNRI such as venlafaxine to combat these attacks, which also has a bonus because SNRIs are also used in the treatment of chronic pain.
Let me know what you think, and if you have further questions.
Dr. Sheppe
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
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