I had a mild one in my twenties. I don't believe for me it had anything to do with why I have CFS/ME. I do know the reason why I have CFS/ME and it's has to do with mold exposure.

I had a bad concussion just before developing CFS; would be interested in seeing if there's a connection!

Had 3 as a young child. They do not play a role in the cognitive impairment I've gotten from mold exposure, CFIDS/ME. This does not mean that they couldn't play a role in your situation. The important part of all this is to understand that more research, good questions, personal experiences and answers are much needed.

I've had brain scans done and histories taken. I've had several concussions - at least one after becoming ill. You can actually see them all on a SPECT scan - some of mine are close to half a century old. They cause blank areas on the scan that look like dents in your brain. But they do not cause this illness. Like nomem, it took mold exposures to do this to me.

I know you're probably thinking about football players and boxers and such. Sure -you can injure your brain through repeated blows that way. But you can also injure it chemically, through chronic exposures. On MRI's I have the bright spots (ubo's) often seen in us and sometimes in people with MS - but I don't have any lesions. Those are a different type of scar tissue. This isn't something you have to really wonder about much, because we do have the technology now to look right at it all. You can look up these types of scans or a pathology site via google and see pictures of them all. They ARE clearly different, and you can see it for yourself. Pretty cool - though it's intensely weird when you have pix of your own brain to look at.

The only thing I thought was off the wall was that I got a diagnosis of ADD because of the brain fog and the way the scans looked. Then, the defense attorneys tried to claim ADD is lifelong and I had only been hiding it all these years. Ummm....hello. Nobody could 'hide' ADD and come up with that kind of academic record. If anything, I'd had unusually good powers of concentration. So either the doc said ADD so he could legitimately prescribe ADD meds to help me out, or else we need a word beyond brain fog to describe this particular kind of brain injury - because it sure as heck wasn't there before the mold, even if it does amount to a functional kind of ADD now.

All I know is, when I'm off the meds, I can't read or write or remember anything much at all - can't pay attention long enough to find any given memories. You really couldn't tell it from Alzheimers without a brain scan. But this IS something different. It's encephalopathy - the 'E' in ME. It's brain damage, right enough - just not from getting bopped on the head. For me, treating it like ADD works out pretty well, though others caution against it. But for this, I'd definitely be in a home or something by now due to the inability to handle my own affairs.

Just some other ways to look at it....

Never had a concussion but did have seizures as a child. I used to be SHARP and I mean SHARP. Even into my 50's I didn't forget things very often. Now? I'm lucky if I remember to wear deodorant. I have checklists on the insides of my medicine cabinet like a kid learning to pee in the toilet.. If I brush my teeth I get to check it off. If I took my vitamins? I check it off. Because I am addicted to Dr. Pepper lip gloss and keep it in my medicine cabinet I open it twice a day and see my lists in front of my face.

I may have plenty of scar tissue but it didn't cause this. I have a theory about what caused mine that is a combo of other things. First off, I test positive for a biotoxin disease of some sort. Within the next couple of months I will begin treatment for that. Another member hear told me about genetic markers for stress ... I am CERTAIN I'm chock full of them due to my family's history (and therefore my own.) For me personally, I KNOW my ability to handle stress has deteriorated GREATLY since I've been sick. I wonder if my cup just literally overflowed and my body couldn't fight it off anymore.

Thanks for your comments. Just interesting that 4/5 or 80% of those that responded have had a concussion. If you include seizures as something that could injure the brain, then 100% have had some type of brain injury. Interesting.

I've had 2 serious head injuries. one when i was about 4 or 5 and another at age 11. Shortly after the 2nd one is when my symptoms started. Supposedly fibro starts with an injury and CFIDs starts with an infection. I've got both and I've had both.

Nope, never had a concussion.

OK, now it is 6/8 or 75% of the people who have responded have had concussions. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Yes, I had one when I was 12. Very anxious to see the outcome of this study.
Karyn

I have had two concussions - one at age 22 and then again at age 24. But I have fought fatigue since I was a child. I started losing battles with fatigue when I was in my late 30s. I finally lost the war in my mid 40s. I wouldn't count out a link to the two.

We have had 10 responses. Seven people said yes to having concussion, 8 if you count seizures as a type of brain injury. 80%, interesting.

I personally have never had one or any hard blow to my head in my life. But I am beginning to believe that there are many contributing factors for cfs. This could be one for some.