Motorcycle wreck with VP shunt & concussion

[csmissingtexas]

I had a VP shunt placed 3 months ago and the tubing shortened 1 month ago(just the abdomen part revised). I lost control of my motorcycle on Sunday and crashed going approx 20-30mph. I did not hit any objects other than my bike and the ground(concrete, dirt & rocks). I was wearing all of my protective gear-thank goodness! I did get checked out in the ER with a shunt series & CT and all came back clear. Other than the cuts and bruises, they diagnosed me with cervical strain and a concussion. I did hit my head-although I do not remember it but my helmet shows it & I am sore. I did not lose consciousness. I have been nauseous and dizzy ever since the accident and it has gotten worse. I feel dizzy just looking at things & when I close my eyes. I am taking Zofran for the nausea. My "pressure" headache has grown in size and strength since the ER yesterday. I am on lortab 7 for my previous pain from the surgery-so I feel I am used to the meds and I want to rule that out for how I feel. I am also extremely tired to where I feel as if I could fall asleep anywhere at anytime. I feel weird like I have been drugged-even though I am taking less of the lortab than I took the day before. The lortab never makes me feel like this. My chiropractor(who I saw today) was pretty concerned that I was falling over and that my eyes would dialate & contract without changes in lighting & could not focus. My question is, Should I be concerned that my symptoms are getting worse even though the CT came back clear right after the wreck? I forgot where I put the paper they sent me home with and what they said.

Thanks for your help!

[csmissingtexas]

Thank you! I will call the Dr this morning and let them know how I am feeling and see what they want to do from here. I just hate to bug them if this is normal. I have been on lortab for a long time & actually get wired from it. So the tiredness is something that is really odd to me along with the other symptoms. I was hoping I would wake up without symptoms this morning.

Thanks again!

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. The dizziness could be due to hydrocodone in lortab or an increasing intracranial pressure. You will need to be under constant neurosurgical surveillance since you have been having worsening of headache, dizziness and increased sleepiness. Check if the neurosurgeon would like to revise the shunt by surgical means since the abdominal end was shortened. An MRI head would also be warranted to look for increasing intracranial pressure, dilated ventricles and compressed gyri requiring surgical drainage. Hope this helps. Take care.