I fell down a flight of stairs 4 weeks ago today. I was unconscious for about 25 minutes. I went to the emergency room, stayed overnight, CT about 4 hours after the fall that they said was normal and was then released. I had amnesia including memories before the fall and about 3 hours after. I also had a personality change after becoming conscious and was reported as very combative and resistant to medical help.
I vomited once I returned home. I started having severe dizziness as soon as I remember. I went to my general doctor a few days after. He did some cognitive tests, looked at my eyes, and suggested OTC meclizine. I tried to return to work with that medication the next day but was sent home due to walking unbalanced and getting really dizzy. I then started having vertigo. The end of the second week I passed out once. I returned to my doctor and he referred me to an audiologist. This week I went to a balance center and was diagnosed with severe vertigo in both ears as well as something I forget the name of which she described as my eyes not communicating with my ears. I was treated that day and am scheduled for two more treatments.
The location of my head injury was on the temporal lobe behind my left ear. I also have soreness on the top of my head right above the wound. Aside from the dizziness and vertigo, I get sporadic severe head pains.
After my first treatment I am feeling sore, tired, still dizzy (faint dizzy not vertigo). After all that background, my question is: When can I return to work? Should I be driving? Is it safe to exercise? My regular doctor has given me no guidelines for this besides to base it on how I feel. I feel pretty bad and don't want to return to work, but it has been a month and I don't know how much better I'm going to feel. Also, is 4 hours long enough to wait on a CT? I've read that sometimes it takes days to see damage. Should I see an neurologist?