Ep. 52
If you’ve noticed changes in your libido since your concussion, or you feel more symptomatic after sex or orgasm, you are not alone. This is a question our team hears often, and it’s one many people find hard to ask out loud.

In this episode, Dr. Paul Hrkal, Dr. Cameron Marshall, and Melinda Krynen Hill answer a real member question about libido changes and symptom flares after intimacy, and break down the different layers that can be involved.


- Hormones can shift slowly after a concussion. The pituitary gland helps regulate reproductive, thyroid, and adrenal hormones. Changes can build gradually, sometimes 6 to 12 months or more after injury, rather than showing up right away.

- The nervous system and physical capacity both play a role. Arousal relies on a calm, parasympathetic state, while climax is a quick shift toward sympathetic activation. With autonomic imbalance after concussion, that shift can feel like a lot.

- Sex is also a form of exercise, so if your heart rate threshold is low, that can contribute to symptoms.

- Mood, confidence, and fatigue matter just as much. Living with symptoms can affect how we see ourselves. Fear, anxiety, low mood, and heavy fatigue can all lower desire, and each one points to a different kind of support. A rise in libido can also happen, and it can sometimes be a way of coping with loss.

Takeaways

Talk about it. Changes in intimacy are common, and sharing them with a provider or someone you trust is a helpful first step.

Work on isolating variables. A sub-symptom threshold exercise program can help you learn whether the physical effort of sex is a trigger, or whether something else is going on.

Consider getting objective information. Hormone testing and a mood evaluation can help you and your care team understand which layers apply to you.

Timestamps
0:30 Welcome and today’s member question
1:06 Hormones and the pituitary gland
2:51 The parasympathetic to sympathetic “toggle” and symptoms after orgasm
3:55 Fear, anxiety, and the nervous system response to intimacy
6:32 How PCS affects confidence, identity, and desire
8:14 Symptoms, fatigue, and exercise intolerance
10:01 Sub-symptom threshold exercise: how to isolate the physical variable
11:30 Four areas to explore and where to start
12:49 Hormone testing and working with your care team
13:53 Depression, anxiety, and fatigue: telling them apart
15:23 Why libido changes can sneak up months later
16:18 When libido increases: the hormone and coping perspectives
19:58 Parting words: normalize the conversation
23:19 Closing

Remember, recovery is possible. You are not alone.

Learn more about the Concussion Fix program for PCS - https://www.concussionfix.com/

Hear what people are saying about the Concussion Fix Program - https://concussiondoc.io/offer/love-page/

Take part in one of our free 90-minute patient workshops to learn how you can conquer your PCS - https://webinar.concussiondoc.io/s/qMKYfx

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about more valuable content on concussion recovery!

Learn more about the Concussion Fix program for PCS - https://concussiondoc.io/offer/the-concussion-fix/

Hear what people are saying about the Concussion Fix Program - https://concussiondoc.io/offer/love-page/

Take part in one of our free 90-minute patient workshops to learn how you can conquer your PCS - https://webinar.concussiondoc.io/s/qMKYfx


Remember, these insights are not medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment plan.

Intro song credit - I Feel Good - All Good Folks, Orfium (Hexacorp Ltd.)- downloaded from Uppbeat.io

Episode 50
If you have ever felt like anxiety, overwhelm, or a racing nervous system is making your concussion symptoms worse, you are not alone. And you are not imagining it.

In this episode, Melinda Krynen Hill guides Dr. Cameron Marshall and Nikki Fraser through three live nervous system regulation practices that you can use right now, wherever you are, no experience required.

Here is what they cover:
What the window of tolerance actually means and why it matters so much in concussion recovery
How grounding foot and palm presses can anchor your nervous system when you are feeling activated or overwhelmed
Why box breathing is one of the most accessible tools for managing high-distress moments, like right before a meeting or a difficult task
How the three-minute breathing space works and when to use it
The difference between hyperarousal and hypoarousal, and why going too deep too fast can actually leave you feeling worse
What to do if you drop into a numb, flat, or shutdown state after a regulation practice
Why seated meditation is not always the right tool when you are highly dysregulated, and what to do instead
How to use movement as a bridge back into your window of tolerance

Dr. Cam started the session at an 8 out of 10 on the distress scale and ended at a 3. Nikki moved from a 5 to a 2. These are simple practices. And they work.

If your nervous system feels like it is constantly running too hot, or sometimes completely shut down, this episode was made for you. Recovery is possible, and learning to regulate your nervous system is one of the most foundational steps in the process.

Visit www.concussionfix.com to learn more about the step-by-step Concussion Fix program and find the support you deserve. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Intro song credit - I Feel Good - All Good Folks, Orfium (Hexacorp Ltd.)- downloaded from Uppbeat.io


Learn more about the Concussion Fix program for PCS - https://www.concussionfix.com/

Hear what people are saying about the Concussion Fix Program - https://concussiondoc.io/offer/love-page/

Take part in one of our free 90-minute patient workshops to learn how you can conquer your PCS - https://webinar.concussiondoc.io/s/qMKYfx

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about more valuable content on concussion recovery!

Learn more about the Concussion Fix program for PCS - https://concussiondoc.io/offer/the-concussion-fix/

Hear what people are saying about the Concussion Fix Program - https://concussiondoc.io/offer/love-page/

Take part in one of our free 90-minute patient workshops to learn how you can conquer your PCS - https://webinar.concussiondoc.io/s/qMKYfx


Remember, these insights are not medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment plan.

Intro song credit - I Feel Good - All Good Folks, Orfium (Hexacorp Ltd.)- downloaded from Uppbeat.io

Episode 49

If you are living with persistent concussion symptoms and feel exhausted no matter what you do, this episode is for you.

Fatigue is one of the most common and most misunderstood symptoms in post-concussion syndrome. It is also one of the most layered. In Episode 49 of the Concussion Fix Podcast, Nikki Fraser sits down with Dr. Paul Hrkal and Melinda Krynen Hill to unpack many of the dimensions of PCS fatigue, from nutritional deficiencies and hormonal disruption to emotional exhaustion, deconditioning, and sensory overload.

This is not a one-size-fits-all conversation. The panel walks you through a systematic, detective-style approach to figuring out what is actually driving your fatigue so you can stop guessing and start addressing the right things in the right order.

Here is what they cover in this episode:

• Why emotional exhaustion is the most overlooked cause of fatigue in PCS, and why validating it first changes everything
• How iron deficiency and B12 deficiency can quietly drain your energy, and why concussion often surfaces these pre-existing issues
• The role of the pituitary gland and why concussion can disrupt thyroid function, cortisol, testosterone, growth hormone, and more
• Why standard blood panels often miss adrenal dysfunction, and what kind of testing actually gives you accurate results
• What morning fatigue specifically tells you about your cortisol and adrenal health
• Why waking up tired after a full night of sleep is a completely separate problem from not sleeping enough
• How physical deconditioning after concussion turns ordinary daily tasks like grocery shopping or riding transit into exhausting events
• Why sensory overload from light and noise is itself a significant source of fatigue, and how graduated exposure helps rebuild tolerance
• The emotional weight of identity loss, life disruption, and the pressure to be who you were before your injury
• How clinical depression and anxiety, even mild versions, drain neurochemical and physical energy
• A simple pen-and-paper self-assessment Dr. Hrkal recommends to identify your personal fatigue drivers
• How to find a therapist or counsellor who understands traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, and life transitions
• Why sub-symptom-threshold cardiovascular exercise is one of the most evidence-based tools for rebuilding energy capacity
• How the Concussion Fix Pyramid guides you to address emotional and nervous system regulation before jumping into clinical testing

The most important thing to know is this: PCS fatigue is not laziness, weakness, or something you just have to live with. It is multifactorial, it is real, and there is a clear, structured path to understanding and addressing it.

Explore the full step-by-step Concussion Fix program at www.concussionfix.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you can be notified about more valuable content on concussion recovery!

Learn more about the Concussion Fix program for PCS - https://concussiondoc.io/offer/the-concussion-fix/

Hear what people are saying about the Concussion Fix Program - https://concussiondoc.io/offer/love-page/

Take part in one of our free 90-minute patient workshops to learn how you can conquer your PCS - https://webinar.concussiondoc.io/s/qMKYfx


Remember, these insights are not medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment plan.

Intro song credit - I Feel Good - All Good Folks, Orfium (Hexacorp Ltd.)- downloaded from Uppbeat.io