26 days post concussion -still miserable
 

My son is almost 10 and sustained what we thought was a minor concussion 26 days ago. His headache, dizziness, and confusion have only gotten worse as time goes on. He's been reasonably compliant w/ no tv, video games, etc. He hasn't been to school all month. He's been to the concussion clinic and sees a neurologist on Wed of next week. Has this happened to others? What can I do to help him feel better? He does not respond to ibuprofin. The pediatrician won't prescribe anything else. Thanks for any advice!

joe's mom,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your son's struggles. I know how hard it can be for a mom to watch a child struggle.

Has you son's doctor said anything about Tylenol and aspirin? Together, they can provide some very good pain relief.

He will benefit from nutritional supplements. Ask the doctor if he can be blood tested for B-12 and folate levels. These need to be at about 1000 pgm/mL for B-12 and above 20 for folate. They are important for brain healing and protection. Omega 3's and D3 are also helpful plus all of the anti-oxidants.

Some have had good success with Acetyl-L Carnitine supplements, too.

What does the concussion clinic tell you? Have they suggested any meds other than the ibuprofen?

Is he doing any physical activity? Some simple things like a gentle walks to help keep blood circulating is good.

Is he trying to keep up with his school work? This is not recommended.

Remember, the brain is slow to heal and recover. Some even get worse over the first 6 weeks or so after a concussion due to the cascade of events happening in the brain. A 10 year old brain is already very busy trying to grow and mature.

Hope he can find some level of comfort soon.

My best to you both.

If you have the time, try getting him engaged in some fun activities that you can do with him.

It must be hard for him to not play Xbox or watch TV, but if you can substitute that with fun activities like solving jigsaw puzzles, playing games like sudoku, maybe teach him how to play chess if he's receptive to it...

...I'm not sure if that would be too much of a mental strain on him but if he can do it then it's a great alternative activity for him.

If a parent/guardian is getting involved in the activity with him he might become more immersed in it.

As per usual, lots of rest is good for him as well.

I hope your son gets well soon.

Give him some coloring books and crayons so he has something to do that is less stressful for the brain than activities like watching TV and playing video games.

I'm 34 and I've been coloring a lot in the past few weeks in an effort to do something while I'm dealing with healing from a concussion/brain injury. I just bought some new coloring books on Amazon.

Space, comfort and love minus pressure
 

Hi Joe's Mom,

I am sorry to hear about your son. I think that you should make him feel comfortable and loved and don't put him under any sort of pressure to do stuff.

Critical is to make sure that he doesn't do any activities that might give him a second injury to the brain while he is still recovering.

I had a concussion at that age and it took months before I was fully over it, but I did get there in the end. I would just give him a peaceful environment to heal in and let nature take its course, supplemented by good nutrition and maybe a few dietary supplements.

I would make sure that he isn't bothered by other kids or siblings. Having them playing around him might make him feel worse.

Every brain injury is different, so you will just have to ask him if certain things are making him feel worse.

Personally, I have had no problems watching TV, in fact I find that it helps because it keeps your head in one position and it is quite passive. So, if he wants to do certain things, just ask him how he feels and say that if something is making him feel worse then he should stop. Don't let any other kids pressure him into playing things though. They don't have a brain injury so they will always be up for anything. You need to protect him from those sort of influences.

In other words, give him space to get better.

Hope it works. I have confidence in the plasticity of younger brains. Having had serious concussions as a kid and in middle age, it sure seems like younger brains can recover better.

All the best.
CS

good day yesterday
 

Thanks so much for the replies and suggestions. Joe had his best day yet yesterday. We went out for ice cream and took a short walk - about 2 blocks. At first, he said he couldn't make it back. He felt too dizzy, but when a friend offered a ride I guess he felt embarrassed and walked back. By the time he got home, the dizziness was better. And, he fell asleep and slept all night for the first time.

To pass the time at home, we've been cooking a lot together. He has also been doing some crafts. I bought him a pottery wheel and school has sent some supplies home.

I'm definitely going to ask about supplements and the tylenol w/ aspirin.

Thanks again!

My heart breaks for you. Been there, AM there. My son got progressively worse days 3-21ish then leveled off for quite some time.

We played a lot of board games. Was interesting to watch. He couldn't form answers to many questions BUT he could strategize to win every single game!

We instilled a nap time daily which he looked forward to. He could watch TV, so we did a lot of that (in the dark).

He had only one or two friends who would come spend time with him and wanted to understand what was going on.

Just try to stay upbeat but not perky. Offer suggestions of things to do like the others mentioned. Take time for yourself too!

Please feel free to message me, I'd love to talk with you more.

--jenny

I'm so sorry for you and your son, as i know just how you feel! My son, also named Joey, who is 8 years old suffered a concussion 8 weeks ago playing soccer. His biggest complaint are bad headaches. Nothing seems to help him. Anvil and Tylenol do not work. The concussion specialist prescribed amitriptyline two weeks ago in hopes that would help but no relief so far. My son is a big sports kid...lacrosse, hockey, soccer, baseball, tennis, golf, surf. It's been so heartbreaking for me to see him not being able to do anything and be suffering for so long. He seemed to have a set back this past week and
didn't go to school at all. Typically he goes for three hours a day. I wish I could tell you something that would help but I'm searching myself. I do find though that he likes when I rub his back, it calms him down and also I put a cold facecloth on his head. He rests a lot and I read to him. I really hope your son feels better soon! I'm seeing our specialist today to see what else we can do and I will let you know. Take Care!

Joe's Mom how is your son?
 

Hi- Just wanted to see how your son is doing and if he is continuing to feel better. My son still feels miserable 8 weeks later so I was just curious. Hope everything is great!