[postconcussion]

hello,
im posting on behalf of my sister. she's had pcs for 2yrs and yesterday probably sustained a 2nd concussion. what may have just been a head jarring for anyone else caused her symptoms of a 2nd concussion so we went to ER.

of course we were sent home to rest and didnt get a CT scan as MD didnt want to give un-needed radiation. we will go back to ER if symptoms worsen significantly.

however just have some basic questions, as MDs dont open for a few hours....

would ibuprofen be better to take than tylenol this second day to reduce inflammation?
or would it be contraindicated as it thins blood?
she's taking ES tylenolx2=1000 mg but pain is still significant, she doesn't wanna take narcotics because it makes her feel like she's dangling over a cliff. mark, she tried your tylenol+aspirin combo, maybe we could try that.

it is a 40 min drive to the MD. i told her that is too big of a trip for today, maybe she should just rest today and we can go back to the ER if it is really bad...
any other recommendations for this critical day?
of course we will notify MD but you all have experience, too..

thank you!

thank you to all who post- she receives so much support from you.
i am so sorry for all of you who suffer from this.
my heart and prayers go out to you!!!!

[greenfrog]

I seem to recall that ibuprofen may be contraindicated in the acute phase post-injury, but I'm not an expert. Others may be more up on this issue. Does she have a concussion specialist you could consult on her behalf?

Hope your sister's symptoms lessen soon and that her recovery gets back on track quickly.

[Mark in Idaho]

I would give the Tylenol+aspirin a try again. 1000 mgs of each. I doubt the doctors will be much good. She just needs time. If she suddenly becomes woozy or has any difficulty walking or focusing or speaking, take her back to the ER. This is very unlikely to happen.

A head jarring can be a moderate concussion for many of us who have previous concussions. Pushing for a doctor's help after only a head jarring can be problematic. Many doctors will discount the head jarring as the cause of her problems.

She needs rest, low stimulation, and anything she can do to keep her blood pressure low.

She should take a break from the Tylenol every couple days. Maybe 12 to 18 hours without the Tylenol. It can be rough on the liver.

Hope she starts feeling better.

My best to you.