Please help me w/ basic info; I'm new to ever posting anywhere
I had a leg cramp last night, which woke me up. I got out of bed trying to work it out & next thing I knew I was on the floor having hit the back of my head on a dresser. I don't know if I lost consciousness. Head bled, could have used a stitch or 2, but stopped w/ pressure.

I was woozy & had blurred vision (but wear contacts & didn't have them on--vision fine now). What worried me was that I took 2 advil (I now know that was contraindicated!) & upon lying back down, I then became nauseous & vomited. Vomited @ 2x after that. I am a clinical social worker & cancelled my clients today as I did not think I would do them justice. I have slept most of day & feel better, but still feel woozy when shifting my head right or left.

What I am worried @ is something happening like Natasha Richardson. I am a breast cancer survivor 2 yrs now & so was kicked off good insurance & only have a policy w/ super high deductible. Am single mother of 2 & cannot afford to seek medical attention, unless I am dying.

So, basically, just want some comforting odds that my dying is unlikely & my symptoms are "normal" & will get better w/ time & any ideas on what can help.

Thanks so much for any info.

Again, I really cannot go to ER & pay for treatment.

Champ,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. You have found the right place.

I doubt you have a brain bleed like Natasha Richardson. You would be dead already. You are doing the right thing. Quiet rest is the best treatment. The Advil is OK.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Eat healthy. You are so early that you may get better without much special care. If you continue to struggle after a week or two, let us know what is going on.

If you continue to vomit and get an extreme head ache or have any change in motor skills, especially if one side works different than the other, get to the ER. Do not drive yourself. Call 911 if needed.

My best to you.

Dear Mark in Idaho,

This is EXACTLY what I needed. No surprise coming from you w/ your comforting quote at the end. I also was most interested in your vitamin recommendation & will try that, too. I have not had alcohol since Katrina hit NOLA & quit caffeine @ 4 yrs ago. My downfall is sugar, but NO longer after last night!

I read your profile & am so sorry you have had unbelievable amount of concussions & your head certainly seems to be cognitively functioning much better than most .

Again, many thanks for your comforting advice. I am still dizzy if I move my head to either side, but hoping that will pass.

Also, do you know why when I responded w/ what I thought was some helpful info to several members' posts w/ a website for meditations that UCLA (I am not affiliated w/ them at all) offers for free meditations, that it seems the site's address was censored? I was just trying to pass on something the members could readily use that is free & helpful.

I think this is your answer, Champ: "Last edited by Jo*mar; Today at 09:14 PM. Reason: sorrry no linking for new members"

You'll get permission to post links when you hit a higher post total.

Sorry for your accident, I hope it all works out for you. You are only 2 days into it now so you are totally in the early stage of healing. You are quite likely to have a complete recovery, although nothing is guaranteed. Just get lots of rest (brain rest, like don't watch TV or read or do anything you can avoid) and follow all of Marks' advice. And let us know how it goes.

Ibuprofen can cause bleeding. The day my son had his accident, he didn't tell me he hit his head or had a headache. He did take 2 Advil. After a few hours, he told me it caused him to have strange sensations in his head, like popping and tiny lights going off, wooziness and pain.

Not knowing yet that he was injured, I thought he had some kind of allergic reaction. It reminded me of a sort of similar reaction to a high blood pressure medication I'd had a couple years earlier. I had allllll the side effects and spent a day in ER.

It was a few weeks before I realized the Advil had at least contributed to his injury by worsening the slow bleed that probably had started by then, or maybe it even set it off, the "last straw". In any case, 3 days later he had major brain surgery to stop the bleeding and drain it out.

I'm fairly sure he'd be safe enough with it now that the bleeding has healed, but it would definitely be contraindicated for several weeks after a head injury, regardless. I'm not sure I'd ever trust he'd be okay with it. I'm pretty sure he won't want to try, he will probably always think he's allergic and I wouldn't argue with him about it if he does.

"If you’re suffering from headaches following a closed head injury, take a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol). Avoid pain relievers such as aspirin (Bayer), ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve), which all can cause increased bleeding, according to Dr. Stiner. “In rare cases , there could be a small, undiagnosed bleed in the brain. Medications that increase bleeding can turn a small bleed into a major hemorrhage quickly.”

How to Treat a Closed Head Injury | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2301456_trea...#ixzz20qNCTbHY


P.S. Champ, my son had suffered a skull fracture in a bike accident and he either didn't realize it was that bad or was too scared to say anything. I'm sure your injury is very mild and nothing even close to being severe as my son's, it is very unlikely that you have a bleed. NOT to worry!! I was just pointing out that you were right, ibuprofen IS contraindicated and it is certainly safer to not take it for a few weeks.

Dear Scott in Fenton,

Thanks for clearing up the mystery of no link showing AND thanks so much for the advice of no tv or reading...I was just going to watch a video in bed on this laptop. I really need to just listen to my body, b/c the idea of doing anything feels most discomforting right now.

I am hoping to be able to see 5 clients tomorrow & wondering (DUMB question coming that will ultimately be embarrassing) if I feel fine and able to have psychotherapy sessions will that constitute "brain work" & be damaging ala reading & tv?

I can reschedule some who aren't in any dire need, but feel some do need to see me.

Again, so many thanks for your support. Champ

Thanks so much for the info, MommaBear AND so glad to hear your son is doing well now. It was stupid of me to forget @ advil's blood thinning properties. I was thinking it might work as an anti-inflammatory on my brain & alleviate some pain.

I hope I didn't worsen or start bleeding due to the 2 I took at the time. I also threw up shortly after, so maybe I hadn't quite digested it. Today, I've only had 2 tylenol, but been in bed all day. Tomorrow, I have to work @ 5 hrs & hope I'll be ok.

Again, thanks for your care, Champ

Champ,

To answer your question, what activities can you engage in that don't use your brain?

Yeah, that's right; we use it for everything we do. So, maybe make sure you evaluate how you feel after seeing your first client, and be prepared to cancel the others. Do this after every client, just to be sure. If you push yourself to get through them all, and assume you can "deal" with the effects until you get home, the truth is you are damaging your brain that way. There is no "toughing" out a concussion. The symptoms will get worse every time you do this, or extend the length of time needed for recovery.

I know you said you can't afford to go to the ER, but if you had a medical diagnosis of concussion, you would have an excuse to not work for a few days and get some rest. It's something to think about, anyway.

Thanks, again, Scott. You are SO right @ the importance of rest. I think I slept 16-18 hrs yesterday & can recognize improvement today. Dizziness still here when I move head at anything but a snail's speed. I work for myself & my office is in my house, which makes it easier. I VERY much appreciate & KNOW you must be right @ resting the brain now or having worse recovery; it will be a challenge of which I am going to ever mindful.

SO many thanks again for weighing in w/ your helpful advice & support. Champ

I can't tell you how many times doctors have told me to take Advil after a head injury. I have also been on aspirin therapy for decades. No cautions about this after a concussion.

I am well aware of the bleeding issue with Advil or aspirin. My knuckles bleed like a stuck pig when I injured them in a knuckle-buster.

It is common to get cautions about using aspirin, Advil, etc. for children.

There is a question that I have never found the answer to. Blood thinners are often recommended to enhance blood flow through the brain. Does this better flow lower intracranial blood pressure lessening the risk of a bleed? This is one of the conundrums of aspirin and Advil, etc.

But, if Dr Stiner says No, No means No.

Either way, it is important to be aware of changes in symptoms. Bleeds rarely show up immediately after the impact. MRI's or CT's will show bleeds best at about 72 hours. If severe head aches or motor dysfunction are present, get to the ER. If any strange symptoms manifest, at least a call to the doctor or advice nurse is called for. Many health plans and even hospitals have free medical advice services.

The UCLA Mindfulness Meditation programs are based on the Buddhist pursuit of 'enlightenment.' It is one of the latter steps in this process. Christians may want to be aware of this.