Originally Posted by worriedmama

I found your site after months of googling...I'm hoping some light can be shed on this. My apologies if this is horribly long. It has been extremely complicated and we are at the end of our rope. We are in desperate need of help.

My son, 16, was pushed backwards by a friend in March while horsing around. He fell through some bushes and his his head on a very low (1.5ft'?) brick retaining wall. This happened on a Friday night. He did not let us know he had hit his head until Monday afternoon. Over that weekend, he did not complain of anything unusual except for headaches, which we attributed to seasonal allergies. Monday afternoon, after complaining of dizziness, confusion, nausea and headache, he told me what had happened and I took him to the ER. A PA looked him over and said he was fine. (She looked in his eyes w lights on, felt he was being overly dramatic, and offered no scans.)

Tues, headaches got worse, light & sound sensitivity, difficulty communicating...took him to pediatrician Wednesday who immediately referred us to concussion specialist & CT scan.

Thurs, concussion specialist felt concussion symptoms were unusually strong for 6 days post and upon learning my migraine history, sent us to the ER to have what specialist thought was migraine "broken" with a migraine cocktail (which includes everything from benadryl to thorazine). Son seemed to heal upon completion of cocktail, had MRI and (repeat) CT scan and sent home.

Went to beach for a week. Son still had headaches, confusion, nausea, dizziness but was getting better. Following week, began amitriptyline for insomnia and started back to school on staggered schedule...needy girlfriend broke up with him bc he was "different." STRESS.

Week after that, saw concussion spec again (Fri). Confusion had increased, and son failed 2nd ImPACT test, worse than first time. Son came out of testing room agitated and miserable, unable to make eye contact. Took him to school to meet w team and he was not himself at ALL. Stopped amitrityline, began trazodone after dr saw imPACT test results.

Sat, lost all memory of seeing friends for hours and movie. Behaved strangely, standing in odd places, just not himself. Sunday, my son lost all memory of who we were, who he was, and where we lived. I called CS and talked w after-hours nurse who said get him to ER. ER treated him w another migraine cocktail (after first checking for stroke), and undefined mental condition; post concussion syndrome. They send us home.

That week, we saw Hell. Son became tortured, paranoid, hearing voices and suicidal. My husband had to sleep in sons room with the door barricaded to ensure son wouldn't run away in the middle of the night (son was terrified he would run away to kill himself or kill us). Not knowing what was going on, or what was happening, this continued for a week. On that Sunday night, 7 days after psychosis(?) began, we took son to the ER to be admitted for inpatient psychiatric treatment.

Son was in inpatient for 7 days. Psychiatrists put him on Risperdone/Risperdal (3mg) and son has gotten better since. (Inpatient was now 5 wks ago) Son is now in outpatient psychiatric treatment, still with occasional migraines that amplify symptoms, daily auditory hallucinations (just random words over & over in pattern, nothing malicious he claims), and worsening depression.

Son is/was extremely bright, friendly, social, cross country runner, on his way to Eagle Scout, active in school events, etc. and we are terrified he will never be the same again. No prior neurological or psychiatric issues.

Psychiatrists have given us VERY little information about what or how this has happened, or how unusual it is. (Concussion specialist has since washed his hands of the case - assuming liability concerns, I'm sure.) Every day brings worry for us, and waiting for another shoe to drop.

Son is now currently on 3mg Risperdal, Buspar (anxiety med), fish oil & vitamin D and in the evening gets 5mg melatonin, combo melatonin/magnesium/triptophan OTC sleep aig, 1tsp Natural Calm magnesium and 3-4g glycine. Nightmares are out of control, he claims. He is able to roll over and go back to sleep however. We are considering putting him on a ketosis diet.

HAS ANYONE HAD THIS HAPPEN? Anyone heard of anything like this? Any support? Research? Insight? Advice? Please help us. Please.

- worriedmama