Need some help/info for anyone who has experience with concussions

TimothyPhoenix
TimothyPhoenix Posts: 79 Member
edited November 15 in Fitness and Exercise
I have three children who have played contact sports for years. I too played contact sports growing up but have had no experience with concussion. About 10 days ago my 10 year old son sustained a concussion while wrestling. We have followed the doctor's order to a "T" (No video games, limited TV, no strenuous physical activity, etc). He was completely symptom free on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Monday he said he had a light headache. Today he went back to school after being off since Wednesday and his headaches came back and were "pounding" as he described them. Is this normal for him to be symptom free for three days and then for the symptoms to come back without even getting back to strenuous physical activity.

I am becoming concerned and frustrated. The ER doctor said he should be be fine in a few days. His follow up with his family doctor was different as he said it could be 1-3 weeks before he is completely better. I guess I thought after three days being symptom free he was fine but now with symptoms returning I'm frustrated.

Thanks for any information/advice.

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  • Unknown
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  • Geiger445
    Geiger445 Posts: 5 Member
    Same happen to son last year during football. Kept him out a solid two weeks. Doc said it could have been the fluorescent lighting at school that was triggering headaches or while he wore his glasses to read. His head is back to being a rock
  • TimothyPhoenix
    TimothyPhoenix Posts: 79 Member
    Thanks for the info so far. Does anyone have any experience with symptoms going away and then coming back?
  • EHAMum
    EHAMum Posts: 8 Member
    My daughter (then 8) had concussion last year. We were told 6 weeks no strenuous activity. I have no experience of symptoms coming and going. If I were you, I'd go back to the hospital.
  • TimothyPhoenix
    TimothyPhoenix Posts: 79 Member
    I have heard of pro athletes being symptom free and getting back to hard workouts and symptoms coming back but in his case he just went back to school. I'm thinking maybe the reading, writing, and concentration level required for school was what brought the symptoms back.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    TimothyPhoenix wrote: »
    Thanks for the info so far. Does anyone have any experience with symptoms going away and then coming back?

    Yes. Banged my head in mountain bike crashes enough to have suffered at least 5 concussions that I am aware of, two were rather severe. Headaches came and went for weeks and weeks with one of them, months for the other severe one. It's called post-concussion syndrome. Mix in dizziness as well.

    Most mild/moderate concussions will have the majority of the headaches over in 7-10 days, and all symptoms gone in 3 months. Even those, though, can have a symptom pop up again for a year or more.

    Take it seriously, but also do your due diligence and read up on it.



  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,692 Member
    Concussion after a bicycle crash in 2007. I'm not sure if they symptoms went away and came back, I had a lot of other things on my mind like trying to ready myself for a 400 km bicycle ride in two days time (I only managed to ride about 250 km of it), and wondering why my left arm/shoulder suddenly had a whole lot more flexibility than it had ever had before (turns out it was separated). I do, however, remember lots of headaches.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    Every brain injury is different (and a concussion is a brain injury). Recovery will be different for everyone. Some people may not experience headaches after a few days, some may for weeks, months or even years. I would find a good doctor who works with concussions, not your regular pediatrician, but someone who works with concussions.

    My husband suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. I know this isn't the same as a concussion but trust me when I say you need to find a good doctor who knows concussions and you need to ask him/her these questions.
  • scg17
    scg17 Posts: 88 Member
    They can come and go for quite a while. Just use good judgement. I have had at least three from horseback riding.
  • TimothyPhoenix
    TimothyPhoenix Posts: 79 Member
    Thank you all for the information.
  • FFeric
    FFeric Posts: 100 Member
    3 days is a pretty short time period to be asymptomatic; many professional athletes are out several weeks if not more after a serious concussion. Don't be discouraged if it's only been a few days. It's way better to error on the side of caution when you're dealing with developing brains and bodies. You should also be aware of the possibility of secondary impact syndrome. And as a previous poster said, find a neurosurgeon if you can...if you blew your knee out you would probably see an orthopedic doc and take their advice over an ER doc on long term prognosis and treatment. If you are really having concerns, it should be no different with your brain.
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