Post-Concussion Healing

Question:
I fell transferring in a bathroom…knocked my back of head hard on a concrete wall. Vertigo and vomiting next day. This was 6 days ago and I am still not well. Slight nausea and fuzzy woozy feeling and shaky and vision. Just feel overall lethargic. I read Vitamins D and B were good for post-concussion healing.

I went to an Internist today that does vitamin IV infusions. He said they make one for a “concussion cocktail” well I ordered one and did blood…do you think these infusions will help heal my brain?

Answer:
This is a great question and a timely one for all of us in wheelchairs. First off, let me explain what a concussion is……. A CONCUSSION is a type of injury to the brain caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Concussions can also occur from a fall or a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth. Health care professionals may describe a concussion as a “mild” brain injury because concussions are usually not life-threatening. Even so, their effects can be serious.

Personally, I have never heard of a “concussion cocktail” but I have heard of a “Banana Bag” for years and I believe it worked well. A ‘Banana Bag” is an IV bag of fluids that includes vitamins, specifically Vitamin B, hence the color of yellow, and lots of nutrients. It is utilized primarily in the Emergency Departments for alcoholics to replace the missing vitamins and electrolytes. It has been used by healthcare professionals for years, so if a “concussion cocktail” has been developed to treat concussion symptoms then my answer would be “yes” to try it. It couldn’t hurt; we all can use extra vitamins and electrolytes. I am not sure the cocktail will “heal your brain” but I do have confidence it will assist with the overall feelings you are experiencing.

But as a nurse, familiar with concussions, my personal advice would be REST, REST, and more REST. The brain needs time to heal and that doesn’t occur overnight. Symptoms may persist for days to weeks. My question to you…..did you receive a CT scan of the brain after your fall? If symptoms continue, a CT scan or MRI may be necessary.

Final advice: falls from our wheelchairs are nothing to take lightly and prompt medical attention should be received upon a fall. Healing or recovering from a concussion takes time. It may take days to weeks, or maybe even months. May you feel better very soon.

References:

Concussion. Obtained August 14, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001802/.

Concussion and TBI. Obtained August 13, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/.

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