A hit, a fall from a height, an unsuccessfully performed trick - all this can lead to a concussion. In this condition, a person should be provided with qualified first aid, otherwise in the future you may encounter complications. Medications for concussion relieve symptoms, spasm of blood vessels, normalize blood circulation.
Briefly about the injury
Many people who have encountered this condition have a question: how to treat a concussion? Medicines in this situation can only be prescribed by a specialist. Self-administration of such drugs can only worsen a person’s condition and lead to irreversible changes in the central nervous system and brain. Of all the types of traumatic brain injuries, concussion is perhaps the most harmless option, but only if the correct course of therapy has been completed.
Classification of conditions
The concussion has three degrees of severity:
- Easy. The victim feels a headache, dizziness. There is nausea without vomiting, slight disorientation in space and time. Temperature may increase briefly. There is no loss of consciousness. The treatment takes place at home.
- Medium. All symptoms inherent in the first degree do not go away within half an hour. Perhaps the development of retrograde amnesia. What medications to take with a moderate concussion, only a specialist can say after a comprehensive examination. If, according to the results of the diagnosis, no serious brain damage is detected, treatment at home is possible.
- Heavy. Traumatic brain injury of this severity is treated only in a hospital under the supervision of qualified personnel. It is after it that complications most often appear if the condition was improperly treated. The victim manifests a loss of consciousness for a period of several minutes to an hour. He does not remember what happened to him and where he is. Vomiting is associated with severe nausea, body temperature can rise up to 39 degrees.
Prescribing medications and concussion medications will be based on the severity of the traumatic brain injury, taking into account the age of the victim.
Therapeutic measures
The best cure for concussion, according to doctors, is peace and deep sleep. Only following the regimen, you can quickly recover from an injury and avoid dangerous consequences. The drug treatment regimen usually includes the following groups of medicines.
Nootropic drugs
They are prescribed to normalize the metabolism in the cells of the brain, to maintain their proper nutrition. The duration of the rehabilitation period and the success of treatment depend on the correct functioning of nerve cells. The names of concussion medications belonging to this group are: Cerebrolysin, Nootropil, Pantocalcin, Piracetam, Glycine, Ceraxon.
"Cerebrolysin"
The main active ingredient of this drug is a cerebrolysin concentrate (made from the brain of pigs). As additional substances, the composition contains water for injection and sodium hydroxide. Available in the form of ampoules, from 5 to 10 pieces are in the package.
"Cerebrolysin" has a neuroprotective and multifocal effect on brain cells. The peptide fraction improves the functioning of nerve cells, activates the recovery mechanisms in patients after injury. The drug is administered intravenously or intramuscularly in a hospital setting. Dosage - from 5 to 50 ml once a day. The recommended course of therapy is from 1.5 to 3 weeks.
Contraindications to the use of "Cerebrolysin":
- kidney disease
- individual intolerance to the components of the drug;
- epileptic seizures.
As a rule, the medicine does not cause serious side effects. They can occur only after an overdose or against the background of hypersensitivity to a particular patient. These include loss of appetite, metabolic disturbances, fever, chills, and tachycardia. Concomitant use with MAO inhibitors and antidepressants is not recommended.
This medicine for concussion in children can be used from 6 months, but only after a diagnostic examination.
Pain medication
One of the main symptoms of a concussion is a persistent headache. This is especially pronounced in the 2-3rd severity of the injury. To eliminate pain and alleviate the condition of the patient, pain medication is prescribed. These include: Sedalgin and Pentalgin, which belong to combination drugs, Diclofenac and Ketorolac from the group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and analgesics (Baralgin or Analgin).
Ketorolac
If the patient after the injury is disturbed by persistent headaches, a medication for concussion from the NSAID group may be prescribed. The drug belongs to the derivatives of acetic acid and has a strong analgesic effect. The main active ingredient of Ketorolac is trometamine Ketorolac. One tablet contains 10 mg of the active ingredient. As additional substances - calcium stearate, soya lecithin, potato starch, etc.
The therapeutic effect after taking the medicine can be observed after 1 hour. By the strength of the effect, the medication can be equated to morphine. It is prescribed for severe traumatic brain injuries in order to quickly stop the pain. It is undesirable to use "Ketorolac" with a mild form of concussion, for home treatment it is better to choose a less strong analgesic.
It is used in the treatment of patients from 16 years of age. Usually the dosage does not exceed 3 tablets per day. The course of treatment is a maximum of 5 days.
Contraindications include the entire period of pregnancy and lactation, since the effect of prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors on the child has not been fully studied. Also, do not prescribe medication for the "aspirin" triad, ulcers and erosion of the stomach, hypovolemia, liver and kidney failure, and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Diuretic drugs
These concussion medications are prescribed to prevent cerebral edema due to increased intracranial pressure. As a rule, they are recommended for patients with moderate or severe condition. These include: Veroshpiron, Uregit, Lasix, Furosemide and Diacarb.
Furosemide
Quite often, a moderate to severe concussion leads to an increase in intracranial pressure, which can provoke the development of dangerous brain diseases. To remove excess fluid and reduce cerebrospinal fluid pressure, diuretics are used, which include Furosemide.
The active substance of the same name belongs to loop fast-acting diuretics, it inhibits the absorption of sodium and chlorine ions. It is usually prescribed together with calcium preparations to prevent swelling of the gray matter of the brain. The dosage of the medicine is selected by the doctor depending on the clinical picture, however, it cannot exceed 1,500 mg per day. For children with a body weight of less than 10 kg, a tablet form is not prescribed, parenteral administration is possible according to the indications of a specialist.
Contraindications include: renal failure, hepatic encephalopathy, hypovolemia, hypersensitivity to sulfonamides, coma and coma.
Vasotropic drugs
They are recommended to be taken to strengthen and increase the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, as well as to regulate blood viscosity. They contribute to the elimination of cerebrovascular spasm. Usually prescribed: "Eastenon", "Cavinton", "Theonicol", "Vasotropin".
Cavinton
The active substance of the drug "Cavinton" is vinpocetine. In addition to it, corn starch, talc, colloidal silicon dioxide are in the composition. This medicine for concussion has a beneficial effect on metabolism, improves the rheological properties of blood and blood supply to an injured organ. Quickly absorbed in the proximal digestive tract.
Contraindications include the period of gestation and lactation, as well as individual intolerance of the active component. Due to the fact that there is no reliable clinical data on the effect of vinpocetine on the children's body, the drug is prescribed only to patients over 18 years of age. The standard dosage is from 5 to 10 mg three times a day. However, in each individual case, it may differ.
The drug "Cavinton" belongs to the group of drugs that rarely cause adverse reactions, as confirmed by clinical trials. In some cases, thrombocytopenia, insomnia and agitation, hemiparesis, amnesia, bradycardia were recorded.
Other means
To normalize sleep, relieve stress, sedatives and tranquilizers can be prescribed. These include: Corvalol, Elenium, Dormiplant, Phenazepam, tincture of valerian or motherwort. What medications for concussion from this group will be most suitable, a specialist will be able to determine.
In addition, vitamins are added to the treatment regimen to accelerate tissue regeneration and recovery of the patient after a traumatic brain injury. This may be "Thiamine", nicotinic acid, tincture of Eleutherococcus and other drugs of your choice.
To eliminate nausea and the urge to vomit prescribe "Papaverine", "Platifillin" or "Tanakan".
Summary
Any medicine after a concussion can be taken only at the dosage prescribed by the attending physician. Self-medication can lead to unforeseen consequences. Complications of improper therapy can be post-traumatic encephalopathy, cerebral ischemia, meningitis, encephalitis, epilepsy. In order to prevent such a development of events, it is necessary to adhere to the recommendations of a specialist and fulfill all his appointments.