Sore tongue after seizure but hungry

[IdaBiscuit]

Not AIBU but posting for traffic

DS had a seizure on Friday night, no idea why yet, awaiting tests.

He's bitten his tongue very badly and it's very sore. He's having paracetamol etc but problem is that he's very hungry but eating is pretty unbearable.

He doesn't like soup but has managed pasta so far. Scrambled eggs are hurting too much this morning.

Any wise mums out there with ideas of what I can feed him? He's 17 and not only very worried about what caused the seizure but feeling hungry and sad.

Thank you

Poor lad and so worrying for you too. My adult son is epileptic so had fair share of bitten tongue. Unsure what to suggest food wise apart from something Bland as spicy and open wound not a good idea, how about custard or rice pudding? I hope all goes well.

I feel your son's pain.

I had my first seizure at 16.

The bitten tongue was always agonising, I used to do so much damage to it that even talking was painful. I think I used a lot of Bonjella on the ulcers to get me through the day.

Eating restrictions are awful....thankfully I like soup but when it was hot/warm it used to make the tongue pain flare up again.

As things improved over 2-3 days I was able to start eating normal foods again but it would take me ages to eat the meal because of the restricted movements of my tongue.

I remember drinking a lot of milkshakes because the cold milk helped ease the discomfort but also it meant I was getting something substantial in me and some sugar to keep my energy levels up.

I hope your son starts feeling better soon

I have epilepsy too and agree, something really bland is good. Porridge, mashed banana, honey, milk.
Your poor boy. Hope he's feeling better soon.

Milk shake? Cold one from mcds?

How about smoothies, yoghurt (full fat), baked beans, egg custard?
Perhaps sticking to cold/cool food for a few days.
Not sure if a pharmacist might be able to suggest a mouthwash with local anaesthetic in it to help with the pain.

Ice cream? Not particularly nutritious but may help him feel a bit better. I had to have surgery on my lower jaw and had a huge cut under my tongue. I lived on ice cream for the first few days. I found anything salty or tangy at all agony. Buttery pasta was good too.

Smoothies? Yoghurts? Milkshakes? Protein shakes?

Poor lad!

If you have a decent blender, then I'd say smoothies: frozen berries, nuts, cocoa nibs, yoghurt and milk. Very nutritious and soothing.

Also soups, served warm rather than hot.

I've had this - though it was strain from swallowing my tongue rather than graze/bruising from biting it.

I found it was more that I didn't want to have to move my tongue much, so any chewing, sucking or moving food round the mouth was horribly painful for a few days.

Tiny bites that you can basically swallow straight down cut out most of the tongue work. Counter-intuitively, smooth food you suck were too uncomfortable (might be why scrambled eggs failed).

I'm trying to remember. Stuff like grated cheese takes minimal effort and is fat- and protein-dense which helps with satiety. Sliced hard boiled eggs might be more successful than scrambled. Maybe cubes of ham? Mashed potato?

Smoothies?

Thank you all so much, I've gone through this thread with him and have got a nice list now for him.

I'm usually able to think for myself but we are all in shock to be honest, it's come totally out of the blue.

Porridge?
Stews?
Smoothies with Protein powder to fill him up?
Omelette?

On a related note,why just paracetamol? He could add in a NSAID like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium (prescription) His pain should be far better managed if he can't eat.

Sorry this has happened. You must both be very worried. I knew a boy who had a seizure at 18. They never found out why and he didn't have one again. He said the most annoying thing was not being able to drive for a year.

We have found that using a mouthwash like corsodyl or similar before trying to eat really helps, numbs the tongue a bit.

I hadn't thought of ibuprofen too, is he ok to have them together?

So long as he can take ibuprofen usually. The other thing he could try is solvable co-codomal. It has codeine in it he can dissolve it them swoosh them round his mouth to help numb it a bit before swallowing it.
Only take one form of paracetamol though!

A thick milkshake from one of the burger places?

Not from a seizure but last year I had a lot of swelling inside my mouth from something else and the doctor prescribed a mouthwash to help reduce it. It's called Benzydamine.
I was also taking maximum dose of both paracetamol and ibuprofen. I found it helpful to note down what time I took each thing to avoid taking too many too soon.
About all I could manage was mashed banana, soup and ice cream - I lost weight but didn't starve.
Hope he's feeling better soon.

Have you got a hand blender?

Maybe try blending up a normal meal with a splash of milk, like you would for a baby.

Yes, he can use ibuprofen as well as paracetamol/opiods - they're different classes of drug so don't 'clash', iyswim. Also, he could use ibuprofen or voltarol gel around the jaw (on the outside, obviously).

Hope he feels better soon.

He's had some lunch. Thanks again for the ideas.

The ibuprofen is helping too and I'll get the mouthwash in the morning.

I have epilepsy & suffered a badly bitten tongue last year, it was painful for at least 3 weeks.. I took paracetamol & ibuprofen, I just can't remember what I ate at first as I was out of it for few days but omg was it sore.

Sorry to hear your son had a seizure by the way x

Milkshake & smoothie via a straw in the short term until the tongue has healed? Not amazing nutrition but it will get calories in & stop him being hungry

My mum wouldn't have fruit smoothies after seizures (too sharp). But milkshakes were generally ok.

Avoid anything acidic or alkali. Fresh tomatoes, lemon, lime, grapefruit, vinegar, salad dressing etc are no good.

Smoothies, milk shakes, soft pasta with creamy sauces, mashed potatoes?