Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

I feel awful - DS 4.10 has whiplash and I don't seem to be able to take the pain away. Any ideas?

49 replies

winestein · 21/10/2009 22:27

My son is currently screaming upstairs from the pain in his neck. I have been told to give him Calpol by the doctor but it doesn't really touch it.

It just seems to be getting worse (I took him to the Doctor a week ago) and whilst it got better for a couple of days it has taken a proper nose-dive recently.

What can I do? He refuses to have a wheatbag on his neck because "it makes it hot". Is he too young to take to a Chiropractor? I can't see him in this amount of pain... and if I did would they just suggest accupuncture, because I think my DS would just punch whoever came towards his neck with a handful of needles.

Help, please

OP posts:
Original poster
winestein · 22/10/2009 23:55

Thanks for coming back Daisy - I think it is actually getting worse and I can't get a chiro appointment until next week so I'm going to make sure I get an appointment at the docs tomorrow - as much as I have a distrust in conventional westernised treatments for such things, I just need to stop his pain. Poor mite has now stopped eating, and this is my boy who will eat anything, all of the time.

I feel so sorry for him

His neck is lathered in arnica cream tonight. Cross fingers with me?

OP posts:
lulalullabye · 23/10/2009 00:16

Have you thought at all about the possibility that he might have done something other than a muscular strain. In my experience I would be wanting to get the opinion of a orthopaedic/emergency doctor as opposed to gp, as if you attended A&E with that history and that increased amount of pain, he would have a full examination and probably a check cervical spine xray.

Sometimes it is not possible to ok a 'neck injury' with just a physical exam. With the history of his injury I would recommend you seek further advice

Booooooooooyhoo · 23/10/2009 00:22

oh weinstein, poor babe. would you maybe take him to A&E or out of hours doc?
is he able to sleep?

really feel for him

Original poster
winestein · 23/10/2009 00:28

I have been sort of secretly thinking that Lula, and I appreciate your advice which has given me conviction to convey it tomorrow. I considered taking him to A&E tonight when I got in from work but he subsequently (eventually) fell asleep so I did not want to disturb him. I have the last of my inevitable work tomorrow morning and will see it properly addressed by tomorrow night by hook or by crook.

Thank you to everyone for your help and positive suggestions in my circumstances

OP posts:
lulalullabye · 23/10/2009 00:32

Thats good. In my experience, pain that severe after a week of whiplash is not the norm. You can expect pain/headaches etc for months after but not all the time and nowhere near as severe as his !

Let us know how you go. He doesn't have any tingling in hands or feet ?

Original poster
winestein · 23/10/2009 00:49

thanks Booo... We cross posted and oddly your post didn't appear until now, when I have come back... Weird!

He is sleeping now, otherwise there would be no doubt I would have taken him to A&E. I feel for him too, as I understand pain, having been a sufferer myself.

The last of my inevitable work this week ends just after midday tomorrow, whereupon I shall take him to see the doctor and fight my corner for more specialist treatment or take him to A&E.

I love that I can get him to sleep by stroking his neck. Makes me feel a bit better for it all

OP posts:
Booooooooooyhoo · 23/10/2009 00:52

you get some rest too, im sure this is taking its toll on you. hopefully they just see you straight away tomorrow.

Original poster
winestein · 23/10/2009 00:54

Thanks Lula - that's given me even more strength. There's no tingling in hands or feet - he has described pins and needles to me before as "fuzzy feet/hands" and I have garnered nothing like that. He's in my bed again right now; we were laid together for a good hour or two comparing hands and feet and discussing having muscles in arms and legs and waving limbs about so I'm confident it's only affecting his neck - just very, very badly, poor mite .

I will let everyone know how we get on tomorrow.

OP posts:
policywonk · 23/10/2009 00:56

Hey winey, sorry to hear about this, sounds grim How did the poor mite end up with whiplash?

Original poster
winestein · 23/10/2009 00:58

Boo - I survived the first few years on a couple of hours sleep a night so whilst I'm still working in between posting here, whatever time I go to bed I will still feel like I have had a great night's sleep! I feel all warm and fuzzy at your concern for me though. Thank you

OP posts:
Original poster
winestein · 23/10/2009 01:04

Hey PW! How are you? One of the very few times on MN and we coincide!

It was, I recall, a week last Monday and he was off school with a virus - threw his head back, no reason, but quite violently whilst sat on the sofa. I saw the look on his face so was not overly surprised (whilst saddened and sorry for him, of course) a couple of days later... it started last Wednesday, and has progressed since him returning to school Monday gone.

OP posts:
policywonk · 23/10/2009 01:08

How scary. I hope you get some joy with the assorted healthcare practitioners.

Things are a bit weird my end - need to go to bed now but will email you!

Original poster
winestein · 23/10/2009 01:11

Please do... I am great ears for all thing weird xx

OP posts:
Booooooooooyhoo · 23/10/2009 01:18

lucky you winestein, i could sleep for a week and still feel sh*t when i wake up.

ah well, off to bed now. tonight i wish your ds has a miraculous overnight recovery. you just wait, he'll wake up tomorrow all better.

lulalullabye · 23/10/2009 22:52

Any news yet ?? How is he ?

comewhinewithme · 23/10/2009 22:59

Hope he is feeling better and that you all manage to get some decent rest and a good weekend.

Original poster
winestein · 24/10/2009 11:50

Hello... sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but I have just snuck out of the hospital for a couple of hours, if that gives you any clue as to how he is... :-S

He has had a couple of CT scans which have been inconclusive as they don't appear to show any physical damage to his neck. They are being looked at by the radiographers at the moment to double check before he goes for an MRI.

They are saying that they need to work out why he is still in so much pain after over a week. Strangely though, his movement seems better today after being "manhandled" and his neck put in a position he would not have tolerated not under sedation when he was having a CT scan last night.

Him being a bit of a sensitive child was terrified of the CT scanner and ended up being drugged to have it done, poor wee mite.

Will update again - off back to the hospital now...

Thanks for checking in guys! X

OP posts:
fluffles · 24/10/2009 11:57

i know you've tried warm packs but do you think perhaps ice might be more useful?

my chiro recommends i ice my neck when he's had to do quite a lot of serious massage on it - it's inflammed and so needs ice to reduce the inflammation.

you can get sticky patches from the chemist that are cold and stick really well round the neck...

fluffles · 24/10/2009 11:59

sorry, cross posts with your last message sorry you've had to visit hospital but glad he's getting checked out properly.

lulalullabye · 24/10/2009 20:51

Oh, I am glad that you got further advice. All the scans will probably end up normal, but the fact that he still had so much pain wasn't right.

At least with the sedation he got some rest . Keep us updated.

policywonk · 24/10/2009 21:03

Sorry you're having such a crappy time. Hope you get some rest.

DS1 had to have an MRI when he was about 2, and it could only be achieved by a full general anaesthetic. He wouldn't even submit to having his pulse checked without sedation

raphael7 · 25/10/2009 09:55

thinking of you and dc. x

Original poster
winestein · 27/10/2009 21:32

Hello again Peeps. Just an update for you all... the MRI has been cancelled 3 days on the trot (due to the only scanner working being in a truck in the car park where anaesthetic facility is less than great so they are not doing any other than life or death scenario ones out there).

We're on 1st thing if the indoor one gets going, but we have now been granted hospital leave as it was decided we were doing such a great job watching him lying on his back in hospital all day we would be able to do it from home(!!) (and relieve a bit of pressure from the nurses having to take his pulse and temp every few hours, fill in endless forms, etc etc)

He's been at home all day and is seeming to be getting better and better - head is still incredibly sore and he has struggled to find a way to lay down, but other than that he has been a lovely, if very stiff necked monster (i.e. I have noticed a real change in him). I'll be disappointed if the MRI machine is up and running tomorrow as I think another day might see a more noticeable change.

This has been an absolute nightmare though - 2 days ago, seeing him laying motionless in a bed and them talking about tumours and organising a weekend MRI.

I would like to apologise to Biobytes - I was being somewhat over-sensitive. You were trying to help but I bit your head off. I'm sorry .

OP posts:
raphael7 · 28/10/2009 00:59

big hugs to u and family x

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread