HELP Anyone got any experience of rage outbursts following brain tumour surgery or brain injury?

[Donk]

Says it all really
My Father is having really scary outbursts of rage (scary to himself as well) following surgery for a high grade tumour.

Anyone got any insights/information/links into how he might be helped?

Before someone gets hurt!

Donk, I can't really help but I have heard of people's personality changing after trauma to the brain following injury, stroke or surgery. Can the surgeon advise? Has your father seen (or could he make an appointment to see) a psychologist? They could (I guess) say whether the personality change was organic. Could it be a side-effect of prescribed drugs?

Googling 'personality change brain injury' pulls up lots of articles but you may get something more useful if you specify the area of brain which was operated on.

So sorry about this, Donk. I have a neighbour who this happened to - I hear him night after night screaming hysterical abuse at his poor sobbing wife. I don't know how it can be helped, I'm afraid, but your dad - or your mum - must get specialist advice on this. It must be very scarey for you all. What about the head injuries charity - trying to remember its name...

Hester .. the one I can think of is

headway

They have a helpline I hope it helps !

Hester - do you mean headway?

snap!

Yes, that's it. Are you in touch with them already, Donk? Have they been of any help?

Whereabouts was the tumour? I think if its front lobal it affects behaviour.

My dad had a tumour in this area and it really affected him. He normally was very placid and easy going.

Does he need further treatment?

Their website is not overly helpful, just suggests a pschological assessment. Their helpline must wait tomorrow.

Parietal lobe - which does not usually seem implicated in such things

Could the surgery also have touched the temporal lobe? This suggests that injury to the right parietal-temporal lobe may result in personality change. But I wonder whether your dad's rage is a disinhibited frustration about the illness, surgery and any limitations they have imposed.

Does the hospital have a psychologist he could see quickly?

In the meantime, here's a sneaky ((((hug))))

Donk, absolutely nothing helpful to say, just wanted to give you another (((hug))), cunningly disguised as a brief pat on the upper arm.

Donk, you could try the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (www.birt.co.uk), tel: 01924 896100. They should be able to advise you re where to get help and the normal course of recovery.

Thanks all - I should have been in bed ages ago, but have been 'phoning Oz... (blasted time difference!)

more sneaky (((hugs))) here too Donk - is there any chance that he has some fluid build-up post-surgery? That might be affecting him, and if so is relatively easy to treat with insertion of a shunt. Definitely he needs to go back to his consultant and tell them about it though.

I hope this resolves for you all - it must be horrible to have to deal with.

Wow Donk - that sounds unbelievably frightening for everyone. What really bad news.

I am sorry I have absolutely no knowledge on this subject but please let me wish you a simple and speedy answer to your unbelievably nasty problem.

Thinking of you and your family lots....

x x x x

Donk, wanted to post first and foremost then suggest
(1) you contact the treating team, or your Dad does, because it will be something they have come across before

(2) contact Headway or Birt or any group that is used to brain surgery or behaviour alteration through injury. No good just going to any old psychologist, will need someone with specific training and experience. All sorts of odd things can happen with brain surgery, so sorry it is this for your dad

(((((carrots)))))

((((more carrots))))

Any news today?

No more outbursts today - the principal trigger has removed herself (for her own safety) and Dad sounds much more relaxed, but does not seem to realise how 'out of control' he was - although when I spoke to him just afterwards, he was shaky with reaction. His GP is aware and following it up.

Birt and Headway suggest much the same - get referred through the neurosurgical team to a psychologist with experience in the field. However this is being resisted as unnecessary (it was apparently all my Aunt's fault...)

I hate being this far away, although it sounds as though it would be very easy to become part of the problem so to speak.

That sounds like good advice. I'm assuming that there might be a psychologist attached to the neurosurgical team - I don't suppose this sort of scenario is rare, even though it's so terrifying for everyone involved.

((((hug)))) ((((carrot))))

Hi all - thanks for your support and advice!
Dad seems much more 'centered' again - he and his partner had forgotten being told that there might be mood swings, and that these might be extreme!
The doctor thinks it is/was a combination of brain irritation from the RT and the effects of the steroids (which are to combat the swelling/irritation).
The situation has been managed at the moment by removing the source of conflict. He is feeling much better.