Today I had a concussion, tomorrow 5k competition. Too dangerous?

Skip the 5k tomorrow.

Well, what did the doctor tell you to do? Do that. If in doubt, call the doc's office and ask.

Running a race within 24 hrs of a concussion sounds foolish to me -- what your brain needs right now is rest, plus there is a non-zero chance you might make it worse -- but if I were you, I would talk to my doctor rather than rely on what a bunch of goons, morons, drunks, and losers on LRC would tell you.

takk for the moose wrote:

Well, what did the doctor tell you to do? Do that. If in doubt, call the doc's office and ask.

Running a race within 24 hrs of a concussion sounds foolish to me -- what your brain needs right now is rest, plus there is a non-zero chance you might make it worse -- but if I were you, I would talk to my doctor rather than rely on what a bunch of goons, morons, drunks, and losers on LRC would tell you.

Hey! I resemble that remark! Nyuk Nyuk!

I havent been to a doctor yet, I suspect concussion only because of feeling a little nauseous, irritable and have a mild headache. I will maybe skip that race, I just wanted to know if it is too risky, because I heard that running can even speed up the recovery, but im not sure how it is with pushing it too far

Make sure you get an early lead to avoid having physical contact with other runners, and don't trip on a curb. You'll be good.

LongDistanceRunner wrote:

I havent been to a doctor yet, I suspect concussion only because of feeling a little nauseous, irritable and have a mild headache. I will maybe skip that race, I just wanted to know if it is too risky, because I heard that running can even speed up the recovery, but im not sure how it is with pushing it too far

As I recall, nausea is one of those symptoms that suggest you maybe stop by the ER and let them attempt to rule out things like an epidural hematoma that killed Natasha Richardson.

Brother, I would get yourself to a doctor ASAP. An urgent care clinic might be ideal. You don't want to mess around with a potential concussion, the risk of permanent brain injury is real. Too much physical activity after a concussion reduces the chances of fully recovering, and you could end up with long term inattentiveness, forgetfulness, emotional instability, who knows what else.

I would absolutely not run tomorrow unless a doctor explicitly says you're ok to race.

Let's do a risk/reward analysis. It's a technique Ben Franklin used to determine what course of action to take. It works like this.

On a sheet of paper, draw a vertical line down the middle. On the left, write PRO and on the right, write CON.

Under PRO, write...

Get to run yet another 5K

Under CON, write...

Possible irreversible brain damage.

Possible stroke.

Possible death.

Possible prolonged headaches or other symptoms.

Now, look at the PRO and CON and make a determination whether the risk justifies the potential reward of running the race. Sometimes, even complex decisions like this one become clear.

Skips Arm Day wrote:

Brother, I would get yourself to a doctor ASAP. An urgent care clinic might be ideal. You don't want to mess around with a potential concussion, the risk of permanent brain injury is real. Too much physical activity after a concussion reduces the chances of fully recovering, and you could end up with long term inattentiveness, forgetfulness, emotional instability, who knows what else.

I would absolutely not run tomorrow unless a doctor explicitly says you're ok to race.

This.

Okay, thanks for each advice. I'm definitely not going to risk some serious injury. Maybe I'll take a slow jog few hours before competition to see how I respond to exertion, if it gets worse I would definitely go to ER and if not, I will think about it one more time. And there is still option abandoning that run if I don't feel alright. I'm will take care, not to risk anything.

Bro I wouldn't​ run for like a month after a possible concussion. Go see a doctor, this is no joke. You may need an MRI.

LongDistanceRunner wrote:

Okay, thanks for each advice. I'm definitely not going to risk some serious injury. Maybe I'll take a slow jog few hours before competition to see how I respond to exertion, if it gets worse I would definitely go to ER and if not, I will think about it one more time. And there is still option abandoning that run if I don't feel alright. I'm will take care, not to risk anything.

0/10

LongDistanceRunner wrote:

Okay, thanks for each advice. I'm definitely not going to risk some serious injury. Maybe I'll take a slow jog few hours before competition to see how I respond to exertion, if it gets worse I would definitely go to ER and if not, I will think about it one more time. And there is still option abandoning that run if I don't feel alright. I'm will take care, not to risk anything.

If you aren't trolling, you're an idiot. Actually you are an idiot regardless but if you aren't trolling go directly to a walk-in clinic if not the ER. if you are nauseous from an undiagnosed concussion your life could be in be in jeopardy whether you run or not.

Forget the race fool & stay off your phone that's one of the most important things when recovering from a concussion

I'm in my 70's, have run all my life, have considerable experience with all types of afflictions, maladies, and related medical interventions, both for myself and others.

Contrary to the expressed opinions, my experience is that seeing a medical profession about a concussion like yours, would very likely MAKE IT MUCH WORSE. For this reason, I personally, would not ever go to a medical professional.

Rather than this, I would play the situation by ear, as you are the best judge of your personal condition. if you have a bruise, ice it. Lay down and rest. As you have suggested, go for an easy walk to begin with. Later on, do a light jog. If you decide to race, do your usual warm up, and pay attention to how you're responding. If you feel normal, then you should be fine. If not, then you need more time; don't attempt a race until you are ready. So far, mine is the only logical response in this thread.

He doesn't have a "bruise'" sir. A possible concussion is treated way differently than a bruise.

Have somebody Google CTE for you. Times have changes. Concussions are no longer thought of as "bruises." Bad advice from someone who should know better.

Self diagnosis is always best. Who needs med school am I right?So how'd you do?

LongDistanceRunner wrote:

I havent been to a doctor yet, I suspect concussion only because of feeling a little nauseous, irritable and have a mild headache. I will maybe skip that race, I just wanted to know if it is too risky, because I heard that running can even speed up the recovery, but im not sure how it is with pushing it too far

So I had a jog just to see how I respond to exertion, and it was quite good (just a little more dizzy at the end of run and I pushed it quite far when everything seemed to be okay) but it was only 2,5k so I gave up that 5k run anyway to have a peace of mind :)

I wouldn't return to physical activity until you have gone 24 hours with out nausea or a headache.