Nerve injury after lightning strike, recovery is hard

I can barely imagine such an experience. I sure hope he finds help. Are you near a large teaching hospital that has encountered similar cases? It seems I read about hyperbaric chamber treatment being used for some types of conditions. Best wishes for his relief and recovery.

yorkie01,
I agree with Celia, definitely try to find a major medical group.
I know how much the nerve and muscle medications are not worth anything at all.
I have no idea if this could possibly help....Valium.
I was first prescribed it for urethral spasms, pelvic floor disorder. Dr.s are hesitant to prescribe it, because they assume everyone will abuse it and then get addicted to it. I started it 35 years ago, I am 65 now. I have debilitating migraines and bilateral hip impingements. The Valium works so surprisingly well for me. I am lucky, I guess, I don't get any high off the Valium. Do you have access to an acupuncture practitioner? A friend had really bad carpal tunnel in both wrists, she had some of the nerves involved cut off/out. It was very successful for her. You might consider getting good guidance for use of marajuana or CBD from hemp. It has been a lifesaver for my adult son, he has had several concussions and other injuries. He grows his own, so he knows it is pesticide free. I tried all the varieties, methods of use, it just doesn't work on me.
You could check out TMS type treatments, it's a lifesaver for some with retractable migraines, sure wish it would work for me. I have no idea if ECT, electric convulsive treatment. I did a 12 week, 3x per week. I was doing it for my migraines, MDD, and severe trauma from 2 recreational accidents, of course, it did nothing for my pain. It was brutal. Does anything help? Does anything make it worse? I think a highly skilled, experienced, compassionate doctor of neurology would be a great start. This may be wrong, but I once was told that a doctor of neurology is different than a neurologist. If you live anywhere near a Shriners hospital, or specialty children's hospitals, would be a possibility. WOW, your son is lucky to be your son. 😇🤞ShelleyW

@yorkie01 I have "electrocution" on my neurologist's lists of problems. I was hit by the equivalent of lightning coming out of an old light switch, a yellow arc that went into my left index finger and throughout my body. I lost muscle control and went to the ER. It did affect my heart, with palpitations mainly but later afib, which is, fortunately, infllrequent.

The biggest effect I have had is sensitivity to EMF- especially cell phones and modems. This is considered strange by most people and I explain that I had a serious electric shock.

My neurologist understands all this because he said he worked at Shriners Burns Center. Maybe that would be a resource, especially since your adolescent son is in the age range they treat.

windyshores,
😱😱😱, I felt cooties just reading your post. How very awful!!
On a lighter note, I have been electrocuted 2x...get ready to ROTFLOL... both incidents, I was an adult, making me look even dumber than dumb...the cord to my electric hand mixer came out and fell into the bowl of cake batter, I needed to clean it off so I could finish, so I licked the batter off the end of the cord, don't laugh yet, I like cake batter, so I stuck my tongue into the electric holes, while it was still plugged into the outlet. It really smacked me. The second time, long story, I got shocked by the 220 volt on a jury rigged plug for my clothes dryer. Thank goodness I was in rubber soles and standing on concrete. It happened when I was pregnant, so the whole family and my baby son, have had a blast blaming me for anything that my son did wrong.
This really makes me sound STUPID!! I hope everyone who reads this takes the time to laugh and enjoy, for even a moment, not feeling so bad. ShelleyW

@shelleyw any after effects, short or long term?

I had another incident in an apartment I was renting. An outlet underneath the bed kind of exploded when I tried to pull the plug out. My hand turned black and I thought it was burned but it turned out the plastic of the plug melted all over my hand. Another ER trip!

I get you about being grateful you had rubber shoes on, on concrete. They told me that in the first incident, if I had not been going downstairs with momentum when I pushed the light switch in, things could have been worse or even deadly.

Not laughing at what happened to you!

windyshores,
No long term effects, that I know of. I was 24 then, 65 now. I have way too many medical and mental (depression/cognitive impairment), it's impossible to know which issue causes which problems with and without pain.
I've got a couple of questions:
1.Is there an actual reason why you get elect, so badly and repeatedly?
2.Do you have any "vibration" feelings, anywhere in your body?
As if you were standing on your clothes dryer while it is on? This started first only in my feet. The first time I moved to different parts of my house, no difference. I had my hubby come stand where I felt it the strongest, he felt nothing. Now it travels up from my feet thru body. It is not restless leg syndrome. Ex. I had a non-stressful outpatient surgery 2 weeks ago, in the bed, talking with the different doctors, I suddenly felt like the whole bed was strongly vibrating. I even, not so gently, abruptly interrupted the doctor and asked why is the bed vibrating? Of course he said he just bumped it. No one even believes me. I would love your opinion. Thanx, ShelleyW

yorkie01,
Does your son feel vibrations, like he is standing/sitting on the dryer while it is on?
Is his pain constant, does it move around his body, does he shake anywhere, is his balance off, speech issues.
Has his muscle spasms ever been so bad that it looked like it could have been like a small epileptic seizure?
Does he have any cognitive impairment?
I hope today is a good day for him. ShelleyW

I have "paresthesias"- tingling, burning numbness, in arms. Also left side of face (side I was shocked on). And I think it is possible that my afib stems from that first severe shock. No reason for the pattern, just bad luck!

windyshores
Well I think I vote for no luck at all, instead of bad luck.
My day has been 💩🤯🥵, so I am off to bed, wishing you no luck at all and a very pleasant evening 😴
ShelleyW

@yorkie01 I was a burn nurse in the early 1980’s at the Sherman Oaks Burn Center and we saw our fair share of burn victims from lightening strikes, fires, chemicals, etc. To survive a lightening strike is definitely a miracle with a difficult recovery depending on the extent of tissue damage. The degree of nerve and muscle effect maybe can be evaluated with EMG testing? A large teaching facility with comprehensive rehabilitation capabilities would be an optimal place to seek further recovery and treatment.