High School Injury Question (Help Please)

[truegrinder]

Ok, I coach high school football in Ohio. Im an assistant coach and we have had 2 players with crazy symptoms that the head coach who has been here 20 years has never seen before. What happened in week 2 was that we had a player after a game who is a senior, that was having trouble breathing and saying his chest hurt, etc. This was like 20 minutes after a game. They took him to the hospital and all of his scans and blood work were fine and he was released. He didnt have any bruises on him from like a hit to the chest or anything or nothing to that sort. Ok, last friday we were playing and another senior at halftime said he was having trouble breathing and was complaining. We have an EMS volunteer that is one of our coaches that looked at him and tried to take his pulse. His heart was beating so fast that he couldnt even get a pulse from him. So they sent him to the hospital because he was hyperventilating. They did a cat scan and checked him and everything turned out fine, and nothing came up from it. These 2 seniors are best friends. I guess what im asking is if anyone else has heard of these symptoms and if anyone knows what it could be to help. We had a coaches meeting earlier to talk about our next opponent and to watch some film. A few of the coaches here including myself think that these guys here are taking 5 hour energy drinks or those yellow jackets, and maybe this is causing that. There is a coach who has a friend that works at a convenient store here and he says another local team in this area goes in there every friday and gets the 5 hour energy shots. I personally have never heard of this and it just shows how time changes. Maybe this is the new thing now? I have only heard of the 5 hour energy shots for people who work 3rd shift or someone who wants to study and stay awake, etc. But then again I believe Braylon Edwards is on the commercials and maybe our young athletes think this is safe and beneficiary? Just wondered if anyone thought that we were on the same track here? And any comments would help. Those of you who have kids may want to tell them about the complications. I mean who knows if our tight end would have played after halftime if something bad would have happened or he stopped breathing? Thanks for the help guys..

TG

[Victor]

Originally Posted by truegrinder

Ok, I coach high school football in Ohio. Im an assistant coach and we have had 2 players with crazy symptoms that the head coach who has been here 20 years has never seen before. What happened in week 2 was that we had a player after a game who is a senior, that was having trouble breathing and saying his chest hurt, etc. This was like 20 minutes after a game. They took him to the hospital and all of his scans and blood work were fine and he was released. He didnt have any bruises on him from like a hit to the chest or anything or nothing to that sort. Ok, last friday we were playing and another senior at halftime said he was having trouble breathing and was complaining. We have an EMS volunteer that is one of our coaches that looked at him and tried to take his pulse. His heart was beating so fast that he couldnt even get a pulse from him. So they sent him to the hospital because he was hyperventilating. They did a cat scan and checked him and everything turned out fine, and nothing came up from it. These 2 seniors are best friends. I guess what im asking is if anyone else has heard of these symptoms and if anyone knows what it could be to help. We had a coaches meeting earlier to talk about our next opponent and to watch some film. A few of the coaches here including myself think that these guys here are taking 5 hour energy drinks or those yellow jackets, and maybe this is causing that. There is a coach who has a friend that works at a convenient store here and he says another local team in this area goes in there every friday and gets the 5 hour energy shots. I personally have never heard of this and it just shows how time changes. Maybe this is the new thing now? I have only heard of the 5 hour energy shots for people who work 3rd shift or someone who wants to study and stay awake, etc. But then again I believe Braylon Edwards is on the commercials and maybe our young athletes think this is safe and beneficiary? Just wondered if anyone thought that we were on the same track here? And any comments would help. Those of you who have kids may want to tell them about the complications. I mean who knows if our tight end would have played after halftime if something bad would have happened or he stopped breathing? Thanks for the help guys..

TG

It`s the new thing now and has been for a few years. That`s why you hear so much about kids playing sports and passing out or even passing away.

[BigFratDaddy]

I used to take those yellow jacket type pills back in the day before games and that shit is crazy. It could be that because it's like a caffeine jolt and I would get those same feelings. It's definitely too much to take before a football game IMO.

[revnecro1273]

pretty much sounds like some sort of pills...took max alerts back in high school and had similar outcome

[Steel]

I can guarantee you that they are taking something. If it is an energy drink they will be run out of juice by the end of the 3rd quarter. If they are taking something else and having problems at the end of the games then they are taking something in pill forum. I have been screaming at kids for years to stop drinking energy drinks. I went as far as banning them on bus trips and or on school grounds. One mother came in and tried to tell me that if her son doesn't get his 4 energy drinks a day he can't perform. In this case I had to let him take them because the parents said it was ok. I highly recommend talking to their parents as this will keep you from having any legal action. Tell the parents what you think is going on and let them handle their kids. You will learn fast what kind of parents they are. Been coaching for years and this is something that a lot of us are dealing with. We have kids that are Freshman in high school who are getting steriods over the internet. They are now using it in liquid form. I am begging the school to have these kids drug tested but at this time its easier for the school to turn a blind eye. For your well being talk to the parents at least that way if they drop dead you will not be held responsible. Good Luck Coach.

[truegrinder]

thanks guys. Steel i totally agree with ya. I mean it has to be something. Not rocket science. something in pill form or the energy shots. it just has to be. We talked about it with the kids today and said how bad that stuff is and if they are doing it , then they need to stop. crazy how times change huh

[slipperypete]

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy could also be the problem, quite common in young athletes, I've lost 2 friends to it, and one more that is now a vegetable and her sister now has an internal defib in her chest

often overlooked or under-concerned... quite deadly

[Steel]

Originally Posted by slipperypete

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy could also be the problem, quite common in young athletes, I've lost 2 friends to it, and one more that is now a vegetable and her sister now has an internal defib in her chest

often overlooked or under-concerned... quite deadly

good point but what are the odds that two kids in two different family's who hang out together have Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ? I hope for their sake that I am correct because yours is a death sentence.

[slipperypete]

Originally Posted by Steel

good point but what are the odds that two kids in two different family's who hang out together have Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ? I hope for their sake that I am correct because yours is a death sentence.

that's the thing, it's incredibly common now, in varying degrees and simply doesn't always show up something until it becomes a fatal or near fatal episode... I hope it's just 5hr energy too, but this is a risk