Spinal Fluid Leak

[Kateums32]

I woke up a few mornings ago with a clear ish yellow liquid all over my pillow. I was worried and went back to the doctors because I was having horrible headaches. They did a CT Scan and determined it was a CSF leak. My headaches have not gone away and they are keeping me up all day and night. Has this happen to anyone? What should I do?

[selmaS]

Praying all gets corrected for u.

And u r feeling better soon. : )

"selma"

[Kateums32]

I'm being admitted back into the hospital. I will write more later. I think they are doing a blood patch or something...

[mama2twobabies]

Hi.  I actually just got out of the hospital last Friday from being treated for a week from a post-operative CSF leak.  I don't know what a blood patch is, but I was suffering from miserable headaches too.  My doctors re-admitted me to the hospital and put in a lumbar drain to drain the excess CSF away from the source so that the source of the leak could heal itself.  I know that drinking caffeine will help for "low pressure headaches" due to the loss of the CSF.  As soon as I got the lumbar drain, my headaches, which were dibillitating, disappeared!  I'd ask your doc if that may be a treatment path to consider because they can make adjustments to your positioning to make sure that not too much or too little fluid is leaking so that you can heal more quickly.  Also, when I was hooked to the drain, they told me to not lie flat, but rather to lie at a 25-30 degree angle.  At any rate, I hope that you get better.  I know that the drain has worked for a lot of people who have sprung a leak after surgery.  Also, if they add a few more stitches to the area, it may help because as long as the incision is serving as a pressure release valve so to speak for the CSF, the leak may not heal itself in a timely enough manner and you never want to have to go back in for a search and repair surgery!

[bubbles0309]

eeek...yea caffine they did it thru iv 500mg and it wuz sooo not fun up all night but then that didnt work so after a week they couldnt determine where it was coming from so they had to re-operate and make the incision bigger and they finally found it after 8hrs....not to mention its been a month since my pfd and my headachs are starting again and meds dont seem to help nomore...but i try to forget it but its getting to the point where i cant anymore im just scared of going back under so i dont tell no1....but should i?

[selmaS]

Hi Kate.....what did the drs say...did they do a blood patch?

I am soooooo sorry u have to deal with this.

I know u can drink caffinated drinks and lie flat....and allow it to heal......some leaks can close on their own......but if it doesn't after 4 or 5 days.....u need to get back to the dr and ask if they can do a bloodpatch.

I had the HA's from a leak and I know how bad they can be.....lie as flat as u can and drink caffine drinks.....Mt Dew is loaded.....even chocolate is a good choice.

Keep us posted

"selma"