Hiya
I'm in a similar situation as you. I've had so many lumbar punctures that I don't even have a count anymore. Mine is from a CSF leak which was coming from my skull base into my sinuses. I've had the leak since 2006. I've had the first surgery to patch it about 1 1/2 years ago. But I blew the patch because my pressure shot up after the surgery.
The way I understand it is that because I've had a low pressure situation for so many years that I've sort of adapted to this. So my pressure goes up when they patch the leak. I just had a second surgery on 7/1/10 to patch this up. But my intracranial pressure was elevated. I was put onto Diamox (A med to lower the pressure). Unfortunately I am allergic to the Diamox, because it is a sulfa med. I had to take each dose with two benadryls to keep the itching at bay. Now it's been over a month since my last surgery so my neurosurgeon let me stop taking the Diamox.
So, if this patch does not hold the next step is a VP shunt. I personally would be open to having a shunt, if it were to help my 4 year old headache. My neurosurgeon has said that although the procedure is not without risk, but that it is pretty routine. Shunts now-a-days are pretty high tech and would allow them to fine tune my intracranial pressure. So, like you I am thinking about it.
So that's kind of what I know right now. My head pain is pretty well controlled on narcotics.
Have you tried pain management?
What about Diamox?
Sorry that you find yourself in this situation....believe me I understand.
Horselip
Hello!
I have had 14 shunt revisions, and I have had both a LP shunt and VP shunt. A LP shunt is where the tube drains fluid from your lower back to your abdomen. and a VP shunt is goes from your head to your abdomen. If I could give one piece of advice I would say don't get a shunt unless it is a LAST RESORT!! in other words, unless your head is in unimaginable pain ( pain you have never felt before) and uncontrollable vomiting and you begin loosing your vision then don't get a shunt. I am only 27, and have spent most of my life in hospitals.