Lumbar puncture,then blood patch,now neck pain/headache

[wannabmommy]

I posted  yesterday about some other symptoms(urinating problems)due to the blood patch.I had a lumbar puncture done Friday(I have MS) and then had to go back on Saturday for a blood patch for a spinal headache.My headache went away instantly.This afternoon I started getting a lot of neck pain almost like muscle pain and it went into my head.Now I have a turmendous headache again especially when I sit or stand.Could it be possible that I need another blood patch or could it possibly just be from muscle spasms etc.Do you know of patients that had a blood patch and the headaches went away and came back like a day later?Thank you very much  

[Ball123]

Sorry to hear that.

Some people need several blood patches or even surgery to fix the dura again. Have you had a brain mri with gadolinium to check for signs of low pressure (that you are still leaking)? I f the headaches changed character after the blood patch then it might be a chronic migraine or new daily persistent headache that was triggered by this ordeal with the leak. But there is also a non-neglectable risk that you are still leaking.

Nortriptylin is very good against these headaches, so it is good that you got it. But it won't help if you are still leaking. So wait a couple of months and if you are better from the drug then it was not the leak. Otherwise you need to check it for sure.

I know that chronic headaches are terrible. And so little is known about them. But have faith, you will get better!

[jac84lp]

I had an mri (no gadolinium) of the brain that came back normal. The neurologist refuse to do an mri of my spine to check for leaking because my headaches are no longer postural. I'm just afraid this headache is chronic and have to live with it for the rest of my life. I guess I'll have to wait and see. Feeling frustrated and depressed.  Thanks for your help Ball123. You've been very helpful in helping me understand what I'm going through.

[Ball123]

Good that your mri was normal at least:). But your doc should have orderd it with gadolinium as well so that signs of intracranial hypotension could have been checked.

Give the nori some time to work and hopefully you will get better. But keep the csf leak in mind because they don't always give positional headaches and you still have signs of leaking (headaches and tinnitus).

Eventually you will get well, one way or the other:).

[Sheila4444]

I just had a blood patch 5 days ago and it was the worse pain ever and I am Tough!

[Sheila4444]

Did it ever go away. I am exactly where you were.

[Sheila4444]

Jac where are you now with the pain?  I just had the blood patch 5 days ago. The headache was the result of a lumbar puncture. The pain of the blood patch was excruciating just like the headache. Yesterday it felt like a freight train was running through my head. Today not too bad, tonight not so great. I am staying flat and praying..