REALLY BAD HEADACHE AFTER LUMBAR PUNCTURE

MY 15 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD A LUMBAR PUNCTURE FIVE DAYS AGO TO TEST FOR LYME DISEASE.  SHE HAS LAYED FLAT AND STAYED HOME SINCE PROCEDURE ONLY TO GET UP TO QUICKLY SHOWER, OR GO TO THE BATHROOM.  HER HEAD IS KILLING HER, SHE'S NAUTIOUS AND MISERABLE. SHE IS DRINKING LOTS OF FLUIDS, INCLUDING CAFFEINE AND EATING FINE. THE ON CALL DOCTOR AT THE HOSPITAL JUST SUGGESTED THAT SHE COME INTO THE ER FOR A BLOOD PATCH.  ANY SUGGESTIONS?

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

Headaches are a natural consequence of lumbar puncture but should have already disappeared by the 5th to 7th day.  Sometimes, the extended symptoms of nausea, headaches and vomiting, may not be due to the lumbar puncture, but can already be due to the condition for which the patient has been tested for in the first place.  I'm also not sure if caffeine will help or aggravate the condition and I believe it is best to avoid such.  I suggest you have her looked at by her doctor so that she can be evaluated properly.

Regards and God bless.

[knzie]

obviously this is too late to help BagLady17, but for anyone else who might be reading this... I had a lumbar puncture a week ago and was unable to get out of bed until two days ago.  Though my pain was rather tolerable while lying down, lifting my head for any length of time resulted in an excrutiating headache.  Following my doctor's instructions, I drank a lot of caffeine, took Tylenol1 and rested.  In my case, about 4 days after the procedure my headache got worse during the night and then was virtually gone by lunch the next day.  After the headache was gone, I started experiencing extreme pain in my back (of which there had been a little before, but not much).  The back pain got worse the next night and then again was virtually gone the next morning.  I am now one week from the procedure and am almost entirely recovered.  I did not have a blood patch and am glad that I didn't.  It was definitely not fun, but it did go away.  In my case at least, patience was all that was required.