Re: Spinal headaches

Posted By CCF Neurology MD - AY on January 01, 1999 at 05:59:12:

In Reply to: Spinal headaches posted by Kathy Stewart on January 01, 1999 at 00:22:07:






Hi.  I had beed getting epidurals for lower back pain and the doctor went too deep and gave me a spinal tap.  I suddenly had a REAL BAD HEADACHE.  He layed me back gave e a coke to drink and sent me home.  Needless to say the headaches didn't stop.  Here if you go to the emergency room they give you something for pain right then and send you home.  I called the doctor office the next day and talked to the doctor on call (Saturday)  and he pretty much said I had to tough it out  that the only thing that I could do was to get a blood patch "and I wouldn't wqant to do that".  By my doctors appointment on tuesday I couldn't turn my head or lean it back any.  I was admitted straight from the doctors office, put on pain med. and an IV for five days before they did a blood patch.   After I got out the hospital I had alot of pressure in my head, a noise in my head that sounded like I had my ear up to a light fixture listening to it hum, I had a clicking noise in my neck,  lost muscles in my arms, carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands,  All of this happened in less than a month after the spinal tap. With it all still going on seven months later.  Can a spinal tap do all this.  I look forward for a reply.  Thank I really need some kind of answer




Thanks for your question.  The symptoms described in your message and the
subsequent therapeutic steps are all compatible with the occurrence of
a cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) leak, as a complication of the lumbar puncture
(spinal tap).  Some patients that undergo lumbar puncture experience post-
procedural headaches because of the extraction of the small volume of CSF,
and the incidence of this side-effect varies considerably from individual
to individual.  Your case, however, suggests a continous leak of CSF through
the LP (lumbar puncture) site.  Because your symptoms are still persisting,
it is quite likely that the leak was not completely resolve by the blood
patch.  Please discuss with your physician the necessity of repeating the
epidural bloodpatch.
I hope this information is helpful.  Best of luck.  Happy New Year.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.
Please consult your doctor regarding diagnostic and treatment options.