Lumbar puncture question. :)

[Invida]

Hi, everyone. I hope you're feeling and doing great. I came by to see you lovely MS community people to see if anyone would have some advice. I'm having a lumbar puncture next week and the neurologist requested that a MS panel be done with it. I can't say if I really feel that I have MS with everything else I have going on, but I think it's good to at least check even though my neurologist has told me more than once he's never seen MS without anything showing on brain MRI.

I've been looking around for things to do to help when having a lumbar puncture and I keep reading that you should drink a lot of water before the puncture is done, but the instructions I was given told me not to have any food or fluids after midnight. I see a lot about caffeine, but I can't have caffeine. Does anyone know of anything else you can do that might help? I have read about staying flat. I hope they'll keep me flat long enough in the hospital. Anything to watch out for when you're having it done? No one mentioned fluoroscopy to me and the neuro ophthalmologist didn't know who would be doing the procedure.

[Invida]

I think if the pressure comes up and the hole heals well and stays sealed, I probably wouldn't have the headache.

[Invida]

Thank you for replying. :) It's nice to see how many people got through without the headache.

I think a lot of my worry is because lately I haven't been able to be flat at all without the pain in my head being intolerable, so once my CSF fluids are replenished and the pressure goes back up, I won't be able to be flat.

[Jennagreen]

I had a clear brain MRI (one spinal lesion) but positive LP.  No spinal headache.

[Invida]

Thank you all so much for your replies and for sharing with me. I think this is the first time I've found so many positive experiences in one place instead of the other side of things. :D

[Evalucia]

My LP was without problems.  The procedure did not hurt at all.  After the procedure I had to get up to use the bathroom which the nurse was not happy at all but hey, I couldn't help it.  Although I did get up after the procedure I did not get the headaches.

One thing I was told is that being fully hydrated helps.  I had volunteered to donate CSF fluid for research so they put me on IV for hydration.  The results came back normal but neuro said that a normal LP does not rule out MS.

[zerodegrees]

I had my LP in the hospital under fluoroscopy. I was completely relaxed and felt no pain, then laid flat for 2 hours after.

I did get the spinal headache a few hours after, but it was relieved with a blood patch procedure a few days later. Try not to worry and know that there are treatments should you get the headache after. Every procedure comes with some risk.

I am still glad I did the procedure. My fluid was all normal, but I still received a definitive diagnosis of MS because of all my other findings and it helped to fully exclude other diseases.

[supermum_ms]

I'm another who had zero issues from the LP, mine was done at a hospital, no fluoroscopy, routine monitoring for 2 hours, i knew so i took a book to read, i drank a caffeine drink on the way home, laid flat for a couple of days, kept drinking caffeine lol i probably drank enough coffee to sink a ship but i slept a lot anyway and apart from the issues i was already having, it caused me no other problems.

There are definitely more unpleasant stories on the net than the perfectly normal stories, don't read them if they start freaking you out, because the odds are that they won't be the same as your experience, and you've been worried for nothing...........being prepared isn't a bad thing if you keep it in perspective :D

Cheers...........JJ

[Lulu54]

The anticipation of having the LP is so much worse for almost all of us.  I had no problems with mine, either.  It was done by the neuro, in his office, and I was free to leave immediately afterwards. I wrote about it and i'll check if I can find that link - please try to not dwell on the coming event and assume that it will be finr.  the odd are in your favor -17% or so of people have problems with the post-LP headache.  and if that should happen you will want tocontact hedotor and have the blood atch done.  I would wish you luck but I'm sure you will be fine.

-Laura

[Invida]

Hi, guys. Thank you for replying. It's good to see that your LPs went really well. I've read some posts that had me pretty scared.

I'm also just one of those people who feels like they have to prepare and plan for everything or else I just don't feel right. Is that called a control freak? Probably! Lol.

[gypcwmn]

I agree with Kwarendorf! The more you think about things that could happen the more likely you will talk yourself into them happening.

I was told to drink as much coke as I could beforehand & I did.

I felt no pain, just a lit.tle prick, like when they take blood.

I didn't get the after headache & I did not stay flat.

After 5 mins they hustled me out of there & I had an hour & half drive home.

I see no reason why you shouldn't have the same results.

Good luck & try not to worry. It really isn't a big deal

[kwarendorf]

PS None of my LP's were done with fluoroscopy and none were done in a hospital. All were done in doctor's offices.

[kwarendorf]

Hi - The first thing I would suggest you do, in preparation for your upcoming LP, is to stop reading about them :-) I've had several and never suffered a single side effect. I've not always been well hydrated going in and I've not always spent the next day lying flat on my back. And still, never an ill effect :-)

I really believe that the more aware of what might be, the more likely I am to think it's happeneing to me.

Relax, you'll be fine :-)

Kyle