Is this normal?

[LisaJF]

As some of you know, I had a lumbar puncture today at 10:30 am and everything went fine.  It is now 12 hours later and I'm finding that my left arm is tingly and sometimes is going numb, same with left leg and hip area.  Sometimes bilaterally my legs feel tingly and numb too.  

What is really weird is that around my left eye, cheek, scalp also has tingling/numbing sensation.

I'm a bit confused about this because throughout the entire day I had nothing and now 12 hours later I'm starting to get this?

I have no headache...which I didn't the last time.

Any of you out there had this and if yes, how long does it last?  

I hate to call the doctor for something so trivial, so I figured I would ask you.

Thank you in advance.

Lisa

[PastorDan]

I dinno, Alex.   Een havi g that same issue a lot lately.  Wanna compare med lists?

[HVAC]

I have a similar eye thing from my MS. For me it has to do with my inability to focus. It is like my eyes and brain are not in sync with tracking. I think medications I take for the MS make it worse.

Alex

[anon07072023]

Sorry, I'm late chiming in - hopefully, this has all resolved. Sorry it didn't go as smoothly as the 1st LP.  When I had mine, I had no problems with it.

Hugs,
Kelly  

[LisaJF]

Thank you Zoe and Kyle.

I did call this morning and the doctor who called me back said what I was feeling was normal, however, the left sided leg/arm/side of stomach, eye, scalp thing had nothing to do with the LP.  Only the bilateral lower leg numbing tingling and the coughing headache thing.  I also have a slight stiff neck and photophobic.

I told them I am drinking lots of caffeine and hydrating. So they said to call if it continues and I could have a blood patch.

Something new today which is weird (of course after I spoke to the MD), sometimes I feel my eyes are going back and forth fast for a moment then stops. Weird huh?  

Thanks again!

[kwarendorf]

Hi - Lisa,

I'd give the doc a call this morning :-)

Kyle

[zoefromsussex]

Lisa, I've just read your post. I had a reaction to my LP too and ended up bed ridden for a week but in my case the lp was carried out during an ms relapse so I think it probably just intensified what was already going on. Anyway, I know a couple of people who've had the same. I think it just takes a while to settle as it's quite invasive and our nervous systems are already troubled!
I hope things settle soon for you and am glad it went well otherwise, Zoe

[LisaJF]

Thanks for responding!

Today I'm better with small remnants of tingling sensations in leg or arm, but developed a thing where if I cough, I feel like someone is taking a sledge hammer to my head.  Like excruciating pain.  That was during the day. But now as the night is coming to a close, its not as bad when I cough.  So perhaps this is on its way out and its a normal thing to happen.

I was just not prepared mentally for anything to happen because my first one, I didn't have headaches or back pain or bilateral leg numb/tingling/burning feeling etc.

And almost 60 hours later I develop this lightening strike type feeling of a headache only when I cough, no other time.  Weird huh? Only me!

If it continues tomorrow, I'm going to call the doctor who performed the LP and ask him what he thinks. If not, I'll let it be.

But thanks you all for wishing me luck!

Lisa

[Guitar_grrrl]

Yeah, what Mike said!  I know Kaiser has advise nurses 24/7, as do many other health plans.  I hope you feel better soon!

How are you, today?

[Mike_Shuswap]

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well.

I don't know where you live, but here in BC we have a service where you phone in to talk to a nurse about your health issue and she/he will advise you what to do, like call your doctor, or go to emerg, or twhatever.

It's free, part of our medical system. I call it the 'nurse line', but I can't recall the correct name.

Is something like this available where you live?

Best of luck, I hope you feel better.

Mike

[LisaJF]

Nevermind...I spoke too prematurely.  Still having intermittent burning in arm, legs, tingling etc.  But its doable. I'm sure this will pass.

[LisaJF]

Hey thanks you all!  I am wonderful this morning.  Nothing is bothering me other than the usual, "fatigue".  

If it continued I would have called today and asked.  Honest. :D  

I just thought it was odd because for 12 hours post procedure, I absolutely felt fine then all of a sudden that came on.  So I thought I would ask if any of you have experienced this at all.

Thank you all again for your input! It was greatly appreciated!

xxoo Lisa

[Maracamama]

I'm not sure if it's normal or not but I had a similar experience after my LP.  My scalp went numb and one of my fingers would "twitch" or move weirdly.  I had mentioned it to my neuro and she didn't think it was related but I always had my doubts.

I'm glad you didn't get the headache.  That was the worst part for me.

It would never hurt to get it checked out if you're worried about it.

Laura

[Sailorsong]

I really doubt it could be that they hit a nerve as that would only cause this in lower body and not head.

But what I am thinking is that it might have triggered an immune response in your CSF and the start of a relapse. I would alos contact your doctor about this as Lulu said.

Dennis

[Lulu54]

Lisa, the question isn't trivial.  Would you be able to contact your doctor yet tonight?  But I'm pretty sure if you contact your doctor, you will be told to go to the ER to have it checked out.  


Perhaps they hit a nerve, but you would think if so the symptoms would have been apparent sooner than this.  

Please don't take any chances - if this continues or intensifies, you really should contact the doctor.

Glad to hear the procedure went ok and you don't have the dreaded headache 17% of LPs cause.
gentle hugs, Laura

[PastorDan]

Sounds to this rather iffy brain like yiu're having some reaction to something.  Worth watching.   Is someone around to keep an eye on you?