Lumbar Puncture?

[InSpain]

Hi everyone. I had a double lumbar puncture done last week and was wondering if anyone knew how long the headache would continue for? I'm ok when I'm lying down but sitting and standing are impossible as the pain is not tollerable. xxx

[rallcard]

Hi, my lumbar puncture left me with a headache for over a week. The best advice I would give is to hydrate regularly, and use paracetamol, not with codein mind, as that can aggrevate the headache. I found that coffee helped believe it or not, as the caffeine stimulated the paracetamol . I alos drank lots of hydrating drinks in the evening/night.

[InSpain in reply to rallcard]

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. I'm just off to A&E to see what they say - will keep you posted xxx

[lynzy]

My headaches lasted 5-10 days, but that was over 20 years ago when I had 2 done. I was told to sit upright, but with 4 shattered discs in my lower spine was impossible. They told me to hydrate well, but I didn't the first time, thinking that tea and coffee were good enough. Second time around I stuck to good old water and the headache went much quicker, about 5 days. If your still in agony though, Lynn's right in Saying you should get it checked out for a possible CSf leak. Nasty and painful, and your headache won't go until that's sorted if that's what you have been left with. Try dimming the lights as well, that may help alleviate the headache a little too.

Take care

Lynda

[InSpain in reply to lynzy]

Thanks Lynda. Will let you know how I get on xxx

[InSpain]

Thanks for the advice APsnotFab. I'm just off to accident and emergency to be checked out. My hubbie phoned ahead and they want to check this out for me. I'll let you know how I get on. xxx

[MaryF Administrator in reply to InSpain]

I hope they can sort it for you, it does sound possible - the above cause! Mary F x

[emmaj]

Good luck - the old lying down rule for 4 hours has now been replaced with -'there is no evidence it makes a difference' - which actually means were too short of beds to allow you to take one up for 4 hours - and I experienced horrendous pain the morning after for ten days,when I phoned my GP as i thought i was dying - her response was ' it has been proven that the headache is less if you lie down for 4 hours afterwards - id never have it again!

I was tolerating it while my legs were higher than my head, but any chance of standing up was impossible, and i had a one year old o look after - help had to be sought at 6am, ridiculous! I took syndol tension headache tablet and maybe just coincdence but it went that day pretty much - good luck you have my sympathy x

[KarenOR]

Hi ask to have a MRI and MRA done as well as a CT scan ASAP sounds like a brain fluid leak, I was in so much pain with a crushing feeling, double vision, being sick, feeling faint, because of a missed leak, it was not until I met a doctor on my shop floor I knew what was wrong. Being a APS suffer lumbar punchers take longer than normal to heal. you should have been lying upto 12 hours before scanning you to see if puncher had healed. Also drink two cups of caffine coffee and eat dark chocolate ( not to much) daily that is what the doctor told me to do and lay flat with no pillows helps.

See GP soon

[MaartenK]

@ InSpain Hi, how did the recovery continued over the weeks, months? I want to do some research because the neurologists seem to underestemate the fysical and psychological effects on a large group of people.

[AnnNY]

For me the headache just lasted until I went sleep. The next day I was good. The first time I wasn't on a blood thinner the 2nd time I was on heperin but I was in the hospital for a seizure so was mostly in bed anyway.