Lumbar puncture

[maalidog]

Hi, has anybody ever had a lumbar puncture please. If so, can you tell me your honest experience of it, the procedure, how you felt, how it affected you etc. Need help off folk who have been there please.

[AnnNY]

It does sound scary, but it is really not bad.

Try to stay relaxed. It will help the doctor get into the proper spot. If all goes smoothly, it goes quickly.

After the first one I had a nasty headache for the evening. I had to get up with my head down, so it was peculiar. The second time I was in the hospital and didn't notice a head ache. You might want to make sure that you are well hydrated before the test, and keep very well hydrated for the rest of the night.

I worked in a pediatric ward and sometimes had to help with babies having lumbar punctures, so this was a good thing for me to have knowledge of how it worked.

As long as you can keep yourself relaxed and still it is quick and easy.

[maalidog in reply to AnnNY]

Thank you, don't know what I,m gonna do as have a massive fear and have upheld badly needed diagnosis for ms. I,m crying as need to know but too petrified to have this done.

[CarolMcl]

Hi, it was many years ago I had two lumbar procedures.

To be honest I absolutely detest needles(a great Nurse!!). Anyway the first one was incorrectly taken so I had to wait a period of time to repeat the process and I can say with my hand on my heart the anticipation is a lot worse than the procedure itself. If i had to go through it again, I wouldn't have any worries.

I hope this helps you

[maalidog in reply to CarolMcl]

Thank you so much. Don,t know how I,m gonna get over the gear of having one done, don,t think I can.

[CarolMcl in reply to maalidog]

Trust me, you will. My fear of needles is so bad that as a student when I had no option , I had to give injections but was nearly always physically sick afterwards. Been qualified for many years and I still avoid it like the plague.

If I can get it done, anyone can. As AnnNY said, just lie still and it'll be over before you know it

[maalidog in reply to CarolMcl]

Thank you for your help. I,ve never been scared of needles and I am usually hard as nails. Never been frightened or timid to have anything done, always a fab patient, but for some reason it's a lp that is scaring me to death and I don,t know where the fear comes from. I,ve tried for ages now to tell myself to get a grip but my fear just worsens. I can,t thank you and all other replies enough for trying to help me but unfortunately it looks like I,m gonna continue to be a fool to myself as I can,t see a way out. Xxx

[Hidden in reply to maalidog]

I felt exactly the same way as you. But I can honestly say that I’d have another now rather than root canal treatment or even having another filling! X

[AgedCrone in reply to maalidog]

Why are you so fearful?

Has your doctor actually explained exactly what happens?I'm not particularly brave & as I said in my previous post, , if it was thought necessary, I'd have one tomorrow.

The worst I could explain is it's a bit uncomfortable...but only if you don't stay still.

[CarolMcl]

Speak to your doc, I'm sure there's ways to help you. And being blunt, you need to put your health and wellbeing first. Take that step x

[maalidog in reply to CarolMcl]

Thank you.

[AgedCrone in reply to maalidog]

Ask your doctor if you can have some light sedation...you can't be completely out of it as you need to be able to cooperate with the doctor.

But think about the reason you need to have it....surely if you have got this far you know you need help.

Do talk it over & tell your doctors how apprehensive you are.

You are not alone .....for some reason LP's bring out all the Old Wive's Tales....none of which are true! It's a diagnostic procedure that will help you get better.

[AgedCrone]

I had encephalitis & had lumbar punctures daily for weeks. Some were better than others, but the best advice I could offer......although I understand it is not the fashion these days, is to lie down for as long as possible after the procedure. Otherwise I found I had a terrible headache.

I'm sure the techniques have improved since my treatment, & of my doctors thought it necessary I'd have one tomorrow.

[CarolMcl in reply to AgedCrone]

I agree. When I had mine I was told to lie down for 12 hours.

[Fennella02]

I share your terror - to the extent that I refused one for myself when I had penicillin induced meningitis. I also refused one for my baby daughter when she had sepsis at 3 weeks old. I also refused one for my premature baby son who also had sepsis. In the latter case, the medics gently insisted that it really was necessary and I felt compelled to allow it. The nurses who performed it were incredibly skilled and it took just a few minutes - even on such a tiny person. I really hope that you can go through with the procedure - the information it yields could be invaluable. Could you perhaps get something from your GP to relax you?

Thinking of you xx

[maalidog in reply to Fennella02]

Thank you so much everybody for your caring and help. Xx

[AnnNY]

I think this is one of those situations that many of us have been in where the fear is just so much worse than the actual experience. In the LPs I remember it was a very tiny needle in diameter. It was very quick and virtually painless. Frankly, having my blood drawn is worse, since I have tiny veins, and they always want to fill a dozen test tubes. Sometimes they have to try multiple times. But, of course, I'm used to it.

But if you are so scared, it maybe a good idea to get something to relax you the night before and the day, unless you are driving yourself to your appointment!

I believe it all will go well and be fine.

Good luck.

[Hidden]

I had one done 3 years ago to the day. I had a horrible time waiting on a neuro Ward all day and was scared witless in anticipation of the tap - especially because I had to fly home straight afterwards and they weren’t giving me enough time to get the lie down before my flight home so I was worrying my head off about every aspect of it!

Finally I had it done and it did take a lot of attempts because I have severe lumbar arthritis making entry difficult. But they anaesthetised me well and once she managed to get enough CSF and match it with serum she apologised and said that the first contaminated taps would at least mean that I wouldn’t get a headache and didn’t need to lie down so could go straight for my plane! She was right on both counts! I don’t recall much pain - just the terror of anticipation beforehand.

Looking back I’d have it again if I had to even though it was classed as a traumatic tap. It ruled out MS and informed us that I had a systemic process occurring. I was able to keep reminding dismissive doctors of this for another year before finally being diagnosed with a very neurological form of Sjögren’s. Without the lumbar puncture result I don’t think I’d have been taken seriously or got my Sjögren’s diagnosis. There are other far more routine invasive tests I’ve had over the course of time that have been much more painful and have yielded very little information. I won’t name them here but will say that lumbar puncture really wasn’t bad at all and no nasty headache or anything untoward afterwards. I got my flight home and got a courtesy wheelchair all the way through to departures - but only because I was so exhausted by the stress of the day!

[Georgie-girl]

Don't worry too much maalidog. The fear is worse than the actual procedure. I've had 3 of them and the worst part is the waiting around.

It can cause a little discomfort but it isn't painful. You must keep still while the needle is being inserted and lie still for a while after the procedure to lessen the chances of headache. And that's it. A valuable source of information for the doctors if you're waiting on a diagnosis of something.

The needle is so thin I'm sure you won't feel a thing.

Good luck.

[Lupiknits]

I agree with the others. I was sent by my GP for an urgent CT scan, then was told they wanted to do a lumbar puncture. I just said having a needle in my spine was top of my "never,ever" list. I was in an overnight ward and a junior doctor kept coming back to persuade me, but I refused. Finally he guilt tripped me by saying he couldn't sleep that night worrying about me not having one. Of course I gave in!

Really, it's fine. Roll up and hold still as they tell you. You get a local anaesthtic, and it really is easy and quick. I was already in the overnight ward so there were no problems lying down after. I had a slight headache the next couple of days.

I agree with Twitchy. I'd rather have a dozen lumbar punctures than a root canal filling.

[maalidog in reply to Lupiknits]

Thankyou

[nanleighh]

As everyone else has said the anticipation and fear is way worse than the procedure. I had one done. It wasn’t bad at all. The hard fest part is staying very still. The best to you. Nan

[maalidog in reply to nanleighh]

Thankyou

[MoyaP]

Hi there. I had a lumber puncture in May, just before my Lupus diagnosis. I was so scared but knew I had to go through with it to help with my diagnosis. I used meditation techniques learned from my headspace app and this really helped. The area is so numb that you won't feel pain. Just concentrate on your breathing or chat to a nurse. I didn't have headaches after, I just lay still and kept hydrated. Good luck xx

[maalidog in reply to MoyaP]

Thankyou

[yay4Jesus]

Bless your heart! Lifting you up to Jesus in prayer for courage, comfort and peace!!! Remember, Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." and Philippians 4:13 Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

[Maggiet]

I was absolutely fine - honestly! The first try was with me leaning forward but the Dr couldn't get the fluid, so I ended up curled in a ball and the Dr had no problem collecting the fluid. Totally painless. The trick is - acting on NHS advice - to drink FULL FAT coke after the procedure. This is quite difficult to get but well worth the search. Lie totally flat for at least an hour after the procedure. I had no headache at all. Good luck xx

[NickyNoo24]

Had one failed because she didn't have thecrighr needle but thought she'd give it a go anyway. When I went back it was done by a consultant radiologist and a dream team of about 9 people. They respected that my lungs would lie totally flat, used the right needle and it was far better. I had a lot of fluid taken off though and the headaches the next day were awful. Some places recommend caffeine just for the day for the head ache

Hope all goes well

[lupieibbie]

Hi Maalidog

I hear and understand your anxiety about this procedure. I've had 4 lumbar punctures and they're not nearly as traumatic as you're thinking at the moment. But I know each person responds differently.

Just a thought .... but think about a 'bad' thing that's happened to you and how you managed to get through it. For the sake of a definitive diagnosis ....... You can do this!