It is believed currently that I have Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension. The same thing as what causes a headache after an LP. Basically they think my CSF is leaking somewhere.

I have had the headache for 8 weeks.

Tomorrow I have an MRI with contrast because the last MRI they were looking for a tumour and didnt use contrast ...

Anyway, while I have been waiting for the MRI my neurologist told me to drink a LOT of coffee as caffeine has been shown to help resolve the issue.

The next step for me if the MRI is inconclusive is to take an LP. They will check the rate of flow of CSF, if it is low then I guess they will do a blood patch.

After your description I dont think I want one lol...but the headache has worn me down and as I cant go out as the light is painful and blinding...maybe a bit more pain will be OK

When I got the LP, they told me do not raise my head AT ALL for 24 hrs...to lay flat. I ended up getting a headache anyway, but not as bad as it could have been.

As for the ER doc, all I can say is QUACK! In the future, you might be better off calling your primary care and going that route.

This will sound weird, but I LOVED MY BLOOD PATCH!!! The day after my tap was a big day in my life that required I be up and around so I took lots of ibuprofen throughout the day, and it was just too much too soon. I ended up having to be driven home and then driven to the hospital so I could get the patch. I didn't know what that was until the day I needed one (would have been nice to know the day of the tap because I would have requested one then to avoid the headache if at all possible). The migraine was gone almost instantly after the patch.

I recall the blood patch being much preferable to the tap itself although the doc was injecting into the same place. He actually offered to give me something before the patch to calm my nerves (I accepted, and my mother said no Im so glad he listened to me, the patient! My moms in the medical field, so I feel like I get ignored as the patient when shes around), and it was heavenly. Thats probably why I preferred the blood patch to the LP besides the fact that it took the pain away!

Alllison,

The blood patch works for 95% (or more) people so let's think positively that it will work for you! During the entire diagnostic process, I seemed to be always in the smallest percentage of those who didn't respond favorably to a test! Regarding the blood patch, my neuro. didn't do it. An anetheseologist (on call) did it and I don't think she had done many before! It took her three tries and she didn't even stick around to make sure that it was working. I was quite frustrated. I'm sure your experience will be much different! The best of luck to you!

I did get a rebound migraine post LP. Now I can sympathize with those that suffer from migraines on a routine basis - it's awful, I thought I was going to die. But I don't know what a blood patch is - what is it?

I didn't know there was such a thing as a blood patch! I had the most horrible migraine for 4 days after my LP until I finally called my doctor and she prescribed Vicadin. I literally could not work, could not even get out of bed from the pain. Would have been nice to know about this blood patch thing.

I have never heard of such a thing...is this a one time procedure or do you follow up with more? is it something that remains with you?, on you?

I had the lumbar puncture. After two days of a headache every time I stood up I called the hospital. They said to come back in for the blood patch. I agree the blood patch was a lot worse then the LP. After the blood patch my headache was still there my neuro told me to stay in bed. I was in bed for a week. Bored out of my mind since, when I stayed laying down the headache was gone and would only come back when I was standing. He told me to drink plenty of fluids and I took Excedrin. It finally went away but I never want to get another LP. My neuro told me that was the one test that was only performed once, thank you God.

Thank God I live in Florida!

My prayers go out to ALL of you who got the headache from the LP. I was told early on, to NOT GET UP for 2-3 hours.

Stay laying down with my head no higher than the level of my heart.

We have a special Dr. down here who has a super thin needle. He showed me the difference between the 2 AFTER the procedure.....YIKESSSSSSSSSS.

Ya'll have my deepest sympathy and prayers!

Godspeed2007777

aka----"Sheila"

I remember when I got the Spinal Headache after my LP like it was yesterday (it was 7 years ago) that was worse than any migraine i have ever had ( I get them bad and they last for days) The blood patch was a god send... I had to lay flat for 3 days after but it mad the headache go away..

Hello
I too had to have a blood patch a day after my tap. My neuro sent me to the local pain clinic and the doctor there was wonderful. the patch is not intended to work imediatley. The reason you get the sever headache after a tap is because the punture in your spine leaks thus draining the cerebral fluid (I think thats what it is called) anyway the same fluid in your spine is the same that surrounds your brain and cusions it against your cranium. therefore the patch is not an imediate fix..you have to wait for it to clot and than you need to reproduce the fluid that you lost. that is why they dont usually give one right away and wait a day because you have to have time to see if the head ache goes away from the initial removal of fluid from your spine for the tap. My doctor took alot of fluid, almost twice that which is normal. there is a low percentage of people who will need a patch and a lower percentage that the patch wont work on. My doctor told me it may last forever, 5 years or one year..you never know but mine worked. BUT I laid flat on my back and did not move only to use the restroom and stayed that way for 48 hours. the blood patch needs this time to totally clot around the tap. no movement, no excessive ups and downs or rolling. probably the worse pain I had after my patch was back pain from laying flat on it for 2 days but it was worth it to me. Anyway, let me explain a blood patch. they will put a (not sure what they are called) blood stint in your arm to draw out blood and will have it ready for them to draw the blood, they will then insert a needle back into the same hole as your tap only not into your spine just up to it, they will then draw the blood from your arm and inject it around the hole in your spine so it will clot in the hole that is leaking, like a patch, thus the term blood patch. mine was painless but I attribute that to the fact they gave me a shot of morphine before doing it and I was pretty much laighing and giggling throughout the procedure, at least that is what my wife said because I really dont remember that hour :-). Anyhoo, good luck with your testing and I hope this shed some light on your questiion. Peace to you and yours.
Fred

Yes, I did a spinal tap last year and I laid down for 6hrs or more like they told me to avoid a headache and I still ended up with a headache and I suffered with it for a couple of days and I finally got in contact with them and I had to go back to the hospital for a bloodpatch. They drew blood out of my arm and placed it in my back and immediately the headache went away.

Yes, I had the blood patch, after 3 days of unbelievable pain.(I have given natural childbirth) and the headache was worse than that 10 x over! I was admitted into the hospital for 2 days for pain management, i.e. IV pain meds - which I would not have ever allowed prior to this - until they could do the patch. I live in ATL - fantastic med care - and apparantly the blood patch has less than a 50% success rate if done prior to 72hrs post LP. My only problem with the patch was I had been pokes so much they had a very hard time finding somewhere to get blood from me

Excedrin Migraine has caffeine. And, caffeine makes your blood vessels shrink which is what you want. So, drink more caffeine for about a week.

I envy those of you who have gotten morphine, vicadin, or something to relax with the blood patch and/or the LP. Hmmmm...do the doctors in ND think that we are all 'tough' and can weather just about anything? I think NOT! Maybe not being offered ANYTHING before these procedures is a ND thing? Hmmmmm...