Hello everyone! This is my first time writing here. I’m a 22-year girl and had optic neuritis from one eye (quite severe for me, I had a lot of blind spots in my vision, especially at the centre). Besides that I had a constant headache plus felt really weak. Now I’m okay! It was my first time getting a neurological symptom and doctors prescribed me all the exams: evoked visual potential, MRI (spine, neck and brain) and lumbar puncture. So since the MRI apparently showed different lesions they already told me it’s likely that was my first ms flair but to be sure I had to do the lumbar puncture (plus some blood tests). They said in my case it was absolutely necessary to do it so obviously I did it and now I’m waiting for results. I wanted to ask you if you have any tips on how to deal with the side effects! I did it only two days ago and for two days I had strong back pains to the point I couldn’t move and sleep. Now it’s better but my head hurts a lot (even if I’m lying down). I’m mostly sleeping because it hurts to keep my eyes open. Do you know if there’s anything that can help this? I’m already taking three paracetamol pills a day (which is the maximum I can take according to my neurologist) and it kinda of helps a bit but it kinda does not. Thank you for your attention, I appreciate it:) Have a good day
Hello suibian,
I’ve no experience of post LP back pain, but I can sympathise with your headache, I had it for a few days after my LP some years ago. At that time, people on this forum were referring to it as ‘the headache from hell’. And they were right!
The only treatment was paracetamol, a darkened room and lots of fluids - with caffeinated drinks recommended by the medics. Many here have said that drinking coke helped them a lot, but I can’t stand the stuff so just drank juice and mineral water.
I’m hoping there are others on the forum who may have a few tips for you.
Ben
Hello suibian
Welcome to the forum, sorry you’ve had to find yourself here.
With regard to the lumbar puncture, the best advice is really that given in advance - it’s to remain laying down for as long as the hospital will let you, and to drink lots of fat coke (ie not the diet kind) through a bendy straw while lying down.
The point of the coke (or sweetened strong coffee - harder to drink laying down of course!) is that the caffeine and sugar helps to rehydrate you and replace the fluid taken from the spine and to ward off the ‘headache from hell’. Which it appears you are suffering from. Some people get this even if they manage to lay down for several hours and drink gallons of coke! And others jump off the couch, go straight back to work, drink no caffeine and get no headache.
Now that you have the headache, all you can do is rest, drink caffeinated drinks (it could still help) and take paracetamol. I may be no doctor, but that advice to take no more than 3 paracetamol a day seems a bit weedy to me. The usual advice (check the drug information on the packet - never taken medical advice from a forum like this without checking it!) is to take 1 or 2 x 500 mg paracetamol tablets (or caplets or capsules) up to 4 times a day. Personally, with that kind of headache, I’d take 2 paracetamol 4 times well spaced throughout a day until the headache is gone.
If it doesn’t go after about a week, the normal advice is to see a doctor, either your GP or A&E, but in these troubled times, it would be a better idea to phone 111 and ask for advice. The problem could be caused by a bleed where the LP needle went in and the hospital may need to do a ‘blood patch’ to cover the hole. Chances are, the headache will go soon given more rest and drugs.
Have a look at: http://www.clinicspeak.com/lumbar-puncture/#2/4 and/or https://www.mstrust.org.uk/a-z/lumbar-puncture as well as https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-adults/ and maybe https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660496/
Best of luck.
Sue
Hey there! Sorry for answering late I’ve been feeling a bit better only now. I’ve read your tips though and the advice of drinking caffeine kinda of seemed to work. My doctor only suggested me to drink lots of fluids and I have to say it did make a difference! Yes “headaches from hell” seems really the most appropriate way to describe them! Most people are very scared of this exam before doing it but I was very chilled and I just thought to spend few days in bed watching Netflix! It didn’t work that way for me. Well, luckily I’m better now! Thank you so much for your kind reply, I’ve really appreciated it!
Hello! Thank you for your reply I really appreciated it! I’ve read it the same day but I answer only now cause I feel better only now. I find the tip of drinking more caffeine really helpful somehow, I did feel better after drinking coffee or coke! So thank you for the tip, I’ll definitely be doing that in the next days. I have been taking 1000mg paracetamol tablets which I think is the highest dose 3 times a day and I’ve read there are serious side effects if you take more than that so I just followed the instructions, but thank you. Your advice makes sense for 500mg paracetamol. I just find it strange that even 1000 mg didn’t have that much effect on me. So at the end I did call my doctor because I could not eat, drink, or move and they told me I should force myself to drink at least. And I did and it really helped! Especially as you suggested with caffeinated drinks. Well nevermind, I guess I just had an unlucky experience. It seems to be finally over now. Thank you for the links as well. Very kind and detailed answer!