Vertigo/dizziness after spinal tap
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Last month I went to the hospital with a continuous headache and fever for a couple days, they wanted to check for meningitis. So I agreed to do spinal tap (guess what they call blind spinal tap, no xray used).
I didn't have a headache at first from the procedure, but about two days later they came on the back of my head. It lasted about a week or less, I was able to function with Tylenol. Then the headaches went away.
I thought a post spinal tap headache were completely normal? Especially since it stopped. That's why I didn't run back to the hospital.
But now I'm learning I should have went back for a blood at first sign of headaches?
Now a month later I'm left with no headache, but debilitating vertigo and motion sickness And nausea I didn't have before spinal tap.
My gp thinks there's no correlation, and that if I was having a csf leak I would have an excruciating headache which I don't.
From what I researched it's very rare but one can have a leak without headache. And I also read low csf pressure can cause vertigo and nausea.
Am I overreacting, that I want to look into to spinal tap as cause of vertigo?
My worries are CSF leak or aquired chiari.
I got some blood work done Friday and saw my primary and told then about this. I got standard blood work done, results were fine, so i guess isnt something that will kill me anytime soon. Its really debillitating, I can barly stand without cane and when I move my head to fast while standing. I can fall.
Can you have csf leak without headache?
0 likes, 1 reply
tamra73559 Guest
Posted
HI,
I'm not sure as I've never had a spinal tap ( had a discogram, dont recommend it, if not necessary. Hurts like hell!!) But I've heard you can have side effects for a few weeks after, and they also might not start till a few days after the procedure.
I've had vertigo, and that's not fun. My husband had to call an ambulance as I couldn't stand, and had diarrhea and vomiting at the same time. I was given a prescription for meclizine, which is actually the same as dramamine, or travel sickness medication. You might want to try that and see if it helps. Vertigo can be re-accuring, and i always keep some in my purse just in case.
My husband got it a few months later while he was driving. He was close to a clinic, but they were closed, so he ended up calling for an ambulance, because he couldn't stand upright without everything spinning. He was told, that if you feel it coming on, to lay with your eyes closed for a few minutes.
Good luck to you, I hope everything is ok.