Update on Spinal Headaches

So, I talked to the OBs office and they told me to go to the ER, which would cost me $150.  I talked to my PCP and she suggested calling the hospital and asking to speak with an anesthesiologist before I went to the ER.  My DH brought me up to L&D on Thursday evening and they told us we needed to go to the ER, hospital policy, so we asked if we could at least just speak with one of the anesthesiologists and see what they would suggest before spending the money we don't have right now.  After a long conversation with her it was determined that yes I am having spinal headaches BUT since it had been over 2 weeks since my epidural that A) the headaches should be gone within the next week on their own and B) it can do more harm than good at this point in time to do a blood patch.  Her suggestion was to drink lots of caffeine, stay hydrated, and rest as much as possible.  So that is what I am going to do and hope that they go away.  I have some days where they are excrutiating and the rest are just annoying headaches so I will take it easy for another week and see what happens.
My suggestion off of what I have learned from this - If you are experiencing spinal headaches in the hospital just do the blood patch before leaving.  The headaches suck and they hurt, so don't put yourself through that pain.

I think you said they knew you were having headaches when you left and told you to drink caffeine then, didn't they?  If so...that's messed up that they'd send you home that way in the hopes it'd get better, w/o instructions to come back immediately if it got worse (back when they could have done the patch). 

I'm sorry that they're saying nothing will help right now and that you still face another week or so of this.  Hopefully the next week will go quickly and any remaining headaches will be of the 'annoying headache variety' rather than the 'excruciating headache' variety. 

 

From when I had my headaches I think that they are uneducated on how to deal with them.  The first attempt at an epidural for me was a visible wet tap.  They should have left the catheter in and seen how I felt so I didn't have to go through the pain of getting poked again.  Then after I got the first blood patch they should have told me that I really needed to take it easy because it was no longer effective two days later and I had to go back to the ER.  Then in the ER the intern almost acted suspicicious of me like I was there to get some pain meds when I didn't get a prescription at all.  It was just a mess. 

In conclusion.... lol.... I totally agree with you.  If you feel like you get a spinal headache always get the blood patch and always get it before leaving the hospital. 

I hope you feel better soon.

That sucks. Those headaches are horrible. I started getting headaches about 1 1/2 weeks after my epidural with my first baby and they NEVER told me it was an epidural headache, I didn't know why I was having such horrible headaches and it lasted for about a week off and on. I sure hope it goes away soon for you.

Hopefully it will go away soon!!!  At least you have an answer to this.  It just totally sucks that you have to live with this.  What a way to spend the 1st weeks of a newborns life.  I totally agree with a PP---they never should have just had you leave without at least trying to convince you to get the blood patch originally! 

Well, at this point-just look at it this way--you should be on the downside of it.  Try to lay down, rest, rest, and get more rest. 

Debbie