How many of you got a headache or other complications after an epidural

[Marabou]

Sorry all, I seem to be hawking this forum at the moment..

Was just watching another baby programme and the lady, who just gave birth and had an epidural is suffering from a horrible headache. I had planned to have an epidural despite having heard of the possible side effects, but was wondering how many of you had this or any other complications after having had an epidural.

Many thanks!

I had an epidural for my 3rd birth and then a spinal for emergency op 5 days later.
No adverse complications from either.
If you have a competent anaesthetist then it shouldnt be an issue, the severe headache is caused by a dural tear, it can happen, but its farely rare. I have seen lots of surgery done under epidural or spinal, its very safe

I had one and no problems afterwards. I think keeping an open kind is good advice - you may not want one once you are actually in labour.

I had a bad experience with an epidural and had headaches for weeks afterwards - don't think it was administered very well. I won't bore or worry you with the details!
However, everyone's experiences are so different. Personally I wouldn't worry about your birth plan too much. I was dead set against an epidural until I got so exhausted I felt couldn't carry on without one. Your labour probably won't be as long as mine was! [csmile] If I went through the same thing again I would probably have another epidural as the risks of complications are small. Your second midwife sounds like the one to listen to - I wasn't kept upright or mobile and I'm convinced that made it worse for me.
And IMHO it's utter rubbish that you won't feel like you haven't done it properly if you have an epidural, or you'll feel like a hero without one. However you end up getting the baby out it'll be just as amazing when you get to hold your baby for the first time! It can't be that bad - I want another one! [cgrin]

My friend had a killer headache for over a week after a badly administered epidural. There were other incompetent actions too and she and her husband had a long wrangle with the hospital afterwards. (It was in Bristol). I had one with my first baby - didn't want one but was exhausted after 24 hours and midwife persuaded me I needed to rest to give birth naturally. I trusted her - she was great and right. HAd the epi - all went well and it almost wore off in time to feel the pushing. But had next two at home - shorter labours and had no regrets I was beyond the reach of pain relief! You might not need/want one - keep an open mind about it. Mine was all fine adn no headache or any side effects at all but wouldn't have one again if poss. Just liked feeling everything - much more satisfying experience at home - for me! We're all different of course!

I had terrible shakes coming off the epidural, which passed very quickly and is a common and not worrying symptom. I also had - which horrified me - a numb patch top of right thigh about the size of my palm. Doctors said nothing could be done (obviously) and (hilariously) 'Did they not discuss epidural pros and cons with you at the time?' (Might have - I had been 9cm for 3 hours and had no interest in anything anyone was saying.) Numb patch has now pretty much gone (though it's possible that I just think its gone and other nerves have compensated.

In the same circs, I would definitely choose the epidural again. It was perfectly timed, pretty well administered and I could feel to push a few hours later - in fact even felt baby turn, perfect level of sensation, really 'good' second stage iykwim.

I didn't get the headache but I did get a neuralgic sort of twingeing pain at the site of the epidural in my back for a few weeks, after if I slumped or sat a bit funny. It soon went if I shifted position, but was painful.

Lucy which hospital was your friend in? I had a dural tap (leak of spinal fluid) after my epi at St Michaels - in fact they attempted to put a spinal block in 3 times and in the end they put the epi in. I didn't plan to have one but ended up having to have forceps hence the block rather than aiming to do epi first off.

Anyway afterwards I had truly excruciating headaches and literally couldn't sit/stand up - gave birth on Wed night, went home on Fri by which time I'd been in bed much of the time and was delirious in any case, seen on sat by midwife who i told about headache but failed to diagnose (she later told me 'oh that did cross my mind' afterwards - helpful) and thankfully my local midwife came on monday and sent me straight back to St Michaels.

I had to have blood taken and a second epi to pump blood back into my spine to repair the leak. It was hideous.

In essence OP although it is relatively rare, it does happen, and you will have to sign a disclaimer which protects the hospital against you taking action. The reason I post is that I do think it is important to understand the risks so that you can make an informed decision.

In all likelihood you will have a blissful epidural and birth - hope all goes well for you :)

• Lucky - duh!!!

About 1 % of women suffer from a dural tap after an epidural so quite rare but very nasty when it happens, it is a very particular type of headache in that you feel fine if you are lying completely flat but as soon as you sit up you have an absolutely dreadful headache. Treatment is complete bedrest and drinking lots of fluids, if it is severe they can do something called a blood patch which is a similar procedure to doing an epidural but they put some of your own blood in in order to patch up the hold in the dura.

There are plenty of other problems with epidurals though. If it is your first baby you are more likely to need an instrumental birth if you have one as it is very difficult to push if you can't feel what you are doing. If you have an epidural your labour stops being considered a low risk labour and becomes high risk as the chance of complications is much higher. There are more likely to be concerns about the fetal heart rate due to a drop in your blood pressure, which can affect the fetus, although this is usually a temporary problem, many first time mums with epidurals would require a hormone drip in order for contractions to be effective enough during the second stage of labour.

Another big negative for them is that it is really difficult to move when you have one, you would usually be able to move your legs round the bed, but to those who have suggested delivering in an upright position, this is almost always impossible to do as your legs won't safely hold any weight so the only positions possible are being on your side or semi sitting.

Anyway, this is all rather negative I know [csad] (well you did ask about complications of epidurals!) As you can see from the other posts, they do work well for some women, I would suggest that if you have a long or complicated labour then it would be well worth considering one, however if things are progressing normally and you feel that you are coping fairly well, it is worth trying without due to the amount of potential complications. Someone said that it should work well if you have a good anaesthetist, this is very true, but they all have to learn somewhere and how do you know if they are any good or not until you try them out! [chmm]

Myself and most of my midwifery colleagues try to avoid them when we have our own babies! [cwink]

I ended up needing an epidural when my SPD managed to get worse in labour (very rare), so it was that or cs. It was great!
Though had its own issues - no headache, but I threw up three times just after delivery and had the shakes every now and then for a few days, but the worst bit was a few episodes of diarrhoea which wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been attached to the drip still unable to move...
On the plus side, this meant I totally avoided that postnatal terrible first poo thing.

I did some pushing on all fours but then had a ventouse delivery when ds just popped out in one push!

If there's a next time I'll try without an epi but it's a great invention!

maxbear,

"Someone said that it should work well if you have a good anaesthetist, this is very true, but they all have to learn somewhere and how do you know if they are any good or not until you try them out! "

But this is true of all HCPs, isn't it? Including midwives. I'm not sure how useful an observation this is.

I had this - and just reading this thread brings back the horror of the most excruciating pain of my life (sorry, you did ask!). I got ignored by the hospital who only after three days of not being able to sit up without head exploding mentioned it was a dural tap or leak or something. And still did nothing. I discharged myself after a week and went home and the pain continued but my fab DH and mum just helped and I laid down as much as possible. When DD cried in the night for a feed, so did I , as sitting up to feed her was so painful.

After two weeks, I was fine.... but vowed never again.

My epidural was great. I do remember a bad headache, but think it was more to do with sleep deprivation (3 days trying and failing to induce me)! Went as soon as DS born (EMCS). I did have very very low blood pressure (it's low at the best of times) so they had to give me lots of fluids and I swelled up like a balloon! Took about a week to go away completely. Oh and the catheter was brilliant. Just lay in bed recovering while visitors brought me takeaways and the MWs changed DS's nappies and DH FF baby. I just had to do the cuddles. Brilliant! Was most pissed off (ha ha pun) when they took the catheter out and I had to hobble to the toilet!

maxbear you said this

"Another big negative for them is that it is really difficult to move when you have one, you would usually be able to move your legs round the bed, but to those who have suggested delivering in an upright position, this is almost always impossible to do as your legs won't safely hold any weight so the only positions possible are being on your side or semi sitting. "

But there is a big research study going on to research if upright positions with epidurals result in more spontaneous births. It is called the 'Bumpes' Trial - you can Google it. They wouldn't be able to run the research trial if you can't sit upright. My midwife also said it was not possible to give birth in an upright positon but the anaesthetist said it would not be any problem at all. He was right - I gave birth sitting on my heels and bolt upright.

David Bogod - an obstetric anaesthetist - did an interview for Mumsnet and he said that it isn't clear that epidurals cause lots of complications such as forceps deliveries. Women who are in labour for a long time and in more pain ask for epidurals more often -so it is chicken and egg!

Re using hormones, the NICE guidelines say this shouldn't be done routinely and is not necessary "Oxytocin should not be used as a matter of routine in the second stage of labour for women with regional analgesia'

Not trying to negate everything you have said and it is good to have your perspective but it is honestly really difficult for us to make our minds up if heatlh care professionals are all saying different things.

I don't mean to be grumpy - sorry if it sounds that way!

I had Epidurals for both my births with no really bad side effects though ds1 was ventouse which I put down to not being able to feel. Though who knows maybe I would have ended with a ventouse anyway. I do feel a bit of regret that I didn't manage a birth without epidural, not because of bad side effects but just one of those things it would have been good to achieve. I'm in awe of ladies who do manage it

lynehamrose re this in your post:
"I do feel a bit of regret that I didn't manage a birth without epidural, not because of bad side effects but just one of those things it would have been good to achieve. I'm in awe of ladies who do manage it"

I thought what you said was interesting because I have never been able to understand why anyone should feel any regret at all about giving birth without pain relief. You had two epidurals and presumably two fantastic kids - that is an amazing achievement. What difference does doing it without being in a lot of pain make? In fact, as a mum of a girl, I reckon we should stamp down very hard on that nasty bit of social engineering that makes people feel like this. Since when was gritting your teeth and suffering excruciating pain an achievement?

Smacks of the Taleban...yuk!

That's not at all to say women who genuinely feel they want to give birth without pain relief or epidurals should feel any pressure the other way - just that there shouldn't be any pressure at all.

And everyone who has a baby should be in awe of everyone else who has one - how they choose to do it is nobody else's businesses.

Well said, Ushy.

No problems whatsoever either time.

3 epidurals, all fab and no problems.

I don't remember having a headache. However I was really sick a few hours later, and it wouldn't stop, it was like a physiological reaction to something and all I'd had was the epidural and about two goes with the gas and air.

I had to have an anti emetic through the canula, it was awful, but it did stop eventually (no one responded for absolutely ages, Oh we can't do anything, here's something to eat, that should help' and finally after making retching noises for about 2 hours the Bounty lady turned up and said WILL someone please help this girl! and someone went to fetch a doctor. Which took even longer.

I couldn't walk for about 24 hours either, it as horrible. I only did it in a panic as it was my first, and it hurt, and i thought I might not be able to manage without it - I could have if someone had said 'You can do this, don't be daft'.
But no one was around, I was just stuck in a room with my mother in the middle of the night.

And I almost had to have a ventouse delivery because of it, as I couldn't feel to push but my mother told the hovering doctor to wait and let me try one more time, and ds was born. Oh yes, I forgot they had had to use the crash trolley and take me to be ventoused as an emergency because ds's heart rate had dropped suddenly and only Mum had noticed - I was falling asleep, no nurses around for miles, they were all having a laugh in the tea room.

Ds could have died. I wouldn't recommend it but then I wouldnt recommend the hospital I had him at anyway. Between being mocked by the nurses and left on my own for hours at a time, it was a thoroughly unhelpful experience.

I also felt like I'd failed, cheated, you name it. I wouldn't have had ds2 though perhaps, had I known the true pain of a 'natural' childbirth, which was so much greater than the pain I had before my epidural.

That time I had him at home, without anything even gas and air. It was much better in one way, the pain was an utter shock, I felt like I'd been in an accident or hit by a truck or something it was that bad. I thought I was dying and that was after he was born - I thought I'd never be alright ever again. We were both Ok. I wasn't sick at least so I could hold him etc.

I'd avoid an epidural next time, definitely.

I had an epidural 12 days ago, brillient, pain free birth and no side effects! would do it again next time.

No headache, but when it was topped up for my EMCS I got really, really bad shivering, and my lower legs were painfully swollen for a week after (which they said was something to do with the epidural)

Ushy -yes of course I have 2 fantastic kids. What I mean is, I would like to feel that I had achieved a birth without epidural, just as I also wish I could run a marathon, or have the stamina to climb everest etc. I don't get your comparison with the taleban at all! Friends of mine who have given birth without epidural aren't all masochists who love pain. I am not judging women who choose epidural, obviously, as I had them with both mine- and I have two lovely children, I just feel on a personal level a natural birth is something I would have liked to have had
Par

I had one with DS1 - it was heavenly and no problems at all.