Anyone had headache as result of epidural - by headache I mean long lasting one, apparently a complication

[yellowflowers]

Hi, I saw the anaesthetist today and they were telling me about my options re epidural etc - they said that about 1 in 100 women havign a epidural have a severe headache as a complication lasting a couple of days or sometimes a few weeks. Has anyone had this? How bad was it? Did it stop you enjoying the first few weeks with your baby?

i didnt, but 1/100 is pretty good odds.

I did. It came gradually, but ended up being totally incapacitating (sp?). I could only lie flat on my back, standing upright made it much, much worse. I was also sick and couldn't keep anything down until they gave me anti-sickness meds, but I don't know whether the sickness was connected.

The headache lasted from Friday until Monday/ Tuesday and the cosultant compared it to the headache you get with a brain tumour.

My baby was in SCBU at the time (premature) and I don't know how I would have coped if he had been with me. I sat up to feed, then lay on my back and that was it until it went ( I was kept in hospital because of it).

HOWEVER I have NEVER met/ talked to anyone else who suffered and I have spoken to a lot wwho have had epidurals.

It's put me off having another one, but the thought that I MIGHT suffer from the headache in the first place would not have put me off havin it IYSWIM.

I think it's awful if it happens, but it is very, very rare.

It's something to do with the spinal fluid isn't it? I had an epidural and as soon as it was done I knew something had screwed up as there was a kind of muttered curse from the anaesthetist.

He said he had punctured the spinal membrane (?) and so I would be leaking spinal fluid, and would need a blood patch after the birth to fix it. They inject some of your blood to cover the hole, like a bike puncture.

A headache was a complication due to loss of pressure as spinal fluid leaked out, but I never actually had one too badly.
The epidural didn't work anyway so I had my 10lb baby without any pain relief, which sucked big ones.

Next baby was a general anaesthetic and C section, absolutely great.

I had this - described by hospital staff as a "spinal headache" - after having a spinal to repair tear post-birth. With me as well, the anaesthetist took 2 goes to put the needle in, which caused the problem of leaking spinal fluid, but the first I knew was the crushing headache. That started the morning after the op, and was excruciating for over a week and gradually subsided over a month. I had to have the blood patch operation, which didn't work in my case. I think that's pretty unusual though - everyone who saw me kept saying how rare it was to have the headache at all, and then for the patch not to work.

They identified the problem quickly and I had lots of help from midwives. I couldn't sit up or stand up for more than a minute, though oddly felt not too bad when absolutely flat and still. My baby was in NICU and I would never have been able to care for him on my own, but I did have a lot of other complications too. We were advised that caffeine would help-the anaesthetist suggested Red Bull which he assured me was fine with breastfeeding (I was expressing with lots of help!) I wasn't convinced about that but compromised with lots f cups of tea.

I was nervous about it happening again, but have been told it is really rare, and likely to have happened to me as I was in shock so shaking uncontrollably when the spinal went in, so I'm reassured it is unlikely. I wouldn't worry too much!

that sounds absolutely awful. gosh am starting to reconsider epidural now

I wasn't shaking or anything when my epidural went in - and then the anaesthetist said "that's never happened to me in twenty years of doing this" which really didn't make me feel any better!
But it does go to show how rare it is, and I didn't even get the headache, so I wouldn't worry.

Hopalong that sounds horrible poor you!

I did with dd1 it was awful I had it for 4 days before they pumped blood from my arm into my spine to clot and fill a hole, after that it was on and off for about a week, the first few days I couldn't walk or sit up I couldn't pick dd up and had to call the midwife to lift her up, I had to lie on my side to eat it was awful. I dont want to scare anyone but I have met a lot of women who have had headaches but none as severe as mine, I would never have another epidural but I think there is something wrong with my back that makes it more likely.

And people look at me as if I'm weird when I say the thought of someone sticking a big needle into my spine freaks me out far more than the idea of labour pain....