isuues after spinal tap (lumbar puncture)?

Actually you CAN die from it. What studies show is irrelevant to me. There is a nerve that runs up your whole body and if agitated during the process can shut down the things it affects, including your heart. I am no doctor so how do I know this?......it JUST happened to me. While they were doing the procedure, it started with legs going numb followed by a shocking sensation going up my body. Once it hit to my chest, lights out and I woke surrounded by an emergency team. Heart rate below 30 and BP 60/30. I was basically having a heart attack. After about 10 minutes and kick start fluids, heart rate came up to 60. And before we chalk this up to another underlying condition, that is most certainly not the case.

Yes I have had the same problems and it has been two years. Lower back pain all the time. This after three failed attempts and LP and hen one done with X-ray. I feel for everyone and can relate!

Hi, I found this through googling What I'm going through after my neurologist poked me 10 times during spinal tap in office before she was able to extract fluid. I didn't know any better- that I should have walked out, and that I should have had the LP done at a hospital. I got a blood patch after 5 days have been in and out of the hospital and doctors offices. It's been one month nothing came up on my full body MRI in the ER yesterday but the pain is getting worse and worse everyday and traveling down my body and up my right shoulder. I'm having spasms and my legs and right arm/hand (dominant) gets sharp pains then goes tingely and then goes paralyzed for anywhere to 4-15 mins at a time. It's terrifying!! I'm 24 years old... And have to rely on my parents to now take care of me. My neurologist is claiming I'm perfectly fine and this is "normal" and will go away. She's been saying this for 3 weeks but my symptoms just keep getting worse and the pain just keeps getting more terrible and unbearable. I went to my primary told him everything he said this isn't normal and to go to the ER immediately. But nothing came from it since my MRI's all came back normal. I'm a volleyball and basketball player very active until this happened to me a month ago. ER Neuro prescribed physical therapy. I want to sue my doctor who did this but I don't really know how to go about it or if others have had any luck with malpractice/pain and suffering cases from botched LPs. I'm so worried I won't get my life back, be able to have children, chase them around and be active with my future kids like my parents were with me or even have a career because of this. I've had to quit my job... I want to stop this doctor from doing anymore Spinal taps on anyone in her office to spare people from having to suffer through what I'm going through and the stress it's put on my family. If you have any info on case proceedings that might help me please? I hope you are doing better!

I had a LP done last October. During the procedure the Dr. hit nerves that ran through my left leg multiple times. I had the shooting pain in my leg while bending at first. This healed and was replaced by a relentless, unmerciful, burning. I also have had a constant popping in my spine ever since. Happens when I sit up, lean back, move my hips from side to side, stand up, sit down, roll over in bed, lift my left leg, jump, pretty much everything. The popping happens at least 250 times a day. At first it was just in the morning then it progressed to this. It is only slightly painful, nothing like the burning. My Dr. thought it might be arachnoiditis, MRI came back fine. I have had a second MRI, still nothing wrong. I thought maybe my Dr's would be covering something up. I got 5 separate opinions on the films, all say the same thing. The worst part is the pain is unbearable to sit, even for a few minutes. This has costs me to withdrawal from school and quit both my jobs. I had just turned 20 when I had the procedure. Now I can't work or go to school, I have severe difficulty just sitting on my couch. Since the procedure I have been to two chiropractors, three physicians, two physical therapist, a physiatrist.I have also gone outside of western medicine and tried something called nutritional reflex therapy. I have also recently began going to a pain clinic in Boston. I have tried Oxycodone 5mg, Lidocaine 5 %, Neurontin 3600 mg, naproxen, trazadone 150 mg.

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MY story is similar to all of yours, yes I had a spinal tap for a meniscus repair in my knee.  The Surgeon and the Anestesiologist actually had a disagreement about giving me a Spinal Tap or not. Well I had it and my legs, ankles, and feet have been swollen ever since and that is to say it has been 10 weeks.  The Anestesiologist said it was a circulation problem and that I should contact my Doctor.  I say it's from the spinal tap, and yes I do have back pain and hip pain that I have never had before.  My hands and legs stay cold all the time.  This was a big mistake for me to agree to getting a spinal tap, I would have rather delt with the knee pain...I'm just saying...   I am a litigator

Yeah they screwed my back up after they did my spinal Tap if I irritate the nerve my back goes numb and becomes extremely hard to walk.

Had spinal April 2013 , when done person performing it took needle out and reinserted it 3 times,plus has my right leg on side of X-ray table who time, my right leg , started feeling like was numb , then couldn't lift it to put shoes on,

Had a spinal tap from neuro doc , in April of 2013 , was done in X-ray room , have had tingling in right leg ever since, and it's hard to lift right leg to put my shoe on its painful . Lot of lower back pain also .

Is the burning you feel in your legs? I had a spinal done a month ago 3 days after spinal I got severe burning in the middle of my back up to my shoulder for four days straight now the burning comes off and on really string when I try to exercise

I had a LP over 8 weeks ago. Today I can hardly walk. My lower back is throbbing. Would this be because of the LP. I've never had back pain in my life

I'm 15. I had a lumbar puncture yesterday and I have sharp tingling in the bottoms or my feet and lower back pain. When I was in the E.R they attempted 3 times but couldn't get it right. And Monday they tried another time and failed. But yesterday (Tuesday) they did it again until a X-ray and it worked, but those are my side effects.

After my LP I have had severe tailbone area pain and unbearable muscle spasms. Have been taking tramadol and valium and went from an invalid status to walking. Today because of ins, I will be on nothing. My dr thinks I will die from withdrawels. I could on that or the pain itself. HELP!!!!!

Oh also I have had this pain for 20 years after LP.

I had lumbar puncture Wednesday just gone, ended up staying in hospital overnight. I've have shooting pains in the back of my legs and feel like they are going to go from underneath me when I'm up on them. I have found it easier to lay flat in bed due to my head feeling like it's going to burst in to tiny bits been crushed. I have shooting pains in my neck and shoulders and stiffness when I move. I have been vomiting every 3-4 hours and can't keep anything down and I still haven't opened my bowels yet I'm able to pass urine frequently. Pins and needles in my feet and backs of legs and the strangest thing happened last night as I was going to loo, it was like the start of a period but it was a lot and bright red, which I'm on contraceptive which I don't normally have periods. So I now have pains and shooting pains to tummy and hips. Has anyone else had this happen?

I am 20 myself and had a spinal tap 5 years ago. I still suffer from serious pain at the puncture site and around it. The day after I got the LP I experienced the worst pain of my life when attempting to sit up. I was left somewhat paralyzed for about 3 weeks until it got better but I still have major issues because of it. I thought it peculiar when the Dr. Prescribed me 30 10mg Percocets when I was only 15, and had no pain before the LP. Anyway I'd say based off my experience it's possible that they are after effects. Best of luck.