Post Epidural Steroid Injection Headache

Did they ever figure anything out? I am having the same symptons from a lumbar ESI I have had the headache for going on 7 days. I finally just had to get out of bed and work with the pain - it feels much better when I can lay down.

I had an epidural injection in my my back on Monday 010508. Because this was the third one, I wsn't really concerned. However approximatly 15-30 after the shot minutes I began to get a headache. I stayed bed all daY on Tuesday and called my Dr. To see if this was normal. He said it was. and to give it a few days. On Friday, I called him again becuse I couldn't take it onymore. My Dr was going out of town, is so I asked if and asked it they would know what to do at the emergecy room, I was desparate, shaking, crying, etc... He ended up meetin me at his offie and gave me a "blood patch". This is done by takin blood from your arm and injectin it into the area where they gave you the stereoid shot. It took about 10 mnutes, but OMG what a relief.. I started crying againjust because the pain had subsided. Ask him if this would work for for you. If he says no,,,,,call the Dr who gave you the injection, he will know what to. Apparently this is somewhat common. I know what youmean about the headache. I could'nt even drive. It was the most horrible headache I have ever had. I am about positve that it's you immune syste. Good Luck

I get headache and sleeplessness after these injections - 4 injections - 4 headaches. I am told that less than 1% of those injected get them. I am coming down off of one now - got it yesterday and still haven't slept. The good news is that I do take an anti-migraine med called Relpax which reduces the severity and duration of the headache for me. Next time I am going to ask the doctor about the blood patch.Previously he has insisted my headache is due to an allergic reaction to the steroid....I haven't found literature on the net to support this position however.

I had my 2nd lumbar injection 2 weeks ago. Both times I have had the procedure and both times my doctor said he didn't enter the epidural space it...it had to be unrelated.
When i had my daughter I had epidural headaches after THAT epidural as well. The headaches are always the same...on and off all day for about 5 weeks. Mostly in my temples.
Am I crazy??
I am pregnant so there isn't a lot I can do for headaches right now and Tylenol and caffeine do NOT touch it.
Anyone have any advice??

Thank you all for your posts. They were immensely helpful.
I've had two hip injections in the past months, and yesterday was my first epidural. Last night started my secondd post-injection headache. Although it isn't as severe as you've all described, it was worrying since my headaches are usually rare and cured with ibuprofen. It's nice to know I have nothing major to worry about.

I had my third injection ....the first was on my lower back ... .this was the second on my neck with more dosage last Tuesday Jauary 4th 2011 today's is Saturday 1/08/2011...and the 2 last days it was a nightmare...my headaches with neck and temples...I took my pain medication (portable) a n a muscle relaxer (zanaflex) with a little bit of food PLUS I applied iced pace one on my neck(back) and one on each side of my temples ..and wrapped with a band with Velcro (I got it at the pharmacy to apply them when I have back or neck pain) then I lay down on bed, and put a couple of pillows under my knees...and a rolled towel under my neck...I don't recomend to use a pillow...so your head is hanging a little bit an putting some presuure on you neck with the gel pack...then try to relax your body and of course you are going to fall asleep...and about one hour later you wil feel some relief...if you feel the pain is coming apply iced packs again .....iced packs help me more than heat...because it numb wherever I feel the pain at least .

I too had a headache after my 3rd epidural injections in my lower back.. immediatley after the 3rd when I came off the table I had an excrutiating pain that shot up to the top of my head and neck pain so severe I couldn't move my neck and I cried. The Dr. kept me there and treated with ice packs and a shot of Toridol..after abouth 45 min's it helped the severity of the headache but til this day (about 4-5 weeks later) I have had a continual headache that won't go away.. I also now hear my heart beating and in my head and a vibration sound in my ear that won't go away(not sure if last 2 symptoms are related but all started at same time)..My headaches get extremely severe at times when I move or lay on my neck a certain way or lay a certain way.. I also have neck problems and the Dr that gave the shot keeps saying it is not realted to the ESI but may be from my neck. But I'm not convinced. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I had an epidural last week and I suffered this headache.I was in the Hospital they gave me the blood patch. When I got home, the headache came back. After reading what was actually causing my headache, and trying to figure out a way to get blood flow to my brain and maybe help the loss of jelly in there. I concluded to stand on my head. At first, it did not take it away, but now it has really eased off. It took about an hour for me to really feel different. When I woke up this morning I could not even lift my head it hurt so bad, but now I can actually walk around. The headache is not completely gone I can still feel it when I bend over, but if this helped me maybe it will help someone else. I did not stand on my head for long maybe a minute.

I also had an ESI but it was on the outside of the spine. I called my doctor after having the injection almost 2 weeks ago. I wont be able to go back to see him until the 14th. Im going to try to go into a walk-in clinic to see if they can give me a Toradol shot and hope that it helps al teast until I can see the doctor in a few days. I tried an inverting table to get some blood flow to my head and I didnt have a headache that night but I went home and went to sleep and laying down makes the pain better any how. I have tried a chiropractor, massages, ice packs, imitrex, tylenol, just about everything I can think of so that I can be able to work until i see the doctor again and nothing seems to work for me. Im hoping the toradol will help for now, but these headaches are very painful they dont go away and im working because i have to, but I was only able to work for 3 hours yesterday. So if anyone has any other ideas I would appreciate the input. Thanks

I'm a 62 year old man who has just had an ESI for sciatica after two earlier disc operations. In 1985 I had a severe headache after a myelogram and had a blood patch of limited effectiveness. My family doctor gave me a beta-blocker in a low dose with immediate benefit and I got back to work. the whole thing took about 6 months to settle, though symptoms were mild after the first two months. Recently, 25 years later, I agreed to an ESI rather than surgery again and all my symptoms - headache, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and an odd sensation of my head being swollen and burning - have returned. The beta blockers have been variably effective this time. It's a great relief to read these postings (sorry that others have suffered too - but thanks for writing!) and although I don't think my headache improves with sleeping or lying down head down, I shall now try as ordinary analgesics are not working.
However we must remember that those who got better probably forgot to write back to this message board and I do believe I will get better - but the waiting is both painful and frustrating. So, I hope we all write in again to relate how we got better - and indeed to say that we did get better. Good Luck to all. CR

In reply to call cases of headache after a lumber epidual steroid injection, I would like to explain. There is 2 different kinds of headache that occur in these circumstances. The first headache is the one that gets better with lying flat(bed rest) and this one is the one that will benefit from a Blood patch.

If your headache is clearly better when you lay down on the bed, you have to contact your doctor as he will do a blood patch and you will see a mericulous response.

 

If your headache gets worse or doesn't get better on laying on the bed, then this propabily a common side effect of the steroid that has been injected.

I say side effect, not an allergic reaction. Usually medicines as tylenol, advil, toradol will take care of it.

It is common to have a complain of headache after epidural steoid injection.

I can relate to everyone’s post, and find it is incredibly frustrating to have a procedure done intended to decrease our suffering only to end up with a new problem. I wanted to first explain in a little more detail why a headache can occur after an ESI. During the procedure the MD uses a fluoroscopy unit which gives them a live image of the spinal anatomy. This is done to be confident the needle has been inserted into the Epidural space and did not enter the Thecal sac. The epidural space is the outer most space (to the skin surface) which does not contain any cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The next space in (toward the abdomen) is the Thecal sac, this space contains our CSF which circulates through the spine and brain. Due to the large size of the needle used for ESI the Thecal sac can be penetrated/injured despite the fluoroscopy and MD skill.  If the needle accidently nicks the Thecal membrane the cerebral spinal fluid will begin to leak into the epidural space.  The amount of fluid that leaks is dependent on a few factors however the most significant factor is the severity of the injury to the membrane. Once the CSF fluid begins to leak the headache follows. These headaches are very different from tension headaches, and typically get a lot worse in an upright position and will improve/resolve lying down. In Most cases our bodies do the repair work with the help of several days on bed rest. In addition you should drink lots and lots of fluid (unless you are already on a fluid restriction for another condition) this is done to be sure our body can replace the fluid it’s loosing. If the headache continues a blood patch is usually considered, be sure you understand the pros and cons of a blood patch. While this is likely to resolve your headache quickly the blood patch may have potential risks to your underlying condition.

June 14th was my 4th ESI in a 3 year period, with no prior complications. This time all hell broke loose and I developed a severe headache the very next day, being a nurse I knew exactly what was wrong (so I thought). After a week of pushing fluids I went to my PM, a blood patch was not done (discussed at length) because the risks out weight the benefits. I was given medication and told to keep drinking lots of fluid, along with high intake of caffeine. Another week & 1/2 went by with no improvement, so I finally took time off from work and went on strict bed rest for 3 days. I did not call my MD because a blood patch was not an option at my prior appointment. Finally relief, but sadly that was short lived and 2 days later I was worse than before. In addition to the severe headache I now had a high fever with a very high white count, great Meningitis. I was recently discharged from the hospital after a 9 day stay, so what started out as a CSF leak developed into meningitis. What a mess, I may have been better off risking the blood patch but my medical history is so complex there was no good choice for what is usually a simple fix. The lesson in this is, always stay in constant communication with your MD so you and your MD are continually explore the best option for you if the leak continued. In my case  what initial was not a good option for me would have been the better option a week later. Good Luck to All.  

 

i had a steriod epidoral in my lower lumbar about two days ago and my doctor explained the possiblity of missing the tissue he was aiming for. It's a low chance he explained (about 1 in every 5) but it is possible. When they miss the tissue they surpass the intended area and hit your cerebral spinal fluid, just like the last lady explained, and you start to leak that fluid. The brain doesnt like this and therefor starts to spasm which causes horrible migrains. Well unfortunatly i'm the 1 in five because the tissue they are aiming for is usually about a 1/2" thick. However mine turned out to be about 1/8" thick if not smaller. So the doctor went strait through the first time and had to move lower and do the epidoral again. He thought that i should start getting headaches almost immediatly but it accually took about 6-7 hours for them to kick in. The next morning i woke up feeling fine walking around and within 20 min. the headaches started coming back. I tried calling the doctor but couldnt get anyone to answer the phone so i got in my car and drove to the hospital. By the time i could see the doc the migrains were so bad i felt like throwing up. He prescribed me percoset and valium. For the next 4 days and said if they are not any better by then come back to do the blood from the arm to clot the hole. So far its day two and unless im laying down i get the migrains almost immediatly. Hopefully it clots on its own but if not i will definatly be getting the clot thing done. Theres no way i can continue to stay in bed all day everyday. But thank you guys for sharing. Makes me feel a little better knowing you guys are having the same problems and there is a simple cure for the pain.  

I had the shot in my neck also and it paralyzed my left side from my waist up for about 3 hours after. The doctor literally kicked me out of his office and wanted to send me home but my fiance would not let him because I have a traumatic brain injury it could have killed me if he had to slam on the breaks. The ER doctor said I was having muscle spasms from the shot and since then I have had severe migraines everyday but one and that has been 3 weeks. Nothing will get rid of it like it used to. I was wondering if you were able to get any answers. Thanks.