I have a spinal tap today to help clarify if I have spinal pressure. Most of the research say people with chiari should not have spinal taps, but my dr doesn’t seem to think its a problem.
Has anyone had any experiences with a spinal tap and Chiari (Good or Bad)?
Also did it help give your doctor more information as to how to proceed with treatment?
Hi,
when i was addmitted to the hopital last year they ordered me to have a lumbar punture which isnt very nice, my back felt really strange afterwards and was very sore when the head doc found ot they had given me one she went mad as i also have a syrinx they were only 3 inches off bursting the syrinx in my back and it scared the hell outta me. She never fully explained to me why people wit cm shudnt have one but she did say that it wasnt the brightest thing the docs have dne, all a lumbar puncture does is see if u have any infections or complication wit ur csf fluid hope ive helped
love caroline
When I first saw the NS for my Chiari and syrinx referral, he sent me in for a spinal tab to check the pressure of the CSF. I did not have any complications because of it and to be honest, this is the first time I am hearing that it shouldn't be done with CM.
We were warned of LP's when we were first told of my wife's Chiari. The logic was that pulling fluid out of the spinal column, if not done carefully with a special technique/needle, the Chiari could be made worse by pulling the tonsils down further due to suction.
Hi ..I was told the same as NeoGeo H.....
However..I found out AFTER THE FACT!!!! I had one done ..and the NL took 6 tubes of CSF!!!
So as I mentioned in my second update my LP went horrible. I had it done on Monday and I am still having horrible lower back pain that radiates around my side and my lower abdomen. Now today I have a numb patch in my lower back. Good news is due to my experience during the first LP my doctor will not be repeating it. She said she thinks the best route for finding out the level of pressure I have is to do an eye exam.
Hopefully this will answer the question my dr has and give her a better idea of treatment…
I had an MRI with contrast, that is how they confirmed the fact that I had Chiari. They never mentioned anything about flow though…
I had 2 spinal taps before diagnosis of chiari...the first one my opening pressure with elevated and they thought I had pseudotumor cerebri, that was in the ER for headache. Was sent to a nl who then repeated the spinal tap and then did an MRI. 6 months after my MRI I was finally diagnosed with chiari and told that spinal taps are a no no....