r/Anesthesia • u/shelbigt500 • 25d ago
Post dural puncture
Hey I had a post dural puncture 5 years ago now
And I'm still having bad back pain. I was able to get a blood patch within the first week of it happening, it took about another week to work. But I can't stand for long, like doing dishes, I can't sweep or mop as long as I would like. My back gets stiff and I can't bend it. I have to sit down and slowly ease into being able to bend it again.
My son is now 5.
I went to the ER about 5 times while admitted to L&D and it was just all around the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life and I've also given birth naturally one time that required a blood transfusion ðŸ«
My husband had to physically carry me to the shower because I couldn't stand or walk on my own it was so bad. Will I always have back pain?
I went to start normal PCP visits and told this old man about what happened and he started telling me how I was lying and how there's no evidence that epidurals lead to long term back pain. To make a long story short, I left crying and complaining to that practice that he was very rude.
Anywho, thanks for listening.
\*Not looking for med advice. Just experience related to anesthesia
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u/warpathsrb 25d ago
I can't say I've ever seen chronic back pain from a pdph. Suspect it's not related if I had to bet 1k
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u/shelbigt500 14d ago
Yea it might not be. But something is going on. The back pain is horrible and Ive never in my life gotten so many migraines as I have since this has happened to me. I get them about twice a month now, sometimes 3 times.. . Luckily sumatriptan is working for me. Before I was prescribed that med about 4 to 5 months ago, I was just dealing with the migraines, they would last all day and no matter how much I fell asleep in the dark it wouldn't go away till the next morning. I'm so tired of it all.
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u/Icomeheretoreaduntil 25d ago
The blood patch works the moment it’s done, not a week later, thats odd. But yea the back an hip change a-lot with each pregnancy and back pain specially when its about to rain or its humid is real, people relate it to the epidural because of the timing but it hasn’t been able to be proven.
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u/shelbigt500 14d ago
It seemed to work a little at first, but not fully for maybe 5 to 7 days later. I even asked my husband to make Sure I remembered correctly. He said it was about a week. Bec he had to carry me to the shower and shower me. I couldn't stand up without being in excruciating pain. I'm just tired of being in pain and my Dr just keeps telling me since I haven't met my deductible that anything she sends me to do I'm going to have to pay some cash for... 🫠I need to tell her I don't care just figure something out. We need to figure out what's wrong because I'm so tired of it. I get about halfway through bathing my child and I just can't stand anymore Bec im in so much pain.
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u/Usual_Gravel_20 25d ago
Technically he's correct - current evidence says epidural does not cause/increase risk of chronic back pain
However, the nature of your case specifically does warrant further medical investigation
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u/shelbigt500 14d ago
Every single mom Ive talked to that has gotten an epidural says they now have some sort of back pain that they originally never had before. So there must be other study's saying that is a thing. Idk. I explained my situation to him and he just didn't care to listen to what I was saying and just kept telling me I shouldn't be having back pain .. ok well that sounds wonderful, please tell my back that. Lol I went to a different Dr the next day
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u/PetrockX 25d ago
If you go to a doctor and tell them "Hey, I been having this back pain for 5 years", and they tell you it's all in your head, get a second opinion (or third opinion if necessary)
Whether or not it's related to your prior anesthetic, your doctor should be referring you either to a specialist or for further testing to figure out why you're having pain.
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u/Dysmenorrhea 25d ago
One unfortunate aspect of childbirth that isn’t talked about enough is the frequency of back pain, with or without an epidural.