[Maria]

Had 2 and both times had bad spinal headaches that actually required hospitalization for one week (7 days), flat in bed even to eat, catheter in so not out of bed to urinate, and forget a bowel movement. The latter had to happen with citrate of mag (or the "bomb") as the neurosurgeon so aptly called it.

So do I ever want a myelogram again.. no, not if it can be avoided. I was told the 2nd time that I wouldn't be getting a spinal headache because what was being used was so much improved over what was used in '89 (1rst myelogram) and 2nd one was in '92. This was about as much informed consent as I got. Was advised about very low infection rate and that it rarely happened. This is right before procedure as I recall, not by Neuro ordering it.

The neuro didn't want to give me a blood patch either time altho I was told about it. Said time, fluids and lying flat in bed would do the trick and for me fortunately it did as lying there flat in bed and raising one's head just a fraction feeling like a building made of lead is sitting on your head just made me contemplate jumping out of a window to get rid of the myelogram induced headache!!!!

Diagnostics CT w/myelogram tho post procedure w/
spinal h/a admission to hospital seemed like it was a pretty common occurence or at least it was treated that way.