Temporary hearing loss via spinal tap

[Zaphoon]

Some of you may know of the spinal tap I had done a few months back. Before the procedure was done, the neurologist performing it gave me the legal thing to read that laid down all of the more commonly known risks/side-effects. After reviewing the list, the doctor asked if I was still willing to go through with it all. It took me 2.5 hours just to get to the stupid place; "no" was not an option.

Well, on the drive home, I noticed my hearing was fuzzy, sort of like it is during a plane ride when your descending or ascending when the pressure changes in your head. In my case, this fuzziness of hearing lasted several days but eventually went away (the fuzziness, not the hearing).

When this happened, I phoned the neurologist that did the procedure to let her know of it and get feedback. This evidently rarely occurs as a result of having a lumbar puncture. The term, "lumbar puncture" is a bit more adequate than "spinal tap". You can "tap" me anytime but please, no punctures.

At any rate, for those of you that have been asking, my hearing returned to normal within about a week following the "puncture". This made me happy as my livelihood depends on how well I hear.

For those of you in the medical profession that perform this procedure, please add "potential short term hearing loss" to the list of possible side-effects.

 

[arkallen]

I had the 'leak' with my lumbar puncture. I had to fly home from hospital, and lay on the floor of a dissabled toilet (they are so much cleaner!) waiting for the flight. After a couple of miserable days at home I went into hospital and stayed there for a few more days on all sorts of drugs. About the worst I've ever felt. But, I survived!