Normal Lumbar Puncture

Home care

Follow these tips when caring for yourself at home:

• Once at home, rest as directed by your health care provider.

• You may develop a headache. It will normally go away on its own in 1 to 2 days. Lying down should help relieve this pain.

• Try to drink lots of fluids to prevent headache, unless you are on fluid restriction due to a medical problem.

• You may also use acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief, unless another medicine is prescribed. Talk with your provider before taking these medicines if you have chronic liver or kidney disease. Also talk with your provider if you’ve had a stomach ulcer or digestive tract bleeding. Don't give aspirin to children or teens unless your child’s doctor says it is safe. Aspirin can put your child at risk for Reye syndrome, a rare but serious condition.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your provider, or as advised.

When to contact your doctor

Contact your provider right away if:

• You have head or neck pain that doesn't go away or that gets worse.

• You feel less alert or have trouble waking up.

• You have repeated upset stomach (nausea) or vomiting.

• There's swelling, pain, bruising, or redness at the puncture site.

• You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as advised by your provider.