Anyone else need lumbar to rule out neutrapena?

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Krysm7
Krysm7 Member Posts: 52
edited August 2018 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

have had a terrible headache since chemo 8 days ago. It got worse last night and started vomiting this morning so went to my cancer clinic this morning. They have me an IV and some dexamethasone. Didn’t touch headache. Also did a ct to rule anything out there.

My neuts are 0.4

White are 1.6

Plates 206

No fever

They ended up having to send me to emergency for further investigation. I sat there for over 3 hours to see a doctor. I asked if I could just try some sumatriptan that I’ve had in past for migraines. They kept telling me could be something more severe. So it was okay to let me suffer for hours just incase.

So now ER doctor, who I’ve heard gets excited about doing lumbars, wants to go straight to a lumbar. No more blood work, no other tests straight to lumbar. If I refuse lumbar I go on 3 antibiotics.

Any advice??

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited August 2018

    I was hospitalized twice for febrile neutropenia & had headache on admission. They did float the idea of a lumbar puncture to rule out meningitis but as I didn't present with neck stiffness and have hx of getting headaches when feverish, they relented. I stayed in hospital on IV antibiotics (Piperacillin & tazobactam) for 5 days each time until neutrophils rebounded and fever stayed down.

    If you're sure it's a migraine, I'd take the antibiotics, beg for whatever migraine meds they can give you and ask to re-assess in 24h.

    But I sort of get why internal medicine might be worried.... Is it still ER doc managing you? I had head of internal medicine on my case both times as ER referred asap. I'd ask for referral to internal med.

    best wishes & hope you get relief asap.

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  • Krysm7
    Krysm7 Member Posts: 52
    edited August 2018

    thanks so much for the reply Moth.

    I’ve asked several times if I can just go home for the night to think about all this. And he just keeps trying to bully me into the lumbar. I have no fever, no stiff neck. Just a simple really bad headache that I’ve had since chemo day but keeps getting worse. I thought I was just coming today for headache meds. I did finally get some miagrsine drugs and headaches is definitely felt getting better.

    What I really want to do is go home for the night. Talk to my oncologist tomorrow. See what he suggests. I would understand the urgency for antibiotics if I had a fever.

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  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited August 2018

    I had a really bad headache after my first round of chemo. Also had Febrile Neutropenia and ended up in the hospital for 3 days on IV antibiotics. The only thing that helped with the headache was Fioricet.

    I do have a history of migraines. And I'm sorry to say that that particular headache went on for days and days and my MO would not give me anything besides Ultram (which did very little). The good news is that they decreased my chemo by 25% and managed my WBC's after that and I never had the headache problem again.

    I'd be anti-lumbar as well. And interested in exiting the hospital ASAP.


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  • Krysm7
    Krysm7 Member Posts: 52
    edited August 2018

    thanks Notverybrav!

    I did exit. Signed consents, and got out of there.

    My oncologist thinks migraines as well. Have an appt with him next week. He wants to talk about changing treatment. Good to know that yours being reduced worked. I think that may be his plan as well.

    I ended up back in hospital last night for dehydration and more miagrsine injections. Felt some relief today. Praying for a sleep filled painfree night. Haven’t had more than 4 hours sleep a night since day 1.


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