Post-lumbar puncture headache. About 1 out of 3 people who have undergone a lumbar puncture develop a headache afterward due to a leak of fluid into nearby tissues. The headache typically starts several hours up to two days after the procedure and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Post-lumbar puncture headaches can last from a few hours to a week or more.
Back discomfort or pain. You may feel pain or tenderness in your lower back after the procedure. The pain might radiate down the back of your legs.
Bleeding. Serious bleeding can occur if you have a blood-clotting disorder or take blood-thinning or other anticoagulant medications.
Brainstem herniation. Increased intracranial pressure, due to a brain tumor or other space-occupying lesion, can lead to compression of the brainstem after a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is removed. A computerized tomography (CT) scan or MRI prior to a lumbar puncture can be obtained, if needed, to determine if there is evidence of increased intracranial pressure.This complication is uncommon.
