What medications or treatments are used to treat CSF?
What medications or treatments are used to treat CSF?
The treatments you receive depend most on what caused the CSF leak and its location. Medications, surgeries and other non-surgical procedures can often help. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you about the medications they recommend and why they feel those will help in your specific case.
Conservative treatment
Conservative treatment is a non-direct way of treating CSF leaks. This treatment calls for a person to lie down and rest for a period of time. They'll also need to stay hydrated, and medications to treat inflammation and pain are common. Caffeine and salt may also be part of the treatment guidelines in cases where a leak causes low CSF pressure. If conservative treatment doesn’t work after one to two weeks, your provider will likely recommend moving to direct treatments.
Surgery and related procedures
Surgery is a common method to repair CSF leaks. The surgery can either directly close a leak or help reconstruct a damaged area when the leak is from a significant injury. Some surgeries may go through your skull to access a leak, while others might try to repair a leak through your nose or mouth. The location, cause and severity of the leak are often key factors in deciding the type of surgical procedure.
Blood patch injections
The most likely treatment for CSF leaks that don’t involve surgery is a procedure known as a blood patch. During this procedure, a healthcare provider inserts a needle into the lumbar section of your lower back. Once it’s in position, they’ll slowly inject some of your own blood into the CSF surrounding your spinal cord and the injected blood “patches” the leak. In some cases, more than one blood patch is necessary, but most people who need more than one will still feel some improvement after the first.
Medications
Several medications can help with a CSF leak. Some lower the pressure inside your skull, while others treat severe symptoms like pain. Antibiotics are also possible because bacteria that reach your brain through your CSF can lead to dangerous infections like meningitis and encephalitis.
Complications or side effects of the treatment
The possible complications and side effects from treatment depend on the location and severity of your CSF leak, what caused it, and what treatments you received. Your healthcare provider can explain the possible complications and side effects in your case and what you can do to limit or avoid these.