TREATMENT OF POST-LUMBAR-PUNCTURE HEADACHE WITH ERGOTAMINE TARTRATE

Abstract

The object of this paper is to summarize some observations on the treatment of post-lumbar-puncture headache, following spinal anesthesia, with ergotamine tartrate. The use of ergotamine tartrate for the treatment of post-lumbar-puncture headache was mentioned by Targowla and Lamache. 1 They reported that ergotamine tartrate seemed to be of value in the treatment of post-lumbar-puncture phenomena. Lennox, von Storch and Solomon 2 reported on the effect of ergotamine tartrate on nonmigrainous headache. In their series of patients who were unsuccessfully treated for many types of headache other than migraine were 7 who had headaches and a decreased cerebrospinal fluid pressure after lumbar puncture. PRESENT INVESTIGATIONS The 35 patients who were treated with ergotamine tartrate were from a group of 418 patients on whom lumbar puncture was performed and spinal anesthesia induced (with procaine). Most of the patients who received the drug were not allowed out of bed because of some