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Mum's Rare Brain Leak Mystery Solved by Coffee
5 May
Summary
- Sapna Bidwall diagnosed with rare Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension.
- Caffeine was prescribed to manage severe headaches and vomiting.
- Successful surgery in March 2025 led to 98% recovery.
Sapna Bidwall, 45, faced severe headaches and vomiting, symptoms of Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension (SIH), a rare condition diagnosed in January 2024. This cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak caused her brain to sag, leading to debilitating pain and nausea. Initially misdiagnosed, Sapna was advised by specialists to consume significant amounts of caffeine daily to help manage her condition.
Her symptoms began in July 2023, worsening significantly when she was upright. After hospitalization in late December 2023, she received her SIH diagnosis. Sapna found support in online groups and consulted specialists who recommended surgery. In March 2025, she underwent a thoracic laminoplasty procedure to seal a 10mm leak.
The surgery proved highly successful, with Sapna reporting a 98% recovery. She has since returned to her normal life and no longer relies on caffeine to manage her symptoms. Sapna advocates for greater awareness of CSF leak conditions, highlighting that patients are often dismissed with simpler diagnoses.
