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Sharp, intermittent head pain

I've am experiencing sharp pain on the top of my head.  The pain is intermittent and feels like a one or two second sharp strike -- and always in the same spot.  It hurts to touch my hair in that area due to tenderness and I flinch when it "strikes." .  Usually lasts a couple of days.  Then it will recur perhaps 3 to 6 months from now.  Next time it occurs it will be in another location,but seems to always be at or near the top of my head.  Sometimes I also feel the pain radiate from my ear (left ear this time) to the top of my head to the same spot -- as though there is one little nerve that is throbing.   Please advise.
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Avatar universal
I have  regular pain at only one point on tha right side of the head and this last for hours till the time i take pain killer.... is this serious??
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I finally found a doctor who said it was a type of neuralgia and prescribed a course of gabapentin. He also gave me tramacet for the pain. This occurred after I had a 23 hour bout with pain 'shocks' every 23 seconds. My eye was closing and I was twitching every time I had a shock, I looked awful. This problem seems to get worse with age.  So many doctors have insisted its a migraine and have prescribed meds that do not work. And I have had scans to rule out tumors etc  Because its a nerve injury, it is very hard to diagnose, especially when the bout is over. By the way, I have had migraines all my life and this is completely different. Take care.
Helpful - 1
17395493 tn?1456302662
Hi... from the last two days i have been suffering from sharp , stabbing headache and i also feel vibration sensation in my head .. The pain is intermittent and moves all over my skull and also travels behind my eyes .. Sometimes it gets worse especially in the morning when i wake up . Do u have any idea what could it be ?
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Avatar universal
Shooting sharp pain right side of head. Checked blood pressure elevated 196/180
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I know this is a long shot, since this has been 6 years ago. But I ran across this website and your post is the 1st one that even remotely sounded like what I have been going through. Did you ever figure out what was going on?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have this exact problem. It so etimes starts as a bad earache, then goes onto be stabbing, lightning bolts on my scalp. Sometimes it is every few seconds, other times 10 minutes. I had it all my life. My last bout went on fir 23 hours. During that time I was prescribed a migraine drug, which did nothing, then a different doctor prescribed gabapentin along with the painkiller tramacet. It worked very quickly. Doctors are so quick to diagnose this problem as  migraine. I have had migraines all my life, this is a nerve issue, neuropathic pain. In my case it is incredibly painful, otc meds do not touch it. The secind doctor I saw said if it was ever that bad again, I dhould go to Energency for pain control.
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1 Comments
Did they find the problem?  Yesterday afternoon I was watching TV when all of a sudden I got this ear ache on the right side then it shot up to my head right of top on my head right side.  I took Advil and went to bed with the pain.  I don't  have the ear ache but the sharp electric type pain  came back and it hits me every 2 minutes or so lasting for 2 seconds and gone again. I've never experience this type of pain and don't understand why I have it since I did not hit my head, I don't have a cold or sinus.  I took my blood pressure and I'm within normal.  What is going on?  Very painful, does anyone know?
Avatar universal
I have had these stabbing head pains (I duck in reflex) and scalp to sensitive to touch or lay on a pillow for 30 years and my mother before me.  Having been diagnosed as migraine for 10 years without the drugs helping, I was told to avoid caffeine and that helped enormously (no Coke or coffee) but they returned after a few years. I was then diagnosed with a type of neuralgia to related to the eye.  Anyway, I was prescribed Amatriptyline 10mg, then 20, then 50mg and wow, gone, life-changing!  I have managed to reduce to 10mg/day over a 2-year period and I have been pain free for over 2years - and I can sleep.  Why my doctors never suggested them before I have no idea.  I know they have different effect on each individual, but I am cured. I did forget my tablets for 3 successive nights and was soon reminded by my symptoms (tender scale and dull pain) but within 2 days of getting back on the tablets I was pain free.  I hope this helps some of you - I was amazed by the number of people suffering from this without respite, and from my experience there is no need to panic, it never gets worse (though it is hard to imaging much more pain that when it is in full flow digging ice picks into your head and there is nowhere to hide and no hope of sleep or even rest!). Good luck.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Can you have soda again or do you just stay away from it? Also what kind of doctor did you see for them to diagnose you? Thanks :-)
Avatar universal
Hi my name is nikki im 23 years old and have been having head pain on the upper middle/back left side of my head. Ever since my last pregnancy ive had random black out but no one can figure out why. Ive had ct scan ekg tests blood work echo even heart monitors on at times but no un normal tests so that cant be related to my current head pai n cld it?  but for the past week ive had this head pain in the same spot feels like sharp pain hurts to touch my head only in the spot even to touch my hair in that spot  it hurts i have no other symptoms  just hurts to touch this spot.what could this be
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
How can I see the answers? I have been experiencing the same thing
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm having a sharp pain that comes every 15- 20 seconds if I am awake only. It happens maybe once every year and it is located at the middle, right, topish region of my head. When it strikes I flinch every time and it feel like a throbbing headache but I can also feel some pain/ tension in the back of my right eye when it strikes as well. when the pain is not striking anything can trigger it, taking a breath, speaking, scratching my head and that particular spot is tender to touch.

The crazy thing is my mother says she gets these pains as well so it has to be hereditary.

I have tried excedrine migrane< doesn't really help.
I have tried tweezing the hair in that general area trying to find the one attached to that particular nerve with little success.

My biggest fear is paying money for a Dr. visit and they say they don't know whats wrong with me.

If anyone has any idea all opinions are welcome. I'm so tired of this pain! 2nd day of HELL!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Desperate for help. My 6yo has been having constant headaches and stabbing pain right in the centre on the top of her head for 10 weeks without any releif. Pain meds hav not helped, she has had full bloods which came back clear, CT which was NED and MRI which showed abnormalities. Paediatric neurologist says its migraines and to date has tried two seperate anti migraine meds without success. I feel like they are missing something, can anyone help me?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm 24 yrs old,suffering from severe pain over left occipital region and left ear since 4 days.The pain is intermittent,occuring about 4-5 times,a minute and is piercing like an electric current.At the same time of this episode,I feel weakness over left side of my tongue and aching of left hand and leg.Also, lymph node enlargement is there in the neck.I'm having left hand and leg aching since 8 months,which was associated with lower back (L4,L5) pain.I've done an MRI of spine,which shows small posterior bulge of L4-L5 disc,with annular tear causing thecal indentation.I know its difficult to diagnose without examination,but,still...I hope U will be able to help me...........................
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been having worm like feelings under my scalp and the along with that a quick stabbing pain that feels someone hit me with a hammer but only in a small area,  and then moves to another area,  then my head is so tender in that spot I cannot even touch it. My worm like feelings are also painful and this happens at the top of my head almost daily. I am constantly rubbing my head or running my hands through my hair to help elevate the worm like pain. Help
Helpful - 0
1313175 tn?1273791737
yes did you ever find out what this is.. I need an answer as well over 20 years and they are getting much worse and more frequent with time
Helpful - 0
1313175 tn?1273791737
otc never help these.. they can come and go as fast or slow as the onset. most often the pain is very localized and not widespread other times very widespread and still as painful. hair movement is not recommended and makes severe pain. do not allow anything to touch hair on head or head for that matter. as it calms down you can lightly touch  i would describe it sometimes as if someone beat me over my head with a 2 x 4 it can be as small as a 2 inch area or as large as the entire crown  it can be as short as a 30 minute period of time most often it lasts for hours on hours and sometimes for days on end, i need someone to isolate this I am so afraid to mention it to one more doctor unless I have some idea as to how to approach it or something to suggest they look into  sometimes i think my head is about to explode..they are not migraines to my knowledge at least not any migraine I have had in the past or what i know them to be like which do respond to migraine medications
Helpful - 0
1313175 tn?1273791737
i get these as well have you gotten an answer most doctors look at me odd and never pursue this I do suffer migraines but immirix only helps the migraines this type of pain can come on in and around a migraines and the meds do not help. I also suffer from seizures i have so many health problems i hate to address this one but it is becoming more and more prominent and debilitating lately i have to do something any answers please.. I havent heard anyone i know who can say they have this I am so glad I found a board online with people who suffer the same as me.. thank you all
Helpful - 0
1313175 tn?1273791737
I also suffer for many years from this very tender pain in my head, nothing like anyone else's head pains I have mentioned it to a number of physicians and they give me a strange look and nothing ever goes any further. More recently they have become fairly regular and more persistent and I am beginning to hate living they used to only occur once or twice a month now i am lucky I get past a week without one and this week alone I have had 4 and they are getting much more intense and the area is larger most of the top of my head is so sensitive I can hardly move it without the pain sheering threw I stopped mentioning this issue to MD's as no one seems to have ever heard of this problem before, I have so many other issues with my health I almost wonder what is the point of even bothering finding out most likely one will end me soon enough but chances are if I do live another 5 or 10 years with them getting worse and more frequent I will never be able to survive this type of pain. anyone with a confirmed diagnosis please reply thank you
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i have been having a sharp pain in my head with dizziness and now  i am getting a weird feeling to the front of my head on the left side like water running in my head doctor told me it could be sinuses or migrains can anyone out there help me out ? i think it might be more serious.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
yeah, past two days sharp stabbing, jolting pain right hand side at the back of my head, ear and jaw. i'm very concerned about this pain as have a job interview in two days and don't want it to kick in while in the interview? also i've been having severe shooting pain in both feet for about three years now have seen various dr's and foot specialists but all to no avail, maybe a thing called periphial neuropathy but no definite diagnosis? this pain keeps me awake most nights and is affecting my daily life very bad, but as for this head pain i'm just at a loss it just comes about every ten seconds or so?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Started having a dull pain over my right eye and right side of head.  Not a sharp pain, but dull.  Last for about 4 seconds and disapates.  Come back in about 3 minutes.  Seems to occur with any quick movement or exertion like getting off the couch or bending down and then up.  Been 36 hours.  Took aleve first,  then advil,  then later on Excedrin.   No effects.  JulianB.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I Have Had A Cold The Past Couple Of Days. I've Had A Stuffy Nose And A Cough. But Just Recently Everyone I Cough My Head Hurts And When I Stand Up To Walk I Get A Really Sharp Pain In My Head....Any Idea What This Could Be? It's Unlike Any Other Pain I Have Eve Had Before And It's At The Top Right Of My Head....Help Please?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It's been 2 months now and i have had nothing but sharp shooting pains in different parts of my head, sometimes i get dizziness and nausea feeling, but not continuously, just throughout the day for a couple of seconds at a time.... When these sharp pains occur, i also get a headache feeling, than i have to try to relax my head to relieve it a bit...My right eye also twitches all day everyday too.... been to the doctot several times... He is getting tired of me..Next i will take a mri scan, since this is just on going, even when i try to sleep...I have been trying to sit up straight and not move my head to see if that works.... helps a little bit.... also i have been taking viatamin D and it has helped quite a bit too D 2000 ius..... Still is not gone but this does help.. Angie
Helpful - 0
5253126 tn?1365613466
I HAVE BEEN HAVING THESE EXACT PAINS AS EVERYONE ELSE.  THEY START ON MY LEFT SIDE OF MY HEAD AND USUALLY LAST 2-3 MINS AT A TIME.  I HAVE BEEN HAVING THEM FOR A YEAR OR TWO NOW.  IM AM SICK OF THIS AND NO DOCTOR CAN TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG.  THE PAIN IS SO SEVERE, IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES.  I CANT SLEEP OR SIT UP SOME TIMES. I NEED HELP I CANT EVEN CONCENTRATE AND CANT AFFORD TO MISS TOO MANY DAYS OF WORK.  WHAT CAN I DO?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I suffer from migraines from a car accident. A week ago I drove a motorcycle at 4 AM without a helmet in real cold weather. I was freezing for 45 minute ride. The next morning I had extremely severe stabbing headaches all over the right side of my head, and deep in my neck muscles and in my right ear. My PA. gave me a muscle relaxer, hydrocodone and an anti-biotic. I still have such severe pain the hydocodone barely helps releive any pain. My PA said I can't get sick from just cold, I need to have an infection first. I also noticed last winter I'd go sit in the steam room at the gym then go sit out by the pool. And with the cold air from the fans blowing on my head I have those same shooting pains in the back of my head, but this time it's so severe I can't function in life. Has anyone else had this same situation of cold air blowing on your head after being hot then having stabbing/ shooting pain the next day that lasts weeks or months?
Thanks,
Rick
Helpful - 0
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