Sudden Cramping in Head

I have been experienceing for the last several days, random, sharp head pains on the right side of my head, about 2 inches above my ear.  They are not like any type of headache I have ever experienced before.  It's just like a sudden cramping/contraction type of pain and it will last for about 15 seconds and then subside and then come back randomly again anywhere from 1 minute later or hours later   The pain is about moderate, but its very alarming to me because I don't know how seriously I should take this.  Any ideas what could be triggering this please?  

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Stress could be a trigger. Alternatively, lack of sufficient water intake may also trigger such headaches. Have you observed if the pain comes when you change your body position ?

Regards

[Sara00]

I've noticed it when I lay down in my bed at night, but it also happens just when I'm sitting here at work or driving in my car.  It has been coming and going all day today.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Do you have any vision problems ? Do you find it stressful to read small letters or see distant things clearly ? I am just trying to rule out the common causes of headache.

Regards

[Sara00]

I have poor vision, but I wear contacts so my vision is close to 20/20 with them.
Thanks, Sara

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hi Sara.

The sharp pains do not seem to be related to position, vision problem or any particular time of the day.

Are you on any medication ? Can I ask your age ? Just to rule out if it is hormonal.

Regards

[Sara00]

No I'm not on any medication .  I'm 27...in good shape.  The pains have been less frequent today...I'm trying to drink lots of water, not as much caffeine to see if it was a dehydration thing.  Is is common to get this type of pain from dehydration?  I drink a lot of water, but also drink coffee everyday as well as a glass of wine every night.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello Sara.

You have made a good pint about dehydration. Mild dehydration is the commonest cause of headaches. But generally the headaches due to dehydration are dull aching and constant for a bout half and hour or so. But there are always exceptions.

Caffeine can both cause and treat headaches. And it depends upon how much your consumption is.

A glass of wine each night should not cause any trouble.

Regards

[Manhattan]

I think I can help. I get these headaches occasionally. They refer to them as "Ice Pick Headaches" or "Stabbing Headaches" and they can be very alarming and difficult to treat. There is an nsaid drug called Indomethacin which my doctor prescribed specifically for this type of pain, or you can just try Motrin and see if that helps. Sometimes it will last several days and even move around my head before going away but it is an intermittent pain and feels like someone keeps hitting you on the head with a sledgehammer. The good news is that this type of pain is rarely indicative of anything serious. I've been told this by many different doctors. Sometimes they can do an Occipital Nerve Block if it is in the right location which will block the pain if all else fails.

[Sara00]

Thanks for your help
Sara

[serka]

I get a cramp on the left side of my head (closer to my neck)
very painful.  I must keep rubbing the area to dissolve the pain.
It is definitely a cramp......The same kind I get in the back of my thighs when I change position in bed.  what are these cramps from? and how can I get rid of them?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Are there other symptoms present? Is the cramping the same as pain or different? One sided- throbbing headaches are usually associated with migraine headaches while  pain at the head or neck that intensifies on movement may be due to inflammation of the blood vessels of the head or bony changes in the structures of the neck. Anti-inflammatory drugs or  muscle relaxants ,ay help provide relief. If it persists, have this checked by your doctor for proper management.

[medrep]

for the past two weeks i have been having cramps on the right side of my head, furthermore i whenever i close my eyes i see rotting dead flesh, and awful clusters of black mucus stuff. i feel like im losing my mind, can any one tell me what is happening to me. i am 41 years

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Are there other symptoms present? Visions of rotting dead flesh and black mucus may be due to physiologic or psychological causes. If it persists, it is best that you have this checked by your doctor for proper evaluation. Your medical history and direct clinical examination is essential. Take care and regards.

[lydia13]

hi,
so if i smile for too long or in a certain way the back of my head starts cramping up. the only way i can get ride of the pain is if i concentrate and relax the muscles on my head and face. what is going on and should i go in to see a doctor?
thank you lydia

[Kjoan]

I have experienced the same pain too, especially when I move my head when waking from sleep. It's more of a painful cramp, it last only about 10 seconds but it is very alarming.Gonna try water as Dr Santos suggested, hope it helps.Thanks for posting.

[missie1434]

I'm a 27 yr old female and on and off since I was 12, I get these random, burning, sharp pains that feel like a charlie horse inside my head.  Sometimes, I have them frequently, and other times years would go bye without any symptoms.  It frequents the right side of my head, but is not always in the exact same spot. It burns and is very painful at first to the point that my head will jerk to the side at the sudden pain.  It lasts maybe 15 seconds or so and slowly the burning eases up.  On one occassion, about a year ago, I had an episode that was the worst I ever had. The burning was so bad that I had to lay down and it lasted a lot longer than normal.  It was followed with a pain in my sholder, the inside part of the arm near the elbow, and my wrist.  The pain in my arm felt like it was in my joints, and would move from the three locations.  The pain in my arm wasn't severe, but it lasted for several hours.  It was more like an ache.  Around the time this happened, I was having weird things happen that haven't happened since or before that.  I felt like I was going to pass out while taking a shower from the heat.  I've always and still do take hot showers and never had that issue again.  I also had slight numbing feelings in my pinkys from time to time when all this happened.  That hasn't happened since either.  One more random thing that happened a few years before all of this, was that I was driving over a bridge on a sunny day.  Out of norwhere everything started to turn slightly darker and I felt like I was going to pass out.  I didn't have the feeling that I was going to pass out, but it was almost like everthing was just going black slowly.  I panicked because I was afraid I was going to get into an accident.  I pulled over as soon as I could and tried to wait it out.  The darkening went away, but I felt so hot that I started sweating and became somewhat naseous/tingling.  I tried to lay down in the seat but I still felt so hot and didn't feel right because I of how hot I felt.  I blasted the AC and it took about a half hr before I felt ok to drive again.  I was fine after that.

[missie1434]

One more thing.  For about six months, maybe 7 or 8 yrs ago, I had this weird feeling on the middle of the top of my thighs that would feel like a numb spot if I ran my finger over the spot.  It would come and go and then never happened again after the six months.

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Migraine & Headache  forum.

This is an older thread and u may get more notice if u start a new one.

  Have u been to a neurologist for a MRI?

[setshedi]

Hi,its been 3 days now having this pain nd cramps....it started being a headache on my left side as if the is a heat that passes my head there after I'll have cramps on my head now its a third day the pain and cramp strucks in my head nd I have to look up to feel better...what causes this pains

Your respond will be gladly appreciated

Regards
D.O.Kekane

[saran1990]

hi sir,i have been feeling sudden pain in back of the right side head,from past 1 week only,daily once or twice the pain is coming and it subsides itself,but when i press the paining part i feels little pleasant soft feel of lik massage feel,feeling better.but when i lye to bad at night little bit pain coming but its going by itself,,why sir ?..

[CLG85]

Today out of nowhere I lifted my head to take off my shirt and I felt a camping sensation in the area by my neck, head and ear. The pain does not go away and it's been around 8 hours. It feels like someone is beating that area with a bat. Can this be a pulled nerve?