Sharp Shooting pains on both side of head and pressure headaches

[headpain2008]

I have sharp shooting pains on both side of my head and its just behind the ears on both side that will start there and shoot towards the temple and down the back of my head behind the ear! Its not a constant pains but its brings my to my knees and i scream in pain and last for 20 or 30 mins and sometimes longer. this happens everyday. two yrs ago i had a spinal tap not because of the headaches and shooting pains but i was thought to have mengitist. Came back clean. Everysince then i have had trouble with pressure like headaches. I did have bloodpatches done as it was thought the pessure headaches where froman CSF leak. I had three done. Each one helped for a while. But now i am still having these pressure headaces along with the sharp shooting pains behind the ears and as describe before. Nothing shows on the MRIs or cat scans but they where done two years ago. I have also been in two car accdients which i shattered the windshield with my head. I am on lortab and have been since the Spinal tap and sometimes they help the pressure headaches to more talorable but doesn't stop the pain completely. I have a great nureologist but he still doesn't kow whats causes the pressure headaches and i go in two weeks to a nerve block to the oppictal (i think thas what its called) nerve on both sides of my heads! IS this going to help with these sharp shooting pains or is it not woth it? And what cause a consant pressure headache that pain increases with high altitude? Please help i am suffering and everday life isn't the same. I just want to go back two years ago and say heck no to the spinal tap. :(

[pulgagirl18]

please let me know how you are doing.. i have been suffering from scalp pain, that  does not let me  sleep at night on my head, idk what to do anymore, its killing me everyday, i have to sleep on my face at night, and the scalp pain seems to be getting worse, my right ,ear hurts badly, and so does the back right side of my head, sometimes i feel it numb up. life isnt the same, i cant even take a nap, i am constantly getting muscle spasms all over my body the instant my head touches my pillow :(

[headpain2008]

Thank you for your help! I am going to ask my neruologist to see if an MRI would be something that would help in finding out whats going. I hope that this injections help as i am at the end of my rope of what to do. Thank you for your addvise! I will keep everyone postede on how things turn out for me!

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? You would really benefit from further evaluation such as a recent MRI or CT scan. The headaches can be neurological in  nature, related to the spinal tap or even from your head injury. Imaging tests will help rule out other causes as well. Occipital nerve block is done for both the diagnosis and treatment of occipital neuralgia.  This injection usually results in almost complete relief  for this type of pain. Several injections may be necessary or long term relief may not be possible with injections alone. Occipital neuralgia is a type of headache that  follows the distribution of the occipital nerve. It can radiate from the back of the head up to the top of the scalp or along the side of the head. And the pain is usually described as burning or throbbing. Hang on and do keep us posted. Take care always.