Sharp pain in head

[runbike]

My husband has had a sharp, piercing pain in one spot on the top of his head for the last few days. It intensifies when he stands up or moves quickly. Is this something we need to get checked out asap or wait a few days?  

[traffictype]

I got those sharp pains on top of my head during Paxil Withdrawals. If he has been taking an SSRI drug or is trying to get off an SSRI drug, it could be one of the neurological side effects or withdrawals.

An infection (years after the Paxil Withdrawals) brought that stabbing pain back to the top of my head, but also everywhere else in my body. My neurologist thought perhaps the infection was herpatic, and diagnosed me with neuralgia.

Either way, it's nerve pain. If it gets unbearable, drugs like Neurontin and Lyrica will take care of it.  

[Neuro Forum]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

There are several causes of headaches. Headaches can be divided into primary and secondary. Primary headache disorders are headaches without a direct cause. These are diagnosed after secondary causes have been excluded. Secondary headache disorders are due to an underlying problem, there are many many causes but some include medication side effects, systemic illness, central nervous system infection (meningitis) tumors, bleeds in the brain or clots in the veins of the brain, and others.

Primary headache disorders are much more common than secondary ones. There are several primary headache disorders.  For example  migraines, which usually a pulsating throbbing one-sided pain with nausea and discomfort in bright lights that lasts several hours. Another type is cluster headaches, which are sharp pains that occur around and behind the eye often at night and are associated with tearing of the eye and running of the nose. In primary stabbing headache, sharp or jabbing pain in the head occur, either as a single stab or a series of brief repeated volleys of pain. Primary stabbing headache often occurs in people with migraine. The pain itself generally lasts a fraction of a second but can last for up to one minute in some people. Another type of stabbing headache is called paroxysmal hemicrania. There are several other types of sharp stabbing headaches.

Without further information about the headache, it is difficult to provide you with adequate information. However, it is important to understand that if he has not experienced headaches in the past these are new head pains, seeing a neurologist is a good idea, just to make sure there is nothing serious causing this pain. Imaging of the brain and sometimes then neck may be indicated depending on your exact symptoms, your physical examination, and other factors. If a secondary cause of the headache is not identified, then a primary headache disorder may be present and can be treated as indicated.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.