Sharp, stabbing pain in the top of the head?

Question: Sharp, stabbing pain in the top of the head?

Answer:

Full Question:

I have been recently diagnosed with migraines. However, I think you should know that despite this being a recent diagnosis, I have suffered these symptoms since I was a child, but my family never took me to the doctor for the headaches. Ever since I was a child, I have had stabbing pains in the top of my head, not the facial area where most headaches occur, but in the scalp area of my head as if someone just got done sticking me with a pin, sharp stabbing quick pains which are very similar to a "brain freeze" headache but only last for probably less than a minute. I asked everyone I knew if they ever experienced such sharp stabbing pains in the top of their head and everyone told me know. I have now been doing research on ice pick headaches, but all the literature I have read leads me to believe that the stabbing pain associated with ice pick headaches occurs in the facial area, temple, eye area, etc., not on the top of the head. Is this pain I experience (which usually occurs very infrequently) associated with ice pick headaches and migraines or could it possibly be something else? Again, to explain the area of the pain I would characterize it as someone sticking a pin in my brain from the area on the top of my head where one would refer to a baby's soft spot. Thanks for your assistance. Anna.

Answer:

Dear Anna;

We can't diagnose via the Internet; nobody can. You really need to discuss these stabbing pains with your doctor to get them correctly diagnosed.

That said, you may not be that far off in your research of ice pick headaches. Although they occur predominantly in the area of the first division of the trigeminal nerve -- the orbit, temple, and parietal area -- the can occur anywhere. Here's some information on ice pick headaches:

What Are Ice Pick Headaches?
Ice pick headaches are stabbing, extremely intense headaches that can be absolutely terrifying. They generally only last between five and 30 seconds. However, they come out of nowhere, can strike anywhere on the head, literally feel as if an ice pick is being stuck into your head, then disappear before you can even figure out what's happening.

Again, we can't diagnose, but hopefully the information on ice pick headaches will give you something to jump start the discussion with your doctor.

Good luck,
Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz

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