Ice pick headache may seem like a fancy term but if you have gotton one before, you are likely to have been pretty traumatised by the experience.
What exactly is an ice pick headache? This is going to be a difficult question to answer since it can sometimes get quite confusing as to the type of headache that you are having. If you experience pains with the sensation that you are being stabbed by an "ice pick" and if the duration is extremely short (lasting for less than a minute), then you can suspect that you have just experienced an "ice pick headache". "Ice pick headache" is extremely painful and intense. It can strike anywhere on the head (predominantly in the obit, temple and parietal area), inflict you with great pain and terror and then disappear as soon as it strikes.
Under the International Headache Society's (IHS) criteria, this type of headache is classified under "primary stabbing headache". The condition produces transient and localised stabs of pain in the head that occur spontaneously in the absence of organic disease of underlying structures or of the cranial nerves. Hence, ice pick headache itself is the problem and not due to a deeper underlying cause. It is not the same as a secondary headache which is a headache that can be due to a tumor, stroke or head injury.
Ice pick headaches usually are experienced by those with migraine. Statistics reveal that as high as 40% of migraine sufferers report "ice pick headache" attacks. In most circumstances, an ice pick headache occur on its own rather than during a migraine attack. An ice pick headache can happen during the day or it can happen while you are sleeping. It can also happen a few times a day.
Ice pick headache is difficult to treat since it comes without prior warning. For prevention, it has been said that you can take indomethacin. But this has many potential side effects such as heartburn, nausea, gastroesophageal reflux and bleeding problems, and gastric ulcers. You will also have to check with your doctor if you are suitable to take this preventative medication.
The only natural method possible is to use relaxation techniques and control your breathing during the attack, if possible. Also, try to identify possible triggers, by no means an easy exercise but worth the effort (considering the intensity of the pain). A trigger is a set of factors or circumstances that set off your headache. Triggers can be food-related, pollutants in the air or extreme stress.
If you suspect that you have ice pick headaches, it is best to consult your doctor for an accurate diagnosis. You may think that there is not much point seeing a doctor especially if there is no cure. However, if you know for sure that your headache pains actually fall under "ice pick headache" and not some other headache, you can narrow down on your research and also be more focussed in terms of finding an effective treatment.
Very useful. I have been having exactly these for past few months stricking me from nowhere once in 3-4 days. My local doctor had no clue what I am talking about so he got CT Scan done which was normal. I am now scheduled to see a headache specialist in Mumbai but wonder what I can expect from him. Earlier I did not even know whether anyone else ever had this kind of stabbing and very short (1-2 seconds) intense pain, but now I am somewhat relieved that it is a known disease (but without cure).
Posted by: Kavindra at January 8, 2008 07:33 AM
I heard the term, Ice Pick Headache, today for the
first time on the radio. Until then I thought either I was the only person who had these pains, or everyone did and just didn't complain about it. While I'm hearing you say there really is very little you can do about it, it's good to know I'm not crazy or just overreacting to the pain. Thank you for your page on IPH. It's been very helpful.
Posted by: Betty at February 9, 2009 07:38 PM
From everything I read regarding the symptoms I have got these head aches with the single exception that it lasts up to 10 minutes
Posted by: Hector at February 22, 2009 12:45 AM
This explains what I have been having all these years. My doctor thought I was nuts as he said there was no such headache that only lasted a few seconds. He said they most closely resemble "cluster" headaches but even that does not fit what I am experiencing. I can be in the middle of a conversation and it can literally interrupt the conversation when they come on causing me to collapse my head into my hands and tell the person I am talking with to hang on it will pass in a few seconds. One came on during a job interview and was very embarassing.
Posted by: Chris at March 10, 2009 06:29 AM
My daughter has been suffering these type of headaches for nearly 2 yrs now.she's attending a neurologist which is ongoing and has tried so many treatments without success so far.Shea has has CT scan and 2 MRIs which showed no abnormality.She started these headaches after suffering 2 seizures, was diagnosed with epilepsy and after 14 months was told it was misdiagnosis..it's unbeleivable how her quality of life has been interupted on a daily basis.
Posted by: deirdre at April 24, 2009 03:43 PM
i have been having this pain for months and months now and had no clue why out of no where sometimes occurring daily every other day every few weeks or every few months where i would get a sharp pain on the top left side of my head and would pass in a few seconds. now that i now there is a name for this, this helps.
Posted by: Antoinette at May 17, 2009 11:36 PM
I had these 'icepick headackes' for 2-3 months about 5 years ago. They simply disappeared, but unfortunately came back last Decebmer and have them ever since. I saw several doctors with no success. I tried different things such as gymnastics, Yoga and acupuncture but nothing worked. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I'm very active and have a balanced diet. These sharp pains vary in intensity and frequency between 2-3 to 40 times a day, but sometimes I can go for about 2 weeks without having any. They can occur in pretty much every area of the skull and last for between 5 to 30 seconds. I've learned to deal with the pain and sometimes I even manage to completely ignore it. Nowadays it won't stop me from anything. I have to admit though that they got me really scared when I first experienced them.
Good luck with yours!
Posted by: live-with-it at June 9, 2009 01:50 PM
Yes, I am so glad I finally fouind an answer. I thought I was the only one with this problem. I will occasionally wince from these pains because they are so bad, and come as a surpise, but just as quickly, the pain is gone!
Posted by: Robin at June 11, 2009 05:28 AM
my elder sister is also suffering from another kind of sever headache which is persisting from several years but till unable to diagonosed the right cause hence lacks right treatement. her pains became so intnse for some days that she cry with pain. this persist for for certain weeks ,later became with less pain for a month then again it overcome .she is suffering from last 15 yrs. because of undiagonosed reason to her trauma now she suffering from pschycological problems also & getting treated for that but main problem remains same.
plz advice me some experienced dr. in Headhache specialist in india if possible whthin maharastra state (india)for her trewatement on my given mail id.- pankaj.gawande@gmail.com
Posted by: PANKAJ GAWANDE at September 8, 2009 08:17 AM
my elder sister is also suffering from another kind of sever headache which is persisting from several years but till unable to diagonosed the right cause hence lacks right treatement. her pains became so intnse for some days that she cry with pain. this persist for for certain weeks ,later became with less pain for a month then again it overcome .she is suffering from last 15 yrs. plz advice me some experienced dr. in Headhache specialist in india if possible whthin maharastra state (india)for her trewatement on my given mail id.- pankaj.gawande@gmail.com
Posted by: PANKAJ GAWANDE at September 8, 2009 08:18 AM
my elder sister is also suffering from another kind of sever headache which is persisting from several years but till unable to diagonosed the right .she is suffering from last 15 yrs. plz advice me some experienced dr. in Headhache specialist in india if possible whthin maharastra state (india)for her trewatement on my given mail id.- pankaj.gawande@gmail.com
Posted by: PANKAJ GAWANDE at September 8, 2009 08:20 AM
