"Ice Pick" migraines

[ppearl214]

Hi all,

have any of you been diagnosed with "ice pick" migraines?  If so, what kind of symptoms did you have and how did your dr treat them?

thanks.
Phyl

(You can Google "ice pick migraines" for info)

[Static]

Hi Phyl,
I responded to this in another topic somewhere else! 
~Karen

[Janet]

I was given the name hemicrania continua which ice pick headache is one of the characteristics. It is classified as an Indomethacin responsive headache meaning that if Indomethacin works then that is what you have. If it doesn't work, then maybe you have another type such as cluster headaches or trigeminal neuralgia.

Thank you so much for bringing this type of headache to peoples attention. We use the word headache often on this site but it can mean different things to different people. Migraines and icepick headaches are very different even though one can trigger the other. This can be important because the treatment is very different.

Janet

[ppearl214]

thanks Karen and Janet! I just hung up wiht my primary care as well and brought this to her attention... will research further.  I am curious as my trigeminal took a slight hit of radiation at the time of treatment but have had no real facial symptoms.  I do have (on occassion) facial numbness and nasal congestion, but if you saw my nose up close and personal, you would understand why on the latter .   I really appreciate the inputs on this... and thank you both!

Phyl

[yardtick]

Thank you all, for clearing this up.  It seem we collectively know more than some doctors.  Gotta love it! 

Anne Marie

[ppearl214]

Thank you all, for clearing this up.  It seem we collectively know more than some doctors.  Gotta love it! 

Anne Marie

touche!

[jb]

Hi Phyl,
Thanks for the pointer from the 'AN pain' thread.  I googled "ice pick migraine" and found the description on about.com.  Sounds very similar to my pains, being intense but brief and all, but mine only come from inside my AN ear or just behind it.  Never had them anywhere else.  I was having them frequently about a year and a half ago.  I just took ibuprofen then which might have helped a little.  They gradually stopped after a few weeks.  Now they've been back a couple of times since I had CK 3 months ago, but not as frequent or quite as intense as before.  Not having them at all currently (knock on wood).  I'm hoping that things are beginning to calm down in there.

Sorry I can't be more help.  I hope you can get some relief after educating your doc!
Jay

[Omaschwannoma]

For what it's worth everyone, I did search of "icepick migraines" and came up with this:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/488345

block/copy and Google to read this info, I found it interesting and possibly could be an answer?