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What Causes Frequent Splitting Pain In Head While On Antibiotics?
Question: My son in law was sick this week and on antibiotics and steroids. Last night and more frequently today he started to have a splitting pain in his head every few minutes. The pain lasts about 10 seconds.
He's 26 and normally VERY healthy.
XXXXXXX XXXX
He's 26 and normally VERY healthy.
XXXXXXX XXXX
Brief Answer:
Several possibilities
Detailed Answer:
I read your questionc carefully and I understand your concern about your son in law.
In order to answer as well as I can some information might turn out useful though. Information such as:
-location of the pain
-accompanying phenomena like eye redness and lacrimation, nasal congestion or discharge, fall of the eyelids, symptoms such as double vision, blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, weakness of the limbs on one side
-from what you say the pain episodes are only 10 seconds, but is there any pain or tenderness in between, the episodes are the same during the day or more pronounce during the day/night
-anymore info on what was he treated with antibiotics and steroids for, in order to judge whether the two things are related
Judging from the present information I would say that several diagnosis may be possible like primary stabbing headache (ice pick headache), trigeminal neuralgia, occipital neuralgia, epicrania fugax, SUNCT (Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgoform headache attacks with Conjunctival injection and Tearing) etc.
The reassuring thing is that such pain is more typical for peripheral nerve involvement, not the brain, so in the absence of other symptoms (such as double vision, blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, weakness of the limbs on one side) threatening issues such as stroke, tumors, central nervous system infection or inflammation are less likely.
I remain at your disposal for other questions, but possibly with some of the information I mentioned.
Several possibilities
Detailed Answer:
I read your questionc carefully and I understand your concern about your son in law.
In order to answer as well as I can some information might turn out useful though. Information such as:
-location of the pain
-accompanying phenomena like eye redness and lacrimation, nasal congestion or discharge, fall of the eyelids, symptoms such as double vision, blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, weakness of the limbs on one side
-from what you say the pain episodes are only 10 seconds, but is there any pain or tenderness in between, the episodes are the same during the day or more pronounce during the day/night
-anymore info on what was he treated with antibiotics and steroids for, in order to judge whether the two things are related
Judging from the present information I would say that several diagnosis may be possible like primary stabbing headache (ice pick headache), trigeminal neuralgia, occipital neuralgia, epicrania fugax, SUNCT (Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgoform headache attacks with Conjunctival injection and Tearing) etc.
The reassuring thing is that such pain is more typical for peripheral nerve involvement, not the brain, so in the absence of other symptoms (such as double vision, blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, weakness of the limbs on one side) threatening issues such as stroke, tumors, central nervous system infection or inflammation are less likely.
I remain at your disposal for other questions, but possibly with some of the information I mentioned.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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