Triggers

Orgasm-Triggered Headache

An instantaneous explosion of unbelievable pain perfectly describes the first post-orgasm migraine I’ve ever had. (At least the first one I’ve been able to correlate.) The pain overwhelms any thought about what this might mean for my sex life, but I know it isn’t good. Why can’t I be one of the lucky people for whom orgasms relieve migraines? (While my orgasm-triggered headache was definitely a migraine, it’s actually rare for orgasms to trigger migraine attacks. More often, orgasms triggers what’s called an orgasmic headache or preorgasmic headache.)

Orgasm, Headache and Migraine: Does the “Big O” Affect Headaches and Migraine? is a well-researched explanation of the contradictory phenomena of sex and orgasms triggering headaches or migraines or relieving them, sometimes entirely.

2/27/12: Treatment for headaches or migraines triggered by sex or orgasms is surprisingly simple! See my latest post, Prevention of Headaches or Migraines Triggered By Sex or Orgasm.

205 thoughts on “Orgasm-Triggered Headache”

  1. I’m getting a headache just reading this., I already know, it just doesn’t work anymore., 6 yr cancer survivor and everything has changed.,

  2. This happened to me two weekends ago, ive just turned 40. My drinking had increased in lockdown, and the night before it happened i had a considerable amount of bourbon cocktails. On the Friday night and Sat morning, i had a lot of sex with a newish partner. On sat afternoon, i was in the mid of approaching orgasm and the headache came on suddenly on the right hand side, back of head. I put it down to dehydration and took painkillers, the same thing happened the following day. I went to see a doctor Weds and was checked, im slim, healthy, blood pressure and CT scan were clear. They did find an underlying UTI. 9 days later i still have a dull headache, im on my last day of antibiotics and havent drank since. I suffer from really tight shoulders and neck. Im terrified this is going to happen again. Ive seen the magnesium/breathing advice and any other tips would be most welcome. Its the scariest incident I’ve ever had!!! Finding this thread has been so reassuring.

    1. I’m having one month of headache, since 17th April still it’s having, so what shall I do

  3. Female, 34, started having these headaches 9 years ago (at the age of 25). I hope my post helps some of you, ladies. Before I started having headaches I was sexually active (since 18), but multiple orgasms have been extremely rare for me. And then I met my husband-to-be, and I would have 3 – 6 orgasms a day, and then one day…. BOOM! As you all describe, I thought my head was going to explode. It wasn’t happening every time, but as you know – when it happens, once is enough. It never really stopped, but I learned to control it fairly well, and I learned some situations that make me susceptible (more likely to get it):
    – multiple orgasms, usually on the second… if it doesn’t happen on the second go, its safe to go again
    – morning sex (I am not a morning person)
    – sex during hangover day
    – orgasm that is “harder” to achieve… As in, some positions are easy for me, but if its one where it takes more concentration, like standing, or when I was not particularly horny but decided to go for it anyway
    So when I know its one of those situations, I make a point to do few things:
    – If I start feeling its starting, I pause, take a deep breath and relax, especially neck and shoulders
    – Before the headaches, as I was approaching orgasm, I would hold my breath at times, focusing all the attention on reaching the climax, followed by short intense breaths… Now if I am starting to feel headache I make a point of not holding the breath but instead breathing deeper and more even…
    – Stop trying to come, just enjoy the touch.. better no orgasm than the exploding head… whats great about this advice is that you will probably come anyway, but the headache will be oh so less intense…

    To give you an idea of frequencies, it might not happen for months, but then it might be happening several times a week (every other time I orgasm). I have had an increased libido for the last 6 – 8 months, orgasming 3 – 4 times a day.. To my memory, had episodes of headache for a week some 6 months ago, then there was an episode some 3 months ago, and now again (but I have been experimenting with different ways to achieve orgasms, so I am kind of mentally prepared to deal with headaches). Before this “increased libido” period we had sex about once or twice a week, sometimes more, but I don’t recall having a headache for probably over a year or more… I do suspect it has something to do with coffee consumption, because the absence of headaches seem to have coincided with the period when I was trying to reduce my caffeine intake. So I am going to cut the coffee again and see what happens.

  4. I found a website which thought Thunderclaps were related to adrenal fatigue. It advised a course of headache herbs, Ashwagandha, Feverfew & Passionflower. Six comments on the site all said it had worked, some only taking herbs a couple of months, others continuing them. So, having had 5 solid months of TCs I bought the supplements (the webpage didn’t sell them, buy them where you like) and took them. I also went for massages & Osteopath treatments to cover my bases. It is six months since I started this and I have not had another TC in that time. A neurologist I saw last year about TCs said once they start you are stuck with them. He is clearly wrong. So have hope! Interestingly, 3 months ago adrenal tests showed I indeed have adrenal fatigue, so the theory of the website I came across could be right. Also, since starting the herbs I have only had 3 minor migraines in 6 months, as opposed to up to 4 major a week. A new specialist I saw a week ago is not convinced the herbs are working for TC or migraine and suggested headaches are cyclical and I happened to have entered a low ebb. My GP is more confident the herbs work and said, the longer it takes to get your medical degree the more removed you are from natural remedies, and herbs are the original ancient medicines. I like to believe I am CURED. Good luck everyone.

  5. 60 yr old male, married, healthy, light drinker/smoker, sexually active 42 years. First experienced a brain bomb headache at orgasm when I was in my mid 20’s. I’d estimate that I’ve experienced 30-35 of these orgasm triggered headaches since then. They just seem to “go off” without any warning. Unbelievable spike of excruciating pain emanating from the bottom back left side of my neck/head lasting for about a minute or two. Not one who suffers from migraines, probably had less than 10 normal (non-sexual) related headaches in my life. I’ve gone for years,during which I was sexually active, without having one of these brain bombs. I’ve found that when one of these occurs it’s the control of my breathing that helps the most. Just wanted to let everyone know that, at least in my case, you don’t grow out of it. Best regards to all.

  6. I’ve just had a series of these thunderclap headaches. It was throbbing just on the full right side of my brain, felt like it would explode right on climax and stopped straight after. Has happened 3 times in the same manner. Will abstain for a few weeks and had a massage today hopefully my body will heal itself….

  7. I went to see a top neurologist the day after I had a thunderclap (wham bang!) last week and he said that I was very tight in my shoulders and neck. He said that he has seen lots of these and seemed sure that it would just disappear in a few weeks. I vape weed several times a week and was worried from information that I had seen on the web that here was a connection but he said that that marijuana had nothing to do with it at all. Looking at all of these posts it seems that everyone is quick to report their thunderclaps but very few people return to report on updates. I don’t know whether that is because it went away and you moved on and put it behind you (and I hope that is the case for you and for the rest of us). What I do know is that I spend to much of my life in front of a computer and have a very stressful job, but never feel stressed. I am going to try and reduce the amount of time in front of a screen and focus on deep breathing (I always hold my breath, don’t know why) and get weekly shoulder massages. The Doc also wants me to lose weight (I’m not over weight). I will report back.

  8. yesterday i thought i was on my deathbed – today having read through many of the blogs above and picking up on a combination of factors including change of season, stress, neck tension – i practiced relaxing and breathing plus horizonal position and i managed the pain – well compared to yesterday there was a slight buzz and even a bit of the fog that has been with me since has lifted. six months ago i went to dr with persistent aural migrane dr suspects i am pre-diabetic so have been self testing my blood for past 6 months and my sugar levels peak when i’m stressed – i noticed i was a bit nasaly yesterday and have been very stressed (big time). i recon i have got this one. thanx very much folks for your help – you saved me!

  9. Same as everyone else. It has been described very well by others. I’m wondering about things we have in common. Two things about me, immediately before this happened are: 1. In Ketosis 2. Just drank 2 cups of coffee. No food in 16 hours. (Intermittent fast) Hopefully we can come up with some things in common as a cause, or a precursor.

  10. I would like to add my Thunderclaps vary; the first was as if my entire brain went white and tried to explode out the top of my head. It genuinely felt like my brain was pressing on the inside of my skull. Others have been as if the base of my brain is trying to escape. Some have a focal point like a knife slicing in my brain. Some pass in minutes, others last longer and leave a shadow-headache for days.

  11. I had my first Thunderclap about 5 months ago (I thought I was having a stroke). When I could move/see about 5 minutes later I was surprised my physical functions were intact. The internet said they were mostly benign, and you may only ever have one. Unfortunately every time I orgasm the Thunderclap shows up. I Googled buggery out of suggested methods to reduce them. I tried position, relaxation, self-service to try and control their on-set/intensity. That worked to some degree – and they eventually went away, except sadly so did the buzz of orgasm. For the next 2 months orgasms were weak, you felt “vaguely satisfied” but not elated or buzzed. Then a week ago I felt myself extremely turned on by my husband during the act and I knew I’d have a Thunderclap, but the warning is a hundredth of a second before it hits. Drop to the floor screaming stuff – hideous, as you all know. I went to the GP, he said it was muscular tension and to change position (I’d already tried that), he offered me a neurologist referral and I took it.

    The neuro said Thunderclaps at orgasm are rare (I’m his third patient in 7 years). They are not migraines (although I do get those too). He said they are vascular and I had to have an MRI/MRA to rule out an obvious cause (although they are usually with no traceable cause). The results came back fine, and I’m stuck in hell.

    He gave me a NSAID which has a horrific FDA Black Box warning about all the ways it can kill you without warning if you take higher than the standard dose or long term, and told me to take a quadruple dose an hour before sex. He did recommend starting at the normal single dose to see if that worked. All it did was give me bowel problems, a second attempt at the same dose was even worse and did nothing for the Thunderclap. I refuse to try it again.

    I had been taking CBD and THCa sublingual oils for 11 months (which do not make you high) to help with Fibromyalgia pain/stiffness, but after reading someone online saying too much MJ and “fucking” was what he felt caused his Thunderclaps, I have given up both for a while in the hope it resets my brain.

    As background, I am 47 female and have been enjoying the best climaxes of my life and it seems quite a number of people on here seem to have a correlation between stunningly good climaxes and this condition kicking-off. I am desperate to find an answer to this. After years of suffering, 9 months on 4.5 mg of LDN has cured me of 90% of my Fibromyalgia pain and stiffness; and my husband and I were loving making up for lost time in our sex life when this new issue hit me like a shovel to the head. My plan is abstain for two months, visit an osteopath for neck/upper back treatments, get some massages, and perhaps try acupuncture (which my GP does and is always pushing at me, having had little effect from it for past issues, I have avoided it.)

    I am concerned some have said abstaining can mess with your ability to climax as the fear becomes an issue, but I’m not sure what else to do. It seems a lot of people end up here seeking help, but never post updates on successes or failures. The neuro was so disheartening, he said a lot of people have the condition for life, but if something started it – surely something can stop it – and how can he be so certain of that when he doesn’t even know what the condition really is?

  12. I have same problem. I am not a dr and this is not real medical advice but I would like to help those suffering as much as possible. It is mentioned by others that this may be caused by neck problems. Well for me that would make sense as I have been diagnosed with a pinched nerve in my neck the same time that I experienced this problem.

    Idk if it will help with headache but I found this neck traction pillow that stretches the neck on Amazon. It seems to immediately reduce some of the tension on the neck nerve which then may help with headache.

    I think water is important for most bodily functions so I think staying hydrated can only help and I have been taking vitamins to ensure overall health.

    Deep breathing will help oxygenate the brain which I could only imagine is a plus.

    Anti inflammatory medication can also be helpful to reduce symptoms as well as inflammation. Inflammation can make pinched nerves worse so I mean pinched nerve or not Advil, Aleve, etc may help. Reducing inflammation might even let a pinched nerve heal faster just know too much medication can have negative side effects.

    I made an MRI and neurologist appointment that I will go to soon. I hope that everything is ok with my neck and head. This forum has made me a little less nervous but as my neck nerve is pinched in addition to the sex headaches I currently can’t turn my head left and right. I am only in my 20s and hope my mobility and pleasureanle Orgasms come back. I wish everyone the best and I hope you all seek the advice of a true medical professional to help you solve your problems. My info is a result of being over anxious and spending hours on research. Anxiety probably doesn’t help either might have to get that checked next.

  13. Thanks everyone for the forum. I was about to dial 911 when it hit a few minutes ago. Very intense and unsettling.

  14. doesnt seem like there are many answers here for this. I too had the issue about 6 months ago, went on for a month or two. Had brain MRI’s, etc. no issues found. Went away then but has returned in the last week. Awful pain right at orgasm. Hopefully it goes away again but i have no idea how to fix this! Indomethacin may or may not have helped, but my headaches go on for days after one of these events. Not like the pain in the first 15 minutes, but a full headache on the right side, from base of neck to behind right eye.
    40 years old is when it started happening to me. I dont want to go back to the doctor but this isn’t good!

  15. 28 year old male here, I had this problem just like everyone else here. The whole ct scan and everything. Went a couple of days “without” and then tried to have sex.. Took 2 goodys powders 30 mins before, exedrine migraine would be the same and I kept my neck strait and took heavy breaths while having a orgasm.. Bammm not even the slightest sign of a headache.. Good luck

  16. After my husband reached his climax he too experienced this painful rushing sensation to his head. He described it as the worst headache of his life. It was a Saturday night so I called the on-call doctor who explained that it sound like a normal coital headache. The doctor suggested to seek emergent care if the pain did not improve within two hours. So, of to the ER we went an hour later since the pain was getting worse after Excedrin was given after the initial pain. Upon, entering the emergency room his vital signs were taken and his blood pressure was surprisingly elevated 168/122 (Just two months ago he had just had a yearly fiscal B/P 120/82). ER MD examined him and said it was a classic coital headache. He was treated with Motrin for pain, a muscle relaxer ,high blood pressure medicine. After waited an hour with no relief he was given another high blood pressure medicine and a vasodilator. After a 3 hour emergency visit and his B/P now 138/96 we were on our way back home with some relief from the headache (since his blood pressure came down). Next day he still has a lingering headache. He was sent home on a blood pressure pills and pain meds and told to follow up with his primary medical doctor.
    Yes, he was also told that this could continue to occur and that he should reframe for any sexual activity until he sees his pmd.

  17. I cannot add much to this conversation that has not already been said. I have the exact same thing piercing pain in my right temple, unbelievably bad pain, exactly at the same time orgasim. The stabbing pain lasts few hours. It is always on the right side, always in the temple and sometimes behind the eye. Then it just becomes a dull headache. I’m a 44 year old man, sexually active, on testosterone and cabergoline. I have noticed over the last month or so if I sleep on my right side, I’ll wake up hearing my heartbeat in my right ear. It goes away within a few seconds.

  18. well.. explaining the pain would be redundant. So, I decided to recreate the situations. Get someones legs over my shoulders pressing down on my subclavical arteries while i’m kneeling and after 20 minutes, voila… So if blood from the heart can’t go out through those arteries, then perhaps the extra pressure gets sent to… maybe the brain? The google images of the vascular system looked like that to me… LIke a water pipe under high pressure, something probably could burst, but I think the pressure makes a spot swell first in the brain causing the pain.
    In my experiments on myself I also found that eating peanut butter several times in a 2 day period, and then doing the same experiment increased the likelihood of having a sever headache faster. Like 3 minutes of someones legs pressing down on my subclavical arteries instead of 20 minutes. Interesting isn’t it. I’m not a Dr., and don’t recommend you duplicate my experiments. At one point the pain was so severe it took me to the floor.
    Perhaps peanuts are allergens? Perhaps peanuts, allergens, and sudafed are related in some way? maybe they make capillaries contract or expand? or weaken vessel/arterial wall strength making them easier to stretch and cause pain in surrounding tissue? i dunno… Just like during some sexual positions ankles pressing on my shoulders always causes these pounding insane headaches.

  19. I am a 64 year female who began experiencing these horrific pre orgasm headaches about 2 years ago. I put off going to the doctor for about 6 wks to 2 months. Both my parents had high blood so I figured that is what this was. One morning after my husband and I had sex my headache was so bad I went to the ER, had a Cat scan, found a brain tumor. I had the tumor removed and now I don’t headaches any longer. But I also don’t have orgasms either. No doctor has been able to help me and trust me, this sucks. Any info on any of this I would love to hear it.

  20. 36 yo male. Have gotten these headaches a few times over the last few years. The worst one happened about two weeks ago. It took me to my knees. It felt like my head was going to explode. I have had a low-grade headache since. The other headaches all went away within a few minutes. Everyone says you should go into see your doctor, but seeing that this is more common than I thought, and that many experience very similar symptoms, and those that have responded show that most tests are negative, especially CT scans and MRI’s., which my wife wants me to get, I am not sure if it is worth my time away from work or the costs? It would be nice to know what causes it so that I could prevent it.

  21. I am a 41yr old female that has just started to experience these bloody “headaches” more like someones trying to pull your brain out through your nose very slowly with a hot hook and stabbing you in the eyes at the sametime……
    first experience i was masturbating felt a slight pain before orgasm so i stopped for a bit then continued on finished and had a small headache,
    last night(10:30 ) i couldn’t finish nearly passed out due to pain my hubby said my face was blue took a good hour for my head to settle a bit took 2 nurofen plus @ 2:30am dulled it a liitle got up at 6:30am still pounding like i had heart beats in my head took 2 nurofen plus 2 panadol and has dulled it enough that i can get some work done it is now 2:30 in afternoon and my head is pounding again i left it a little too long for pills. DEFS NO SEX OR MASTURBATION UNTIL THIS IS SORTED MOST PAINFUL THING I HAVE ENDURED.Sorry to my poor hubby. i wonder if it has anything to do with menopause???? off to docs tomorrow. Good luck to all that get these MOFOS.

  22. This 47yr old male (and my 35yr old wife) would like to say “Thank you everyone… especially Kerrie”.
    I can’t add anything different to all the previous posts but I certainly feel comforted by all the comments. I’m putting mine down to overall poor neck posture and mutually ‘aggressive’ sex. I feel certain I can get this sorted now so my wife won’t feel like she’s going to kill me during sex one of these days. 🙂

  23. I found the answer to my problem. When I stopped taking Sudafed for my nasal congestion due to allergies, the headaches stopped. I think a lot of people don’t realize that nasal decongestants raise your blood pressure. My blood pressure isn’t technically high, I’m not on blood pressure medication. It’s not perfect either. I think the bump in my blood pressure from the medication added to the excitement of sex is what was causing my problem. I’ve since started using a nasal spray called, “Xlear” and it’s working better than Sudafed ever did without raising my blood pressure.

    I did go to a chiropractor, and it helped some, but didn’t make the headaches go away. I tried a migraine trick and laid on my bed with my head hanging upside down over the side for about 10-15 minutes and that helped quite a bit too. I went to my doctor and had the dose of my antidepressants lowered, but that didn’t seem to help at all. Nothing helped completely until I got the Sudafed out of my system.

  24. I too am suffering with these horrific pre orgasm head explosions, im 46 and had my first one 6 weeks ago, i was convinced that i was going to die! The dull headache has lingered for the full 6 weeks with just a few days free of pain. This last one has lasted 28hrs and i have been really bad (shame the orgasm didnt last the same) the stiff neck and pain goes round to my left ear and it feels like i have a bolt through my head to just above my eye
    Im loosing the will to live

  25. Hi

    I’m in the UK. Searching high and low to find out about these headaches as you don’t know it existed until you have one. Glad (sorry not for you all being in pain) that I’m not alone or a freak! Still trying to work out how I tell work I’m off sick due to a sex headache!
    Had my first in June 2014. Excruciating pain like everyone explains. Took nurofen. Was better by the next day. Saw the Dr thought I’d got a brain hemorrage or something. She told me about the thunderclap headache. I unfortunately have it during orgasm. But this has only been in foreplay thank god. So perhaps no more for me!
    Life got back to normal. Now fast forward 14 months to last week. Sat in our hot tub. Foreplay happening. Happened again during orgasm. This one was 10 times worse. There really is nothing you can do to ease the pain. My poor Hubby felt awful. Perhaps made worse by the heat of the water? Don’t know if anyone else has that? It knocked me out for a day. Still having pressure episodes a week and half later. Also with a muscle strain in my front collar bone area. Been getting rhomboid muscle problems too the last two years. Also very painful. Probably brought on by the desk job.
    I’m not fit. I’m a large chested size 18 but hour glass shape. Thought it best to put anything that someone might cotton on to and think there’s the link!
    But here’s the thing…. Whilst I’m curvy I have absolutely normal cholesterole levels, normal blood pressure levels (even when pregnant) and importantly as I have read quite a bit of this. I don’t eat or drink anything with caffeine in it as I’m intolerant of it. No fizzy drinks just water. No chocolate 😢 either. So for those who think this is doing it. Not my case! Haven’t had any of this for 30 years! I’m not a sufferer of headaches either!
    So hope my case adds to the research. But praying someone finds out what causes it so we can all enjoy life again!

  26. I just experienced this yesterday for the first time…exactly the way described here only on my right side…I’m totally scared being I’ve never had this happen I’m 38 yrs. Old and was experiencing what I think was the best orgasm I ever had… Now just thinking about it makes my head hurt like the Dickens… It helps to know others have experienced this also.

  27. Hi everyone. So I had my massage. On Tuesday and today is Thursday. Everything was the same that day and the next however the thunder did not arrive during orgasm, but started to come even sooner. I work on a cruise line and talked to my doctor. As I had mentioned in the past post I was laid up in bed for about 2 days prior to my first episode. Do to this I had a built up lots of tension in my lower neck and upper back area. My doctor told me this was most likely the culprit along with dehydration. So following. The massage 2 days ago I did some stretching yoga meditation and drank about a gallon of water a day. Today my neck and back feel mich less tight and guess what no headache during or after sex. I will admit I was still a little aware of the residual tension so I took it easy, but it had been 6 days so not to easy. While this issue may be something worse I would have to say watch stress levels, tension, water intake. My “outbreak” was controllable and with in a week I am back to feel near normal. Don’t get scared. These hurt I know but be heathy relaxed and active and the issue can be taken care of. Tnsi N in upper back and neck truly seem to be the culprit for most including my self. Massage/water/meditation/relaxation!!!! Hope you all feel better soon

  28. Hi all! I am a 31 year old male. Very Healthy and good sex life with my wife. I am currently having a reoccurrence of these horrible horrible headaches. I have had them on 3 occasions normally lasting a week or more over the past 10 years. It’s something that will happen out of the blue but luckily in all cases they go away on there own. This time I am going to be more active. I have a massage scheduled for tomorrow and will probably abstain till after. I was with my wife once and for the worst one two nights ago. Then tried on my own twice. I found I was able to massage the back of my head and neck and get through the act of orgasm without my head exploding. I really think my attacks come from tension in the upper neck muscles. I have heard that do to tension your blood passages do not dilate as needed. I am aware of people who have had chiropractors work out the issue. I am trying massage and then acupuncture. In my case they always go away. I hope it is the same this time. Also as a note this week I had an injury that kept me in bed an awful lot lying down. I am pretty sure this added to the tension and the occurrence. As the first day I was off my feet this was not an issue. It has been 3 days laid up and very inactive but now I am back to normal life. I hope this will help to eradicate the issue along with the massage.

  29. Hi everyone
    I’m 19 years of age and married
    I’ve recently experienced these splitting migraines
    It’s uncontrollable
    Every time we have sex
    And I’m about to have an orgasm it starts
    A few nights ago I cried ! Because this had never happened to me before

    My husband tries to comfort me but sound makes it worse how should I go about this
    I mean I’m only 19 married 2 year’s and this is the first time I experience something like this

  30. Kerrie,

    What a service you have done here for so many people. Years of posts that are a great comfort after experiencing something so painful and frightening. There is so little information out there about this affliction. Thank you.

    I’m a 43 year old female and I have had five of these headaches over the last three years. The last one occurring last night. This is the first time the pain has lasted into the next day.

    I am taking the antidepressant Wellbutrin. I have been experiencing shoulder/neck/back pain for the last three weeks and my allergies/sinuses have been bugging me for a week. I have developed TMJ over the past three months and had to buy a night guard. I also wonder if these headaches can be triggered in women who have had epidurals for child birth in their pasts. I had intermittent headaches that started as an “electrical” feeling shooting pain up my spine for two years after giving birth to my second child.

    I’ve read all the posts, and I think there is something to the shoulder/neck pain idea. I made one appointment with a chiropractor and another with my regular doctor. I’m hoping a neck adjustment and changing my antidepressants will fix this problem.

    I hope someone in the medical field will look deeper into this problem, find these posts and figure out what exactly causes these torturous headaches!

  31. Glad to see its not only me! Brain explosion! I went to the ER last night got a cat scan. Thinking I had an aneurism gonna burst. I’m extremely sexual in thought it’s gonna kill me! Cuz I keep going till I can’t lol they said they think it’s a mussel problem in my neck.

    1. Shawn, read through the comments for some suggestions. People recommend various ways of holding their necks and heads to avoid triggering a headache. I hope that helps.

      Take care,
      Kerrie

  32. I believe that this is what I have but mine has lasted weeks not days. I am single & take medication that greatly reduces my libido but one day I just got an overwhelming urge. I got to “nirvana” a few times that day each with a bad headache. I kept thinking the next orgasm would make it go away but did not. This had happened several times before but was always short lived. This time my head has continually been hurting for a month. I had a CT scan & it was normal. I have lots of health issues but never been prone to headaches. I am seeing another doc next week to see if anything can be done.

  33. my boyfriend had this problem back in 1996 so forgive me i don’t remember the cause except it had to do with stress and he went to the doctor who gave him medication and he had to refrain from sex… don’t remember how long but it felt like forever if i had to guess i’d say a week or two and then they went away. point being it was a medical condition that required a prescription medication so you may need to see a physician as well.

  34. I am a 54 year old female and I have these happen to me too. Always after a night of drinking too much alcohol. And always after a prolonged lovemaking session. The pain starts just at the point of orgasm. My heartbeat thunders in my ears and then explodes into the worst headache ever in both temples. It literally feels like my head is going to blow off. All I can do is lay there holding both of my temples until the awful throbbing pain goes away. My boyfriend was so afraid when this happened yesterday. He wanted to take me to the ER. A half hour of rest on the couch and I was all better. This has come and gone over the past few years. I’m not too concerned about it. Most of these things turn out to be benign.

  35. Has anyone noticed whether or not for males it happens after and women it happens before??? I didnt read all the comments but for the most that I did read at any age it seemed it happened before for women and after for men. And a lot of us have it happen on the left side of the head/neck. ….. also I noticed if I push very hard at the bend where my neck meets the base of my skull the “brain explosions” dont last as long.

  36. My problem seems to be rather different than everyone else’s. My headache starts on the second day after an orgasm. Maybe 20% of the time I’m spared the headache or it’s not too bad. I usually wake up with a dull pain on the left side of my neck rising up through the left side of my head and ending at the corner of my left eye. It gets worse throughout the day until I have to leave work and try to go to sleep. I can’t concentrate on anything and have no motivation to do anything. At times I’ve taken narcotic pain killers to just bear it. At full effect, the pain is like someone pulling my left eye out of it’s socket and stretching the nerve and other attachments to maximum tension. It lasts for the rest of the day up to two or three days. I’ve been single for the last 12 years and have just tried to avoid masturbating, but I’m now in a relationship and really want to be sexual. I can satisfy my girlfriend and am ok with not having an orgasm, because I love just feeling everything involved in love making, but once I hit that point of no return I know I have a day of grace until I want to smash my head to bits with a baseball bat.

  37. I hadn’t actually read all of the posts on here before posting myself but starting reading from the bottom after doing so. A lot mention neck problems, for about 2 days before this ‘migraine’ I’ve had a shooting pain when turning my head from side to side. The pain was around my neck and in between my shoulder blades. Wonder if there’s a connection?

  38. This happened to me on Saturday for the first time. The pain was unreal like nothing I have ever experienced. My whole head was banging and eyeballs throbbing, they also went extremely bloodshot when I eventually crawled to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The only thing that eased the pain at all was rubbing my hand allover my head so I decided to fill the bath up and lie in it in the dark with my head under water. I don’t know why I did that but it seemed to do the trick. I felt awful the rest of the night but the migraine eased. It’s now 3 days later and I still feel a bit dizzy, tired, nauseous and my eyes hurt. I have never suffered migraines before. I’m almost 36 years old. Should I see a doctor? I read somewhere that if you have a pain that bad for the first time (not neccesarily brought on by orgasm) you should seek urgent medical attention, I haven’t died yet but I thought I was going to on Saturday!

  39. My Doctor put me on the contraceptive pill when I was fourteen. (I started suffering from regular Ocular migraines at the same age, coincidently)
    When I was 23 my Doctor took me off the pill because she discovered after tests etc that it was having too high levels of Oestrogen in my body that was causing the migraines. They stopped.
    Nowadays I don’t have migraines, apart from if I have multiple orgasms; I suspect for similar reasons, i.e: The surge of hormones.

  40. I have these awful attacks just before orgasm, totally ruins everything. They also appeared during heavy lifting or doing anything intensive. I went to my dr and they consulted a neurologist. He suggested I take a 10mg dose of amaltryptain (a mild antidepressant). These are marvellous!!! They totally fix the problem and I’ve tried not taking th to see if I was fixed, but as soon as I miss 3+ days I’m back to migraine hell. Go get them – get your sex life back 🙂

  41. 40… always thought the headaches were an old wives tale echoed by a woman who wasn’t into you… I apologize for any joke to that effect…

    in my case, I thought the bout was from inhalation of copper acetate or copper chloride (cleaning/soaking pennies – don’t ask)… the hangover theory is a good one, too (wish that was it)… I thought it was a psychic attack coz I pulled my wanker in recollection of unrequited luv (wish it was that)… aliens drilling my brain (wish I were that speciman)…

    excruciating was my first bout of HSV2 (fetal position stuff)… many have wanted to drive a spike in my head (guess they got their wish)… acute, then as though concussed (wish I got to blow my load like the proud few here)… so much for being a good guy and scratching my own itch…

    can’t enjoy a good cigar… shouldn’t drink… don’t stress… don’t poke… brush your teeth… get hugged, cracked by another man (neck and back – not sure what you were thinkin’) … get pricked with needles… try these herbs… pop B2’s… wtf, even my last hedonistic act of self-luv gets taken away ????

    is it a rant or lamentations born from the throbbing (from the head on my shoulders)?

    the next time that anyone infers that both heads don’t work in unison… I delivering a kick like a mule…

  42. I am a 13 year old boy I have been having sex with my girlfriend for almost 2 years now me and her have been getting migrants over orgasm we have sex every two days should we stop or see a doctor I don’t know what to do I don’t want to tell my parents 🙁 please help
    *******
    You should both definitely see doctors to make sure that it is migraine and to get appropriate treatment.

    Take care,
    Kerrie

  43. I’m so glad to have found this forum and to know I’m not alone in suffering these debilitating migraines. I’m 51 years old and female and have had these migraines on and off for most of my adult life. At first they were far apart, only once or twice a year but as I’ve aged they’ve increased in frequency and severity. Now they occur every single time I attempt to make love with my partner or to masturbate. It used to happen just before orgasm or right at orgasm but now it happens during arousal as well. Sometimes just thinking sexy thoughts starts that feeling of pressure building n my head. I’ve read all the posts here and see my symptoms in all of them and my heart goes out to you all because I know the pain, fear, anger, frustration and disappointment that accompanies this condition. My symptoms have become worse over time. At first the pain was sudden and explosive but over as soon as the orgasm stopped. But now my head feels like its in a vice and being crushed and at the same time I feel like my head is exploding. The pain is all over my head. I feel like my brain is swelling and the pressure Is unbearable. About a year ago I started to see a bright light when the migraine hit and a few weeks after that my eyes felt like they were about to shoot out of my skull and the light I saw started to flash. Last time my partner and I attempted intimacy The pain was the worse it’s ever been, I started to vomit, couldn’t speak and worse of all I went completely blind for about 10 minutes. My partner is a nurse and she panicked and called the ambulance thinking I was having a stroke. Tests at the hospital were all negative. I’d seen a neurologist about my condition about 2 years ago and had all sorts of tests and have been on lots of diff meds but none can prevent this from happening. I feel that my only option is to totally abstain in future, I don’t want to live without sex but feel I truly have no choice. I’m terrified of having another migraine. I’m blessed to have such a loving and understanding partner but I know this isnt fair on her.

  44. Ive had migraines for years usually triggered by hormonal changes with menses,changes in barometric pressure with storms and precipitated by certain foods such as red wine, lack of sleep and stress. I’m 41 years old and I’ve never had a headache come on suddenly during intercourse like I did a few nights ago. It occurred during or just after my orgasm. I was feeling great till it felt like something popped in my head. I grabbed my head immediatelyand started crying. It freaked my husband out which definitely changed the mood. He took me to the Emergency room as I clearly thought I had an anursym. It was definitely the worst headache of my life. Intense pressure at the top of my head back of my head and neck. I was embarrassed to tell the doctor what happened but felt like I had to be honest. This was unlike any migraine I had ever suffered with. My Bolood pressure upon arriving at Ed was 177/111 which was very high for me as I do not have hypertension. Morphine did not relieve it. My cat scan was normal then I was given toradol and another migraine med which helped immensely. I had associated nauseA with the head ache however the light did not bother my head as it did in regular migraines. My husband has been afraid to have sex with me since and states we have to be abstinent at least three weeks to let my head rest. I don’t know if this is true. I read somewhere that a period of abstinence will make it worse. What do you guys think?

  45. Update: Just stumbled back here as I had saved the link. Posted back in April and happy to let everyone know that about 4-6 weeks later I was back to normal. I think that first thunderclap popped a blood vessel or severly bruised a capillary in my head and it just needed time to heal. I feel sorry for the minority who don’t heal after a month or so, my suggestion would be to focus on your breathing, don’t hold your breath, and just take sex easy until you get back to normal. I could feel that spot in my head for a month until it finally healed. I made sure to avoid being on top or on my knees from behind, as when I tried those positions during that 4-6 week period, testing to see if I was getting better, I could definitely tell the difference and felt greater pain than breathing deeply on my back, and I think it even set me back in the healing process. Take it slow. There is hope. I was totally consumed by this problem going through it and empathize with anyone going through this the first time. But as most others have said, it will go away with time. Good luck.

  46. Btw I still have my head throbbing headache; yet less severe and its been 18 hours since the original onset.

  47. I am 29 years old and have a two month old baby. I haven’t had an orgasm since about 4 months ago. I was having sex w/ my bf for the first time since baby. I was in top and was having my 3rd consecutive orgasm when my head-exploding headache occurred. I grabbed my head with both hands. Glad to hear im not alone but upset there’s no cure. Will explore using beta blockers. Best of luck.

  48. I came across this site, such a relief to know so many other people have experienced this terrible issue. I wanted also to thank everyone for posting their experiences because that is really what helped me to solve my problems. I am a 27 year old female, no history of migranes. Several weeks ago I experienced my first orgasm headache which continued for a few weeks. I felt terrible and after reading so many websites and their lack of information on finding a solution, I am so happy I came here. A common thread that I read was that many of you seemed to have head/neck tension, and once visiting a chiropractor (I think this was Jim?) or taking care of that tension, that seemed to help. Well I had never realized that I lived with constant head, neck, and shoulder tension. I work on a computer all day in a very face paced, highly focused environment. I would wake up tense everyday for months and never even realized. I think I had gotten used to the tension, until these headaches began. Luckily I recently had a week’s vacation. My fiance gave me intense massages for my head, neck, and shoulders every night for the next week. I used a heating bean bag on my shoulders to help. One morning I woke up feeling a little bruised from the massages, and switched to ice, then going back to heat. I started waking up less tense and feeling better and better. My headaches started to dull down and fade away. Now, they are gone and I’m enjoying my life again. The entire cycle lasted about a month. I wanted to share in hopes this will help someone else.

  49. It’s encouraging that I am not alone with this terrible afflication!
    I am a 45yo female with no medical problems and no history of migraines. I got my first orgasm headache (pre-orgasm) in April when I was alone and I thought I was going to die. That one died off after about 2 hrs.
    Then they stopped until last Sunday when I had a migraine that lasted until Tuesday morning as a dull ache. I had another on Tuesday night when it wasn’t possible to finish and the migraine lasted until Thursday morning but much more severe than the Sunday one. That one was primarily on the left side of my head behind my eye and down to my ear. I was light sensitive and my concentration was very poor.
    On the request of my partner I went to the Dr on Weds and after some begging, she finally gave me beta blockers. I have to take one 1/2hr before and also a couple of nurofen. I am frightened that I will feel too tense to make love again – and my relationship is only a year old 🙁
    I will let you know about the beta blockers once I get the courage to try again.

  50. Ok…I am a female, age 39 and just a few days ago I was having sex(me on top )with my husband and all of the sudden the pain!..Pretty much what everyone else is describing, but mine was all on the left side of my head. The pain was bad, but it only lasted maybe a minute then it went away…..However, what is troubling to me is that I still have “lingering” tiny throbby feeling in the same left sided area of my head since it happened…that was 3 days ago…it is “off and on” and I DO have a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders too. So far this has happened 2 times…once one night..I decided to try again and it happened again the next night…Now I’m afraid it will be forever but really hope not!
    I really do not want to go have tests because, I have had MRI’s in the past for other things and don’t need anymore radiation! A year ago, I had a adenoma(grapefruit sized) on my liver(that I had no idea was there!) rupture causing sever pain and internal bleeding and was rushed to a large city hospital to have it removed, but fortuneatly it was benign as most adenomas are..anyway I feel like I have been exposed to enough radiation to discover all that!
    I am glad I found that this may be what I have and cannot believe I have never heard of this before!

  51. Update since last post: MRA negative and went to chiropractor who adjusted my neck. My neck now feels so loose I almost get the sensation I can turn all around. I also got my blood work done and my vitamin intake was low. Good news… Breathing differently now before orgasm, vitamins daily, neck feels great, and somehow i’m absolutely fine. I can’t explain beyond above, but I went from feeling like my head was going to explode for about three weeks to now being ok. To repeat, neck adjusted now feels fine, vitamins after blood test (E and D was insuffient) and really focusing on breathing (now yoga like breathing). Wish all luck and I hope these headaches are behind me! Good luck all!! Lastly I’m also curious if early season hay fever or me giving up soda had anything to do with it, just don’t know…

  52. Update: Got my tests results today. No tumors or aneurysms. However, I carry some pretty serious tension in my neck, shoulders and the muscles that cover my head. The neurologist has recommended physical therapy and prescribed some Zipsor to be taken 30 minutes before I engage in any headache-triggering activity. Fingers crossed!

  53. Wow. This all sounds so familiar. I am a 38 year-old female who just started getting these headaches about 6 months ago. They happen almost every time I orgasm, with or without my partner. I have been to all kinds of doctors and chiropractors and have a follow-up appointment on Thursday to get the results of my MRIs, etc..

    The main thing I have found to help is to breathe deeply. I will breathe through my mouth and take very deep even breaths as I approach orgasm. This has the added bonus of making my climaxes much noisier than usual which my boyfriend enjoys quite a bit! It also helps if I am the more passive partner. If I lie on my back and pay close attention to my breathing, oral sex can frequently give me a very nice orgasm with minimal or no headache. On the other hand, when I am on top (which used to be our favorite position) my headache is explosive and will last for hours.

    Unlike some of you, mine do not appear related to my neck in any way. The headache starts right before orgasm and feels deep within my head. When they first began, they were always on the left side of my head. Eventually, they moved to the front and now are on the right side. With any luck, they will exit out the back forever!

  54. I’m 40, male, have had migraines since I was 12. First sex headache happened about a week and a half ago. The first time I took it as odd. Was I too hungover? Was it the absynthe I had recently tried for the first time? Was it because I started back drinking vodka? Was it just a change in the weather? FYI, the weather is a big migraine trigger, along with cola, chocolate, wine, MSG, suffites, nitrates, peanut hulls, just to name most of the things I’ve learned over time to avoid. I gave up chocolate in college, and about 10 years ago I had a craving for a late night snack, and what do you know someone had given us a bunch of Godiva as a gift. I said what the hell and ate it all, chocolate was probably pouring out of the corners of my mouth. I had the worst migraine ever the next day. The sex headaches have been no comparison to that one, thus I tell you why the first one a week ago I took plainly as “odd.” But the second one a week ago really bothered me. Hurt like hell in my right temple behind my eye. Came on right at orgasm. It’s felt like a hole in my head ever since. So I started googling, and realized I fit the profile perfectly, and didn’t want to waste a bunch of money on a CT MRI if it would likely go away on it’s own. But I have been concerned. Life without sex? Shit. Put a bullet in my head. So my wife and I tried again last night, and I took it slow, and tried to relax, and the headache wasn’t as bad, but the orgasm wasn’t very intense either. I just kind of let it come out. So now that’s all I’ve been thinking about. I got some Aleve last night and was hoping that would help. I normally take at least one aspirin a day to prevent migraines, and when I get the aura signalling that a migraine is coming, I always take 4 ibuprofens and I can deal. I don’t feel good at all but I’m not wanting to drive a convertible under a brick overpass and smash my head into bloody pieces either. Not so when I get them in my sleep, I wake up in pain. So I say all this because I’m an anecdotal expert on migraines, at least my own, and now unfortunately, my daughters. But I believe I have found a solution, or I’m on the right path, by reading every comment above. After the Aleve last night, and before I read all this, I tried this morning by myself to see if the Aleve had helped. Nope, I felt the headache coming on, and stopped. Back to google, and finally to here. After reading everything I’ve come to these conclusions. I’ve been stressed with my work lately, it’s spring and my sinuses have been bothering me since the winter, and I had a neck cramp recently. I’ve also been drinking too much and I do smoke weed. But the kicker is this. Someone mentioned that they hold their breath, and I thought about it and realized I probably do too. So I experimented again this afternoon and took it slow and focused on my breathing, and focused on my neck and posture, and voila!, no headache. Now it wasn’t as intense as normal because I wasn’t holding my breath and I was focusing on my breathing, but I believe I’m onto something. I’m hoping that they will go away and I won’t have to focus so much. I’m also going to get my wife to give me a neck massage, she’s a PT luckily. But I’m hoping this is just a temporary thing, or maybe a seasonal thing. I may get lucky and they go away and never return, but in all likelihood they probably will and I’ll at least have some tools to deal with it when they do. I’m not into prescription drugs. The natural ones are just fine for me. Hope this helps somebody. You all have certainly helped me.

  55. 43 year old, three weeks now with this pain that is definately described above, pressure throughout neck and head at ejaculation, feels like your head is going to explode or that you are dying from an anurisym. Headache lasts iup to three days. I noticed hearing my heart beat a little faster/heavier just before the pain shoots toward my neck and head. I dont drink, just gave up soda, 25 pounds over weight, but otherwise a pretty healthy lifestyle. I have had a neck issue that last few weeks as if I have slept the wrong way on it. I remain very confused and shocked, and hope my neck feels better soon which hopefully will lead to a cure. I just don’t know, but the pain is rediculous. I wish everyone luck and please post if a cure is found…

  56. 31 year-old male, just got these headaches fr the past few days, had to stop right before orgasm because the pain was getting stronger as I got more excited. I could feel my pulse in the back of my head, along with these headaches. I remember having these sporadically at puberty, and maybe when I was 23 it happened a couple of times. I’ve always had problems with my neck, pinched nerves, etc., so I’ve always blamed it on that, but maybe I was wrong. Thanks to all who contributed.

    ********
    Sorry to hear you get these, too. Here’s a new post on the surprisingly simple treatment for headaches or migraines triggered by sex or orgasms.
    http://www.thedailyheadache.com/2012/02/prevention-of-headaches-or-migraines-triggered-by-sex-or-orgasm.html

    Take care,
    Kerrie

  57. I have just recently expeierenced these awful headaches 🙁 I am 35 with no history of migranes. I do take HBP meds though. Two nights ago I thought I was going to die from the pain and like others knew something had to be wrong. When it happened again the next day my boyfriend and I couldn’t understand the connection between orgasm and the intense headaches. Since then it seems like every little thing triggers them like working out or whatever. Yes my life is a bit stressful but this has never happened before. It feels like someone is cracking my skull in half starting at the base of my neck. I’m really hoping these wont last the rest of my life because that would be just awful!

  58. 22 yr old male, day 5, 15th orgasm spent in blinding pain… Is there something in the water? Have the terrorists finally concocted the most deviously atrocious method for mass torture ever conceived? Or should I just switch to heroine for recreation? This is madness. We can genetically culture human EARS on mice, yet no one can adequately explain why my orgasms are my new suicidal influences? Btw, is there a timeframe of certain death if it IS something catastrophic like brain bleeding? Because I havnt been to the doc yet and the thought of no orgasms frightens me worse than death…

  59. I am a 28 year old female who gets migraines, but this week I experienced my first (and second) ‘orgasm headache’. It came on just as I was about to climax. I was able to complete the task 😉 but I knew it was going to come with a huge price. The pain was tremendous from my neck through the top of my head. It was primarily right-sided. I immediately took an imetrex and a zofran (for nausea). The immense pain went away after an hour, but a dull headache persisted for a couple of days. I felt tired and weak. The only thing that I can think of is that during sex my head was lower than the rest of my body so it’s possible there was higher pressure in my head than normal. The next day I was curious if it would happen again and it did, but it was less severe. I tried to remain relaxed and breathe so perhaps it helped a little. I am hopeful that they will go away, but I am going to try to get in with my doc and acupuncturist. I would love to know if these go away for anyone? Thanks for posting!

  60. For me, the ‘orgasm headaches’ started less than 2 weeks ago. I’m 38 years old and have no history of migraines or even headaches, and have never felt anthing like this before. It is as if the gorge of the throat begins to shift or sink approaching orgasm and, at the moment of ejaculation, feels like a shattering explosion takes place through the whole head followed seconds later by the terrifying sensation of the brain itself so heaty that it seems close to boiling point, as if to spare only my amazement as it melts. Will this go away! Will I have the tragically premature honor of death by orgasm!?

  61. Julie (post 130). I’d be grateful if you’d let me know what your doctor said? I’m off to see mine today. Good luck, everyoe!

  62. So relieved to find this forum – I was feeling desperate and just googled. 62 year-old, very fit, healthy and – until these happened – could count the number of headaches I’ve had in my life on one hand. I was sure it was an aneurysm, stroke. So painful, but don’t need to describe them as you all know. Just started a new and lovely relationship – sod’s law. But I do think relaxation of the neck and shoulders muscles might help and – perhaps for me at any rate – being more passive. I am so scared of recurrence now! So off to GP tomorrow. At least I know I’m not alone. Good luck, everyone.

  63. I am a 61 yr old female. About 5 yrs ago I had my first thunderclap migraine to the complete top of my head just prior to orgasm and during only. The pain was excruciating and I was unable to communicate. Like my brain was going to burst through my cranium. My partner took me to hospital where they gave me a spine tap. Docs could not find the problem. Immediately upon feeling the onset over the next week or so I stopped the sexual activity. I am convinced it was due to a heart medication I was on (ameodorone). I hadn’t been on it long but you are given large doses to to push the drug fast into the fat cells in the blood where it disperses to your system. I insisted I be taken off this drug and never had the problem again until about a week ago. I had another while masturbating about 2 weeks ago and then a second about 4 days ago again while masturbating. These recent migraines last only while climaxing and are only on the right side of my head. They start at the base of my neck and travel straight up to the top of my head. I have had a very low grade dull head ever since. Seeing doctor on 6 Feb.

  64. I am a 45 year old female and I’ve always had a great sex life and lots of orgasms. Two weeks ago, these orgasm headaches hit me out of the blue. the pain is absolutely excruciating. I have a history of migraines, but this is much much worse than the worst migraine I’ve ever had. I daw my doctor and I am waiting to schedulean MRI but from everything I’ve read, there is probably nothing physically “wrong” and there is a good chance this condition could go on for months or forever. I don’t have any idea how I am going to live with no (pleasurable) sex ever again. I’m in a fairly new relationship and I assume we will break up eventually if there is no sex. I am seriously contemplating suicide, and I’m not normally a depressed person. So far I have found very little encouraging information and if this doesn’t go away, I don’t intend to spend the rest of my life sexless and alone. Sorry to be such a downer but I never imagined something like this happening.

  65. Sometimes Chiari I malformation can be the cause. I can be inherited or follow head trauma. Discuss this with a neurologist.
    One of my oatients prevents it by having a martini before sex.

  66. I’m a 30 year old female who has been having these headaches prior to orgasm off and on for 12 years now. The first time they occurred I had just started taking the pill. I stopped immediately, and over time they subsided. Since then they return periodically. Same kind of headaches you all describe…excruciating! I spoke to my gyno about it, and all the a**hole said to me was to “not have orgasms then.” Reading these postings, I am relieved to have company. I read the Mayo clinic page, and it said the two risk factors for this are being a male, and being prone to migraines…I am neither. It also said brain hemorraging is a possible cause! Eek! After reading the above comments I am somewhat leaning towards the probability of it resulting from neck and shoulder tension, as I am constantly under stress and hold it all in that area. I will be trying the above suggestions 🙂 Thanks!

  67. I have been experiencing these headaches off and on for over 20 years now. I have had an MRI, a catscan and everything always shows normal. I guess it is good peace of mind to have this checked out, but without insurance the MRI cost me $1200 to find nothing. The only things I have learned over this time is to SLOW DOWN. Don’t try to orgasm. In fact, try not to. This will help the frequency. I have a bottle of Midrin that my doctor prescribed right next to the bed. Midrin gets rid of the headache in about 5-10 minutes. I have also used Midrin as a preventative before sex and that works every time. Good luck to everyone who suffer with this. You aren’t having a stroke. You’re just stressed out and the extra exertion is pushing you over the edge. Slow down.

  68. I’m a 36 yo scandinavian man, and I’ve had these headaches for over two years now. The last one I had crippled me for two days. They only occur during sex, never when I masturbate. I believe that has something to do with the level of excitement, which of course are always higher when I’m with someone else. I am single, and the condition has made me very reluctant to go to bed with anyone, since I know what’s going to happen. And if I do, I make sure I don’t have an orgasm. But neither the thunderclap nor the “jumping off” seem to impress a potential new partner. Go figure…

    My physician offered to give me beta blockers, but they only remove/relieve the symptoms, not the cause. I am really excited to see that a lot of people here are commenting on their necks, though. A friend who is an acupuncturist told me recently that I have a very stiff neck indeed. Reading these comments, I realize that there might be a connection. I will certainly pursue it!

    Good luck to everyone!

  69. Im a male. Im 39 yrs old. I have never had headaches at all except for the very rare typical headache. I’m healthy and my system runs fine. I have had a total of 8 of these In a period of three weeks in the month of June this year. I’m not gonna explain how it felt as I have read a many of these posts and my description will sound no different. I will explain what I think is going on so far. I believe It is definitely a neck/stiffness problem. I have bad posture and am tense in the neck shoulder area all the time. I have always have trouble there, always tight. If I straighten my neck I can successfully have an orgasm paying attention not to scrunch my shoulders or stiff my neck. I felt the pain coming at the time the first headache but didn’t know it was gonna explode like it did. The other 7 headaches happened because my neck was now knotted up and traumatized. It’s been 6 months since the series of headaches and I still feel a weird pressure in my whole head. I experience very little pain just echoes of the big ones. I stretch my neck daily and I don’t recommend you start stretching until a week or so after your last big one. I think what happens when the thunderclap happens is the muscles in the neck do the same as your calf muscle does sometimes when u stretch. If you dont back off when your calf does will cramp like no other. I believe your neck muscles are cramping in a similar fashion and it seizes your whole skull. Try to find the signs of increased pressure and tightness and back off before the big one hits. I can feel my neck tighten up sometimes so I stop having sex, straighten my neck and it relaxes and I can go back to it in just a minute. I think the headaches compound on each other and if you keep getting them your neck could never relax. I hope we can collaborate and find a solution. This is my experience and I hope it helps someone because I know how terrible these headaches are.

  70. This is a follow up post to one I typed in last night. It has not posted yet, so… there is no telling if it WILL post or if I am just doing this for nothing. BUT I HAVE GREAT NEWS!! After suffering these BLISTERING headaches for several weeks I believe that I have either a) found a remedy or b) they have gone away or c) they are in remission for awhile (God PLEASE let this NOT be the case!) I took my Enalapril and Naproxen about one hour before and then used Sinus Buster nasal spray about 5 minutes before. I did think about relaxing my shoulders and neck during the activities and NO HEADACHE! AT ALL! Then this am and again this afternoon all I did was use the nasal spray and concentrate on keeping my neck and shoulders relaxed, and NO HEADACHE! 🙂 You have no idea HOW relieved my girlfriend and I are. Especially me! 🙂 Good luck to everyone and I hope this helps EVERYONE!!!

  71. 24 year old male and just experienced the same thing. Went to hospital got a negative ct scan. It’s been a week since my episode and have been in pain everyday. Very fatigued neck hurts and head throbs constantly. This is uncalled for.

  72. OK – I think I may have found whats causing this to me and hopefully a solution. I’m a 54 year old married male whose never had headaches. I’m in great shape and my blood pressure is just fine. Recently I started getting the same headaches described by nearly everyone when having an orgasm. I’m scheduled for a battery of tests (mri,mra,echo) but from what I read no one seems to detect any problems with these tests. I have come to the notion that this is all caused by some problem in my neck. My work has me over a computer all day and I’m not positioned ideally when sitting. Also I’ve recently (several months ago) started swimming several times a week as exercise. Again my form is not ideal particularly with the breast stroke and my neck always is a bit tight when finishing. Also my toes are numb after swimming which I see now is probably due to the same thing. I believe this in conjunction with my work posture is causing my issues. I must have pinched a nerve or blood vessel through this activity. As an experiment I masturbated and at the onset of orgasm tucked my chin into my chest thus stretching my neck and most likely opening whatever was pinched. The result – no headache at all! The first orgasm in almost two weeks since this started where I did not get a headache during or after. I am calling my chiro now to let him know of my findings and see what can be done from a chiro perspective to fix this – but I’m very hopeful. It may be as simple as neck stretches and/or adjustments. Hope this info helps someone else.

  73. To add my own sad tale to the ones I’ve read (and thank god; it makes me realise Im not alone). Im in Australia and my third or fourth headache-by-orgasm happened today. It seems, for me, to relate to a mix of dehydration, prior stress and having a really, really good time – as in being v aroused. Mine began just before orgasm and, because I recognised it coming, I backed off and relaxed my shoulders and didn’t tense at all as I orgasmed. Sadly, to no avail. I totally had the worse thunderclap excruciating headache ever, which filled my head and refused to stop. Afterwards, when I told my partner, we tried neck massage and panadol and I slept for a few hours. Its now 4 hours later and Im still in discomfort, although the extreme pain stopped within 20 minutes or so. Panadol aren’t touching it and I also feel nauseous – leaving me to believe it is a migraine. I feel bruised and aching in my neck, shoulders and head. Muscle massage in these areas seem to help, and Im going to try a hot pack. My head and neck feel, generally, swollen and bruised. My temples and ears also feel off kilter. Fortunately, This has happened to me only about once a year, as in every 100 orgasms or so, so I guess Im relatively lucky.

  74. WOW! Here I was thinking I had a stroke last night!! Thank you fellow coital brain bombers. I am 47, new boyfriend and enjoying the first infatuated sexfests. Last night I was getting close to coming when I felt the wellknown throbbing at the back of my neck, having had migrain attacks all my life,but never ever during sex.
    Lo and behold when the head explodes and I had to roll off the bed and clutch my head in my hands. As I thought I was going to be sick I ran to the bathroom, which after sex with a new beau, is not the most popular or flattering position one would want to be in and definately not mentioned in the KamaSutra. It took about 30 min to subside to a normal migraine and 5 hrs before reaching a headache state. Thinking this was a one off, we went at it again and I just couldn`t go through it again as I felt the pain in my neck sending electrical currents to my left eye. I have felt sick all day but to much in love not to give it another shot today and I came-saw and conquered-twice! so don`t let it stop u but I do suggest the Migraine nose spray half an hour before next time.
    P:S He`s still keen

  75. I experienced this ravaging pain as well. Im 16 and for no reason at all when I was spanking it a couple of months ago, I experienced the WORST headache ever, and it has occurred almost every orgasm since then. There’s a history of migraines in my side of the family, but after doing some research I don’t think they relate. Instead I think it has more to do with, muscle tension, vascular tension, and blood pressure called “coigial cepholiage” or something like that. I have been experimenting and this is what I found:

    When I smoke weed before beetin’ off, it REALLY helps dull the pain.

    It hasn’t started since I purchased a new iMac with an LED screen, where I do most of my alone time (but I think this is unlikely, however I haven’t experienced the headaches until I got into a masturbation routine on my computer.)

    The headache pain varies ALOT which might have a correlation with the vary in excitement and arousal.

    When I breathe deep and lay flat on my bed and pace my self, only looking at the roof, I can avoid the headache, so far.

    With that “data” (I guess you could call it), I have reached a hypothesis that these headaches are – weather or not being related to migraine history in my family or not- caused by an awkward position onsetting tension in the neck and a heightened heart rate and blood pressure do to excitement which has caused my sensitive head to throb. That is the best answer that I have come up with. But my hope is that it is some kind of hormonal thing having to do with puberty and that it will just wear off.

    I do remember having a small one of these in a hotel shower while on vacation a couple of years ago while hurrying as fast as I could to bust my load, but I simply don’t know.

    If anyone has a doctors opinion or some studies or anything, I would really appreciate you sending me this info via e-mail @ congrestaa@yahoo.com.

    Thanks, Hope this helps.

  76. My wife has been a migraine sufferer for 20 years, well as long as i have known her. Until approx 8 month ago she had not suffered an orgasm migraine, but now she is affraid to have sex, the symptons are so similar to what everbody else has explained. She gets them evertime we have sex now , hence the sex life has gone. With my wife which i have noticed pre-orgasm is from the top of her chest upwards she goes crimson as if shes going to explode (does this make sense?) Has anybody else noticed this in there partners. I feel for all of you who are goin through this hell !!! I love my wife more than anything, this is dragging us apart.

  77. Oh my god.. So 2 nights ago I’m relieving myself. When I am just about to climax I got the most intense pain I have ever felt in my life! It felt like someone had knocked me in the back of the head with a 2 by 4!! I have never experienced pain like that before. Even giving birth does not compare. I go so scared, I went to the hospital. I was too embarrassed to mention the climax part, but seeing how many people have experienced the same thing.. It’s a comfort to know I’m not alone! I plan on talking to my family doctor very soon about this problem.

  78. So, I’m a 16 year old female who’s been sexually active for almost a year. In the past month or so, every time I get even slightly sexually aroused I get that same explosive headache everyone’s talking about. The pain in the base of my skull is worse than the pain I felt when I broke my foot; definitely the worst pain I’ve ever felt. I’m not sure what to do besides hold my head and cry, waiting for it to subside. I usually never get headaches, and have a very high tolerance for pain. I’m thinking it’d be a little weird to visit my normal doctor with a parent, just from the awkwardness. Any suggestions?

  79. I am a 42 year-old man and started experiencing excruciating pre-orgasm headaches about a week ago. I am distraught about the effect on my sex life and have no idea how dangerous my condition is. I saw a doctor last week as my headache was localized to a small area on one side of my head. He prescribed some anti-inflammatory pills which have not worked.
    About a week before I had my first headache I had the worst allergy attack of my life. It made me photophobic and left me feeling head-achey and drained. I read somewhere that histamine could cause this problem but don’t know how reliable that evidence is.
    I am seeing another doctor on Monday and hope he will refer me to a specialist.
    I have no idea if I’m in danger of haemorrhaging or whether this will all go away after a while. Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome would suggest the problem will go away eventually but when?

  80. 90% of the time my wife experiences a orgasm migraine. The greater the pre-orgasm stimulation the greater the migraine intensity.

    So that she can control the stimuli she masturbates using a vibrator. The post-migraine headaches have reduced her frequency from 4/5 times a week down to 3/4 times a month. We both a septuagenarians.

  81. I have been reading all these comments and can relate to all off them. I am 41years live in Australia and been having onset migraines at the front of head on the onset of orgasm and the stronger the orgasm the stronger the migraine where i can’t move and head going to explode. This has happened every time masturabating or having sex for months now. Been to dr’s numerous times had ct scans blood tests, lumber punctures etc and are all normal. I am now refered to a Neurologist. This is ruining my sex life as i have always had a high sex drive and love it but now i don’t enjoy it as much due to having a migraine all day or for a few days. It sucks big time. I noticed something whilst reading everyone’s post but most of us are around the 40 year old. Interesting. Open to any ideas or cures!

  82. I have just begun experiencing the Migraines right at orgasm or release. I have a theory about the Migraines as I’ve just started consuming those Sobi 0 Calorie drinks as well and almost at the same time so there has to something to it.
    I’m 44 and in excellent shape so this isn’t about fitness for me. I exercise daily and my BP is 110 over 70 with 68 beats per minute. For me it begins with a small pressure in the back of my head at the base of my skull near my medulla oblogata and right at orgasm it is the most furious head pain I’ve ever experienced. It scared me enough that I went to the ER yesterday and they told me about this issue and to take IB Profin. I just had mind numbing great sex with my girlfriend and it happened again while on 200 miligrams of Montrin. Hurt so bad for a few minutes thought I was experiencing an aneurysm. Open to any ideas she is 30 and in the prime of her sex life. I don’t want to disappoint her.

  83. I am the wife of a migraine sufferer and it kills me ( and the mood) when my husband suddenly rolls off and grabs his head and cries from the pain. It is completely random except that it happens when he is on top and it affects his left side. We never know when it is going to strike him. We got married when he was 30 and he had never had an orgasm migraine until he was 38. His doctor seemed unconcerned about it. I hate that this is affecting him and We are both afraid to have sex because of it.

  84. well, thank goodness i am not alone!!! i am a 25 ear old female and honestly i suffered this horendous migraine for the very first time the beginning of last year… i went to my dr. and she gave some type of migraine pill that was caffeine based (it didnt do shit). then all of a sudden the migraines dissappeared… NOW 1 year later they are back, and with a vengeance! i had the horrible migraine 4 days ago then went away the next day, so i masturbabted and what did u know, i started crying while holding an ice pack over my head dealing with the excrutiating pain, then the following night i did it again with my husband and yup it happened again!!! I am honestly so sick of these damn migraines, i want to be able to be orgasm with my husband without having the dibilitating pain!!! i honestly do not want to go to my phsiscian, so she can just send me home with a new crappy prescrtption??? i jus wish there was a DOCTOR who would take the time to study this problem, that now i see is frequently ocurring, i mean, i dont know about all of u but orgasm is supposed to relieve tension not use more of it!!! i am going to find a solution to this problem, i am going to a chiroractic dr. and see what the tell me here and do some type investigating on my own as well, and see if i come up with any solution…. Sincerely in need of a orgasm

  85. so i had my first horrible brain crushing orgasm yesterday, i went to the hospital this am and got a MRI…….everything came back clear. ive had the foggy headache thing going on all day, i just got brave (the orgasm headache was the most painful thing ive ever felt) and i went in just now and had sex with my fiance. i had her be on top… partially thru when i started breathing heavier i started feeling a bit of throbbing on the left side of my head. not unbearable but still a headache pound…i was tempted to stop before i came but then decided to just really focus on my breathing and trying to be calm… then -orgasm……..it was a headache but NOTHING like i felt yesterday…. i think so far the best thing is to really focus on the breathing…. i mean, havent you ever held your breath so long that after you let yourself start breathing it gave you a pounding headache?!? i have… (nothing like the orgasm one but i think maybe the orgasm one is a more extreme version of the same type of thing.) i hope this helps any of you. im in the boat with you and i feel for you all. also another thing i think it could be would be a pinched nerve in the back of my neck… combo of that and the breathing? i think that is on the right road,…..oh and stress and tension isnt helping…….. insights?

  86. i had one of these for the first time yesterday, i had a decent headache beforehand and hadent had sex in a few days prior so i decided to quickly relief some stress… knocked me on my knees right at orgasm. it was the worst feeling ive ever experianced and i dont know what to do… i went to the hospital this morning due to fear of stroke (im only 29) i got an MRI and everything came back in good shape!!!! i need help, im scared to have an orgasm again. i dont want my sex life over, i enjoy sex with my fiance very pleasing….. someone please post answers on here! i thought of waiting a week or two til i decide to orgasm again, but the thought of it building up so much makes me worry if it would be even more painful than this last one! what do i do? i really wanna cry…..

  87. im only 16 years old and i get these migraines when i orgasm as well. i dont know what to do since im so young, if i wanted to consult a doctor im sure the doctor would tell my mom or dad.. lol and i do not want that happening at all.

  88. Oops, pressed Submit too soon. My point is, I found out that the amount of oxygen vs CO2 in your blood affects what happens to the blood vessels in your brain a lot. More CO2 = more acidic = blood vessels dilate to keep blood flow up, in an effort to keep the brain properly oxygenated. Neurosurgeons deliberately hyperoxygenate their patients because the blood vessel constriction helps keep the operation site from getting flooded with blood – and, of course, to minimise blood loss. Well, I’ve tried deep breathing before orgasm – and it works! The headaches aren’t always completely stopped (that’s quite rare) but they are definitely reduced. AND – this is really important – I find the pain is also slightly delayed. Just 3-5 seconds maybe but oh man that’s enough to enjoy an orgasm!

    Neck and shoulder tension is a definite big factor for me, I haven’t been brave enough to see a chiropractor yet but osteopathy and massage have both helped a bit. I think what happens is basically this: SOMETHING causes the blood flow to your head to reduce. You’re probably completely unaware of it, but it gets your cerebral blood vessels into a floppies, more dilated state, in compensation. Then, when the big blood-pressure spike of orgasm arrives, your arteries balloon out much more easily – and it’s practically always dilated arteries that cause headache pain. Lots of us report ‘smokey’, ongoing near-headache sensations in between episodes of major sex headaches. For me, it’s like a ‘buzz’ of tension. I’m convinced if I could solve the tension. I’d solve the headaches, but it’s hard to counter constant stressy PC use in my job. I’d go to osteopathy regularly, but I can’t afford it and physiotherapy on the NHS (I’m in the UK) is so far a dead loss – they don’t lay a finger on you.

    I’ve also had some good results with progesterone cream. I’ve put more stuff online here:
    http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=2734.0

    Good luck everyone. I’m still coming after 3 years, it’s a real SOB but there are weapons that work at least partly. Keep breathing, reduce tension.

  89. Wow, Manny you really nailed it. I couldn’t have described it any better. That is exactly what it feels like to me also. I just started getting these headaches last month and it’s horrible! I am so scared to have sex. The pain is unbearable. I seriously thought my brain was gonna burst. I can’t believe there isn’t a cure or at least a treatment? Ugh, we need help people! Just the thought of not being able to enjoy sex for the rest of my life is awful!

  90. I’ve had these for some years now, and I think I can bring you at least some good news. I haven’t got a surefire cure, but there are things you can do. My sex life hasn’t completely imploded, though there certainly have been times when I’ve thought it had.

    Let me say straight away that in my experience they do sometimes just go away! Mine did, for about a year, but they came back. My first one was about 3 weeks after an abdominal hernia operation, I put it down to ‘too soon after the op’ but they continued. I had CT scan, nothing abnormal found.

    So what works, what makes a difference? For me, masturbation has always brought much worse headaches – and abdominal cramps too, bad enough to go to hospital – than sex. The first, really awful one was through masturbation, but I’ve only once or twice had truly dreadful ‘brainbusters’ through actual sex. I think this is all down to tension – and breathing. Masturbation = tensing up = not breathing enough. During sex, we take our time, and vary position – i

  91. I’m a 17 year old guy, just beginning my sex life and I’ve been getting migraines from orgasms for a while. From what I’ve read, my sex-life is doomed for the rest of my life :/ It’s literally so painful, I can’t even face to have sex with my girlfriend. I’ve had normal headaches on a regular basis for a few years now, but doctors haven’t diagnosed anything. Now post-orgasm, I get the worst migraines I’ve ever experienced. I plan to see my doctor about them, but taking heavy-duty painkillers before sex isn’t going to help a thing, I’ll be like a dead fish in bed.. Does anyone have any methods of reducing the time it takes for the headaches to go down? Mine seem to take between 2 and 3 hours to pass. The migraines also make me feel really sick and queasy until they go away. I don’t suffer from seasonal allergies like lilystar does, so it can’t be that…
    🙁
    This sucks!

  92. I’m a 27 yr old male in great shape, (Marine Corps) I’ve had these going on for 2 weeks. I’m also glad to know I am not alone. These are super painful and all I can do is lay there. Has anyone gotten any medication prescribed for this? I’ve gotten blood pressure meds from my brain injury headaches, but those don’t help at all. I used to get fioricet and that helped my headaches but I wonder if there is anything for a sudden headache. Sex used to help my headaches, but now I’m super worried it may be something more serious due to my headaches.

  93. not sure if this will help anyone else – but I have found a correlation between the migraines and sinus problems – I only get an migraine from orgasm during the same time that I suffer from seasonal allergies. So I refrain from having orgasms during the 6 or so weeks of spring and if I have any type of stuffy nose illness as I have the orgasm migrains when I have a cold as well. Hope this helps someone. Very sorry to hear that so many have the same problem – it is a pain I would not wish on anyone.

  94. Anyone else experience memory loss with these orgasmic migraines? I was relieved but sorry to read about everyone’s experiences. I am 52, suffered from migraines a few years back, but never during sex. Then, according to my husband, since I don’t remember, we were having some really good sex and I said OUCH! and touched the top of my head and had to stop our love-making. Not long after, I started repeating myself, so he took me to the hospital. CT, spinal tap, and MRI all ruled out stroke, thank goodness and the doctor diagnosed “acute confusional migraine”. I was released after one night in the hospital with a new prescription for blood pressure medicine (I’ve not been on bp meds before) and had a headache every day since, though the headache pain was different in severity and location each time. This was 5 days ago. Doctor said not to have sex for 2 days–from what I’ve read, it looks like maybe never(!) if I want to remain pain-free. I go to the doctor next week, but sounds like I may not get a cure for this problem–only treatments.

  95. Here’s a progress report. No change in the condition. I went to my doctor and she prescribed me Topamax which totally screwed me up. Honestly, the side effects of that drug are not worth it. After spending 2 days too sick to function, I quit taking the pills. And she started me out on a half dose. I’d hate to see what a full dose would do to me.

    Fragmented cognitive thought process, repeated short term memory loss, nausea, headache, sleep disruption, drowsiness, mood swings, and that general overall “I feel like shit” feeling.

    I tried to have sex tonight and couldn’t even achieve the big O. I was too scared. Every time I got close, I could feel the pain start in my head.

    I have an appointment with a chiropractor in a week. I’m gonna ask him to work on my neck and see if that helps.

  96. I’m not alone. I was scared the first time it happened and thought I was having a stroke or something. I’m 57, in excellent shape, enjoy healthy and frequent sex, and never get headaches. Then last month just at the moment of orgasm, my head exploded. It felt like broken glass traveling from the base of my neck to my forehead. I’ve had 4 more sexual encounters since then and it happens every time. It lasts the duration of the orgasm, then subsides to a dull ache for a few hours afterward.

    This totally sucks.

  97. I’m 44 and the first one I had was at 28 years old. They come and go, but the one I had last night made me cry it was so painful.

    I get neck pains and headaches, probably from bad posture, and I assume the orgasm migraines are a byproduct of that.

    I probably can’t leave a link here but if you Google “Correcting Neck Posture: A Key To Pain Relief” I wonder if we have this in common and that’s why we get them.

    What do you think? Does it start with the neck for you?

  98. I have been experiencing this same terrible pain during orgasm also.I do have a dissected artery in my neck,but the doctor says its not the reason this happens.This went away for 3 years and came back. I am 49 years old.I feel sad for all of us who suffer,I wish there was a cure!

  99. I stumbled upon this site and am happy I am not alone. Last night at the moment of orgasm I had an intense pain in my head that I imagined was a stroke or a brain explosion. This is the first time this every happened to me. I have never had a headache in my life so it was quite shocking. I am 46 years old, healthy, and exercise regularly.

  100. Straining your neck?
    Pay attention to what you are doing to your neck while in the throws of passion, if you know what I mean.
    Could it be the intense pressure and straining neck forward at that time that triggers the headache?

  101. experienced 2 migrain headaches prior to an orgasm. First time in the shower also thought my brain was going to explode!!!! First thought it was a brain anurism, is this what people actually feel when they have them? Sort of laughed at my self after the pain subsided. Didn’t think much about it until it happened again during an orgasm and worsened after. Felt like my head exploding, increasing pain as the orgasm increased. Had severe head pain all night with a very dull headache in the morning and all day long. Decided to look up some info on the web and was amazed at the amount of other people experiencing the same things. Didn’t speak to any one else about this yet cause I thought I was just plum crazy!!! I too, hate taking meds. Would like to know if therapy on the neck is the best med.? Only 42 and never experienced this kind of headache before.

  102. I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one out there experiencing these scary orgasm headaches. I had my first one when I was about 17 years old. It went away in a matter of minutes. I’ve had a couple since then, (I’m now 24), but this last one has lasted almost a week, although it has hardly any intensity. Its been a very subtle throbbing everyday. Advil does seem to relieve the pain for several hours. I’m a little worried that it’s lasted so long this last time. I’ll be calling my Neurologist.

  103. im 25, had my first pre-O migraine a few days ago. got down to the ED and had to go back again last night as the pain has not stopped, it lessens and becomes bearable during the days but will flare up at a seconds notice. the scary thing is that i can still have a full blown migraine after ingesting panadine forte, aspirin, ibuprofen and tramadol….. the doctors dont seem concerned so im off for a second opinion next week. never had a migraine before this one and have no history of head aches.

  104. I don’t get migranes but about three years ago, I had a few small orgasms and then was going to have another but felt this…pounding in the bottom of my head…on the left side almost in my neck….and as I had the orgasm I was okay but immediately upon its completion, my head surged with pain all on the left side and in the back of my head. Not in the front or around my eyes but as if someone had belted me on the back of the head with a baseball bat or something. My head was THROBBING…and it was all I could do to just lay there hoping I wasnt having a heart attack or a stroke.
    It only happens when I know that really strong orgasm is coming…
    Could my brain be bleeding? Do you think something rips inside and I should go to a doctor? The headache lasts for a few hours afterwards…I have to take a pain killer to get up.

    I don’t know what to do.

  105. Let me try to explain it. It feels as if someone has installed some sort of an expansion device inside my head. As soon as I begin having sex, that someone turns a lever that makes this device inside my head expand very slowly. It becomes tighter and tighter and takes up more and more space in my head. Initially this causes a dull uncomfortable throbbing pain in the back of my head but as this person keeps on turning the bloody lever the pain becomes more and more intense and sharp and unbearable and I know then what is coming but I do not want to stop because my wife is also close to reaching an orgasm and I do not want to mess this up again and I therefore keep going but the pain becomes crazy and and I become literally blind and I swear this thing in my head is going to break my skull apart and then I reach an orgasm which last only a few seconds anyway… and then the pain really really hits and I roll around on the bed holding my head and in my hands. The pain subsides after ±10 miutes or so and I can feel the device winding down untli it just sits there – waiting for the next turn of the lever.

  106. Ditto to everything above. I’m 42, in quite good shape and single for the first time since my late 20s. So, I’ve been playing the field and have recently been in a few marathon lovemaking sessions. Last week I got the shotgun blast to the back of the head just before climax. Whomever said they rolled on the bed for 10 minutes holding his head sounds just like me. I figured it was a bad cramp in the back of my neck/head but worried I blew a fuse somewhere.

    The entire back of my head and neck were so flushed, you could feel my heart beating there for at least 20 minutes afterward. I put ice on it but had a headache for a day afterward. I tried while alone last night and the shotgun struck again. If you slow down and try to relax, it just spreads the pain out a little. I could actually feel the hot, painful chemistry spreading from the top of my spine out into my head and around the top into my sinuses.

    This sucks people…could be time to join the priesthood.

  107. I had thought I was all alone on this, I am sorry for you all to find out I am not. This first happened to me about 5 years ago when I was 42. My wife and I were making love, and just I my climax started, it felt like my brain simultaneously exploded and was being crushed from both sides at the same time, with a ice pick going from the back of my brain, stabbed into the front right behind the center of my eyes. My wife thought I was having a aneurysm, or something. I just thought that I was going to die. After about a minute of the pain, I wanted to die. Luckily for me, after reading all these posts, my headache goes away after about 5 minutes, with just a dull throb at the base of my brain, in the center, which will last from an hour, to a day, but doesn’t really bother me after my brain exploding. I just happen to have a appointment with a well known neurologist for a injury at work, and spoke to him about it the next day. He said that ‘Orgasmic Migraines’ as he called them, were very rare, and the I needed a MRI to rule out a bleed or anything. I got one, and it came back clean, thank god, but on the follow up he said science really had know idea, or cure for them. He suggested that it might be related to a rise in blood pressure, but I told him that I have never had any blood pressure problems, or any headaches in my life!
    Well, time goes on and I have always had a very high sex drive, so I tried masturbating to see if it would happen again. It sure did. Not as bad as the first one, but still real bad. Long story short, and they faded a little each time I had a orgasm, until I had a break in them for about a year, then BAM, hit with them again. Over the years for me this is what has happened, nothing, and then out of the blue, either making love or masturbating, BAM. I found this site, as I masturbated this morning, and had one that was almost up there with my first one, so I thought I would search the net and see if any cure was out there. The Mayo Clinic link above really offers us no solution, other than maybe beta blockers. As stated on their site, I get them in clusters that seem to get less severe and then go away for a spell, I think the last time I had them was about six months ago. Oh well, sex is too important to me to give up, so I just put up with it. This really sucks.

  108. wow…I really thought I was crazy! This happened yesterday while masturbating. The ONLY way I could describe it to others was that it was as instantaneous and severe and intense as if someone had snuck up behind me and hit me over the top of the head with a hammer. Ten minutes over rolling around trying to hold my head together from exploding! The pain subsided to a comfortable (hA!) level of excruciating migraine pain and then an hour or so afterwards I got the auras and what not that I had previously got right before a migraine. Twelve hours later I was in the ER, still no relief. I told the staff it just happened, then after telling the doctor my story again (leaving out the orgasm part) I decided it best to tell the truth. I seriously thought I had something in my brain burst and expected to die! The CT scan came back normal. They couldn’t get an blood (6 sticks + bad veins = NO blood) btw, my BP upon admission was 147/105 – BP had never been a problem for me before, at release from ER It was back to a normal 105/50.
    HOWEVER, my problem is …THERE IS NO SOLUTION!!
    I don’t know that I will EVER BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE ORGASM AGAIN!! THE FEAR!! I am single, but now even masturbation is out of the question.
    ANYONE out there have any solutions?

  109. Yeah wow. So I’m glad to see that I’m not alone in this problem. I’m 17, and this happened to me a couple of days ago. I was in the shower and decided since no one was home I’d masturbate while I was showering since the warm water tends to make it better. I’d already had a slight headache prior to doing this, and about halfway through it started to get worse. I wasn’t concerned, because that has happened, and the orgasm usually relieves the pain. But I was taken by surprise when I did climax. The explosive pain was about 100x more powerful than the orgasm. I fell to the shower floor clutching my head & couldn’t move to get up for about ten minutes. I could feel and hear the blood every time it pumped into my head, and it was so excruciating that I was afraid I’d pass out. Then yesterday I tried again and I just couldn’t finish. I could feel the migraine coming and I just couldn’t do it, and then again today. I’m so afraid; I know I need to go to the doctor about it, but I am not comfortable talking to my parents about that kind of thing at all. They’re the kind of people who would make fun of me about it and then make more fun of me for being embarrassed.

  110. Hello all,

    I am a 23 yr old male who is active military. Former marine who is now proudly serving in the army as a prison guard at fort Leavenworth, so stress is a part of Day to day life. I drink occasionally, do not smoke and am not overweight. I first experienced a migraine at 15 and was prescribed midrin (sorta worked) and promethazine to be taken in conjunction with acetonemophen (sp?). When I was 17 I experienced my 1st one of these headaches and did so for a month or two. Didn’t happen again until I was 19 and now has returned at 23 while with my wife, and this usually lasts a month or so. Does anyone else notice that other things can spark this such as physical exertion or walking up stairs?

    I drove to the ER and they prescribed me butalbital and seems to work better than midrin, but I’m
    convinced there is more to this. I’m going back to the ER to request a neurologist. There is a scientific reason this happens and i won’t settle for pills, backrubs, baths or any bull shit this doctor throws at me to try and save the military some money (notorious for doing this). I will post here again and continue to do so while I take advantage of all the free health care I can consume.

    This is no way to live life and I’m going to figure this out.

  111. Hi, I am also glad to have found this site. i am an 18 year old male and first experienced these migraines around 2 months ago as described by most others on here the pain is small in the build up to orgasm then excruciating during orgasm. My pain lasts generally 10 to 15 minutes before leaving a small headache behind however i manage to reach climax more often than not without this happening. I was in the gym two days ago and i was hit by a headache through straining although not as painful as the sex headaches i have, thats when i was told of somebody else from the gym who suffered the same thing during workouts and sex. So i visited the doctor yesterday and the advice i was given was keep a migraine diary. So i went to the gym after work and again, fairly painful headache. I was then told that the other sufferer had been cured by physio therapy and the problem had been a trapped nerve in his neck. I was driving to work this morning whilst having a sort of coughing fit i then had exactly the same migraine which i have experienced at the point of orgasm before as anybody who has experienced this will know the pain is unreal. I had to be picked by my parents and went to the doctors where i have been given dicloflex tablets however i feel that the doctors dont really understand that these migraines are very short lasting and very intense, and she was also very quick to dismiss when i said about the possibility of it being a trapped nerve yet she can give me no advice herself except to keep a diary. I am going to see a physiotherapist as soon as possible and will definately update the website with my own progress, if any. FIGERS CROSSED. Also would like to say i feel for everybody who suffers with this as it is a horrible experience.

  112. I am so thankful that I have found this site! I am a almost 31 year old happily married female. Just a few weeks ago I experienced my first orgasm induced migraine. I didn’t know what was happening to me and I know I scared my husband half to death. I have had migraine’s most of my life, but never anything like this! I was hoping that it was a freak thing, unfortunately it wasn’t. A few nights ago I experienced it yet again, this is KILLING my sex life! Luckily my husband is understanding. I have also tried masturbating to see if it would make a difference. But I still get the explosive pain!
    I am literally scared to have any kind of sexual relations with my husband now. I am so terrified to go through the pain again. Just before I orgasm my head suddenly explodes in SEVERE pain, I get nauseous, have a difficult time breathing and my entire body is weak. Once the pain subsides a bit I am able to lie down. But I have noticed that the following day I still have a headache, sometimes lasting as long as a full 48 hours. I will be seeing my doctor about this in a few days, and am praying that there is something that can be done.
    I am just glad to know that I am by far not the only one. No one I know personally has ever experienced this and trying to explain it to someone is difficult. I actually had someone laugh because they thought I was joking!! I really hope this is nothing serious and that I can find a way to prevent future bursts!

  113. I am 36 y.o. & I had one of these orgasmic thunderclap headaches for the first time last week – like a claw shot out from the back of my head onto my skull. Felt like my brain outgrew my head. Scary, abnormal pain with a bit of nausea. Only, I thought it was a side-effect from quitting smoking from increased blood flow or something (quit about a week before that). But since it was sexual, I called my GYN (I had been to her recently after not having a period for 3 months, so I thought it was hormonal). She was equally as puzzled and consulted her colleagues about other cases. It seems it happens, but is not very common. She said to go to the ER if it was unbearable.

    The first time seemed to be the worst and has happened with both penetration and masturbation. You can feel it increasing in intensity as you get closer to climax. It took about an hour for the pain to subside and hasn’t really gone away but leaves me with a dull band headache most of the day. Over-the-counter painkillers don’t help much. The pain expands and contracts like a flickering lightbulb or like a tremor after an earthquake, going from dull to intense, banded or switching sides. If I rub the right spot on the back of my neck, it sometimes relieves the pain somewhat. I feel that sometimes it’s gastrointestinal too, as if I relieve gas, it subsides.

    I had sex tonight and although I still experience the major thunderclap headache, it seems as if it’s losing it’s thunder quicker and dissipates in a few minutes time. Hopefully, it will fade out completely as some of these other accounts have reported. I am glad that no one has reported having gotten back a positive MRI and I hope no real damage is being done to us overall or over time. I suffered a few migraines about 12 years ago, but not sexually. This is seriously the weirdest migraine I ever experienced – the other ones had a definite difference, more like in my eye than my skull.

    I had an old prescription of Imitrex and it’s helped, but I plan to see my doctor just the same. I thought what Roe said (above, #70) about a misalignment of vertabrae made sense, as I do find some relief with massage at the right place on my neck. Weeks before this, what I thought was a sinus headache or allergies, might not have been. Has anyone found relief with alternative medicine, like reflexology or accupuncture?

  114. I was cured!!!! Just wanted to tell you guys that I spontaneously got headaches when I was just about to orgasm and the migraines would last all day and would pretty much paralyze me. They were horrible. It lasted for 2 weeks. I thought that my sex life was done for. Until I read these posts. My husband is a physical therapist and I had him work on my neck and traps. It took 3 sessions and my migraines were gone!!! After 1 session I definitely had some relief. I must also tell you that I tried a massage therapist and she didn’t do the trick. I think you need to go to an aggressive physical therapist or chiropractor for real relief. My neck ached but I didn’t realize how tight it was until he started working on it. I definitely recommend that you all try this before going on any more medication or giving up on sex!!!!

  115. I am an 18 year old male. I experienced the same headache a week back. it happened just twice and then became fine. After a week now i am having headaches all day long, and it gets worse by night. in the morning its fine again n starts in afternoon. its been happening for two days now! I have not been to a doctor and have not even told my parents about it. Can it be dangerous? and what should I do?

  116. I am a 39 year old male who experienced how should i describe uh someone smacked me in the head with a shovel during a time i normally would have been happy. I was just finishing up an orgasim and wham. I also was breathing heavier than normal and it took about ten minutes for the pain to subside and did not totally disappear for a couple of hours. Then tonight i was having an alone moment and again had the same terrible pain. I was really nervous and as many others thought i was having a stroke. Im still sitting here with a slight headache and feeling of wanting to get sick. My pain shoots immediatly down the right side of my head from my eye to the base of the skull. I have read many of your comments and wonder if there is a doctor that could comment on what we all are experiencing.

  117. i have also noticed no one has actually named wot the problem is, i beleive we are suffering from, orgasmic migraine also nown as thunderclap

  118. wow the worst pain ever, it happend to me after masterbation. i went to hospital as the pain was so painful. i had a brain scan an there was nothing so they gave me pain killers and sent me home. 2 days later (unaware that it was caused by the masterbation) i was making love to my partner when suddenly the pain returnd before i could even finish. i also went very dizzy and started to vomit. so i deciced to look my symptons up on the internet an i ended up here. i have read some of the comments and think i will be going to see my docters first thing in the morning. bless u all who ever has sufferd this problem coz i understand and thankyou for the comments that have been left.

  119. I am a 34 year old male. I’m in good physical health, having trained for several months for triathlons. I have suffered migraines before, periodically (generally one every few years), but am in absolute awe of the speed and concentration of ouch that my last orgasm brought on. While it is at once a relief to learn how common this condition of mine is, I am extremely frustrated to read not a single shred of good advice from a practicing physician. The chiropractor advice seems dubious, as most people indicate that the pain disipates over time with or without treatment (and I think chiropracty is a con job anyway). I’m going to call my physician about this in the morning, but am a bit pessimistic about the kind of advice I will receive after reading this.

  120. Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences. I, like the others here got my first head explosion about a week ago whilst masturbating. I have never in my life had a migraine and last week was, like most of you, the worst pain I have ever had in my life. My pain is only on one side of my head, from my temple down through the back of my eye and to my neck, but still all on my right hand side. Before having sex with my wife and getting her all concerned, I thought I would test it to see if it was from the orgasm, so I have masturbated twice since the first and BANG!!!! everytime it is as bad as the first! Is this just happeniung to me or are others experiencing the pain on one side only as well?? Let me know please.

  121. ack, same problem has most people, cept i’m alot younger.

    i’m 21, and have a high sex-drive. Same as many of you I was having sex and right at the point of no return BOOM! explosion in my head and neck. What i felt the most however was the stiff neck that accompanied the migrain, like really stiff. This makes me think about what ‘Roe’ was saying about her spine being out of alignment, maybe thats it?

    anyway, it occured again but not nearly as bad during masturbation; nonetheless kinda scary. I think we can all agree this little condition sucks. I think i’m going to take all the advice here and 1st, go see my family doctor, 2nd, go see a chiropractor. Good luck to all you people out there who are suffering from the WORST time to get a migraine.

  122. I had to come back here and let you all know what I have experienced since I stumbled onto this site. About two weeks ago I had the same type of migraine that most of you have had. Excruciating pain at the point of orgasm. I could feel it starting at the mid point of my neck and traveling up both sides, around my ears, until it exploded all through my head. This happened during oral where as most of us know you get the most intense orgasm. When it happened the second time I knew I had to get to the bottom of it, because there was no way I was giving up my sex life. I searched through multiple websites looking for info and came across this blog and was amazed at the amount of similar experiences. Which brings me to the question…why the heck is this such a secret? I have read that alot of you have been to numerous doctors for the MRI’s and CT’s, etc. and nothing was found. On other sites I read that prescription drugs was the main treatment. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I wanted was to have to take a pill before sex to “maybe” not get a migraine. So I went to my Doctor and gave her my story. She didn’t have a clue what could be wrong and told me that maybe I should go to my Gynie. Get real. But I did. Once again, he didn’t have a clue either. Wanted to give me a new Migraine medicine. So I knew I had to figure this out on my own. The migraines where happening every time, during oral and during masterbation. I made an appointment at the Health and Wellness center near my home with a chiropractor. I explained the situation to him and the first thing he did was to examine my neck. Lo and behold the top two vertebrea in my neck were mis aligned. He went into a very detailed explanation on how these two vrtb. were directly related to headaches. He also explained about the nerves and blood vessels that travel through this part of the spine, and how not being able to dialate correctly could cause these types of headaches also. He did an adjustment on my neck and the next day I masterbated and found that I still had a headache after, but it was much less and didn’t last as long. After several more adjustments the headaches have almost dissapeared completely. The entire treatment has only taken 4 days. I am sooo relieved. No pills and I feel pretty great. I hope this will help some of you to be able to get the relief that you are looking for. It helped me.

  123. Well, it has been a month + since that first experience & I have been slow to attempt sex to orgasm since. I discussed the symptoms with my Urologist but had no tests performed. I have been very deliberate in avoiding tension & stress. The low level tension headaches are no longer much of a presence. It has taken me some time but I feel more normal now.
    At first attempt of orgasm (about 15-20 days later) there was no euphoria at all, only the sense of ejaculation had occurred but no associated release, pleasure or increase of tension. Obviously I was apprehensive & concentrating on NOT allowing too much tension/blood pressure. Thankfully I have an understanding wife who was very patient & supportive.
    Most recently however I have experienced the normal positive feelings with orgasm.
    If I ever do experience this again I will try & record it here again for the benefit of others.

  124. Where to start…Im glad and not at the same time to find this site and all your posts! Lucky for me I guess that this is the first site I found when doing a google search.

    I have just turned 39 and had my first ‘experience’ last night, and as you have all said the pain is like nothing ever felt…frankly I would gladly go through child birth again than that!

    I was masturbating and just at the point of orgasm “bang” out of this world sharp hot pain. It started in the middle of the back of my head and within seconds spread to my whole head, within half an hour nausea set in also…this was about 10:30pm yesterday and is now 6:30pm. I still have a mother of a headaches. And like you all thought I was going to die..at the time that would have been ok, I know thats not something that I should say but the pain was…yeah well you all know.

    When I was younger I used to get the odd headache with an orgasm, maybe only a couple of times a year, and it would only last half hour max…last night the worst pain lasted around 4hrs even with pain killers. Couldnt stand the light or any noise, no matter how quiet!

    Also like previous comments I am hoping like hell this is not going to be what happens every time I have an orgasm, Im in a newish relationship and really enjoy sex, as does my partner…Im hoping its not going to be the way but I guess the reality is that this might be part of my life now..

    After reading the whole page Im glad Im not alone! good luck to all

  125. Hi I’m Michelle,
    I’m actually on here for my brother. He is a 36-year- old male who has had 4 episodes of these very horrible attacks.(2 during “climaxing”, 1 having a bm, and the most recent,today, just being aroused from his wife) the last one lasted an hour before the nurse gave him something to put him out. This has not happened to him before. He says it is in the back of his neck (deep inside) the base of neck and head. They have done CAT scans, MRIs, everything comes back fine. They just did a test for his neck and spine.

  126. Wow I can’t tell you how relieved I am!! I am 50 years old and never have headaches let alone migraines before. Well last week right before I climaxed I felt like I was hit in the head with a brick. It was so bad I had to stop what I was doing and clutch my head in agony. My boyfreind had bought me this battery operated toy and we were using it and I assumed that that was the cause. Well last night I decided to masterbate to make sure it was just a fluke and sure enough it started out dull in the front of my head and got so much more intense then last week I screamed in a pillow. I have never experienced pain like this in my life!!! Was so afraid I was having an anuerism. Tweny hours later the pain is still there but much duller after I took a vicodin. Fifteen years ago I had a subderal hematoma and the doctors said anytime in the future I could suffer an epileptic or any brain related attack due to the blunt force on my brain causing the hematoma so I am definitely making an appt. Tuesday. Just to make sure. But this site has eased some of my fears especially knowing I’m not alone in this phenomena.

  127. I am still experiencing pain at the bottom back left side of my head and it has been 1 week today since I experienced the explosive ice pick like pain just as my orgasm was beginning. I’m a 55 y/o female and have had headaches with sex before but not like this. This one felt as if my brain was exploding and has not stopped yet. I am prone to migraines so maybe that is why it’s hanging around for so long. It’s making my life miserable and I’m petrified to have any kind of sexual activity. And, will this headache/headpain ever go away??? I have tried imitrix nasal, excedrine migraine, 800 mgs of motrin and even percocet. Nothing helps, nothing! I just can’t take another day of this. I have not called my doc becasue I’m thinking she will have no choice but to suggest I have the tests a lot of you have mentioned. Even though it feels like I could have caused damage or a bleed I’m pretty sure nothing will be found. Has anyone here who has had tests found anything? Not that I have seen. So I’m just sitting here suffereing , wondering if I’ll ever be able to climax again and if this damn pain will ever subside. Ugh, I’m digusted with myself.

  128. I see there have not been any posts since July, so I hope this thread is still open. before I type my story with these horrible headaches I want to send this and make sure I’m not typing away for nothing

  129. I am 25 years old and I just found out that I am 4 weeks pregnant. Well about a week and a half ago I started getting these major migraines every time I have an orgasim. And they last for hours. I don’t know what to do about it, but I can’t live with it!!

  130. Well I’m a bit older than most, at 58 & my first experience with this was last Thursday night. I thought it was a pending stroke with the pain flowing from the back to front of my head & back again. As good as an orgasm felt, this was exactly the opposite – as bad as I have ever felt. It was mostly over within 5 minutes & I was thinking, “I do NOT want to EVER experience THAT again”. It seemed as though the peak of blood pressure was the trigger. I never felt a bit of the normal euphoria, only the pain. My wife & I have been married 36 years & I have never heard of this until googling the subject for answers. I am much relieved that it is not totally without history.

    It seems related in a significant number of cases to stress, tension, or depression. I also have these in my life at some level as well. I had added some new medication recently & at first searched for side effects there but found nothing. I’ve had an elevated PSA level for several years & was taking the normal Flowmax & added taking Avodart a few days prior. Seemed reasonable to expect a drug interaction as I take several other suppliments daily. Naproxim sodium (Aleve) Glucosamine/Chondroitin, Vit E, & Omega3 (fish oil).

    At the time I was thinking the brain normally triggers a release of endorphanes with orgasm – this feels as it triggered a release of an altered chemical. This is why I concentrated on the medication issues.

    However, after reading this list I am beginning to understand why it is elusive to Doctors.

    Well I feel I have had a minor tension headache lurking since then but not really coming on. Until that feeling is utterly gone I will not attempt another orgasm.

    As to going to the Drs, at this point I don’t feel the need to spend $5000 (or more) of my insurance company’s money just yet. If I had ANY other symptoms such as blury vision or a lasting headache, I would not hesitate.

  131. I am a 45 years old female. I have started experiencing these excruciating head pains at 42 with sudden onset during orgasm. I have had them ever since sometimes stronger after a long abstinence period. After the big pain calms down and I wonder I can walk,talk, move again, the pain is less, slowly going away but it is still there on the left side of my head from the back of my skull right to to top of it. I guess it has to do something with some postures, especially the that involves how you hold the neck but not only…I have tried changing position sometimes when I felt it coming, but I see now just comes and makes my brain pop. It didn’t get lighter with the years passing since I have first had the first one, it got worse. It clear to me if you experience one the rest will just follow and there is no way of stopping them. I have read same as you lots of articles on the matter but no one seems to know what is the cause.
    My guess is it has to do with some brain dis functioning , as I can see from all the posts here- we all have in common a mild depression and low blood pressure. As migraine is cause by the constrictions of the blood vessels could be that this is what happens to us prior to climax. I have had a history of head aches and before but never until 42 had I experienced one during orgasm. I feel the pain after too for 2 hours and feel sleepy and sort of a nausea , for me aspirin works in an hour or two calms my pain slowly , slowly.

  132. I’m so glad I found this site; what a relief to know I’m not the only one suffering from this problem. I’ve been having these explosive pre-orgasm headaches off and on since 1996. But they don’t happen all the time so it’s easy to forget until they come back. Just had one last night with a new lover and thought it was time to go online and try to find any information.

    I would like to know what preventive meds work for this that other people have tried. I don’t have medical insurance so CTs, MRIs etc are out. Just need a prescription for something that actually works. Thanks in advance to all who respond.

  133. I have been an occasional migraine sufferer, but those PALE in intensity to the searing pain of these orgasm-induced “pain pulses.” I literally feel every heartbeat as if I’ve got some white hot artery throbbing at the base of my medulla at the base of my neck. They just started a few days ago – I feel so bad because I’m in a very new relationship with the most fabulous woman I think I’ve ever met. Everything is so magical and then…ZAP! the pain comes on and then I’m literally crawling on the floor, nauseous, nearly blinded and helpless with pain. Obviously, I don’t recommend it for everyone, but I’ve found that smoking a little bit of pot beforehand helps tremendously (I’m not a big fan of the stuff, but it seems to help where Excedrin does NOT do a thing for me. I sympathize with all of you so much…and I sympathize with your partners for having to see you go through this. I seriously thought I had a tumor or that I was having an aneurysm. It was very scary until I saw that I’m not alone and that it isn’t as rare as I thought. I’ll tell you one thing, there’s no way that I’m going to let these headaches beat me, but I do think that I need to find a way to alter what I’m doing – any tips would be appreciated!

  134. I am a 27 year old woman in my first year of marriage, who once considered myself the luckiest woman on earth when it came to sex. I used to climax every time no matter what position so needless to say I enjoyed it. 3 weeks ago I was about to climax, that point when you know it’s a split second away when wham, I felt like I had been stabbed in the right side of my head with a very sharp and jagged knife. I have never felt pain like it. It brought instant tears to my eyes. I had to stop, fall to one side and sobbed like a baby for about 30 mins. I was then taken to the bathroom by my husband who had to give me a cold shower (mostly on my head and neck) before I could walk on my own. We thought/hoped it was a one off and continued to have sex every day that week. I was due to ovulate around that time and we are trying for a baby but the attacks came every time I did. The headaches last for about 12 hours each and got a little worse/lasted longer each time. After the fourth attack I had to forget going on top and just lie back, be as passive as possible, ‘fake it’, which I hate and think of anything I could to take my mind of having an orgasm. (Hubby thinks it only happens when I’m on top and I don’t want to completely deprive him of a sex life or the chance of children). I have said no to sex ever since with numerous excuses but I know that when the next ovulation cycle comes round there will be nowhere to hide and for the first time in my life I am terrified of having sex in case I climax! I have been to the hospital and chemists but as above no medication has worked. Also I’m in England and ct scans etc are not offered as course. I am also worried about taking medication when trying to conceive. The only thing that eased the pain was an ice press to the right side of my neck. When it happens the pain is on the right side of my head and runs from my temple to my neck, my head feels like it is going to explode. I also see flashing lights, feel sick and dizzy. Although the head ache is gone now I still have what I can only explain as a Smokey head, even two weeks later. It’s not hurting but it just doesn’t feel right. Please if anyone has blogged here update us on your results and if you have had any successes in treatment. I don’t even want to think about not being able to share the best, most intimate and enjoyable moment with my husband again.

  135. Just happedned to me first time on vacation in Spain. Have slight cold. Had not come in a week. Masterbated and brain exploded. OW. Took Motrin, residfula headache for 24 hours.

    Do hope and think it si related to cold/sinus.

    The did not happen that night even tho residual headache existed.

    Happended again two times in two succeded days as I experiminted with orgasms.

    OW. Glad to find all these others,and that for many it went away

  136. Hi Ozzie,

    Have been getting these for years – I almost never drink (about one alcoholic drink a month). I love my job and do not find it stressful, I don’t consider daily sexual activity to be excessive, and I get plenty of rest. While these factors may exacerbate the effects for some, I do not think they are the primary cause, as none of them apply in my case. Hopefully this forum will collect enough anecdotal information for someone to solve our dilemma.

  137. Update: It is now morning, about 8 hours since the onset of the above-mentioned headache, and the effects are still lingering–dull pain on the back-left side of my head. It was bad enough to keep me from really sleeping, even after taking an XS Tylenol.

    For those of you who are longtime headache sufferers, I know this doesn’t seem like much; for me, it is a complete anomaly. Now I’m starting to wonder if something DID pop in my brain last week….

  138. I am a 59-year-old woman, and for the 3rd time in 6 days–and never before in my life–I’ve had a killer headache at the moment of orgasm. The first time, I was with my long-time lover, and was positioned on my back. A couple of days later I was masturbating while on my stomach, and the same again just about an hour ago. The first one was really like an explosion in the brain–it hurt like hell. The other two were not quite as intense or long-lasting, but that’s probably because I expected the pain, felt it coming on, and held back at the climax. Really, I haven’t had a dozen headaches in my life up to now. I’m scared that this will happen all the time now during sex with my partner or solo. I am not ready to give it up, but fear of pain is replacing the anticipation of pleasure. That sucks.

    Anyway, while waiting for this most recent one to subside, I got out of bed, turned on the computer, and Googled “orgasm headache”. And here we are. I’m sorry for the pain any of you are enduring, but am somewhat relieved to see how common this is. Also, as another poster stated, I am presently w/out health insurance–too poor to afford it, but not poor enough for the freebie. So I guess I will take the advice of trying to stay relaxed and less intense. And I’ll be keeping my hands off of myself for a while (ha-ha!)

  139. I am a 52 yo female who started having these explosive orgasmic headaches about 15 years ago. Back then my doctor put me on Inderal (propranolol), a beta blocker, which helped tremendously. I have continued taking it all these years but I must need a higher dosage bc my headaches have slowly been coming back and now are just like before. My husband and I have found that if I keep my head at least at the same elevation as my pelvis, I can avoid the pain. Which pretty much limits the positions we can enjoy for my orgasms. Laying flat on my back. If I don’t follow my own advice and I get an explosive headache, elevating my pelvis on a pillow will at least help the headache go away faster. It’s like I need to get the blood back to my brain. So maybe that would help you out there too, at least when you are getting close to orgasm.

    I am a type A person and my chiropractor says I am always really tense. My dad (also a very intense guy) used to get tension migraines, so I wonder if this is hereditary.

    Deborah (6-14-09), I have been on anti-depressants the last 10 years. I also started taking blood pressure medication a year ago.

  140. I am a 41 year old female and had my third headache earlier this evening. The pain is unbearable and happens at climax. Excedrin Tension seems to help a little but it is now hours later after using ice and heat off an on, I still have the headache. My jaws also feel really tight. My vision seems to be affected and I am just totally exhausted from it. I am like others and fear the worst. I went to my doctor and told him about the headache but did not say it was during climax. He said he thinks I have a flu. He told me to give it a few days and gave me a muscle relaxer for the tightness in my neck and jaws. He said if it doesn’t go away he will send me for the MRI. Turns out I did have some type of stomach flu and thought I was getting better oh my goodness was I wrong. I will be calling first thing to schedule the MRA. I am so glad to see I am not the only person going through this. It is so scary. My husband thinks it has to do with being stressed and not getting enough rest. This is rediculous. Right away I thought this could only happen to me and how can I handle another thing. I can’t believe it happening to so many people and I have never heard about it! Thanks to all for posting. I think keeping things simple might be the best medicine.

  141. I am a 49 year old female that started experiencing these headaches roughly 2 months ago. I have been married for 32 years and we enjoy a healthy sex life. The first time this happened to me, as most of you say, I thought I was having a stroke. It scared my husband so much, he didn’t want to have sex two nights later. The first time it came on at the exact time of climax, and lasted about 10 minutes, then was gone. Mine have been getting increasingly worse. It doesn’t happen each time I have an orgasm, but more often than not it does. The last time was 2 nights ago, the pain was so intense I actually told my husband where to find my will if I died. I was sick to my stomach and the headache, although less intense is still with me. I had to go to a 8 hour seminar today and right in the middle, around noon, the “monster” came back! I had to leave the seminar and went directly to my doctor. I have a CT scan scheduled for tomorrow and after reading these comments, I feel confident that nothing serious is wrong, except for the fact that a very important part of my and my husband’s life is about to change. Because after having 3 children, 2 back surgeries, 1 rotator cuff surgery and numerous other procedures, I don’t want to keep going through the worse pain I have ever had each time I have sex. I guess maybe the answer is not to reach orgasm, but that seems unreal to me. I just hope the medical community will eventually find a cure for this.

  142. Hate to say it but I’m glad I found this web sight. I am a male in my early 40’s. I have been sexual avtive for atleats 25 years. A couple month ago I had one of these expolsive headaches happen to me about 5 seconds be orgasm. The pain was so intense it left me rolling in the bed for 10 minutes holding my head. I went to ER for CT it came back negitive. so I thought it was just a fluke. Several times after that just before orgasm I would have a slight headache but nothing that asprin didn’t take care off after wards. This past sunday 5 seconds before orgasm it felt like I took a bullet in my forehead. I could not even function for about 4 hours. I went to my family doctor on Tuseday he gave me some pain killers and schulded an apointment for a MRI and a MRA for next week. It is now Friday and I still have a headache.
    Some of the posting on this website have stated that they thought it may be related to blood presure or stress. My blood presure is fine and as far as strees goes. I have one of the easyest jobs I have ever had in my life. I outright own my own cars and house and have been married to a wonderful woman for over 10 years. My life has no recent changes!!!

  143. Hi all. I am happy to find this page… Went to Dr. this morning. She knew exactly what is was. I said “you are kidding me right”. I told her I must be bleeding b/c that kind of pain is not normal or safe. The brain explosion happened nearly 5 days ago and I have been in varying degress of pain since. She put me on Midrin.

    Anyone had long lasting pain. Blue, I see you did…has it gone away yet?

  144. Hello everyone, experienced the same horrible painful symptoms a few weeks ago. Freaked out after three weeks of the pain not going away. Had MRI, CatScan, and blood-work done. Nothing bad was found. Everything is as it should be. Here is my theory as the cause of these coital headaches. Overdoing/excessive sexual activity, drinking alcohol for several days in a row, and not getting enough rest. I sincerely believe these are contributing factors. Get rest and give it a few weeks, if its not something serious, they should go away on their own.

  145. Wow. This is so weird. I am a 47 yo female. For the first time ever, after a wonderfully powerful orgasm, actually at the time of orgasmm I developed a piercing, all over the top of my head, headache. I was able to orgasm while holding my head between my hands. It has happened a second time. It is awful and the second time I began crying which freaked my husband out. I will go the a neuro. but am wondering about 2 areas:
    1. Are any of you on anti-depressants?
    2. Were you climaxing in a way different from your typical orgasmic approach?

    I am interested in your responses.

    Thanks. Here’s to hoping we find out the origin of these sudden, explosive headaches. I have NEVER heard of this before. This situation drove me to the internet to see if I was the only oddball out there.

  146. Thank goodness I’m not alone. I’ve had these horrible explosions of pain three times now. The last two were the result of sexual climax; the first was the result of losing my temper. (I have a really bad temper, so I try to control it) The first time the sharp pain explding from the lower left of my head held on for three days. The second time after maxing out the tylenol dosages in 24 hours, I was feeling back to normal and really, really relaxed. Stupidly, I thought “let’s try this again.” The third time the pain was just as excrutiating, but the sharpness has tapered off more quickly, but the dull throbing persists.

  147. Its now the next day i have no energy and my head still hurts not like the origianl explosion of yesterday but still there is pain in my brain outch this so sucks, I feel sick like and week. I have a biopsie tomrrow, I feel so run down it might kill me yipes. Im always so full of energy now i feel like sleeping again but the pain is not leaving my head. Have awoke twice and gone back to sleep the pain is still in my head, its now after noon and I see no relefe in sight.

  148. Yes a brain anurism is what it feels like.I was just starting to orgasim then POW Stopped dead buy the Pain, Would of been a good orgasim. I have had the brain explosion a few other times, the pain is so bad Im afraid now. Is there something you can take before so the explosion dose not occure? Seems like alot of people have this but no cure, there must be something! I never want to feel that pain again.

  149. Rarely did I experience even a “regular” headache (i.e., one warranting a couple of ibuprofen) until a few years ago at the age of 49, when I started getting severe headaches immediately following orgasm. These happened three days in a row, then disappeared as abruptly as they had come, so I pretty much forgot about the episode, assuming it was just stress or hormone-related.
    But a few days ago, another one occurred. The pain was even worse than the previous ones, and this time it coincided WITH orgasm. Felt like I’d been hit in the head with a brick! Like a taser directly to the brain! Like a human thermometer thrust into 1,000 degree lava! I could only sit there clutching my head for several long minutes until it began to subside, after which there was a sensation of numbness all across my forehead and behind my eyes. Like others who’ve gone through this, I was alarmed about the possibility of a stroke, aneurysm, brain tumor, etc. and considered going to the emergency room.
    Which brings up an issue pertinent to many of us these days: medical insurance coverage. I’m one of the teeming hordes without it, and if I’d gone for treatment, not only would I have incurred a steep out-of-pocket bill, it would have gone into the doctor’s notes, barring me from coverage even if I join my husband’s plan. The old “pre-existing condition” clause, effective typically for one year after joining. That puts you in the position of deciding whether or not you want to risk your health, possibly your life, without knowing what may be causing your headaches. (And if something serious is found, yikes.)
    Desperation drove me to look online, where I came across this website and was at once relieved and shocked to see that this was a known medical condition and there were numerous other people going through the same thing! Reading your comments, I noticed that although some of you did go to the doctor, usually no physiological basis for the headaches could be found. This was reassuring to hear!
    There was one unusual symptom I had, a visual phenomenon which I noticed during the week prior to the most recent situation. At night I’d get up and walk to the bathroom , awake but with my eyes closed, leaving the light off so as not to wake up entirely. I would briefly “see,” in bright red on the inside of my eyelids, what looked like the retinas of my eyes, with all the tiny capillaries superimposed in neon white. [Has anyone else experienced this?] At the time, I thought it could be blood pressure related, though mine tends to be low, but now I suspect it had some connection to what was coming. I haven’t yet “tried again” with my husband, so I don’t know if this recent headache was the beginning of Round Two…hope not…
    Many of us, especially older folks, were raised to keep our sexual business a deep dark secret, yet it would surely spare much needless anxiety if problems like this one had more public awareness, so THANKS to all of you for stepping forward with your experiences!

  150. Everything is negative – which is good. But now the mystery – what IS causing it???

    Had sex with the Mrs. and it was rather wierd, because I was distracted by the thought of “what if…”

    I did finally achieve and I did get a headache, though this was MUCH milder and so I hope it is a sign that it is fading.

    Dr. prescribed atenolol (Hypertension med) as a preventative. Will try that next.

  151. I have been a migraine sufferer almost all my life, and I have been experiencing orgasm triggered migraines on and off for about 25 years. I experience them both during sex with my partner and masturbation, and the description of a brain explosion is probably as good as it gets. For me the pain lasts for several hours. I tend to immediately take two Mersyndol (450mg paracetamol; 9.75mg codeine phospahte & 5mg doxylamine succinate per tablet). The pain killers are great, but the important ingredient for me is the doxylamine succinate because it is a muscle relaxant, and it helps to relax the tension in shoulders and neck – it also has the advantage of allowing me to fall asleep so that my body can relax and let the migraine pass.

    I have been monitoring them to try and work out what the common denominators are and I would say that tension is the main one – probably the reason why the muscle relaxant works. I also tend to experience them with every orgasm for a couple of weeks, then I can go months with no pain, then again with every orgasm for a couple of weeks. I have also had xrays; CT scans and MRI’s – none of which indicate any blood clots, aneurysms or any other anomolies, though aneurysms are a feature in my family medical history. I continue to get tested roughly once a year just in case.

    Unfortunately I cannot offer any guaranteed solutions, but I do recommend the mersyndol (or whatever brand name it is in your countries).

    Good luck to all of you, just don’t give up on having a fulfilling sex life – try getting your partner to give you a neck and shoulder massage as part of foreplay…or get a 10 minute neck and shoulder massage from a professional during the day(in Australia there are places you can get a 10 minute neck and shoulder massage for $10 – very popular with office workers).

  152. Okay – got an EEG today – awaiting results. Next step is a CT Angiography.

    At this point, the neurologist advises that we are simply ruling out the more severe possibilities (aneurism, minor hemorraghing etc).

    I am fortunate, my doctor is very empathetic and it made talking to him about this pretty easy. He has been practicing for 30+ years and says it is common, and that most of the time it is “benign” (i.e. won’t kill me while having sex LOL)!

    He also said it is very similar to migraines (which I have never had before) in that they are known, but the causes are not (at least for certain).

    The good news is that it can be treated and most of the time, it will “go away” and may never reoccur.

    I have masturbated twice since the doctor’s visit and both times wound up with a headache, though each time is less severe. So maybe it is phasing out?

    At any rate, speaking with the neurologist did wonders to calm my anxieties.

  153. I’m so glad I found this web page. I am a 52 year-old female. This happened to me last night, and I was certain I was having a stroke. I had been experiencing low to medium grade headaches for the last 2 days, but last night, right at the point of orgasm, it felt as though someone had whacked me on the side of the head with a hammer. It felt like my typical migraine and took hours to dissipate.

    Vicki, I feel for you. I hope someone finds an answer for all of us, soon!

  154. I am 26 and female. I have a history of depression, anxiety, migraines, and just found out possible temporal lobe epilepsy (covert since there are no seizures…I need an EEG) Anyhow, I just had one of these orgasm-related migraine headaches for the first time last week. I can only climax when on top for some strange reason. I also used to be able to ward off an impending migraine with a good orgasm. I am under a lot of stress at work, just started psychotherapy a month ago, take Wellbutrin, and am on the pill. My man and I have fantastic, mutually satisfying sex…but this time I came SO hard…and I noticed my climax was drawn out over a way longer period of time than normal too. I thought I was going to die. lol The headache lasted 3 more days. I went to the chiropractor, got adjusted, and they used an electromagnet treatment on my head…so relaxing. The headache went away. Fast forward to last night, now again, in the middle of my orgasm, which was again very intense, the headache explodes in my brain again. I kept going and tried to embrace it instead of fighting it. but today the headache is gone. I don’t know if it is due to high bloodpressure given my anxiety and my meds…but it would be masochistic of me to let this go on without trying to find a cure.

  155. I have joined the ranks of the sufferers. I am a 47 y.o. male and the first time I experienced a sex headache was having sex with my wife last Thursday. The headache immediately arrived at the point of orgasm, but was about as bad as a sinus headche. More to the point is faded within 20 minutes.

    Then Tuesday night I was masturbating when just as my climax was imminent, I experiened the worst headache in my life. It literally felt like a bomb went off in my head. I stopped immediately and just cried it hurt so bad. I honestly thought for a moment I was dying. My neck and face cramped up but the real pain was inside my head. Not so much stabbing as massive pressure – like my skull was about to pop.

    I took three extra strength Excedrin and a long hot shower, the pain only subsided enough to sleep after about 90 minutes.

    When I awoke the following morning, for about 30 minutes it appeared that a fog was in the house – my vision gradually cleared. I didn’t have a headache so much as an ongoing feeling of pressure within my skull.

    After reading up on the web, I went to the ER and thankfully the CT scan came back negative. I will be seeing a Neurologist next week for follow up.

    The only thing that stands out as a potential catalyst for this epsiode is that for the week leading up to it, I have had a terible upper shoulder pain – a “pinched nerve”, The pain was so bad that I actually went to massage therapy for a deep tissue massage – also last Thursday.

    My wife thinks there is a connection, the ER doctor wasn’t so sure.

    Regardless, anyone who experiences this SHOULD seek immediate medical care. I waited and was a fool for it. Had I been unlucky and had it been a hemorrhage or stroke, I might not be typing this today.

    So – I am abstaining from all physical extertion and sex until next week.

    What really sucks is that I am married 25 years and we were getting back into the groove sexually and now this happens!

  156. It gives me some comfort knowing I’m not alone and I must confess that I love the internet where you can type a question and end up here.
    I am 46 and these headaches started just over a week ago. Surprising for me since I take an aspirin maybe once a year and have never had migraines before. I have had three in the past week. Two from masturbating and one from sex with my wife a few hours ago. The pain is as excruciating as described in the previous posts. This is odd for me since I consider myself somewhat of a sex addict, I orgasm at least four or five times a day and enjoy sex with my wife at least once a day. Although I’m about 30 pounds overweight, I’m still fairly active and I average twenty five orgasms a week so why now?
    One difference perhaps is that I’ve been at home from work this past week with a bit of the flu (sinus congestion and cough) and lately have been VERY stressed and not sleeping well. I can see sinus congestion or stress induced tension of the back and neck as significant contributing factors to triggering this pain. I have also noticed it doesn’t matter whether I’m standing, kneeling, lying down or on top. I’ve experienced these headaches now EVERY time I orgasm regardless of the position. I think the combination of mental stress, blood pressure and muscle tension might be the key here. I would like to try a visit to the chiro, have a massauge, try to relax and de-stress, sit in a hot tub, appreciate life then have sex and see what happens.

    Cross your fingers for me. I’ll try to come back and let you know if it works.

  157. I am a 42 year old female that do not suffer from headaches at all until just last week I had an exploding headache during climax and it lasted about 20 mins. My fiance immediately told me to run my whole head under cold water in the shower. It did work however it was so scary that I thought of an aneurism also. I have not had any headaches since then but I also have not has intercourse since then. I am not sure what went on but it is a scary one. I will definitely discuss this with my doctor. My fiance did not seem extremely concerned because he said this has happened to him before some years back with another female.

  158. I started having these headaches in 2005 when I was 51 and still have them. I get the intense kind at point of orgasim. The worst one I had lasted 40 hours. I have been checked out by several neurologist and have been hospitalized 3 times because of the migraines. One time I had a seizure from the orgasim. After many tests the doctors decided that they did not know what was wrong with me. They sent me away with 5 medications all for migraine and relaxation. None of these worked at all. The only thing that works is abstinence. This is no way to live. I never even had regular headaches much less these killer ones. I am looking for some kind of “cure”. It makes no sense that you could have a normal sex life for years and then all of a sudden you don’t. What gives? Any suggestions?

  159. I started having these headaches a few months ago. I used to use masturbation to orgasm to relieve a migraine coming on, so it seems very strange to get them come on so hard and fast just before orgasm.
    In the past I’ve had lesser, dull headaches at orgasm after a period of abstinence but this is so many times worse. Since I started having these brain exploding headaches, I haven’t been masturbating or sexually active and now it feels like a major backlog has built up. Any suggestions?

  160. I have been experiencing orgasim migraines since my early 20’s (I am currently 33). It took me a while to realize that they were associated with enjoying sex. I inititally thought they were caused by my birth control, they went away for a while when I stopped taking it, but came back after about 6 months. I have seen a physician and neurologist and had all sorts of scary things ruled out. I didn’t get an answer though. This led me to a chiropractor where I have received chiropractic care for over two years. This helps mostly, but has not been a cure. I have found for myself, a direct link to migraines and orgasims being associated with neck and shoulder strain. My migraines are a bit different than I have been reading about here. I orgasim and everything seems fine for about 5 to 10 minutes and then my vision gets weird, or I just don’t feel right. I have found that if I take 800 mg of ibuprophen (dr prescribed) soon enough, it gives me a fighting chance. My migraines typically last for around 2-3 hours. The extreme pain is often on one side of my head, but sometimes it is my whole head. During these headaches it feels like my brain is too big for my skull. I don’t get the vision changes, but I feel like I could die. I also experience a migraine hangover for hours after. The ibuprophen doesn’t always work and to be honest the whole thing is just downright discouraging. I love my husband and our life, but seriously, before I have sex I have to consider do I have the time or energy for a migraine right now? Thinking that way definately puts a damper on our sex life and has proven to be a very effective form of birth control. This is the first time my research led me to a place where orgasim and migraine were not associated as a “cure”. That was always frustrating to read!!! Thanks for sharing.

  161. OW!! It just happened to me for the first time. This was after recovering from a particularly bad migraine the day before. I have been relaxing all day and felt nearly normal. After 12 hours of pain free existence I have sex with my wife and then right when I’m about to climax my head nearly explodes. I didn’t even get the chance to climax. I have head this happen a couple times before when masturbating but never with her. The first time it happened when I had a fever so I thought that was always the cause, but reading all these posts I now know better.

    For what it’s worth, I checked my blood pressure and it was much higher than normal. Found out online that the headache is likely the cause of the high BP, not the other way around.

    I took a Zomig and am waiting for it to kick in. Third one in 36 hours. That is NOT normal for me. 6 weeks until my insurance covers pre-existing conditions and I can get a CT and MRI.

  162. It is with great comfort that you have all recorded your experiences. When the explosion of pain ripped through the back of my skull over the left side of my brain and eyes, I thought I was having a stroke or worse. It came at the same time of orgasm and consequently totally destroyed the moment. The intense pain lasted only a minute, but it took at least fifteen minutes before I started to feel alive again. Two days later I still have a mild headache. I noticed that after that incident, I immediately felt very tired. My problem is it happened again in the morning time with no more provocation than a cough while lying down.

    This was one of the few moments in life where I though I was going to die on the spot. A knife punch to the brain can best describe it for me. For someone who never experiences headaches, one thinks the worse. After going on the internet right afterwards, it was reassuring to find your testimonials. Thanks all for taking the time.

    I will be going to my doctor ASAP.

  163. Thank god I’m not the only one!! I’m a 50-yr-old female and I’ve never ever had that experience before until a couple weeks ago, it felt like a gunshot to the base of my neck just as I climaxed, and I found myself holding my head as other people have explained here… I thought it was a one-time thing, but it has happened again several times since that incident but seems better if I’m more relaxed (which seems counterproductive to the whole sex experience, you know, but definitely less painful). I didn’t expect it to happen during masturbation too, but it does; at least it’s easier to keep my breathing more regular when I’m by myself. Anyway, hopefully what I’ve read online about it not lasting forever is true – what’s life without sex, and how am I going to have sex when it’s that painful??

  164. I’ve had some of these migraines induced by orgasms I’d say 3 years ago lasted for a month or so every time I would masturbate, then eventually it went away. I’ve just had one today, and I imagine this is similar to the level of pain that is occurring the instant a person gets shot through the head! (well, the shot may hurt a bit more ^.^ ) but i’ve experienced many different types of pain through my life, but this def. ranks up there in some of the most excruciating pain a human being can go through. To all of you who have had these I salute you.

    I’m 22 male, about 15-20 lbs overweight, smoke. Work out occasionally. I’ve been under a lot of stress from work/relationships at this point in my life so I imagine this has a bit to do with the triggers. The original trigger happened about three nights ago I slept with this girl, I was on top with the fists-push up position that has been mentioned in some posts before. We both had orgasms within the same moments. But I was on top and my body stiffed up a bit and the pain came on. This explosion of pain can not be described, the severity of it is quite scary and I thought I was going to pass out a few times. I’ve had them several years ago but they went away, why the sudden return of them bothers me. I’m glad i’m not the only one out here with this problem, I’m afraid to masturbate now for a while, I can go without pleasure for a while, because this pain is unbearable.

    My trigger explosion happened at about 11:30 am, I took 3 tylenol extra strengths, it helped a little, but the bastard remains in my head and is pretty much just hanging out, it’s about 2:30 pm now with no end in sight it seems, just trying to keep my mind occupied with things so i dont stress myself out even more about the migraine.

    Props to everyone here who can get through this, it is no joke…

  165. Im a 20 yr old female. I just started these headaches a little under a week ago. The first time it happened i thought it was a coincidence but it has happened five times now. It REALLY does feel like ur head is exploding along w fast breathing and nausea. I tried excedrin migrane before and it still kills me right at the base of my head. I still have a dull headache from last night. Im gonna make my boyfriend do the work next time. I heard being the passive one may help. If not then ill see a chiro.

  166. Just had another one of these explosodes.. I feel so helpless when this happens.. right now, we, me and my husband.. are downstairs, I am sitting up on the couch, he is sleeping, because now I so cannot sleep… I thought my eye was going to come flying out of its socket tonight.. the tension in my neck is unreal..I am lucky he is understanding.. I have an ice pack on the base of my neck and a hot cup of tea.. its going to be a long night =(

  167. I am a 21 year old female who just started having the “explosive” headaches after orgasm. I had like one or two a year ago but nothing until a couple of days ago when I had multiple orgasms and it wasn’t until the 4th that triggered it. It was on the left middle part of the brain and i couldnt even open my eyes. I am thinking that maybe I should just stop after the first which i usually need like 3 even during masterbation to feel satisfied but this morning i tried just having one with my fiance and it still triggered the headache…not as intense though. It was relieving to see that i am not the only one…we can’t all be having aneurisms?….or can we? we are dooomed! has anyone tried taking tylenol an hour before sexy time?

  168. Have been experiencing these for the last several years. I’ve been to a neurologist and had an MRI and an MRA. Everything appears to be normal. But the pain is indescribable and each time I wonder if I really may be having a stroke or aneurism. My doctor recommended Cafergot and hour or two before sexual activity. If I take two it helps some. But this has surely affected my enjoyment of sexual intimacy with my husband.

  169. hey everyone.
    i’m a 28 yr old female and this is the second time-period in my life that i’ve experienced these orgasm induced migraines. like those of you above, i have NEVER felt pain like this in my life (and had never experienced a migraine before this happened). mine show up out of the blue mid-orgasm. the pain is debilitating and blinding; sometimes it hurts to even breathe, since that makes my head pound with each heartbeat.
    the first time this happened to me, i’d have thought it was an anyeurism if i hadn’t known better, but the pain is like a band tightening around my skull, eventually localizing after 15mins to the base of my skull (which then aches for days). all-in-all, the headaches lasted (with eventually-decreasing intensity) for about 2-3 wks, during which time i had many massages and religiously did neck stretches. though the first attack was brought on by orgasm, any exertion can trigger it again afterwards, including exercise.
    i am currently in the midst of my second ‘episode’. about two weeks ago, it happened again (after disappearing for a year). i’ve had ct scans, xrays, carotid ultrasounds – all in the attempts to rule out the cause.
    i have to say, what has helped more than anything else, is a combination of acupuncture and chiro. being able to work out the strain in those tiny areas of muscle in the neck have relieved the strain. as a result, i theorize that this is a result of carrying tension in my neck and shoulders…and then, while orgasming (like many above, usually on top) something triggers the strain and it systemically triggers the headache. makes sense if you examine the muscular architecture of the head.
    anyways, so my best advice is to try chiro and acupuncture if you can…at least the chiro. work on relieving that tension in the neck and not straining the area during sex….and cross your f*cking fingers for us all. Because really, wtf could be worse?

  170. sorry, blood clot… it far surpassed the reality of pain. I felt as if the top of my skull was about to blow off, literally. No exaggeration, more likely an understatement.

  171. p.s. I felt as if a blook clot had traveled to my brain and I was sure if I had not stopped, I would have a devastating stroke.

  172. I experienced the same excruciating pain just prior to orgasm. The pain is indescribable. I can’t open my eyes, lift my head out of the grip of my hands, dry heave and left side of my face goes numb. This intense pain lasts for about 15 minutes (could be less, seems like more). The I have a lingering headache that dissipates with time and ibuprofen. I’ve always had a high libido. I’m 56 and have these on occasion for about 5 years now.

  173. I experienced some headaches in the past during orgasm, but attributed it to a pinched nerve or some sort of misalignment in my spine. Yesterday, I experienced the end all orgasm and a headache that was so explosive and sudden that I thought I might be having a stroke. It started at the base of my skull and quickly engulfed my entire head, then was over in a matter of minutes.
    I am 37yo, I smoke and am overweight but have been fairly healthy otherwise. Please tell me its not the end of my sexlife. Should I expect this to happen everytime now that its happened once?

  174. OMG – I can’t believe this! I am a very healthy 52-year old female. I has this headache for the first time yesterday and was convinced that I had a tumor or a brain bleed going on. I have NEVER heard of such a thing! And all of the descriptions above are right on target – the most intense pain I’ve ever had. My pain stayed concentrated at the base of my brain in back and along my upper neck. I, too, could not lay down, as the throbbing seemed to get worse. I am headed to the doctor tomorrow to check it all out. I am somewhat relieved that I’m not alone, but I’m very concerned about my sex life at this point. I don’t EVER want one of those again!!!!!

  175. I too have just experienced this awful pain pre orgasm. I am a 47 year old female.

    The pain is so bad that it brings me to tears and will still throb hours later.

    I was afraid it was a stroke as it’s primarily on the left side and starts at the base and goes into the front top of my head.

    On a scale of 1-10 I rate it as a 30. Yes, that’s how bad the pain is.

    I am glad to see that there is a bit of info about this as I did not want to see my doctor about it, though still worried it can cause a stroke or something as it feels like head is exploding.

  176. Well I’ve had two “brain explosion” headaches (the medical literature also calls them thunderclap headaches). I am in my late 50’s. Mine happened right at the beginning of orgasm while masturbating. Starts with tightening in the neck, but at the end it is like the top of my head will blow off – that part lasted less than a minute. I’ve had a residual headache since. Look at the Mayo Clinic article on sexual headaches – http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sex-headaches/DS00645.

    I am hoping this will go away (soon) and never recur, but I plan to abstain till the headache is totally gone … just getting aroused causes the symptoms of the residual headache to increase. I have gone to my physician, test have been run, will have to see what she suggests.

  177. Hi.
    I just stumbled across this site while looking for some answers to my own headache questions. I, too, have had these “brain explosion” headaches right at the point of orgasm. Unfortunately, I can’t elaborate on how often they happen, or if they happen every time, because the orgasm in question was my one and only. I’m not exactly what you’d call sexually active. But my question is actually about what happened in the weeks following this episode. Every few days after this happened, I would get a repeat of the worst-pain-I’ve-ever-felt headache, but with NO trigger. It would just happen out of the blue. Same exact pain each time – starting at the base of the skull, flowing over the entire head, and throbbing with each heartbeat. Lying down made it worse, so I was forced to stand up and walk around until the worst of it passed – usually about an hour. After that, if I sat down and hung my head between my knees, it would relieve the pain at least enough for me to think straight. Obviously, I’ve learned I am not the only one who has experienced this the orgasm-induced thunderclap headache, which is quite a relief, but so far, I haven’t come across anyone else who has had these repeats like I have. Does anyone here know anything that might help me out?

    ********
    I’m not sure what could be going on. I definitely recommend seeing a doctor.

    Best of luck,
    Kerrie

  178. I have reading everything on the internet about these headaches for the last two days. I am 40 years old and just experienced this for the first time a few days ago. The first time I thought I had just amped up a hangover but the next two times were exactly the same, horrible, throbbing pain starting at the base of the back of my head and wrapping up to behind my eyes. This all happens at the point or just after orgasm. I have had some bouts of either cluster or migrains in the past (maybe one or two a year) not triggered by anything, but this sudden onset is crazy and it lasts a good 24 hours slowly going away. I thought for sure after the last one that I must be having a brain bleed, thank god I am not the only one (sorry).

  179. Guys… ur definately NOT alone! Except my headache / migraine focuses on the top front left side of my head and my face also goes numb. This onsets just before orgasm. It’s the only enjoyable thing left in my busy life and now it’s associated with PAIN. Or should I say ‘was’. lol Has anyone experienced this and had the migraines go away and NOT come back? Or am I looking at this for the rest of my life?

  180. It seems as though this is happening to older guys from what i can read above. However I am a 24 year old female who has been sexually active since 18. I have a great sex life and have had no problems. I do masturbate on occasion and today received my first migraine ever right before climaxing. So I stopped because this huge stabbing pain to my left lower head/neck was excruciating. So then i waited and it happened again. The pain lasted 5-10 min. an hour later I tried again and managed to succeed twice but just 10 min ago i wanted to see if it was all a fluke and no it wasnt…migraine..so now im looking at blogs for the answer and nothing is helping. Guys…Ur not alone

    1. Vanessa you’re not alone either. I’m a thirty yr old female. Have ben sexually active for 16 years and this just started happening for the first time 2 months ago. Scares the heck out of me. The pain is unbearable and its my left side of my head mainly low at the base and at my neck.

    2. You’ve described exactly what I have experienced the last couple of days. I’m seeing a doctor soon. Can you shed any light as to what happened to you/what you found out?

      Thank you!

    3. All these are so me right now to 38 year old female an it just started happening right before climax it awful. I just wsnt answers now scared it gonna do it when im actually having sex.

  181. Hi, I’m a 28yr old male that just had a wisdom tooth pulled 6 days ago. I not sure if the headaches are caused by that or has no relations to it but, it happened 3 times now. Twice, during masturbation and once during intercourse w/ my wife. It happens just befor climaxe. The first time during masturbation, it hurt so bad, i couldn’t finish. I get this sudden pain in the back of my lower head and it goes down the left side of my neck to my upper shoulders. Which the wisdom tooth was my upper left side. The pain last for real intenes for about 10 mins and then turns into just a ache for the next few hours. Never had this before until the tooth was removed, just wondering if this could be from some nerve damage, or just happened at the same time.

    *******
    I’m not sure what could be happening. I recommend talking to the doctor who pulled your tooth.

    Good luck,
    Kerrie

  182. this type of headache started with me at age 40, out of the blue. I saw the doc and took a UK drug Imigran for a while, which is strong and made me feel quite weird. The explosions stopped after a couple of months, I wasn’t sure if the drug helped or not. About 2 years later I had a short repeat, it’s now 6 years and during my vacation a repeat explosion occurred, extreme pain at the point of orgasm. Currently masturbation to orgasm is also bad, so time to keep to pleasure at a lower level. I may call the doc to mark the date but otherwise will keep fit, try to de-stress, and patiently wait for the problem to vanish.

  183. Brain explosion is exactly what it’s like!

    It happened to me for the first time yesterday. I’ve been looking everywhere for what it was, since I don’t tend to get a lot of headaches, and certainly never did (mine happened immediately after orgasm). It was like being electrified. I felt like a pavlov dog collar was around my neck and had zapped me for “barking”. I felt the pain from the front of the throat, where the thyroid gland is located, thru to the back of my neck at the base of my skull, and simultaneously sharp stabbing pains pressuring in my temples and behind my eyes on both sides. My girlfriend asked me questions about tingling in my extremities and made me move arms and legs, and looked into my eyes to see if one eye was more dilated than the other. None of these symptoms were there, so we didn’t go straight to the ER. The headache went away relatively quickly as I rested for about 20 minutes.

    I was more afraid that it was an aneurism than anything else, just like others who’ve had this happen to them. I’m 38 and have never had anything like this happen to me in my life. I reason that it would be the best way to go out of this world (“he died while getting off”), but my girlfriend complains this would leave her stigmatized and no one would want her ever again.

    From what I understand so far, if you have it for the first time and you aren’t a teenager, you should get a ct scan to search for possible brain bleeding. Most of these are benign, but you can’t really know if there was a weak-walled vessel that has suddenly sprung a leak. So you get the CT scan done. So that’s what I’m doing.

    Of everything anyone has said, Darin’s testimonial here resonates the most. I was on my fists. I notice that most people this is happening to tend to be people who have a high sex drive, getting their O’s on more than once in a day. My girlfriend and I have celebrated our libidos, but we are concerned about the “damper” effect. I fear the pain, and she fears she’ll kill me.

    What I’m most curious about is whether this is actually vascular (I have very low blood pressure, but when I achieve orgasm my heartrate speeds up, my temperature rises to the point of sweating profusely, and it stands to reason that my normally very low blood pressure will have risen), or whether this is related to neurotransmitter-paths–an electrical short of some kind within the pleasure area of the brain.

    Are there any major studies going on about this?

  184. Your not alone!

    I have suffered from intractable migraine disease for 25+ years. I have one a week sometimes two. I have also suffered from Climax headache “coital cephalgia” for the same amount of time and it happens even during masturbation. It happens about one out of every five times I have intercourse. As any male will know the point just prior to orgasm can NOT be stopped and once it starts you MUST finish so the ice pick in my brain is something you know is happening but CAN NOT STOP.Even when you stop intercourse it still happens so you might as well have the fun part along with the excruciating part. I always say there is nothing that feels so good and hurts so bad all at the same time. Mine last for about five minutes or I sometimes get a full blown migraine out of it one hour later. he trick to getting them to calm down for me is to have my wife push down on my shoulders because they are up to my ears cringing from the pain. Then she rubs (very hard) my occipital region ( the point at the base of the skull). This helps get rid of it sooner. Try and relax during intercourse and NOT let the upper part of you body stiffen up. Don’t get up on your fists and hold yourself over your partner. Its a recipe for disaster. I know, its hard to do but if you aviod this position it helps a lot!

    I call them suicide headaches. Its one thing to ramp up to the that level of pain over a four to six hour period but to have it all hit you within 15 seconds is more than I can bear sometimes. I usually fall off the bed, roll around on the floor and breath fast and heavy trying to catch my breath and breath through the pain. People who have these laugh at loud when others call them “headaches”. Headache my eye, they are a brain explosion! It will put a damper on your sex life thats for sure.

    Its nothing to be ashamed of. Talk with your doctor.

    1. I know this is really old but you are right. Headache , even migraine doesn’t discribe the pain. Its like a explosion in my brain.

  185. ive been having post orgasm mirgraines for a whlie now….on and off. how do i stop them? is there any medicine you take? aleve does no good! its unbearable.

  186. Anyone else notice that that article was written in 2003?

    Aside from the abbreviated list of triptans, the articles cited are from 2001 and 1999 respectively, and there is more recent data available.

    The about.com headache content is not what it used to be–that’s for sure.

  187. Kerrie,
    That totally sucks, but it could be worse. At least yours didn’t happen until “post” orgasm. Mine happen just “pre” orgasm; I’m sure you can imagine what that does to the mood. Talk to your doctors about this right away and get help before it destroys your sex life.

    It only had to happen a few times before it really started to mess with mine. At first I thought my arousal problems were caused by a bad relationship, but the relationship wasn’t that serious and I wasn’t that upset about its end.

    That was three years ago. My interest in sex has declined further since that time mainly because the pain destroyed my ability to become aroused beyond a certain point and orgasm is an impossibility. I’ve tried a number of ways to reverse the problem without success. Thankfully, I’m single right now so I don’t have to worry about anyone else’s needs, but that will change eventually and I’ll have to deal with this again.

    I think delay was part of my problem, so don’t make my mistake.

    Good luck Kerrie.

    Metta,
    Kelly

  188. file that under; “well if it isn’t one thing, it’s definitely ANOTHER!” And doesn’t it figure they go, you know, THERE, of all places.

    So, I’ve been there with the hmm, trigger?? But not everytime. and there is no aura, either. No rhyme or reason. Just happens. Pretty much out of the freaking blue when I don’t expect it. Sorry to say. I am real sorry Kerrie. That totally sucks. But I will say, for me at least, it’s not EVERY time. Hopefully, this will be of some comfort for you.

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