electric zaps

Hi Kathleen,

I'm sorry this is happening to you. I can totally relate to how weird it is.

I used to get electric 'zaps' when I first got sick with Lyme disease (it affects the central nervous system). It was kinda scary, and I would get them especially as I was drifting off to sleep.

I hope you can find a reason for this and a medication to help you soon.

Hi Kathleen,

Welcome to Healing Well. Sorry you are suffering with this. I think you should go back and talk to your Neuro again and explain that you are having a hard time coping with this and ask for his/her suggestions for a way forward, particularly as the Topamax does not seem to be helpful. I think some use the term 'Ice pick headaches', but I am not sure that it is an official term.

I wish you well with this please let us know how you get on.

take care

Ann

what are headaches that are non stop 24 hours a day 7 days a week

kathleen21,


I can totally relate to the zap thing.....I think this is what I have. I thought at first it was a dizziness thing and then perhaps a cardio thing( EKG and Echo came back ok). Can u describe the feeling a bit more? Ive been having this for almost 2 months now on and off and have been having tension like headaches around the temples and back of the neck and had area for 2 weeks now. I had a sinus infection about a month ago, I started the antiboitic but then was taken off it after 2 days because it made me tremble. I never went back to the ENT to check to see if the infection cleared or not. Can u let me know when you have a moment about these zaps youve been getting?

Thanks!

I get these exact pains and went to the urgent care clinic twice this week because of it. It started off on Wednesday when I got this horrible pain on the top right hand side of my head, it hurt so bad it actually caused my eye to flex. It lasted 2 seconds and went away. The pain continued in the same area for a couple days, and now the zaps are hitting in different places all over my head. It is really scary and painful. The doctor thinks they are either cluster or ice pick headaches, but I really want an MRI to make sure it is nothing serious though I have no other symptoms. These pains occur a few times an hour, and literally stop me in my tracks.

Are your pains in one localized area or all over? Sorry to hear you are going through this as well.

The lighten Zaps, if they are on the right or left side of you head.
Sound likes Trigeminal Neuralgia, which I have. Cluster headaches are totally different, they are like a tennis ball, bouncing around in your head, causing pain where ever they hit.

Lyrica did not help me, I was up to 600mg. Did not touch it.

I ended up going to John Hopkins in MD. for a complete and correct diagnosis, see below. I am now on the following medication and the zaps are gone except for one or twice a month
my daily pain level is a 2-4, very tolerable.

Cymbalta 60mg
Innopran XL 125mg at night
Topiramte 100mg am 150mg pm
Imitrex as needed
Tylenol 3 for combo pain

I hope this helps.
Peace
Trina

I too have had zaps. I saw someone in Chronic Pain call them brain zaps. I would be in my Physiotherapy in a heated pool. We would do some repetitive exercise and I was falling asleep. I had some times where I almost dropped in the water. I would then get a zap and it would wake me up and I could finish the class. We are doing more walking now so I don't get so tired. Have not had a zap for some time.

In Chronic Pain someone was discussing brain zaps after surgery. They related it to nerves waking up and functioning again. Not sure if this is correct.

I also had them while sitting in my recliner. Again, fatigue came into play.

I was told when I began to have head pain that any pain in your head is a headache. I have chronic daily headaches for 12 years. My Doctor said I have combination headaches. I get nerve blocks every 4 weeks. I tried Topamax but it caused wretched pain shriveling up my head. I was on Lyrica for a couple years for Fibromyalgia. It did not stop all the pain but once off, I realized that it helped some. I was taken off due to weight gain. Nerve spasms began when I was off Lyrica. Impossible to sleep with spasms in my back and behind.

A Dental Specialist told me that my jaw pain is from Neuralgia. I was on Nortriptyline before Lyrica and came off. The Dental Specialist has prescribed Nortriptyline again for Neuralgia. The spasms have stopped. I have a better sleep most nights. The Nortriptyline does not help sleep if I have additional problems, eg. have a virus at present and can't sleep due to coughing.

I have read a few book about headaches and conquering chronic pain after an injury. The headache that most sounds like mine are cervicogenic headaches. There are people with Fibromyalgia who have headaches. I am not sure what percentage is due to Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia or Neuralgia.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in multiple joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, chronic daily headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...