Orgasm headache - A&E?!

How do you know it's not a medical emergency.
How does anyone without expert consultation and use of electronic monitoring and lab services.
Do you really understand what a medical emergency is or might be.
These kind of dismissive comments can be dangerous in deterring people from seeking relevant medical input.

Thanks for posting this - I get cough headaches- thankfully they seem more icepick than thunderclap!

Perhaps it was a mind blowing one.

the risk with a sudden headache in this scenario is the very small chance of a 'sentinel' bleed, ie. a small warning bleed before a subarachnoid haemorrhage. A severe but short-lived headache shortly after orgasm ticks the box for that being a possibility. There are other, less worrying causes of post-orgasm headaches, but a sentinel bleed is the one you don't want to miss. It is worth at least speaking to a real life HCP today to get their advice (which may well be that a trip to ED is sensible if it's the first time it's ever happened). Giving an accurate history of what happened may not be the most comfortable experience, but actually it is quite important in this scenario. Most people with a headache after orgasm don't have major pathology, but a significant chunk of people who have a 'proper' subarachnoid bleed have sentinel headaches before the event - it would be daft to miss the opportunity to intervene early.

So what is a thunderclap headache?

Same ive never had a thunderclap headache as far as im aware and I had a subdural hematoma. I however do have icepick headaches multiple times a day

I get this (or similar) frequently and always have done. It's an intense pain at the base of my skull, sort of in the bones rather than in my head if that makes sense. Always goes within a few minutes. I think mine is linked to head position, as I sometimes get it at other times too.

Hope you are ok now. Did you go?

There’s a lot of appalling advice in this thread. You need to go to A and E.

Oh and I work in general practice and in 111. Don’t bother with those and just go straight to A and E not a utc/miu.

Thunderclap headache is a red flag and I’d be sending you to A and E for review.

I’ve had this exact thing after an orgasm. I had to have a lumbar puncture to make sure it was nothing serious. It’s not really worth gambling with. It’s a pain in the arse but you should get checked.

You absolutely are spreading misinformation. The fact that OP feels fine isn’t encouraging at all - it’s totally irrelevant. These headaches are indicative of brain haemorrhage, they are taken very seriously by medics and should always be investigated ASAP.

Most GPs not open at weekends, 111 is there for that reason

But it’s like ‘ask the audience’, with a very wide audience. Probably a better informed than average audience, given that it’s a print medium.

Your advice is incorrect and ignorant.

The OP should go to her local ED, whether she decides to or not is, of course, entirely up to her.

Hope you're ok, OP. Never heard of thunderclap or ice pick headaches before ... off to research...

That's absolutely stupid though. Embarrassed vs dead through giving incorrect info is not a good choice.

Do you think the medical staff are all chaste and will judge you for masturbating?

Be an adult. It's not embarrassing, it's about healthcare.

I would not encourage anyone to give misinformation when a detailed medical history is being taken.

I’d love a thunderclap orgasm , sounds fun!

You can get an initial small bleed that seems fine then a bigger bleed.
It should be taken seriously and she needs assessment.
Having worked in neurology, ITU and a renal transplant unit assessing people with bleeds for organ donation I've seen it happen. It may be fine but until she is assessed by a medical professional you can't tell.

By all means seek medical advice, but I would be embarrassed and would have to change details of the “incident”. Could you have been doing your normal morning press-ups/work out etc?

Only you know whether it was the worst headache of your life, or a sharp pain that might’ve happened because you had been panting/sweating/tensing. If it was really bad and you are worried I would go to A&E to be safe

I hope you're ok OP?

I'd not heard of thunderclap headaches before & didn't know what a risk they are. Blimey! I had no idea an orgasm could be that deadly.

My ex boyfriend’s sister died in her teens from a burst blood vessel in her brain after a hot bath. I wasn’t there but by all accounts she was in so much pain and it just escalated and escalated. I get migraines and so this always worries me. I think if in doubt do get checked out.