"Electric Shock" type pain in my scalp!

Posted by Deby @deby, Aug 17, 2011

It feels like someone is touching my scalp with an electric wire or prod. Like a "zap" and then it takes a few seconds to get over it. It happens 2 or more times per MINUTE! It lastes for a couple of days usually and when it goes away it takes a few more days for my scalp not to be sore. I don't know how many times a year it occurs but when it does, like today, it drives me crazy. I walk around making weird faces and people stare at me. They think I have a headache or migrain but I don't, the pain is only on my scalp not IN my head. Sometimes the shocks occur over and over for a minute, then go back to 2 or more times per minute. It's the weirdest thing and I can't wait for it to be over. I never know when it's going to occur or what brings it on. Anyone ever heard of something like this?

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@kbirrer88

Last night I started getting this electric shock feeling left bottom side of head under my ear. It continued on and off all night and continued all day today. For about a hour at work today I was dizzy almost vertigo. It’s not consistent it just shocks me for 1 to 2 seconds. I read a lot of these reply’s and looked for a rash so I don’t know if it’s shingles. I did just have a kidney infection and on medication for two weeks but I got off about 10 days ago. Should I go to the hospital? Some clients scared me and said I could have a aneurysm. Help

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@kbirrer88

I had that pain and electric shock feeling behind my ear and around my jaw years ago. It became quite painful so I went to my doctor. They said I have TMJ, which involves a deterioration of the disks in my jaw. My doctor said when I get stressed the TMJ will act up. He recommended I go home, have a glass of wine, and relax. He also said I should get a dentist appointment as they can make a mouth guard to wear at night that can keep your jaw in line and keep you from grinding your teeth. I have never gotten the mouth guard as they are quite expensive. I have learned transcendental meditation instead of drinking wine as the cure. I rarely drink any alcohol.

It's possible that TMJ is the cause of your experiences. I would check back with your dentist and ask about TMJ. Best of luck finding relief.

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2018 APRIL I HAD 4 FACET JOINT INJECTIONS IN MY LOWER BACK ..2 ON RIGHT SIDE 2 ON LEFT ....I HAVE ALWAYS HAD BACK PROBLEMS WITH SCIATICA......I FELL 1YR AGO ...AND COULD NOT GET ANY PAIN RELIEF ..I WAS LEARY ABOUT THE INJECTIONS GOING INTO MY SPINE ....I NEVER HAD AN INJECTION IN MY SPINE ....STILL AFTER A FEW MONTHS MY PAIN WAS UNBERABLE...SO I DECIDED I GET THOSE INJECTIONS ....BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE ....HE STARTED ON RIGHT LOWER BACK THEN 3RD INJECTION ON LEFT SIDE ....WHEN HE PUT THE NEEDLE I KNOW HE HIT A NERVE BECAUSE THAT CAUSED MY TO HAVE WORSE PAIN IN MY LEG LIKE ELECTRIC SHOCKS .....HE TRIED TELLING IT WAS PROBABLY THE SIDE AFFECT OF STEROID .....OH HE REALLY PISSES ME OFF TRYING TO LIE HIS WAY OUT OF IT.......WORST EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH THIS IM COMPENTENT DR....
TIL THIS DAY I FEEL LIKE ELECTRIC SHOCKS IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF MY LEFT LEG ...I DONT KNOW WHEN TO QUIT WRITING FOR MY OWN GOOD ....I HAVE OTHER BACK PROBLEMS BUT I WONT GET INTO THAT

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Just had shots in my neck and back. What a waste if time.

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I am suffering from this very thing right now and have done so for about the last 18 or so years. The first time I was aware of it was when I was on vacation with my family. It started in my right ear like an ear ache and then the zapping nerve pain moved to my scalp near my ear and then travelled all the way over my head and as others have described - my scalp was super sensitive when brushing my hair. I put up with the pain for five days before I couldn’t stand it any longer and went to see a doctor. He said it was an inflamed nerve path and prescribed some anti inflammatory tablets which I had to take three times a day which finally gave me some relief. It just about ruined my vacation though. Since then I have had the same thing happen on and off and at the first inkling I take two paracetamol tablets and 1 voltaren tablet about three times a day and that usually settles it back down. I have not had shingles or a rash - only what I have described.

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@switchinggranny

Deby - look up trigeminal neuralgia. I had this most terrible disease. It was actually a vessel laying on an branch of my trigeminal nerve Ultimately I had brain surgery (but some get by with medication) The surgery stopped my pain! Was in 06. But Dean was right.. a Neurologist is your best bet. There is a type of neuralgia that causes pain in the eye.

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That surgery has been updated to an outpatient procedure Sephenocath Ganglion Nerve Block. It is fast and easy and it also knocked out my Husbands diabilitating migraines that he had been having for years!

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I don’t know where you are atDiane 77 but the place where my Husband had this procedure done was The Andrews Institute, Gulf Breeze, Florida.

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Hello everyone,

I have the same symptoms for over a year now and wanted to share my experience and things that I've figured about it so far. A good start would be to mention how and why these pains of mine started: I used to work as a flight attendant and started having these pains in the plane during work, mostly when I hear a sudden sound or if a passenger pokes me at my back etc I'd have these shocks at my hair roots. So, its not unlikely to say excessive stress was the primary cause for me. Nevertheless, I was thinking that its just a regular panic-attack thing back then.

Alongside with the occipital shocks, I was, and still am suffering from severe lower back pain. And I am sure the two are connected.

My other subsequent symptoms include gritting my teeth and feeling congestion in my ears.

In order to find cure, I have tried to remove the primary causes out of my life first, which includes even quitting my job. It helped for a while but then things have got even worse; if it was a couple of shocks a day at the beginning, now its tens of them.

Today I have finally decided to go see a doctor, he was a practising physician. He told me the medical term for this pain and only then I was able to search about it. So whoever reads this message; go see a doctor now. It will at least give you an insight. I will also see a neurologist next week. No matter what kind of treatment they will suggest, I still think that the real cure is a stress and trauma-free, mindful life.

I will try to update my progress. Wish you all a quick recovery and thanks for all the helping posts..

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I have had the same thing the past 2 days on my scalp. I remember having a sensation like this in the past but it usually lasted a few hours and then nothing for a year or so. It’s back now and I can’t seem to shake it off. It is just like you say, sudden and sharp electrical shock which causes pain then it stops. Then it’s every 2 -10 mins. This is so weird. What do we all think is causing this? Will it go away?

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The more I read about trigeminal neuralgia, the more it seems it doesn’t apply to the scalp. I don’t have sharp electric shock pain anywhere else other than sensitivity to my scalp on the left side top part of my head. One thing I have noticed is that if I push one of my fingers into the base of my scull on my left side (where my head meets my neck) I can trigger the pain and even relieve the pain for awhile. So I tried icing that area. Let’s see what happens. Maybe my neck is out and I need to go to a chiropractor? But it sure doesn’t feel like that kind of a thing.

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@fryeplace

The more I read about trigeminal neuralgia, the more it seems it doesn’t apply to the scalp. I don’t have sharp electric shock pain anywhere else other than sensitivity to my scalp on the left side top part of my head. One thing I have noticed is that if I push one of my fingers into the base of my scull on my left side (where my head meets my neck) I can trigger the pain and even relieve the pain for awhile. So I tried icing that area. Let’s see what happens. Maybe my neck is out and I need to go to a chiropractor? But it sure doesn’t feel like that kind of a thing.

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@fryeplace Just reading your post have you seen a neurologist?about this pain it sounds like something with the nerve or maybe like you said a chiropractor could help .I wish you health and relieve .Good luck.

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