Orgasmic headache treated with nimodipine.

INTRODUCTION

Orgasmic headache (OH) is a sudden and severe headache that occurs at the time of or shortly after an orgasm. AIM.: We present the case of typical primary headache associated with sexual activity, especially during an orgasmic period.

METHODS

A 34-year-old man complained of sudden and severe headache during sexual activity, or orgasmic period, for 2 months. The headache developed abruptly with an orgasm and then decreased shortly over a period of 4 ≈ 8 hours.

RESULTS

Magnetic resonance angiography revealed severe spasm of the M1 segment of both the middle cerebral arteries. He was treated with oral nimodipine (30 mg every 8 hours), which alleviated the headache and prevented its recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

We postulated a pathophysiological relationship between OH and migraine, especially with respect to vasoconstriction, and believe that in such cases, nimodipine may be an effective therapy.