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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffIn some cases, your first sex headache may also be your last one. And many sex headaches last for such a short period of time, the pain is gone before any pill you take can work. Because of reports that engaging in sex soon after experiencing a sex headache can cause even worse pain, you may be advised to refrain from sexual activity until your last headache has completely resolved.
Preventive medications
If you have a history of sex headaches and there's no underlying cause, your doctor may recommend that you take preventive medications on a regular basis. These may include:
- Daily medications. Beta blockers, which are used to treat high blood pressure, glaucoma and migraines, may be taken daily to prevent sex headaches. They're only recommended if you have frequent or prolonged attacks.
- Occasional medications. Indomethacin, an anti-inflammatory, or triptans, a class of anti-migraine medication, can be taken an hour or so before sex to ward off headaches.
- Cutrer FM. Primary headache associated with sexual activity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed Dec. 9, 2009.
- Goadsby PJ, et al. Headaches. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2890365. Accessed Dec. 8, 2009.
- Preorgasmic headache. International Headache Society. http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/02_teil1/04.04.01_other.html. Accessed Dec. 9, 2009.
- Larner AJ. Transient acute neurologic sequelae of sexual activity: Headache and amnesia. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:284.
- Delasobera BE, et al. Thunderclap headache with orgasm: A case of basilar artery dissection associated with sexual intercourse. The Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2009;Oct. 7:e1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8B-4XDCP10-1&_user=130561&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000010878&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130561&md5=b63b03a87829d9e5828c5ac9921ab3e5. Accessed Dec. 12, 2009.
- Bartleson JD (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 22, 2009.
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