Sex headache is a rare type of severe headache that occurs at the base of the skull before orgasm during sexual activity, including masturbation.

Brain scans, angiograms, and spinal taps may be administered to diagnose sex headaches.

If the patient has a history of sex headaches and there's no underlying cause, the doctor may recommend that she or he take preventive medicine, such as: indomethacin, an anti-inflammatory; triptans, a class of anti-migraine medication; and beta blockers, such as propranolol or metoprolol.

There are two kinds of sex headaches. The most common variety gives no warning and hapens within a few seconds of an orgasm. Pain is typically described as throbbing or stabbing. The other variety of sex headache often starts as a dull ache on both sides of the head and builds gradually over a matter of minutes before an orgasm, typically intensifying as sexual excitement increases. Most sex headaches last only a few minutes. Others may persist for a few hours. Many people who have sex headaches will go through them in clusters for a few months, and then go for more than a year without any sex headaches.

Any type of sexual activity that results to orgasm — including masturbation, oral sex and intercourse — can trigger sex headaches.