Ask a doctor on the topic of Neurology

Weird feeling or twitch in the head

August 28, 2015 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,

About me: I am male, 27 years old and overweight, suffering from hypochondria or an anxiety disorder, but otherwise healthy.

This morning, I felt a strange sensation in my head. It is incredibly difficult to describe, it was like a brief "twitch", an electric shock or a nerve twitch. I was very startled, even though it lasted less than a second. It was really weird. Some strange impulse. I had experienced the same thing a few days ago, but back then I thought it was just a circulation issue or maybe my psyche.

Now I am really afraid that I might have something in my head that shouldn't be there. A tumor or a blood clot, or that it was a precursor to a stroke or something.

I had a head CT scan three years ago in the fall of 2012 for another issue, which was completely normal and unremarkable. At that time, I got worked up about something because of my hypochondria. That's why my doctor probably won't prescribe another CT scan so quickly. But shouldn't I get one? Or do you think it's not necessary?

What do you think? Should I be worried that it's something serious? I am terrified of a blood clot because my former boss had one a few years ago and suddenly passed out in his office and died without regaining consciousness. It was like someone pressed a button and "turned him off" without showing any symptoms beforehand. He was older, around 60, but I know that younger people can also have that happen.

So what should I do? Should I go to the doctor or the hospital immediately? Or should I stay calm and wait for now? Like I said, I am really scared right now, even though it was only - as I said - a millisecond. But still, that's enough to really worry me.

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Good day,

This strange feeling is typical for a nerve irritation in the cervical spine area, which can be caused by poor posture or tension. Tumors, blood clots, and strokes present themselves with completely different symptoms, and at your age, strokes and blood clots only occur with congenital predispositions (which have been ruled out by CT scan).

Under no circumstances should you burden your head with another CT scan (radiation!). In the hospital, they will send you home, an emergency doctor would send you to exercise to loosen your neck, and to a therapist to manage the anxiety disorder.

So: Stay calm and plan therapy for your neck and hypochondria.

Best regards, Dr. Höllering