Extreme but short headache

[destrekor]

Alright, so here I was, just lying in bed (well, more accurately, asleep), but then apparently I woke up, as all of a sudden I realized I had this insane pain at the back of my head. To describe where it is, follow me here: start at the base of your neck, move your hand up and you'll probably reach a part where the skull feels like it juts out, and then back down again, and at that back down part it's almost like a small divot. (it's not just my head, i've seen it on many a bald person, if not everyone).
right in that region, and it sort of felt like it was also a little down towards the base of the skull as well, but mostly dead center back of the head... I had this most intense pain that was essentially the worst headache I have ever felt. It didn't really last all that long in retrospect, and I was apparently able to fall back asleep, but it was agonizing and felt like forever. I was thinking I was going to die from an aneurysm or something.

two years ago, I had a 2 month-long headache, which the first week I had a stiff neck, flu-like symptoms, and the headache for the first two weeks had on average, been between an 8 and 10 on the pain scale, and grew less intense for the following month and a half, and mostly the entire last month, it was there but was ignorable, just annoying, not agonizing like the first two weeks. the headaches were always generalized across the head, but focused on the entire back and sides of the head, not the front or temples like a regular headache. by the way, an x-ray and CAT scan revealed nothing. never got an MRI done because insurance costs had racked up quite a bill at that point, and by the time I had the CAT scan, the pain was less severe, so by the time an MRI was considered, I was less worried about any kind of condition, since emergency conditions tend to get worse after time, not better.

now, back to the pain that woke me up...
So, having no prior medical conditions, is this something that should be looked at, or is it a one-time thing? I've never had that happen before in my life.
Could it have been like a localized 'injury' from a bad sleeping position? The past month, I've been using this new pillow, one of those foam-type that contours to the head. I'm wondering if its a bad pillow choice for me since I sleep in many different positions throughout the night, including on my back, on my stomach, on my side, with positioning of the head in many different places too.
And when I woke up for good in the morning, besides being groggy like usual, I kind of felt a little residual, well I can't find the right word to describe it other than slight stiffness, in my upper neck. Related? No clue, as I often have stiff or sore neck due to my sleeping habits, and I know I'll have a bad pillow when I start having headaches that are seemingly induced by a stiff/pained neck.

worry? don't worry?
I'm not worrying as of now, just interested in what may have caused it.

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

If the new pillow is giving you any pain or stiffness, I'd ditch it.

 

[Bryophyte]

The problem you had two years ago sounds just like viral meningitis. My son went through that about 1.5 years ago, poor little guy.

The pain that woke you up could very well be from a muscle spasm very high in your neck, where your head attaches to your spine. Probably a one-time thing, but could potentially become a regular problem. I've been fighting the same thing since January, and the pain can be exquisite. I recommend you find somebody to give that area a massage, and if it comes back, try heat and gentle stretching.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
The problem you had two years ago sounds just like viral meningitis. My son went through that about 1.5 years ago, poor little guy.

The pain that woke you up could very well be from a muscle spasm very high in your neck, where your head attaches to your spine. Probably a one-time thing, but could potentially become a regular problem. I've been fighting the same thing since January, and the pain can be exquisite. I recommend you find somebody to give that area a massage, and if it comes back, try heat and gentle stretching.

hmm, thanks for the advice.

and I too thought it was viral meningitis, but my parents keep calling my a hypochondriac and still seem to associate viral meningitis with the lethal bacterial meningitis, which apart from the symptoms are very different animals. since meningitis can be caused by many a different virus, it's not uncommon. But alas, apparently my doctor never suspected it and didn't give me a spinal tap to determine if it was indeed viral meningitis.
I've always wanted to go to a chiropractor, for as i say 'to work out the kinks in my back and neck'. It'd probably do me wonders and make them both much more comfortable on a daily basis. On occasion, they both can be annoying. A good deep massage to both the back and neck would be wonderful.