What Causes Headaches Along With Sweating?

Posted on Wed, 1 Oct 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 1 Oct 2014 Answered on

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I've been experiencing headaches on the right side of my head above the ear for about 6 weeks. They come and go intermittently but feel like sharp stabbing pains. I haven't had them every day but in the past two weeks they have increased and are occurring almost daily. They are particularly bad when I stand up after sitting. I've also been sweating a lot and feeling cold and clammy, particularly on my forehead and face. I started taking medication for hypothyroidism about a month ago and already take medication for high blood pressure and depression/anxiety. Any idea what could be causing the headaches and sweating?

Answered by Dr. Shehzad Topiwala (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Adrenal

Detailed Answer:
Sorry to note your complaint.

There can be several reasons for this. They are best addressed by examining the individual in person.
However, here I will mention a few potential causes:

1 Very inadequately treated thyroid
Your synthroid dose is very low. While that may be appropriate for some, only a blood test for TSH and Free T4 will give an idea whether the dose is correct or not.
Grossly elevated TSH can cause a variety of symptoms, including some that you have

2 High blood pressure
Uncontrolled blood pressure can cause headaches too. So make sure this is managed well.

3 Pheochromocytoma
This is a rare condition that results in headaches and sweating. A simple random blood test for 'Plasma free metanephrines' is a good way to screen for this. It does not require fasting.

Finally, it would be worthwhile considering a CT scan to investigate this. But this must be as per the discretion of your healthcare provider, based upon findings of detailed physical examination

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar