Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 June 2026
A 31-year-old woman with history of tobacco and alcohol use presents to the emergency department at 6 a.m. with 1 week of episodic unilateral severe “sharp/stabbing” pain behind her right eye. She describes them as “attacks,” reaching maximum intensity over 5–10 minutes, lasting 30–60 minutes, and occurring 2–4 times back-to-back each morning. These attacks wake her from her sleep, with 10/10 pain, and are associated with a runny nose and tearing. She has tried over-the-counter medications without relief and finds herself pacing the house in tears waiting for the pain to resolve. These symptoms have occurred twice before, in the previous 2 months, each with 1 week of being awakened with 10/10 headache, and resolving spontaneously within an hour with no visual, motor, or speech symptoms during or around the time of headache/eye pain. Her last headache was approximately 1 hour ago, and she is scared it will happen again.
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