I wondered if anyone had tips on how not to get depressed. Ultimatley im getting angry or impatient with people because i look normal no oje understands the intense pain.
Are there any tricks i can do when the pain comes on full effect to stop it/ relieve it?
So far I use plastic cutlery, drink out of straws and wrap a scarf around my face. Im taking 400mg of neaurotin x3 a day and then x2 20mg of amitriptyline.. When the pain is bad i take an exta 100mg of neaurotin as and when i need it.
My teeth are so sensitive they have constant pins and needles, to touch them makes my eyes water if a fork comes close. I can only chew on one side as if i try to use the other i bite right into my lip and have a nasty cut, which annoyingly unlike my actual lip i can actually feel. When I clean my teeth i kind of cry and moan as it hurts so much..
Any pain relief tips???
Thank you in advance x
Hi tanee2
I understand your omg feelings. Unfortunately you do not have it under control yet with meds. Are you under neurologist care? I got it under control with 200mg Tegretol 4x a day every 6 hours specifically.
Once you get it under control, you will get over the why me. It will be just a maintenance.
If you are less than 45, I do feel for you.
eddie13
Yeh it's not really why me it's just like I have voices in my head but they are painful.
I tried Tegretol the side effects were awful. I think I do need still need to work out how to manage it.
Im 29, for my 30th next month I was booked to jump out of a plane and I know I can't do that now Im not ready but maybe there could be a way in the future?
I agree with Eddie. The drugs you are taking do not seem to be effective. You definitely should be seeing a neurologist. Are you aware there are treatments other than drugs? The Trigeminal Association has much information about drugs and treatments.
Thank you Caryl Im seeing a pain therapist and have got planned appointments with a pain clinic but I haven't got an appointment until the end of the month.
I feel a bit lost to be honest. I haven't had any support really just been told how to take meds. They said there are patches i can put on my face so i can go out i the wind without crying..
Can you get an appointment with a neurologist?
hi, sorry you have to join the club. you need to get your medication right, best one by far is Tegretol and gabapentin. you will not have relief with Amitriptyline.
i was on oxcarabazepine and i was on the maximum dose of that and gabapentin. what i was doing was taking them like painkillers. i am now on 400mg teg and cut right down to 900mg of gab. its a long road and you have to find a doc who will work with you.
when i first went on tegretol the side effects were horrible but i have gone back on them and never had a side effect at all.
i have read that using a straw will hurt more and stress will make it worse, easier said than done.
Hi there,
please reveal what wonderfully sensitive, intuitive and learned person told you that you would have tn forever without giving you a way to go forward. Did they just leave it at that or did they refer you on to a Neurologist. If it was a neurologist, may i suggest a second opinion as the person who said that to you was an insensitive person with clearly no idea of the pain they were leaving you in the hands of. Please continue to be a part of this forum. We are interested and many people here have a lot of knowledge to offer you
Well they said as there has been no change in my condition that it is more than likely to be permanent. They have given me a pain specialist, I'll get a therapist and they do havens neurologicist available but they think I will control it with medication. My reaction to some of the medicines has been pretty horrific but I'm not finding enough relief with what u have and my actual doctor doesn't understand the condition at all 
so is being quite difficult.
I found tegretol gave me such bad sickness I couldn't keep taking it, I stopped after 4 days.. Would you recommend staying on it? I found with neaurotin that I got used to the dizziness/vertigo after a month but nervous to try any more as I felt like I was swimming when I was walking? Did you have same problem? X
I agree with Carly's comment above. You must try to insist on seeing a neurologist and then ask what alternatives are available. Tn is different for everyone. Some control it with medication and have to change it from time to time, others find that an operation is better for them. Dont give up. Unfortunately, just when you feel at your weakest is when you need to be at your strongest. My neurologist was shocked when i asked for a referral to a surgeon for Gamma Knife. He was then intrigued and asked me to "keep him in the loop" so he could learn more. Tn is strange and its hard sometimes to cope, we all know this. Sometimes the doctors dont understand. Keep strong, keep warm (it helps) and keep moving toward something that will help you.
Hi tanee2 - this might help - try to ensure that you take your medicine at equally spaced intervals throughout the 24 hours so that you have a constant level in your blood stream. I did this by setting alarms on my smartphone so I wouldn't forget (!) and since then, I've had no break through pain at all. Of course, it might be that the TN is quieter at the moment anyway, but its worth a try.
Thank you for this, I have increased my dose so I don't get caught out, I do sometimes forget or loose track of what i ahve taken so Im going to set my alarm thats great thank you. .. it's just being in the cold now that is unbareable but doctor thinks she can give me some patches to put on to help.. Everyone on here has been so kind, thank you so much.
i would say give tegretol another chance, when i first went on it, it was awful! but tried a second time and had no side effects from it at all.
Hello, tanee2
I have very similar symptoms. A few tips helped me with the difficulty brushing, try using warm water, a soft brush with gentle strokes and no swishing or puckering to spit out the toothpaste, just kind of let it drizzle or drool out on the side with less pain. I know it sounds kind of gross but it helped me. It's still painful but these tips helped.
i am currently using my wheatbag for a little heat near my face on the painful side. I cant actually touch my face with it so i just kind of hold it near so i can feel the heat from the bag. Chemist gave me some numbing gel for when its less bad (i am trying everything i can get), i use Sensodyne toothpaste which i use to very gently brush my teeth on the other side then kind of swish it so so carefully across the other side then brush a little closer. I can only brush my teeth on that side sometimes. I cant drink through a straw because as latonya says, puckering is just awful and i use her method for cleaning my teeth also with the drizzling out the side of your mouth.
Hi tanee2
I have had TN for a 5 years and when I first tried tegretol it made me really sick so the doctor put me on the controlled released
tegretol. I have been kind of managing the pain until this year
and az the pain is increasing the pain specialist is introducing
lyrica.
I use a heated throw rug at night- either laying on it on placing
over my face as I find that the cold at night is terrible and if the
gets to much its too hard to manage the day....
Its such an awful condition to have... My Dad had it too.
I am taking tegretol 100mg with 600mg neaurotin together 3x every 6 hours .. I'm still in pain all the time and an Aircon or fan can bring on a full on kind of puns and needles sharpe attach.. but the sickness is getting a little more manageable ..
How do you find lyrica I couldn't get through lyricia as I was just throwing it up ... ?
Hello sorry for late reply, you mentioned puckering ... I'm finding that I cannot kiss without kind of crying the specialist says I'll learn how to block out the pain.
Is that true? It's really getting me down other than that I am taking all of your advice and trying to life life as normally as possible. X
I take 400mg of tegretol ( controlled release) in the morning and 600mg at night. The maximum I take of it is 1200 in one day...
I have just started again on the lyrica. I had tried it a few years back (100 mg per day I think) but it made me cry a lot, dizzy, confused and I lost my memory and ability to walk straight.. It was terrible.. The pain specialist I have seen this week wants me to try it again at a low dose- 25mg at night.. I'm very nervous but I'll see.. I'm on holidays for another week so if I go nuts at least I'll be nuts at home!