Some facts:
Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) starts off slow and then occurs more often and for longer periods.
There is no real cure. Some medications help and some procedures help.
I am a 71 year old woman who has had TN for 15 years. I have had every known treatment including Microvascular Desompression (MVD), Gylerol injections, drugs like Neurontin, Tramadol, Tegretol, etc. I have also had Gamma Knife surgery, aka stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), twice. Currently I am in remission, not due to the disease's letting up, but becuase the SRS left the side of my face numb. I suspect the numbness (imagine a xylocaine injection from your dentist) keeps the TN at bay.
Hi Charlotte,
Good to hear from a veteran that knows we all must manage rather than find a cure. There will be bumps, but life will be ok.
eddie13
is your pain bilateral? at the onset of my girl's pain, she had it on one side but it soon went to the other side. God bless you and everyone who is going through this..I cannot understand why there is such a cruel and ruthless condition out there with no answers.
Hi Charlotte,
If you dont mind, could you elaborate on how slow it started and what are the triggers? Thanks.
Radiothermal surgery where they stick a needle in your face and burn the heck out of the nerve is what I did. Hasn't been a a year yet but I have a surgeon on hand if it comes back. Drugs do NOT work for very long so that's out. I have numbness too and I am hoping that will keep the pain away! Good luck to all of us!
My TN started 3 years with pain on right eyebrow and on washing hair.Stayed. Like that for a year until I broke my hip.TN then disappeared for 18months only to come back much worse (yelling at son was trigger) under nose ,top lip and cheek Getting into bed is a trigger as head positions change.So break hip for remission(lol),be nice and don't go to bed. I am on gabapentin and still get attacks.What can we do.?