DeerGrAnnie: June 2018

So for years now I've had pain in my head that wasn't quite a headache but it hurt like a headache. I also had much facial pain. I have a girlfriend I grew up with who said it sounded a lot like what she has which is TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) So after a lot of hemming and hawing on my part I finally went to my Dr who sent me to a neurologist. Well he tells me it's not NT but it A Typical facial pain. And he said he only had one med to me to try and if that didnt work he didnt have anything more for me to try. Well I went home tried the med and had a really bad reaction. So I went back and he said well only thing we can do is Botox. (ok did you not tell me there was nothing else for me?) I walked out. (Ok hubby was with so he knew what was being said each time and he said lets go and we walked out) My girlfriend kept urging me to call her Neurologist. So finally I did. I went up there and he said yes I have A typicial facial pain with a overcast of TN. (which means it wasnt so bad at this point but could (and will) get worse) So he gave me a med and said now if this dont work we have more to try. So Ok well at first the amount they wanted me to take I couldnt do. But the 1/2 tab at bed time was helping. We are up from that now with Dr's ok. But at least he is right there with me trying to help fight the pain.
Now people if you have no idea what TN is Google it.
I will tell you one of the things I feel................Today its on my left side.......it feels as if someone took a baseball bat and hit my cheek. Now think of July 4th and fireworks. Think of the ones that go up and go pow then crackle crackle crackle......Thats what the pain across my cheek feels like but it doesnt stop. I'm lucky today its only my cheek, usually I have that pain along with sharp jabbing pain in my head. I'm gonna go take a nap.

Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may include one or more of these patterns:

Episodes of severe, shooting or jabbing pain that may feel like an electric shock
Spontaneous attacks of pain or attacks triggered by things such as touching the face, chewing, speaking or brushing teeth
Bouts of pain lasting from a few seconds to several minutes
Episodes of several attacks lasting days, weeks, months or longer — some people have periods when they experience no pain
Constant aching, burning feeling that may occur before it evolves into the spasm-like pain of trigeminal neuralgia
Pain in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve, including the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, or less often the eye and forehead
Pain affecting one side of the face at a time, though may rarely affect both sides of the face
Pain focused in one spot or spread in a wider pattern
Attacks that become more frequent and intense over time

When to see a doctor

If you experience facial pain, particularly prolonged or recurring pain or pain unrelieved by over-the-counter pain relievers, see your doctor.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic

Causes

In trigeminal neuralgia, also called tic douloureux, the trigeminal nerve's function is disrupted. Usually, the problem is contact between a normal blood vessel — in this case, an artery or a vein — and the trigeminal nerve at the base of your brain. This contact puts pressure on the nerve and causes it to malfunction.

Trigeminal neuralgia can occur as a result of aging, or it can be related to multiple sclerosis or a similar disorder that damages the myelin sheath protecting certain nerves. Trigeminal neuralgia can also be caused by a tumor compressing the trigeminal nerve.

Some people may experience trigeminal neuralgia due to a brain lesion or other abnormalities. In other cases, surgical injuries, stroke or facial trauma may be responsible for trigeminal neuralgia.