gabapentin and trigeminal neuralgia

I used to drink very heavy 15 years ago but then stopped for a long time and then started doing it sensibly. I then stopped 3 years ago to look after my mum who became ill. I was doing fine until last year when I started getting shooting pains up and down the left side of my head which has now gone inside. I also have nystagmus and tachardiya. My neurologist says I have trigeminal neuralgia but the symptoms don't seem to be improving despite being on Tegretol and Gabapentin.

Hi, Thank you for your question Trigeminal neuralgia may have a triggering factor like recent history of tooth extraction, touch, cold breeze or hot sensation etc. which you need to evaluate and avoid. Drug of choice for trigeminal neuralgia is carbamazepine but as the dose may vary according to severity therefore I would advice an oral medicine specialist consultation or at least a physician to confirm this diagnosis and get you treated accordingly. Take care.

Your symptoms do not exactly match the clinical picture of trigeminal neuralgia but you should continue with the treatment and do notgo in for complicated details.The treatment consists of medicines, surgery, and complementary approaches. For more information refer http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/trigeminal_neuralgia/detail_trigeminal_neuralgia.

One of the causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia could be tumors. The Trigeminal nerve and its branches touches many parts of the face including the sinuses. (Google Gray's Anatomy (bartleby.com) for good diagrams of where the Trigeminal Nerve is). I personally have not heard that TN loosens teeth -- although pain in the teeth and gums (because of all the areas the nerve touches) is common.

There are two anti-convulsants that are frequently used for nerve pain and they are Neurontin (Gabapentin) and Lyrica (Pregablin). I myself take Gabapentin for nerve pain. You are first person that I have come across that takes a different anti-convulsant from Neurontin or Lyrica for nerve pain. Both neurontin and lyrica have side effects but they may be more tolerable than the side effects from Tegretol. If you go to http://www.drugs.

Trigeminal neuralgia may have a triggering factor like recent history of tooth extraction, touch, cold breeze or hot sensation etc which you need to evaluate and avoid, , but hardly varies with age. Drug of choice for trigeminal neuralgia is carbamazepine but as the dose may vary according to severity therefore I would advise an oral medicine specialist consultation or at least a physician to confirm this diagnosis and get you treated accordingly. Take care.

There is a chance of a misdiagnosis here if Tegretol is not working. It is the gold standard for treating trigeminal neuralgia. If it is not working, it may possibly be pain of some other cause. The neurologist may be able to help you sort this out.

Hi, trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder affecting the areas of the face where the trigeminal nerve's branches are distributed, including the lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, and upper and lower jaws. Often caused by an artery that compresses the nerve, the condition can bring about stabbing, mind-numbing, electric shock-like pain from just a light wind or a finger's glance of the cheek.

My sister in law is diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia ... she is currently on Pregalin 75 for 6 weeks ???

Hi, possibly it is neuralgia, in conditions like trigeminal neuralgia similar kind of symptoms are seen. Do consult neurologist for investigations. Trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder affecting the areas of the face where the trigeminal nerve's branches are distributed, including the lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, and upper and lower jaws.

I've only had trigeminal neuralgia since Dec 17, 2008 and am 47 years old. I was told I'm "fairly young" for this disease, but I also have multiple sclerosis, so that may have been a contributing factor. Your son is much younger than me and that may be a big factor in what a doctor may advise. My advice is that your son find a doctor who specializes in TN, preferably at a teaching hospital in the nearest big city.

Symptoms of Trigeminal Neuralgia after dental visit. Sensitive to many of the treatments. Tolerate Gabapentin but makes me very drowsy. I would like to hear about natural elements I can explore. I have also developed multiple allergies to many foods and animals I did not have an issue with previously.

Over the years I have had the episodes of thinking there was a problem with my back teeth. The teeth were fine, and the pain would subside. Then, I have had more frequent episodes of, what I call, a left temple/eye pain. It wasn't really a headache, but tender, with mild pain shots. Several days ago, I developed pain behind and above the right ear, and would have seconds of very sharp pains. I also though I had the flu due to nausea. Yesterday, I had my yearly exam with the Dr.

In all probability, you are suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. For medical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia several types of drugs are tried either singly or in combination. These are anti-epilepsy drugs such as valproate, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenytoin, gabapentin, and pregabalin; muscle relaxants such as clonazepam and baclofen; tricyclic antidepressants such as carbamazepine, amitriptyline, and nortriptyline.

i believe that i have trigeminal neuralgia but i do not know what tests are done to confrim this . can you tell me what tests have to be done so i can ask my physician to ruin these tests or demand they run them ? i have been so sick for so long . i literally have been to 25 -30 doctors to find out what is wrong with me . and every test comes back negative except that a test came back positve for fungal aspergillosis .but they do not say anything about treating it .

Thanks for your suggestion. I am seeing my family doctor tomorrow and will ask her to prescribe something till I'm seen in neurology. I did get put on neurontin the first time I went to emerg. but the doctor who followed up said it's a drug with bad side effects and has to be gradually increased and he didn't renew the prescription. He sent me for CT and MRI neither of which found a cause. I was painfree for 8 months and now it's back with a vengeance.

ve just been diagnosed with TN and read about all the bad things about this disease and I an scared. I am 44,female and a cyclist. I heard that exercise is a negative trigger,but I cannot live without my spinning and cycling, what now?

This could be caused by trigeminal neuralgia...it eminates from the head. I take "gabapentin" twice daily. Try googling this medication and see if it fits your circumstances. Good luck.

It is also used to reduce or suppress seizuress, treat schizophrenia, trigeminal neuralgia, and relieve certain neurogenic pain such as trigeminal neuralgia." As Phil said there are many other medications that are often more effective in treating neuropathic pain - medications that are newer and often more effective. If your MD has prescribed this for nerve pain I'd ask questions.

For this, well need help of the other symptom, the face. To me, it looks likes the pain and hypersensitivity to touch as seen in Trigeminal Neuralgia. You have described the facial pain in exactly the manner in which Trigeminal Neuralgia strikes. I am concerned here. If this is trigeminal neuralgia, and you do not have any other indication that would tell that this is a herpes virus infection, the next option is MS. I feel this should be kept in mind and ruled out accordingly.

I have been suffering with Trigeminal Neuralgia since 2006. I have done some reading that states people do take flexeril. Is this med helpful for nerve pain?

ve had headaches,eye pain and facial pain for some time now which was diagnosed as migraine, cluster headache and now trigeminal neuralgia. I am taking Gabapentin for this pain and it does work and relieves the pain until it wears off. Apart from the above, I get tingling in my cheek and sometimes temporary numbness and odd sensations spreading over my cheek.

I've had TN now for 46 years. At age 9 I was the youngest to have it, but now there are babies with it (so sad). Docs tried lots of things, and every drug. By the time I was 16 they created Tegritol (carbomezapine) . By the time I was 21 they had perfected decompression surgery, which didn't work.

I did some research and I believe it is transgeminal neuralgia. She has every symptom of it and all the drs want to pass it off as dental pain. I know it is transgeminal neuralgia but I do not know how to prove it. Can you help?

Gabapentin and trigeminal neuralgia

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