gabapentin for trigeminal neuralgia

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.

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.

Carbamazepine (Tegretol) was first used to treat trigeminal neuralgia in the 1990s. Because of its success in treating that painful condition (which is very difficult to treat), it was then used to treat all kinds of neuropathic pain. While it may be useful, there are more modern medications that may help if you have a neuropathic pain problem -- for instance, Neurontin (gabapentin) and Lyrica (pregabalin).

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.

I suffer from Trigeminal neuralgia since 2005. For first few years I didn't have to take any meadication. Since 2010 attacks were frequent. I am on Tegretol 50mg am & 50 pm. The side effects are terrible,feeling extremly tired & also feeling low. Some times I have to increase the dose& it's unberable.Is there alternative?

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.

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, , 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.

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

I woke up with Trigeminal Neuralgia last Thursday morning. I knew that was what it was, because I had it once seven years ago. This time it's SO much worse! I told myself I'd "tough it out" for the weekend, even though I did put in a call to my neurologist. By Sunday, it was so bad, I was in tears! I told my DH "just take me out back and shoot me like an old horse!" I was kidding, but kinda serious, too!

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.

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.

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.

I am a sax, flute, clarinet player with Trigeminal Neuralgia. Very annoing to have daily pain when practicing my proffesion. Have been taking Carbamezapine and lately Gabapentine, which both cause Erectile Disfunction. Have read that Oxcarbazepine does not have this side effect. Have not convinced my neurologist to let me switch meds. What success have people had using Oxcarbazepine for TN, and does it also cause ED? I don't want to use either carbamezapine or gabapentine if possible.

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 .

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?

Which medication are you on? All of the anticonvulsants can cause side effects, but some people report they get used to the drugs after a few weeks. Be aware that the drugs used to treat TN can cause depression -- as if dealing with the diagnosis isn't depressing enough! They can also make you drowsy. My doctor suggested I take a NoDoz with the daytime doses. But talk to your doctor, because caffeine can be a trigger for some people. People describe a "brain fog" feeling.

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.

Without the medication I could not live with this pain, it does help but the pain never goes away, and I dread it when I know that I am going to have an attack, nobody seems to know exactly what is what is causing this, I have looked up Trigeminal Neuralgia and I have these symptoms along with other symptoms, can you please tell me if you think that I may have this or a combination of Trigeminal Neuralgia and Hemicrania Continua. I live in the UK and would really appreciate your advice.

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.

For those of you with trigeminal neuralgia, would you mind me asking you what it feels like? I have been assuming, for a while, that what I have in my face is bilateral trigeminal neurlagia. But, perhaps I'm wrong.

Has your mother seen a Neurologist for evaluation? I had Trigeminal Neuralgia after shingles on my face, and the pain is worse than anything I've ever felt before. She definately needs to be checked out.

Gabapentin for trigeminal neuralgia

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