Trigeminal neuralgia gamma knife radiosurgery
Common Questions and Answers about Trigeminal neuralgia gamma knife radiosurgery
trigeminal-neuralgia
As many as 90% patients have reduction in symptoms after a month of treatment. Some side effects of facial numbness have been associated. Gamma knife surgery for trigeminal neuralgia has been a safe and effective treatment and better than traditional surgery. Take care.
They also told me to bring a CD, which they played during the gamma knife part of it. The gamma knife machine makes no noise and there is no pain -- I brought a CD that I knew had 3-minute long upbeat songs, so I could do a countdown of when the procedure would be done.
The aftereffects include facial swelling from the frame -- that started shortly after the gamma knife procedure. I put ice on my face to bring down the swelling.
I have typical Trigeminal Neuralgia and had a Gamma Knife treatment 6 months ago. I was told to begin weaning off my medication (Trileptal). Since reducing the medication by 150 mg, I am once again experiencing TN pain triggered by chewing, talking, washing my face, etc. Is this normal when weaning off anti-seizure medications used for TN?
Has anyone had the gamma knife surgery and in doing so worried about radiation exposure? I know it is extremely high in order to destroy the nerve. I would love to know how people deal with and approach the fact even though the radiation is highly targeted, it is still approaching high theapuetic levels. I have pain in both sides of the trigeminal nerve and may need one dose to each side. The idea of that much radiation freaks me out to point I am consdiering Rhizotomy instead.
Thanks!
I had Gamma-Knife Surgery 4 months ago for Trigeminal Neuralgia. After the surgery, I felt no different than before. However, recently, I began to feel a twinge in my lip like a oncoming cold sore. Two weeks later, I have almost complete numbness on the entire left side of my face. I am incredible greatful because my pain is gone, but I no longer feel anything. I feel as though I can't move my face even though the PA said it's all within the nerve not the muscle.
Hi Deb,
Have you gone back to the surgeon that did the EAR operation. It sound like maybe he/she hit the nerve, during the ear suregery! If I were you I'd also get copies of MY medical records from the ear MD as well as the hospital surgical records. THE TN branch is right behind the ear. You may need them for a consult with another TN specialist ( oh make sure you get any and ALL x-rays MRI and stuff flims and not just the reports!
Gamma Knife is not new to TN. I had 2 rounds of Gamma Knife and 2 rounds of MVD. I still have TN and now I have Phantom pain from all of the treatments. The docs are going to try to restore the nerve and start all over again. Gamma knife runs about 150K per round. Insurance companies are hesitate to approve its use for TN now, since it only helps one-half of the TN patients. It is the least invasive of all treatments, the best of all worlds, ONLY if it works.
I suffer from trigeminal neuralgia and am currently taking BACLOFEN to help with the pain. I was treated with the Gamma Knife about a year ago without success. A friend also had TN and was treated with an alcohol shot to the face that had to be repeated about 4 weeks later. That was over 10 years ago and he has had NO pain since. I can find only passing references to the alcohol shot to the face. My question is where can I go to get this alcohol shot to the face?
I've have had TN since Dec 17th. My internist put me on gabapentin which did not help the pain. My neurologist put me on Tegretol, which did not help the pain. My pain specialist put me on Trileptol, which after slowly increasing the dosage finally controlled the pain. April 22nd I had gamma knife surgery. The pain specialist said it'll be 3 months before we know if it worked. There are five surgery options.
5cm. She was treated with gamma knife radiosurgery, which requires another MRI scan on treatment day. In total they found 8 lesions, all of which were treated. Initially she was also very weak and in pain due to swelling and was hospitalized for 8 days on steriod. But after 2 month follow up scan, all previous smaller tumors were gone and the larger tumor was significantly reduced.
gamma knife radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, with a linear accelerator (linac), or proton therapy. In the gamma knife approach, 201 beams of gamma radiation are focused on the tumor in a single session. The damage to the tumor at the convergence point may cause it to stop growing but usually does not cause it to shrink in the long term. It may cause short-term shrinkage due to necrosis in the tumor. The damage may be to the tumor cells and/or to the tumor vasculature.
Treatment may include a specific form of directed radiation called gamma knife radiosurgery. This is a misleading term; this is NOT a type of surgery, it is just the use of radiation in a very focused beam so as to prevent damage of normal structures by radiation. Another treatment option is surgery to remove the mass. Tumors larger than 3 cm may not be amenable to radiation, and in such cases, microsurgical resection is the best option.
Hi,
It is difficult to treat such a persistent post herpetic neuralgia. If you have tried gamma ray knife surgery as well, then there is nothing much in the way of a treatment that can be done. You might have of course tried topical creams, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, steroids, local anesthetics, probably electrical nerve stimulation. If your doctor has not prescribed any of these, you may ask for them. There have been some cases where some amount relief is offered by meditation.
Has anyone had any experience with using Trignotab as an alternative treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia? I am posting this for a friend who does not have access to a computer. She has suffered from this condition for years (30+), has undergone surgery with short term success, has been assessed for gamma knife treatment but is not a candidate. She is currently taking trileptol and baclofen, and is not sure if she can take the Trignotab with these medications.
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 am going twice a week to a Chiropractor to get relief from Trigeminal Neuralgia .He is an expert in in nerve pain treatment.I have Trigeminal Neuralgia since Nov ember 20001..I took Homeopathic treatment,Accupuncture treatment..Since one and half years I am taking Gabapentin,colonzepam,baclofom etc.Pain goes and come.some times it almost blind me due to severe pain.
Is there anyone who got cure by Chiropractor.
Hi,
I am not sure if this is something to worry about, but I've noticed in the last few months I can't move my right small toe. I used to be able to. I have trigeminal neuralgia and had a gamma knife procedure to alleviate the pain (it has helped greatly). I am currently taking neurontin, tegretol, and triliptol (not sure of spelling) to help with TN pain.
I know that occipital neuralgia ( eye TN ) has ruinded peoples lives . Go to you tube, type in trigeminal neuralgia, and you will seee videos of a man who suffered from this ..........let me know how thing's go for you . Good Luck, I know the pain .
I have had TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) now for about 17 years. Sharp stabbing pain at times right side of face, usually centered around upper right teeth/top of lip/bottom of nose area. Have had two Gamma Knife procedures done 10/05 and then 10/08 after pain had returned early '08. Pain has returned this spring and continues. Recent MRI shows no changes from before.
I am panhypopituitary due to pituitary tumor and subsequent gamma knife radiosurgery (1996). . Would I still have the Hashimoto's diagnosis from my twenties or would diagnosis be changed? I ask because I had a GI doctor tell me my weight loss journey would be arduous because of the Hashimotos. Do I actually have Hashimotos now?
This discussion is related to <a href='/posts/show/263697'>Normal Cortisol Levels</a>.
At one point I was up to three different meds then had gamma knife procedure. It worked long enough for me to wene off of two of the the meds then it came back with a vengence but was able to control it with neurontin for a while. Two years ago I began taking Trileptal. Long story short it flared up about 10 weeks ago worse than I've ever had it and haven't been able to get it under control. It has been excrutiating. I worked only one day this week.
I just had a nerve block procedure done for my trigeminal neuralgia pain in my face. My face was sore but after 3 days, the pain in my face became more painful and I felt more electrical current shooting onto my lower teeth area. Why does it seem like my facial pain just got worse after this procedure.
hi again....I looked this up on MAYOCLINIC.COM its referred to as TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA....it follows the branches of the trigeminal nerve...look at the site for more info.
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