I was just diagnosed with Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia yesterday. I turn 40 on November 15th. The pain is unbelievable when it comes on, and unfortunately I have a very difficult time taking pain medications as they make me very ill & drowsy beyond belief. I have had 2 MRI's, a Fine Cut CT Scan, met with an Otolaryngologist and a Neurologist. We now know that I have this rare neuralgia condition.
There is a different form of neuralgia called glossopharyngeal neuralgia. It has a similar pain sensation as that of trigeminal neuralgia but in a different location. This type of neuralgia is rare and is usually one sided. The pain can be felt in the throat, tonsillar region, back of the tongue (not front), and even the ear and neck. The pain can be triggered by various activities such as laughing, chewing, coughing, speaking, etc.
The treatment is similar to that of trigeminal neuralgia.
Symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia is usually caused by multiple sclerosis or by tumours arising near the trigeminal nerve root.
Differential diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia:
Cluster headache - Longer-lasting pain; orbital or supraorbital; may cause patient to wake from sleep; autonomic symptoms
Dental pain (e.g.
There is also glossopharyngeal neuralgia which can cause pain and difficulty swallowing. It is a different nerve very close to the Trigeminal nerve.
You may want to post your question on one of the Ask the Doctors or Experts forums, if you haven't done that already.
Other resources include the Facial Pain Association and Living With TN websites or the book Striking Back, a great resource about Facial Pain.
After dealing with my PCP for several weeks, I insisted to be seen by an ENT. He diagnosed my situation as glossopharyngeal neuralgia. I was put on gabapentin twice a day and it helped for a while although I had break through pain. The dosage was increased approximately a year later after being sent to a neurosurgeon. Another year went by with the increased medication, then the pain started to worsen and I was put on carbamazepine also.
- offered clinical diagnosis of glossopharyngeal neuralgia; currently using medication - have tried tegretol, trileptal, amitryptiline without much success
neurosurgeon: suggests vascular decompression of 8-9 (glossopharyngeal) nerve bundle.
Could anyone help with info/advice on my problem.
A am 44yrs female with MS approx 12yrs, recorded lesions for 10yrs with neruo doctor saying ‘it may be MS we’ll wait and see’. Sent to physician who couldn’t believe I’d been left so long without diagnosis and treatment. Now been treated MS meds 2yrs. I am mobile, using crutches occasionally.
Could anyone help with info/advice on my problem.
A am 44yrs female with MS approx 12yrs, recorded lesions for 10yrs with neruo doctor saying ‘it may be MS we’ll wait and see’. Sent to physician who couldn’t believe I’d been left so long without diagnosis and treatment. Now been treated MS meds 2yrs. I am mobile, using crutches occasionally.
He concurred with the ENT that I indeed had Glossopharyngeal neuralgia and told me about the surgery. At that time I wasn’t ready for a drastic step so they increased the medication. It worked for another year with some breakthrough pain. Then the pain increased and they put me on another anti-seizure medication along with the one I was already on. The combination was making me sick. That is when I decided to have the micro vascular decompression.
Hi,
The one diagnosis which I can think of in your case is glossopharyngeal neuralgia but in this condition the pain/pressure can be quite severe. In this the pain begins in the throat and usually radiates to the neck and is due to the pressure on the glossopharyngeal nerve, a nerve which supplies to the tongue and the throat.
Hello and welcome to the cancer forum. Thank you for your question. Please see the ENT for evaluation. Although, I would imagine the ENT you already had been working with would be on top of diagnosing anything especially something serious like cancer. There are over 200 strands of HPV and most are harmless. But yes, there is a link to oral cancers.
Other potential types of neuralgia that can cause ear pain include glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Face pain with triggers such as touching the face could be due to trigeminal neuralgia.
I recommend that you be evaluated by a neurologist. After he/she examines you, he/she may choose to order additional testing such as an MRI, and after diagnosis there may be treatment that may be beneficial to your symptoms.
What other symptoms were present? It is good that the initial MRI was normal. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia, a condition in which there are repeated episodes of severe pain in the tongue, throat, ear, and tonsils, may be diagnosed with the help of blood tests such as sugar level to look for the causes of nerve damage, and imaging studies like CT scan or MRI.
Did you ever get a reply? Sounds like Trigeminal Neuralgia Type 1 or Atypical. There is help for this! Same needs used for seizures help condition and pain attacks. Tegretol is one but many more. Thank you
Neurologist treats TN. Studies happening now.
Traumatic trigeminal neuropathy is generally not associated with trigeminal neuralgia. However, both entities may be responsive to pharmacologic intervention. Seeing a neurologist or orofacial pain specialist misadvised.
I have been going to the doctor for several years for sinusitis, then I began to have facial pain. After several different doctors, I was told that I had trigeminal neuralgia as well as a deviated septum. I eventually had laser surgery for the trigeminal neuralgia, but the a facial pain continues. The nerve pain has subsided, but I continue to have facial pain on my left side. The pain seems to get worse if I lean my head to that side.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) rarely occurs with sinusitis but it has been described. The persistent congestion and your severe headache suggest that, despite the "clear" sinus x-rays you may have sinusitis or an infection of the sinus that has extended beyond the sinus walls.
That you are still ill suggests a possible infectious complication. You would do well to consult with an ENT specialist and have a CT scan of your sinuses and the adjacent areas.
Good luck.
Hi,
The common causes of shooting pains on right side of head are trigeminal neuralgia, temporal arteritis, tension headaches etc.In trigeminal neuralgia there are successive bouts of face pain. This pain occurs when a blood vessel compresses the trigeminal nerve as it leaves the brain stem. Temporal arteritis is caused due to inflammation of medium and large sized arteries bringing blood to the head.
Recommended
