tingle in the face, then dizziness, then sometimes leg shakiness and weakness, left arm weakness... then they go away in a hour or so. There is not pattern to when they happen.
In the 10 years of my tingly-ness have only had one bad 3 1/2 week episode of mostly all the same symptoms just worse and with extreme fatigue.
Thanks!
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. Your doctor will have to figure out which surgery would be best for your situation.
You need to be investigated for trigeminal neuralgia and temporal arteritis. Trigeminal neuralgia is a nerve disorder that causes a stabbing electric shock like pain in parts of face. Various possible causes are multiple sclerosis and pressure on the nerve from a swollen blood vessel. Pain may be triggered by touch, sounds, chewing and light touch on face. Certain blood tests, MRI brain and trigeminal reflex testing apart from a neurological examination are required.
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.
Hope I haven't confused you, I have my name posted before as seekandfind, but it is therese46, so I hope that lessens the confusion..
Bye for now..
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.
Thanks Bob, I will check that out. How did you finally get your diagnosis with TN? Do you suffer symptoms that are typical with TN? I'm just wondering about how my pain will build and sometimes I get the zaps alone, sometimes with the longer ache. Could that still be TN if the pain has a longer duration? Not just zaps?
Also, I've noticed several members here seem to suffer with TN in addition to MS. How cruel is that? And I guess you guys (males) can keep the Cluster Headaches.
I've been searching and finally found this page to see that I am not alone in my symptons, and share most with everyone here. It makes me happy to know I'm not alone but find it most saddening that everyone here suffers also and some worse than others. I was only diagnosed a month ago after I was being treated for H-pylori and took the strong antibiotics. Before that I managed fine with Nexium in what only seemed like acid reflux, four days into treatment and all these symptoms occured.
Trigeminal neuralgia is quite uncommon in people with paranasal sinusitis. Despite what is commonly believed, facial pain is unlikely to be caused by sinus disease, especially in the absence of any nasal symptoms or signs. Yet the history of long standing relief of pain following antibiotic therapy prescribed by the ENT for sinusitis must not be ignored.
This combo has significantly helped control the pain in my eyes (sometimes like ice pellets shooting into them) My doctor says my symptoms are not typical of trigeminal neu. but it must be some kind of neuralgia because I've responded so well to the meds. What could be wrong with me? This has destroyed my life.
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.
As far as I know, TN does always cause pain, though there are often periods without pain. There is also Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia, where there is a constant dull pain with occasional zaps and zings of truly electric pain.
I think it's most common for TN to be one-sided, but it can occur on both sides. People with MS are more likely than the general population to have it on both sides; I forget the ratio.
The pain you have described can be very frightening to people and you are not alone.
One of the conditions that can cause pain as you are experiencing is called Temporal Arteritis. Trigeminal Neuralgia and Atypical Facial Pain also fit. There are other tests the neurologist may recommend.
Many patients I have seen have experienced complete remission of their symptoms without surgery. Some forever, some for many years. Don't get discouraged.
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.
Hi, Thank you for your question. Trigeminal neuralgia as you have typical one sided facial pain extending to temple and eye( ophthalmic branch of trigeminal nerve may be involved) and sore gums of the teeth of same side (maxillary branch of 5th nerve). 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.
Trigeminal neuralgia is nearly always unilateral. In rare cases of bilateral trigeminal neuralgia, individual attacks are usually unilateral, with distinct episodes involving each side of the face at separate times. A change in the location, severity, or quality of the pain should be an alert to the possibility of an alternative diagnosis. Symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia is usually caused by multiple sclerosis or by tumours arising near the trigeminal nerve root.
Hi, Thank you for your question. This may be Trigeminal neuralgia as you have typical one sided facial pain extending to temple and eye( ophthalmic branch of trigeminal nerve may be involved) and sore gums of the teeth of same side (maxillary branch of 5th nerve). 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.
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.
if not, i would make an effort to find one and have him/her work with you and your neurologist, especially if they are suspecting trigeminal neuralgia.
please take good care and do keep us posted.
i have been treated for tmj for 5 years with no relief and then i had an arthrocentesis done and still no relief. now my doc tells me i have trigeminal neuralgia and is going to give me an injection into that nerve. what i want to know is there side effects of this injection? and can trigeminal neuralgia cause pain in the back of the head where the skull meets the spine. i have had continuous pain there worse then ever. i am now on neurontin and baclofen and it helps extremely.
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