Trigeminal neuralgia

[Renault67]

Hi everyone, my name is Pete and I am 79 years old I will be 80 in March. I have both Tinnitus which even though I have had it for years it still gets to me, and I also have Trigeminal neuralgia and when you combine the two it can be rather unpleasant to say the least. I would sincerely appreciate any encouragement that you, my friends, could give me.Sincere wishes, Pete

[bookish]

Hello Pete, just one thought - as you have both conditions and both can be caused or contributed to by low B vitamins, has your GP checked them or are you already supplementing or having injections? If you were already supplementing that may have skewed the results, and if not supplementing please don't until tested, for the same reason. Serum Vit B12 being low can rule in a deficiency but testing cannot rule one out, as you can have a deficiency at any serum level. TN and tinnitus could be lack of B12, but the Bs all work together and it could equally be lack of B1, B2, B3, B6 or B9 (folate). Above the age of about 50 we cannot absorb enough B12 from food to stay healthy so it is likely that you are deficient. If not taking a B complex or similar, I'd ask for a B12 and folate check at least and get a copy of the result - 'in range' or 'normal' means nothing and is no help to you at all. There are several other tests that can be done, although they rarely are, but those two may give you some clues (plus a full blood count (FBC) if they are feeling obliging). Best wishes

[Renault67 in reply to bookish]

bookish, thanthank you so very much for your reply it was indeed very much appreciated. To be honest I have just been prescribed Carbamazepine for my head pain however I have noted your advice and I will most certainly approach my doctor and ask for blood tests to check my B vitamin levels. Once again, thank you for your kindness.

Pete

[bookish in reply to Renault67]

You are more than welcome, and I hope that the Carbamazepine helps you. I would caution that it might be prudent to check the folate and B12 before starting it if possible, so that you have a baseline - antiepileptics such as this can deplete both folate and B12, so it may add to the problem. I'd also try to find out what your MCV is (from full blood count) and you could ask for homocysteine although I'd be very surprised (but pleased!) if they do it. I had this problem with Gabapentin, which I was prescribed for about 14 years for nerve damage, which was unfortunately caused by B12 and folate deficiency which had not been found, and thus made worse. Once you know you can treat any deficiency (always treat the B12 first, just by a few weeks, so don't let them only give you folic acid, especially high-dose as it can precipitate a more severe B12 issue). The drug information also says that vitamin D may be affected, so best ask for that to be checked too, so that you can supplement if neccessary (likely, if you are not doing so already). Any questions, fire away, and good luck.

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