Trigeminal Neuralgia

[weird_pain]

I have been suffering with an on off aching pain above my left molar teeth for nearly 6 months. It usually gets worse in the afternoon but normally settles down when I go to sleep.

Every now and again it can feel like a throbbing pain but normally settles to an ache.

It is always focussed above my left molar teeth but occasionally it feels like my whole mouth and jaw has nerve type pain. My other teeth which have had fillings and one which has had a crown is also tingling with nerve pain sporadically.

Occasionally it can give me a tingling head ache up my left hand side and I have also had an ear infection in my left ear in the last couple of weeks.

I have seen several dentists who have x-rayed my teeth and found nothing.

I have also tried antibiotics, painkillers and other prescribed medications but nothing seems to be working.

Last night for the first time I suffered the aching/throbbing pain all night and it has caused me pain for most of the day. The pain feels like it has increased and doesn’t seem to be going away.

My doctor has given me some Codiene 30mg as she thinks it could be Trigeminal Neuralgia. As of yet this does not appear to be taking the pain away.

I just wondered, has anyone that has suffered Tigeminal Neuralgia had these symptoms as my doctors/dentists (I have seen quite a few) are not really sure what it is but are guessing that it is TN.

Would TN be so focussed on one area and cause such prolonged pain?

Thanks for reading.

[lupus_01]

My husband had trigeminal neuralgia and he used to say it was more like an electric shock to the face type pain. On occasion his body would go into shock because of the severity of the attack. He put up with it for seven years with different tablets before having surgery which cured the TN.

[weird_pain in reply to lupus_01]

Hi,

Thanks for replying.

7 years is a long time suffering so positive news that he is now cured.

Can I ask what surgery your husband had?

Thanks

[Rabbiti]

Sorry to hear that you are experiencing pain. My dad has TN, in the beginning we have been seeing dentists and nothing was found and later went to neurologist and diagnosed with TN. He has the pain on the right side of the face. Now he is treated with TN meds. He has been taking the meds from few years and it helps. He has to be careful with exposing to cold wind, eating too cold and too hot food etc. I hope your pain goes away soon and wish you well ❤️

[weird_pain in reply to Rabbiti]

Hi,

Thanks for replying.

Do you know which medication your dad takes?

[cyberbarn]

This does sound like TN, and there are medications that work with it, but you might have to ask to be referred to a neurologist or a pain clinic if there is one in your area.

We can't give medication advice, and they would be prescription only anyway, but you shouldn't have to put up with pain that has a known treatment.

[lupus_01]

My husband was on Tegretol which is an anti convulsion drug. He said it made him feel sleepy and not with it so much. The surgery was microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve. Sounds bad but basically they drilled a hole behind his ear into the skull and put in a clip to pull the artery away from pressing on the nerve. He was a changed man after the surgery (for the better)

[SouthernSally]

Just throwing this out there. Do the teeth that first began hurting have metal fillings? Or old fillings? Do you have sinus allergies? A dentist once told me the teeth, jaw, guns, face, ears, etc have a huge number of nerves running through them and pressing on them. Have you had the ear infection treated? I would do that. My understanding of TN is shooting pain. Of course I'm no doctor or dentist but I've had various root canals, gum surgeries and lots of pain so I empathize. I hope you feel better soon!

[weird_pain in reply to SouthernSally]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I have had antibiotics for the ear infection which is taking a while to clear.

I have a root canal and a metal filling in the area where I have pain but after several x-rays and checks by dentists, no issues have been found.

I’m not congested or showing signs of sinus issues but this has been something that my doctor has discussed.

I was referred to ENT by my doctor in March 22 but no news as of yet. I’m hoping when I finally get to see ENT they will find something.

[Mccabetp]

maybe it’s TMJ. I suffer it.

[weird_pain in reply to Mccabetp]

Hi,

A dentist I visited for a second opinion has given me a splint to treat TMJ in the hope this is the issue.

Other dentists I have seen did not think this was the issue but I thought I would give it a try.

Unfortunately I am still suffering the pain.

[Jaff1]

If it's trigeminal neuralgia, codeine won't touch it. When I first got it, I was eventually prescribed amitriptyline and that was awesome. It took the pain away totally. Unfortunately, these tablets only work for a certain amount of time. There are other medications, but they can make your thinking cloudy. Amitriptyline doesn't affect me the same way, but it won't last forever. These medications are the only ones that work against nerve pain. I hope this helps.

[weird_pain]

Hi,

I’m curious to know from people that have been diagnosed with TN if a constant tooth ache feeling and sensitivity in other teeth is a symptom. Most people seem to describe the pain as shock like, short bursts of pain which I don’t suffer from.

I have been on codiene for a couple of days now and to be honest, I’m not sure if it’s doing anything for me.

I have tried amitriptyline but it didn’t seem to do much for me so I am now trying Duloxetine.