A Rant and Some Questions

General General TN & GPN (Old Site)
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First, I just want to say thank you to those who have commented on my page with supportive and kind words. This has not been an easy several months for me and it's been difficult to talk to friends and family when they just don't understand.

Since the neurologist wrote my pain off as psychogenic, I've been doubting my own experience, wondering if I did, indeed, mentally and emotionally wind myself up into a frenzy of pain and discomfort. I'm a psychology student, so not unlike medical students who develop some level of hypochondria learning about diseases, I've been questioning my sanity and whether or not this has all been a somatoform disorder. Like Red pointed out on my page, however, there is no academic literature(conducted after the 80's) proving that anxiety or depression can cause neuralgia – of any kind. I have pored through the databases I can access through school and have found NOTHING to support my neurologist's claim that my pain has been caused by anxiety. The fact that I have not even been suffering from anxiety recently only adds to the obvious case that this is real.

In order to weed out what symptoms are/could be related to trigeminal neuralgia and what aren't, I'm wondering how many of you have had similar experiences to mine:

I recently turned 30. From what I've read, TN normally affects older adults. Did anyone else's symptoms start this early or do you know of cases striking younger individuals?

My pain started in the left ear – stabbing shooting pains occurring at seemingly random times. (I thought it might be geniculate neuralgia. Do any of you also suffer from this?)

The original pain was replaced by dull pain in and around my left ear and a temporary muffled/full feeling.

I began having electric shock sensations in my left cheek along with an uncomfortable tingling that felt like novacaine wearing off. The pain later began effecting the left side of my nose, scalp, mouth and eye.

I began having the same electric shock sensations in my right cheek. I had the first intensely painful spasm on my right side. It was exactly what is typically described in TN – horrific pain lasting about ten seconds – hurting so bad I screamed out.

I am still having frequent mild to moderate electrical spasms in both cheeks, a dull continous pain along the left side of my face, and most recently, frequent bouts of stabbing pain in my left eye. (Is this normal of TN or would I be experiencing the horrific “I want to die” pain I experienced in my right cheek more frequently?)

Also, does anyone experience any electrical, burning or stabbing sensations anywhere else in their bodies? I have read that there a connection between chest pain and TN due to catecholamine release and a connection between TN and finger pain.

Thanks for reading all of this! :)

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Oh I’m mad at your neuro, what a butt head. I would go find a new one. Your symptoms sound very much like tn. Tn can also strike at any age. I read one cause where an infant had tn, poor baby. My self developed tn at the age of 32, and there are many of “young” patients here of different ages.

I know it is hard for those around us to not understand this disease, even when they are trying to. My husband had a hard time understanding it till my first appointment my neuro, and did fully grasp how nasty it is till I became very ill this last spring and summer. One thing that helps to explain is the spoon theroy (my phone won’t let me link right now but if you goggle this you’ll find it or even sreach here you’ll find a link). As painful as it is you’ll also have to be patient with friends and family and my lose some of them. Tn is a rough road and sometimes lonely, but we’re too when you to vent.

I really hope you find a doctor who is more understanding and helpful to get the treatment you deserve and respect as a patient. Hope you have a better day and it is pain free.

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Lots of questions here.


  1. Red has done a study here recently and found that the average age is much lower than previously thought. Many of our members are in their thirties or even younger.


  2. Many of us have Geniculate Neuralgia which is part of TN. I started a subgroup here for us and you are most welcome to join. It is under GROUPS on the black header.


  3. There is no normal TN, however what you describe sounds familiar to many others TN stories here. I also have the stabbing in my left eye. It’s awful. Red says it is a pain often associated with TN. It feels as if I am being stabbed through the eye with a long, thick pin, urghhhh.


  4. Many also report stabbing pains in other parts of their bodies, myself included. Red did tell me they are unlikely to be TN related in my case. It is hard to talk about your pain. I just wonder, are we just plain old prone to rotten neurological pain? I also have finger pain which has been diagnosed as Carpal Tunnel. In my case my Dr’s think it is related to radiotherapy damage on my chest and neck nine years ago. My gut instinct is that this caused the TN also. I came down with so many pain conditions within two years of having it, after having no neurological pain before. However I am still alive and happy so it was all worth it.



    All the best.
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Hi, Waltzwolf...So sorry for your horrible experience. I also have TN on my left side. I think my worst pain is in and around the eye. It honestly feels like I am being stabbed in the eyeball from the inside. When I blink it makes that stabbing pain more intense. The pain will come and go over a few hours (the pain normally lasts about 30 seconds at a time) then will just go away. I also get really sharp pains in my left ear. I am fairly new to this, but thankfully my neurologist and his nurse have been very helpful and supportive. I feel very lucky in that respect after reading so many horror stories such as yours. I also have lots of pain in the scalp area and was wondering if that was TN related. Anyway, I really hope you find a dr. that will help you and listen to you. I wish you the best of luck!