In India a number of doctors are offering alternative systems of treatment claiming “to cure” Trigeminal Neuralgia completely. Amongst them are ancient Indian Science of healing viz. Ayurveda and Homoeopathy. Many of doctors offering these treatments claim to fully cure TN with a years’ treatment. They claim that their medicines are far more effective and helpful than modern medicines in the treatment as they go to the root cause of TN thus eradicating it completely rather than suppressing it for a short period of time. However, the problem is that unlike the system of modern medicines , Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic systems of treatment are not scientifically standardised, atleast here in India. So we have no way to know the efficacy of treatment before hand. In the present era of globalisation I believe that Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic treatment has entered America as well as west. If any of our community friends has tried or has some information about these Alternative Treatments for TN, sharing the same with all of us would be interesting and greatly helpful. I mean actual effectiveness of such treatments and not just information provided by websites offering this treatment.
May I request the responses from member friends.
Harendra Desai.
HI RO,
Today I am very fine! May I hope you too are equally fine.
Yes, I do have Trigeminal Neuralgia. I use only modern medicines viz. Tegrital and Gabapentin.
A couple of years back I did try Ayurvdic medicines. But I was not comfprtable with them. So I again switched to Tegrital and Gabantin. As regards that Ayurveda involves some kind of religious practice, it is not fully true. Ayurved is, as they say, an integrated system of healing. So apart from using herbal medicines in their purest forms , the patient is required to meditate (which is a wholly secular practice), do Yoga and Pranayamas (Breathing Practices). Panchkarmas (five procedures for the purification of the body) is also a part of the treatment. Also strict diet control / restrictions are to be observed. However, it is most crucial to find a truely knowledgeable Ayurvedic Physician. You are absolutely right when you say that no body knows the real cause of TN.
May God help the medical farternity to find out the root cause of TN and the cure for it.
Till then wishing you very well.
Harendra Desai.
Ro said:
Hi Harendra,
I hope you are doing well today
In my opinion the key words are “they go to the root cause of TN”. I feel what you wrote is interesting too.
I took a bit to look up Ayurvedic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda
and Homoeopathic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy
I believe what happens to a great deal of people is they get this condition and wait to see a doctor. They suffer with it as long as they can then go to a doctor. Many times the “root cause of TN” isn’t found. It seems to have many ways of occurring.
If I may give an example: I personally had many head injuries; was hit in the head with a bat, several time through life have had someone hit into my car, a severely broken nose, a contusion from a rock hitting my temple and many other things in life. so you see it could have developed before I even knew. I had seizures for many years and never realized that is what it was. I waited to go to a doctor. I had 3 children to raise alone and worked sometimes two jobs. I supposed this is the price paid for waiting. However, saying that, when the medication Topamax was still being studied ( I don’t know if they still are ), I was asked to participate in the study. I agreed. By the second month my condition became quite severe and I developed new conditions, TN, spaces in my brain, small vessel disease, acute mastoiditis and more. So to me Topamax pushed my condition into TN and other things.
The participating in the study, somewhat like how Homoeopathic is done, destroyed my life.
In regards to Ayurveda, I feel many people would shy from it mainly because it holds practicing and/or believing in certain religious practices. Many have their own religious convictions. Some have none.
If I may ask, do you have TN? If so, which form of medical or other practice did you use to be cured - assuming you have had TN?
I firmly believe that the west (USA), and hopefully any country, if the doctors know the root cause of TN, they would not allow people suffer. I personally had a doctor, Dr Gupta, that did the medical study with Topamax. I still suffered greatly and even became worse. I firmly believe Dr’s practice medicine and what I mean by that is no doctor has all the answers. Should the doctors claim they have a cure, would you be able to provide the names or information so we may be able to consider those options as well?
I would very much like it if you shared it. I’d like to take a look at it ~
Thank you,
Ro~
Hello Meave,
In India some Insurance companies cover the cost of Ayurvedic Treatment. So that is not a problem here. However, if any one wishes to start Ayruvedic treatment I have a couple of friendly suggestions. Check the credential and capability of Ayurvedic Physician before taking treatment from him/her. One should not stop the medicines that one is already taking. For Ayurvedic medicines take long time to act sometimes even months. If in the mean time regular medicines are stopped there is a chance of relapse of TN attack, may be more severely. Ayurvedic treatment is effective if followed in its totality, i.e herbal medicines, meditations, Yoga and Panchkarma and strict diet restrictions. Noramlly this should be explained to the patient by Ayurvedic Physicians.
Ayurveda should not cost BIG BUCK as herbal medicines are comparatively cheap. However, there are some Ayurvedic Ashrams (centres) where the patient is required to stay for in-house treatment. Such treatment of course adds up to the cost.
Harendra Desai.
Maeve said:
Hi Harendra,
I’ve seen many sites littered over the internet claiming Homeopathic treatments for TN, but they are wanting the BIG BUCKS and frankly I think it’s appalling that such things are being offered at those prices to people who are desperate for some relief.
A friend of mine went to an Ayurvedic doctor a while back for stomach problems and a few other ailments. He found it to be very useful and for the longest time I’d see him eating ginger to balance out his Doshas. It worked for him, but unfortunately western insurance companies don’t cover that type of treament, so it isn’t a very viable option as most TN suffers barely have enough money to make ends meet. Although the hope of finding something that would work may offset the costs.
Probably for the ‘typical’ TN case, it wouldn’t take much to get to the source of the problem of rebuilding the myelin nerve shaft. However members like Ro or Ben may have more damage done to them that can be address by these methods.
I’m sure that eating ‘calming’ foods would be a good start for any suffer of TN. Early on in my condition, I looked up some foods that can aggravate the condition. I also found that MSG plays havoc with mine.
I’m glad you brought this up, it is something for me to consider. I do have a few books on Ayurvedic. I’ll have to give them another read to see if they can get rid of the symptoms I still possess.
Maeve
Hello Harendra;
Many people have successfully had acupuncture for their TN. If you go to the top of the page here where it says "Discussions", you will find a few that speak of treatments other than medicine. One is "Share your little helps with us" and under that discussion are comments where people are adding other things they do, natural things mostly, that help along with the medication. Depending on how severe and constant a person's pain is, if it is a severe problem, there is not much that helps without medicine. My mother and grandmother had this, the only treatment availaible was vitamin B injections, which are natural. The one treatment that is often necessary now to stay alive, morphine, is also natural, but it is so tightly controlled by modern medical doctors, so it is not considered natural. One other natural thing, marijuana, has been very effective for many people, and there is a discussion about that as well. I have not tried that.
I have dealt with natural medicine, ayurvedic medicine for my other health problems for 30 years. So far I have not learned an herb for nerve pain, except maybe the marijuana. Someone started a conversation/discussion about KRATOM. If you enter that word into the empty search box at the top of this page, you will see that it is a very little-known herb with powerful pain properties, and since it is not illegal, it is becoming more famous in pain control. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kratom
How is your pain these days?
Best wishes,
Sheila