Invisible
I’ve had this terrible disease known as Trigeminal Neuralgia for the last 15yrs now. I have developed severe depression along with sleep disorder. I’ve not found any SSRI’S to help my depression, ambein helps with my sleep off and on. Now my neurotin seems to be no longer be working.
Any advice???
If Neurontin isn't helping with your pain, there are other alternatives. You may wish to talk with your neurologist about Tegretol or Trileptal. Also potentially useful for some people are the tri-cyclic antidepressant meds like Amitriptyline. Some patients do better on a combination of an anti-seizure med with an anti-spasmodic like Baclofen or Phenyoitin (sp?). It would also be wise to reconsider SSRI medications with your doctor's advice. They can have significant withdrawal effects, and there is significant doubt that they actually help people with mild to moderate depression.
Note: while I have studied the medical literature of chronic face pain for 19 years, I am not a medical doctor. You need the advice and guidance of someone who is.
Regards, Red
I don't have any great answers, but I can share what I have done. last spring I was terribly depressed from a mix of months and months of sleepless pain and side effects from Lyrica. The Lyrica took my general "downness" and added frequent suicidal thoughts and deepening lethargy. Getting off the drug started to help some, but I also had to start counseling, quit a job that I loved, move in with my parents for support, and take a regimen of Anti depressants to help my face pain and my brain chemistry, before I felt un-depressed. Even with all that I have days where I sink way back down, they are just the few rather than the majority now.
I am seeing a psychiatrist who specializes in chronic severe pain cases, he is way more helpful than the regular Counselor I saw before, she tried hard but didn't know what to do.
the medication that has helped me the most, all around, was Nortriptyline. All the other TN medications either did nothing for my ATN, or gave me such awful side effects I was still incapacitated.
I wish you luck! There is nothing that drives you insane quite like the torture of this pain combined with sleep deprivation, if you can stay alive you have been very strong. I hope you can find some answers ASAP!
Nortriptyline has helped me too...with TN, with sleep and anxiety. I was on Amtriptyline before that and it helped too. Maybe you should try a tricyclic. Some people use them in conjunction with an anti-convulsant. TN just plain sucks. I don't know how anybody wouldn't get depressed with this horrendous pain. I'm sorry you are having are having a rough time. 15 years is a long time with this beast. I truly hope you can find some relief.
so sorry depression anger all part of it. i was just given ok for medicinal marijuana it helps with my pain by allowing me to focus on different things,helps with my nausea and helps with appetite. also helps me by allowing me to take less oxicodone best of luck prayers go with you
You have to keep trying until you find the right anti depressant for you…I know how extremely hard it can be and severely depressing…I found lexapro to be useful but switched over to nortrip so had to quit taking it but also notice that the nortrip helps with my depression as well. I’m not talking ohh I’m sad…I’m talking real deal depression…I had depression ( runs in my family) before tn and you can imagine how tn set it off even more…had days straight from a movie in hell . I’ve noticed lately though that if we try hard enough we have control over our happiness I try to put myself in a happy mood , smile , sing etc and it sometimes truly works. The more I cry or dwell on it the sadder I get and then its just a viscious cycle. Hope something I wrote helps…I know how you feel trust me. Prayers . I also prayer daily for not only healing but for the strength to endure this.