The pain center I go to said I was probably having muscle spasms on my good side because of all the pain on the TN side. I don't know if I believe that or not. I guess I'll just wait and see.
My first encounter was way back In 1963 when I was 17. Prior to diagnosis usual visits to dentist made lose a healthy tooth. Ultimately TN1 was what I had. Dilantin could not control the pain. I ended up with surgery in 1965 in which both V2 & V3 were cut at root, no pain since than but with unbearable lasting numbness on right side of face.
In 1974 I had TN on left side since than I m on tegretol & gabapentin luckily with the help of remission i have avoided surgery. But sometimes the pain is not controlled and I lie down on bed heavily dosed with meds. Really it is terrifying experience, I hear even MVD fails and sometimes works but only temporarily, pain reruns. I had MRI a vascular loops is pressing the nerve, but I m 68 and the pain is very old, chances of MVD success is low. Most of my youth I suffered pain. I would not anyone suffering this illness especially at young age.
I also had someone say that the muscle spasms were from the other side, but they didnt explain my teeth hurting or my ear. I have also been told that the meds cause the other side because there was nothing wrong with that side?? who knows
Wendy
Bilateral Trigeminal Neuralgia is not uncommon. Although I've read that it is uncommon I've never seen any numbers to confirm that and my doctors and my dentist were hardly surprised when I had TN on both sides.
I see no way that one can mistake ANYTHING for TN. Outside of, say, a weekend in Hell, nothing really feels like TN (particularly muscle spasms) and nothing really acts like it, either.