I was about 5 or 6 when I flew into the edge of a coffee table and split my head open on the right side at the temple. No stitches, the doctor just squeezed the wound closed and put a butterly bandage on it. I now have a very strange indentation above my right eye that shows a strange wrinkle almost perpendicular to my face. This indentation did not show up until I started having TN symptoms. My TN started on my right side and an MRI confirmed the loop over the Trigeminal nerve. However, the TN (my original pain was what I called "bee stings" to my right cheek and teeth) has morphed to ATN and my neurosurgeon thinks it is more neuropathic pain from a dental procedure. Anyway, was wondering if anyone else had a kind of head trauma. Just wondering if this is a precursor to TN later in life. Why is TN more common in women over 50? Or is this just a generalization made by the medical community since maybe women seek more help for their pain than men?
Hi D Interesting questions. In relation to why females over 50, I read that the ageing process may cause sagging which then can cause the blood vessel to touch the nerve. Why females, could be because the head is smaller? This is just me guessing.
Its seems strange that you would have Neuropathy and TN from two different sources.
I would not have thought your childhood trauma would have caused TN all this time later, I wonder if the indentation has only shown up now, because of the reaction of the muscles of your face when you have an attack? Or because of the attacks you have paid more attention to your face?
I am just throwing suggestions into the pot.
Elstep - I like your suggestions. I also find it hard to believe that the childhood trauma contributed to my TN. Just thought it was so coincidental that my first symptoms were only on the right side of the face and forehead and the indentation and the early trauma. The radiologist that read my MRI said there was evidence of toxin exposure in my blood vessels also. I was exposed to some pretty nasty toxins in the 80's when I worked for a major corp that did some government work on sighting systems for military tanks. The chemicals were so toxic that the safety dept of the corp hid the info from the employees. I only saw it because I had to write the safety procedures involved with all the processes to make the stuff we were making. Guess we are all looking for some definitive cause and cure for this. I keep thinking that this is all "in my head" and I'm neurotic so that's why this is so inconsistent in pain and symptoms etc. I have 3 good days - almost no pain and then wham, pain for a day or 2. None of it makes sense to me.
D, would it be worth pursuing the theory that past employment caused you exposure to toxins? At least you know you have the loop over the nerve, which is causing your TN. I guess it must go through cycles of touching and not touching, I wonder what causes that? I have heard of people being in constant TN1 pain, and it turns out they have a blood vessel or tumour wrapped around the nerve.
How are you coping with your medication, Am I right that you have a loop, but you dont suffer Classic TN but Atypical pain? Have you ever had the classic TN electric shocks?
Having had 5 good days, pain at 3 or 4, only a few breakout pains, I would say that the Lyrica, doxepin and Xanax are working. I can say that on good days. Of course, I have been off work for 5 days also. Yes, the MRI showed a distinct loop on the trigeminal nerve. The initial pain (Jan 2011) was like a thousand bee stings in my right cheek. The pain was excrutiating and I cried alot. I had some of the electric type shock pains, but more bee stings than those. I do not suffer classic TN symptoms now. I have almost totally Atypical symptoms now. About 4 months ago, the pain changed to terrible pain behind the ear, like someone was hitting me with a hammer - as hard as they could on the side of my head. That has stopped now too. My neuro says that my body is adjusting to the pain and I will keep getting better and better as my brain and body compensate for the disorder. Maybe he is right, although no one on this site seems to be that way.
Hi D, My Nuero was also positive with me on my appointment, and I was afraid to share his thoughts on here as I knew others may discredit what he was saying. What he did give me was hope and I didnt want anyone to take that hope away. One thing to bare in mind is most people on the site have the worse of TN others who dont have it so bad are not on the site.