I'm a new member and appreciate everyone's support. It really has helped me to not feel so alone. I have been living with right side facial pain for about 6 weeks (following a TMJ procedure), which was just recently diagnosed as TN. I've noticed that certain sounds can trigger the sharp shooting pains. It's especially noticeable when I wake up in the morning to the sound of my dogs walking on the floor (their nails make a tapping sound). Sounds weird, I know, but it's typically what starts off my facial pain in the morning. I just got ear plugs and will wear them tonight and see if that has any effect. Does anyone else experience sound as a trigger for TN pain?
My husband is a musician and I no longer go to his gigs as the music definitely gives me zaps. I hate noise on a good day but with the TN it makes certain noises almost unbearable. I also find tapping hard ro hear.
Sorry you're going through that too Patty. I wore earplugs to bed last night, and it helped when the dogs started walking around in the middle of the night and in the morning. Are you taking any medications and how are they working for you?
Patty said:
My husband is a musician and I no longer go to his gigs as the music definitely gives me zaps. I hate noise on a good day but with the TN it makes certain noises almost unbearable. I also find tapping hard ro hear.
I take 400mg Carbamazepine CR and 5mg of Baclofen each morning and evening. I do not tolerate the meds at all and this is as much as I can handle. Even at this dose I am off work till after my MVD this fall. The meds do a great job but certain things are just not good even with them.
How did the ear plugs works for you?
Overstimulation is a big trigger. Too much noise either through music or a room full of chattering people. I used to love social gatherings, now I am the first to leave.
Overstimulation is a big culprit for me too. My life has been severely altered by TN. If I can recover from this condition via the MVD I will consider myself a Super Hero 
Hi Patty,
The ear plugs worked pretty well, once I got them in securely. They kept popping out at first, until I got the hang of it. I sleep on my back only (due to the facial pain), which helped keep them in place too. I got 10 pair at Walmart for about $3.00.
Who are you having MVD surgery with? Why do you need to wait until the Fall before having it? I hear very positive things about that surgery, especially for those with typical TN. I have atypical TN, so I fear a lifetime of pain management through medications. I'm usually a positive person, but this has really thrown me for a loop.
Please let me know how the ear plugs work for you! :) All the best.
Patty said:
I take 400mg Carbamazepine CR and 5mg of Baclofen each morning and evening. I do not tolerate the meds at all and this is as much as I can handle. Even at this dose I am off work till after my MVD this fall. The meds do a great job but certain things are just not good even with them.
How did the ear plugs works for you?
I seldom use the ear plugs as i find them more annoying than helpful. Good for you though. I am having the mvd done in winnipeg, manitoba by dr anthony kaufmann. He trained under dr peter jannetta who developed the technique. People from all across canada fly into winnipeg to have dr. K do their surgery. He has a great reputation. Winnipeg is about 45 minutes from our small city. It will be one hour from our door to the hospital. I have to wait till fall because he has such a long waiting list for his services. If my pain become greater or my med levels become toxic then i will have the surgery within three weeks. What type of meds are you on? Have you found a combo that works well for you? Well i should go and take my nite dose. I wish you a pain free sleep tonite.
Well, last night, I did end up losing one ear plug, which became an emergency in the morning for fear our little dogs would find it and eat it. Anyway, we ended up finding it in the same place we had checked ten times before (in the bed). LOL
Sounds like Dr. Kaufmann is awesome. I'm glad you're so close to his office too.
Currently, I'm on Lyrica 75 mg, just increased to 3 x daily. It's taking away most of the pain, but the stabbing pain seems to want to stick around. The pain is so much better though that if it stays like this, I will be satisfied. My biggest fear is that the dose will need to increase and increase over time, making the side effects worse.
Being from the USA, I always wonder how is the healthcare system in Canada? Is it easy and convenient to be seen?
Have a good day!
Oh yes, sound triggers my pain. Crowds, loud people, Flutes and sopranos. Has made going to church a miserable experience, for which I wear industrial earplugs. Repetitive noise like drumming or bass, or the high beep at Starbucks when they have a customer. Needless to say, my life has changed considerably. But it's ok. These are things I can adjust to. I play music very quietly in my car, even tho I can no longer sign along because it hurts.
Sorry you’re going through that. You sound like you have a positive attitude, which is commendable. I’m not so positive and not sure how to handle this constant pain going forward. A lifetime of medication really scares me.
Yes Christine. Sound is a trigger for me but not as much now that it's mostly under control with meds. I felt like I was losing my mind with the sound triggers. My finger nail rubbing against the sheet while bringing my bed sheet up around my neck, the clock ticking on the wall of a room next to my room and any loud social gathering or loud TV. All these things made me feel weird and so unsettled while I was in so much pain. It was a strange feeling. But not so much now. Thank goodness. So stay positive, it will get better :)
Oh my YES! A sharp, hard noise can feel like a shot to the head for a TN'er. A few weeks ago I was napping on the couch and a cat knocked an empty glass to the floor. I was bolt upright clutching the side of my head, first impression was that I had been shot in the head. Scared the crap out of my son. I felt as if someone had touched a cattle prod to my head!