I'm having an atypical pain attack with pain that started on my left cheek and is working its way up my head. I had an attack a year ago and it ease up after a while, This time it's getting worse.. It's been about an hour and a half and it hasn't let up. Any advice?
Hi Liz,
You could try hot or cold compresses, kava kava tea, narcotic prescription pills like oxycodone, dilaudid, etc. Anything to cut the pain. I don't know what you've been prescribed, and narcotics are generally not recommended for nerve pain, but they help me. I have lidocaine patches - and they work for some, but unfortunately they don't help me. Stay out of the wind, try to get a handle on stress ( yeah I know, the pain is what causes the stress and sometimes depression), and wait it out. with ATN that's just about all you can do. How something that won't kill you yet hurts so badly is a cruel affliction. One that no one can see (there's no blood gushing from your head so ppl don't understand) is a very lonely and depressing condition. If you're not allergic to Tegretol, and you'll know within a month if you are or aren't, give it a try. it was the best month of my post TN life until the rash came and I had to give it up. It's magical if you're not allergic. Get yourself to a pain management doc. I feel for you sincerely. ATN can take you to the depths of giving up, but it does subside eventually. You need to be pro-active, especially during those days when you can function and make the appts. Mine covers the area from my left eye, down to my jaw, and over to my ear. The soft tissue of my cheek becomes numb, but the inside where the nerve resides is ridiculously painful and controls my life activities. Meaning of course that I don't have any. It's been almost seven yrs and I discovered that it's a degenerative condition, which I can attest to, and there isn't a surgery that alleviates ATN. May I ask how you acquired ATN? Some people don't even know. Mine was a dental surgery by an aggressive endo, trying to knock out 2 procedures (root canal followed by apicoectomy) in one day. I just wanted you to know that someone is hearing you and rooting for you. I threw up from the pain 2 days ago, slept 24 hrs, and woke with the same pain that made me barf.
Do what you need to do to control the pain. Write on this website and people will try to help you through. The good news is you're sound enough to reach out for help. Lots of people's pain levels won't even allow them to type a coherent sentence. Good luck and fight it with all you have.
I HAVE ATYPICAL TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA SINCE APRIL 4 2014. AFTER A ROUTINE DENTAL CLEANING. HAD MRI AND IT SHOWED MY ARTERY PRESSING AGAINST MY TRIGEMINAL NERVE. I CONSTANT PAIN STARTING ABOUT 2PM EVERY DAY UNTIL I GO TO BED. MY PAIN IS MANAGABLE DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE DAY BECAUSE I DONT DRINK OR EAT ANYTHING. I CNAT HAVE ANY COLD AIR BLOWING ON WHEN I DO IT STARTS THE THROBBING AND ACHING PAIN THROUGH MY TEETH UP THROUGH MY GUMS. MY PALATE AND UP THROUGH MY NOSE EVEN HURTS. I TAKE A NORCO ABOUT 4 SO I DONT HAVE TO GO TO BED AT 6 OCLOCK. I AM ON TEGRETOL WORKED AT FIRST AND NOW IT DOES NOTHING. I HAVE ALSO TRIED NEURONTIN WITH NO RELIEF. I AM SCHEDLUED TO GO TO A PAIN MANAGEMENT DR WHICH I PRAY CAN HELP ME. MY FAMILY I THINK IS TIRED OF HEARING ME COMPLAIN SO I KEEP IT TO MYSELF WHICH MAKES IT VERY LONELY. SOMETIMES I THINK IS THIS ALL IN MY HEAD BUT I KNOW ITS NOT. I FEEL YOUR PAIN AND PRAY THAT I CAN EVENTUALLY FIND RELIEF. HAVE YOU FOUND ANYTHING THAT GIVES YOU RELIEF.