My story. 1 year or more with preTN (occassional brief pain when washing my face or applying makeup). Thought it might be problem with old root canal but chose to ignore it. Seven weeks ago developed severe nerve pain in front of left ear, temple, and left cheek. Also had unusual cold sore in my mouth at the same time. Dentist said infection over old root canal. Endodontist agreed and redid root canal. Did not help nerve pain. In desperation I requested tooth be pulled . Did not help. Was on gabapentin for 1 week. Made me sleepy and did not help. Pain has shifted from temple and cheek bone area to under eye and down to canine tooth and over to left side of nose. Always worse at night. Pain almost always associated with a trigger of some sort. MRI showed nothing. Neurologist (who I do not like) handed me prescription for Aptiom and Tramadol. Next stop may be pain Dr. To discuss options including nerve block. Can nerve block further damage the nerve? Does anyone have experience with Aptiom?Possible side effects scare me to death. Can’t imagine dealing with this condition long term. Also started taking magnesium and vitamin B complex. thanks for being here :(. I live in NC Charlotte area. I’m also interested in a recommendation for DR.
Hi I live in the UK and am not familiar with ‘Aptiom’. You say you have tried Gabapentin for one week? Gabapentin is an anti-seizure medication used for TN and other conditions such as epilepsy. It takes time to get into your system and is not a ‘quick fix’. If you suffered side effects from Gabapentin and chose not to proceed, you should ask your doctor for another medication such as Tegretol. TN affects different people in different ways, the same for medication, it takes time and patience to find the right balance, side effects can include lethargy, lack of appetite etc but anything is better than the TN pain - right? I hope you feel better soon and hope you enjoy pain free days in the future x