Granted, my last few days have been really unusual in a lot of ways, but I’m finding that my pain is ten times worse at night when I get in bed. I’ve started to sleep mostly sitting up because it is so bad.
I notice a difference immediately when I sit or stand up. Could a difference in blood pressure be pushing differently on the trigeminal nerve?
I have low blood pressure typically, 100/70 is pretty normal for me.
I have heard of a couple other people on here with this problem. Can you try some topical prescription lidocaine patches - they work for 12 hours - so you can sleep?
Hi Roselyn,
I'm the exact opposite, I never get pain during the night, my pain usually starts 5-10 mins after I wake up. I have ATN and I'm not sure if TN and ATN behave differently in this respect. I'm almost positive that blood pressure plays a role, I noticed that when I was trying to exercise and did some forward bends, the pain got worse and I think it was due to the blood rushing into my head. There are others on this website who sleep in reclining chairs and who experience worse pain when lying down.
Take care,
Oldriska
I for sure have the same issue is you. As I cannot sleep sitting up, I put a heating pad on low under the side of my face that is affected. I know we really shouldn’t do this, but as I’m sure you will know when were in pain and we’re tired were desperate for anything to get us some rest so give that a try and see that works I know what works for me.
Hi Rosylyn,
I never lost a minutes sleep through TN. All my worst attacks were during the daytime. It must be tough having to fight this when you're not fully rested. Sorry, don't have any meaningful advice for you.
Jim
I had a few milder zaps and zings in the night as I was rolling over in bed or something. But since then, I have changed to a lot softer pillow (I had recently been sleeping on a very firm side sleeper pillow), I stopped sleeping on my left side and I started taking Nature Made Balanced B-100 complex and I have NO breakthrough pains at all right now! If this continues through March, I am going to see about trying to wean down or off my meds and see what happens.
For some reason a heating pad makes it much worse. Inflammation maybe? It's like it spreads the pain. Which is wierd because the cream I use heats up my face and that makes it better. Who knows.
blueeyedgirl said:
I for sure have the same issue is you. As I cannot sleep sitting up, I put a heating pad on low under the side of my face that is affected. I know we really shouldn't do this, but as I'm sure you will know when were in pain and we're tired were desperate for anything to get us some rest so give that a try and see that works I know what works for me.
I'm sure it has nothing to do with it (because how could it) but the night I started taking a B12 supplement was the night this recent episode of severe breakthrough pain started. I took it one more day and as the pain refused to go away, I stopped taking it.
It was just an OTC supplement but I can't imagine it made this all worse.
Donna Cook Turnage said:
I had a few milder zaps and zings in the night as I was rolling over in bed or something. But since then, I have changed to a lot softer pillow (I had recently been sleeping on a very firm side sleeper pillow), I stopped sleeping on my left side and I started taking Nature Made Balanced B-100 complex and I have NO breakthrough pains at all right now! If this continues through March, I am going to see about trying to wean down or off my meds and see what happens.
TN1 only in the day, TN2 much worse at night. Amtriptyline helped with TN2 at night. Relaxing to nod off to sleep was the worst, I was unable to rest the side of my face onto pillow. Taking Amtriptyline an hour before bed relaxed me enough to encourage sleep. xx
Is that pretty set in stone? Because I was under the impression that I had TN1. Sometimes it's hard to tell though, sometimes it feels like I have both!
elstep said:
TN1 only in the day, TN2 much worse at night. Amtriptyline helped with TN2 at night. Relaxing to nod off to sleep was the worst, I was unable to rest the side of my face onto pillow. Taking Amtriptyline an hour before bed relaxed me enough to encourage sleep. xx
If I had electric shocks then It was TN1 (classic TN) That stopped with Treg but I then had aching in various parts of my face and tooth. At night my temple ached and face ached I felt this was TN2, but no one diax it. I was given Amtriptyline for nights and it did help.
YES YES YES.
my pain is 24/7
but sometimes lying down like makes the pain cruel up the neck to the jaw and gets worse.. sometimes i wake at night with pain and have to walk in the house to "relive it" a bit/
what does that mean ?? don't know. too tired to think anymore.
Interesting discussion, funny how it affects us all slightly differently.
I’ve never had trouble falling asleep, although a few times I’ve been woken up by both TN1 and TN2 at different times. Sleep is my escape at night. I feel for those of you struggling with laying down, getting rest at night etc
I wonder if changing how you take your meds ( taking a heftier dose at night as an example) would make a difference?
@ Donna Cook Turnage, yey for you! Thats wonderful, hope it continues for you! 
@ Roselyn, heating pads don’t work for everyone, I hope you start to feel better, thinking of you.
Mimi
Elstep:
I have a similar issue, in that I don't get the shocks at night, just an aching, boring feeling. Similar to a toothache, except I've had a lot of dental exams looking for this to be a tooth issue!
Sometimes it goes into my ear, which is an almost unbearable feeling.
elstep said:
If I had electric shocks then It was TN1 (classic TN) That stopped with Treg but I then had aching in various parts of my face and tooth. At night my temple ached and face ached I felt this was TN2, but no one diax it. I was given Amtriptyline for nights and it did help.
Try Amtriptlyne an hour before bed and see if it helps? 20mgs did the trick for me, but others on here have to take a much higher dose but find that it does help. I call my day shocks TN1 and eve borning pain TN2, not sure if I am right though!
I am thankfully in remission with TN1 and TN2 is now mild. There is hope. xxxx