Yep, I have had sinus issues too. I had numerous sinus infections in my thirties which eventually ended in sinus surgery right around the time I started with the ATN. The migraines also started when I was about thirty-two. Most people I talk to in general tho say that caffeine helps them get rid of a migraine headache. I am just the opposite... CAFFEINE triggers them for me, but I think most likely it the STRESS and then I eat chocolate which has caffeine in it, and then that is just the icing on the cake!!!! LOL
What do you take for the TN?
amberzak said:
Mtgirl. Yes, this happened all before tn diagnoses. I even had an MRI scan years ago in relation to my miagraines.
I've been put on Carbagen.
Are you still migraine free??? I sure hope so Crystal.:)
Min C said:
Is Topamax one of those drugs that are prescribed for TN /ATN/TNP and also migraines?
crystalv said:I've suffered terrible migraines behind my left eye for almost ten years now. I also get severe nausea with them sometimes. However, they are on the opposite side of my TNP, 24/7 teeth pain.
Many meds prescribed to prevent migraines are also prescribed for TN/ATN/TNP. On amitriptyline by itself, I noticed a small improvement to my migraines. A side effect of the amitriptyline is a high heart rate, and it really affected mine. So then we added the beta blocker Nadolol. With this combination, I had a six week period without a migraine, when just a few months before that I was getting them 2-3 times a week. It was a pleasant surprise since the meds were mainly to treat the TNP.
Obviously I am really hoping this continues.
My migraines are still way better than before. I only get a couple really bad ones a month, compared to 2-3 a week. Still taking the same meds, the amitriptyline and the nadolol. It's a good combo for me.
omg. yes and yes.!!!! 15 years of constant scalp pain with migraines, cluster, and tension headaches. Also and eye twitch, same one I have now only worse. I can only have one or two cups of coffee and sometimes that was too much. I can not eat say chocolate after 12 noon or I will not sleep. Its like speed for me, and adds to the headaches.
I have suffered from sinus infections since my late teens. I was misdiagnosed for a few years with sinus issues and ear infections . The anti-biotics never really helped and the doctors never figured it out untill I just would not stop going in till they did.
Been getting 3 or more migraines per week now. Vomitting and all. not so fun ;) My ear still hurts and TN pain is in my sinuses. When that flares up it hurts to breath while shooting pain down my two front teeth. Like freeze pain all the way into my sinus and throat.
Tree69
Hi tree69... It is very interesting how so many people have had migraines, sinus issues, caffeine sensitivitiy and TN. I am one of them, too. At this time I am not taking anything and my neuro doc thinks I have trigeminal neuropathy, not neuralgia as I have only intermittent tingling and facial pain, sometimes many days without it for about 7 yrs...so I don't take any meds, but do take many nutritional supplements.
Tree69 said:
omg. yes and yes.!!!! 15 years of constant scalp pain with migraines, cluster, and tension headaches. Also and eye twitch, same one I have now only worse. I can only have one or two cups of coffee and sometimes that was too much. I can not eat say chocolate after 12 noon or I will not sleep. Its like speed for me, and adds to the headaches.
I have suffered from sinus infections since my late teens. I was misdiagnosed for a few years with sinus issues and ear infections . The anti-biotics never really helped and the doctors never figured it out untill I just would not stop going in till they did.
Been getting 3 or more migraines per week now. Vomitting and all. not so fun ;) My ear still hurts and TN pain is in my sinuses. When that flares up it hurts to breath while shooting pain down my two front teeth. Like freeze pain all the way into my sinus and throat.
Tree69
i can remember having migraines all the way back to grade school. I still get them, at least one a week or when the barometric pressure changes. I had a bad car accident in 2007 and my neck was injured , my migraines got worse after that, I would have horrible ones as soon as I woke up. Funny thing is they stopped right before the TN started, but I get them (have one now) again.
As for coffee, i drink multiple pots, yes pots a day and i actually find it helps with the TN pain as well as the migraine, and my old school migraine pills, fiorinal with codeine, helps with the pain from both. Weird thing is I have always gotten hiccups from Codeine, no idea why, it just is
Wendy
Hi crashgirl..
yes, coffee is known to help constrict the blood vessels during a migraine, but it is interesting that it does not make you jittery. Probably because you have become accoustomed to the caffeine. Have you ever tried a drug from the Triptan family [imitrex is one]. Great drug....I often had relief if caught early by taking Excedrin which is effective due to the synergsitic action of the 3 drugs that are in it. Imitrex was the second drug I would try. I took Fiorinal with Cod before Imitrex was available with good results, but it is addicting, but the triptans are not...Hiccups...no idea.
crashgirl said:
i can remember having migraines all the way back to grade school. I still get them, at least one a week or when the barometric pressure changes. I had a bad car accident in 2007 and my neck was injured , my migraines got worse after that, I would have horrible ones as soon as I woke up. Funny thing is they stopped right before the TN started, but I get them (have one now) again.
As for coffee, i drink multiple pots, yes pots a day and i actually find it helps with the TN pain as well as the migraine, and my old school migraine pills, fiorinal with codeine, helps with the pain from both. Weird thing is I have always gotten hiccups from Codeine, no idea why, it just is
Wendy
Gee, headaches are a common theme with us TN sufferers. I've had migraines since high school (am now 57), treated with Fiorinal. I started to get severe headaches at age 49, tried two rounds of sinus surgery (I'd have brain surgery again compared to that!), turned out I had Chiari I malformation.
Had brain surgery to "prune" my cerebellum and shave down some vertebrae, got relief from my daily headaches for 2 years and then they came back. They were rebound headaches from my Fiorinal "addiction", one Lyrica and I had no headache. Have not had any for 3 years, but developed balance issues and tremors...likely post op from Chiari surgery and family history of tremors. Can live with that as they don't hurt...but developed TN last summer and have struggled with it since.
My only consolation on the headaches is that my doctor years ago, said only very intelligent people get migraines. I wish I were stupid!
Intelligently yours,
Marcia
I got migraines in grade school too crashgirl. Back then neurologists told my parents they were optical migraines because the pain was always behind my eyes and photo sensitive to flourescent lights. I actually wore sunglasses in the classroom for most of elementary school.
Last year my migraines got really bad. I tried most of the Triptans - they didn’t help. Propananol and Gabapentin help the most.
I also drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning and tea at 4pm every day. No sensitivity at all to caffeine.
My migraines didn't start until after atn developed, thankfully.. As far as caffeine goes, I haven't stopped caffeine long enough to know if it affects tn. I either have soda or chocolate..I should probably experiment with that one of these days to make sure caffeine doesn't affect it. I like my caffeine.
I agree with Lynda. I have had the migraines since I was close to 12 yrs old, ugly nausea, and all. They would come close to 24 a year. Now I have had ATN for 3 year and its like the migraines took a back seat to it. I only get like 4-6 a year. Now when I get a migraine, it is sure to stir up my ATN pain.
WOW! I have migraines, bilateral ATN, sleep apnea, TMJ, diabetes, possible traumatic brain injury, and lots of neck and muscle tension. I know many can be separate contributing factors... but, when they are all present, they are ICKY!!
Of course, I've been through the regimen of the tests... sinus CT, nasal endoscopy, 2 MRIs, etc...
Now, I have a new neurologist. And after getting some EXTENSIVE history (2 bicycle accidents and 3 car accidents - years ago), he's treating the pain with Neurontin, the migraines with PT on my neck and Cambia and Amerge for meds, anti-depressant for brain and mood, sleep apnea (different doc) with a mouth guard (and should help the TMJ too)... so, I'm on my way to some relief.
I have stronger episodes (both migraines and ATN) in the beginning of Spring (likely from allergies and weather changes). Last year I was off of work for 4 months (in conjunction with shoulder surgery) and now this year, I'm already off of work for 5 weeks. I hope I can get back soon.
My MAJOR complaint with ALL of this pain is that I am also DIZZY and FOGGY. I cannot drive, nor can I work when in that condition. Most times feel like I am drunken (sometimes one beer's worth, sometimes a keg - and I don't drink alcohol!). It affects my balance, my memory, my speech, and my overall functioning. I think the dizziness is from the migraines. I also think the dizziness, the migraines and the ATN all feed into each other. I would never wish any of these conditions on anyone!!!
All for now. You're all in my thoughts (when they are clear - LOL - a little bit of humor goes a long way!).
Sara
I had "classic" migraines for 20 years before I developed ATN. I had them under decent control with medication until the TN started.
I tried to describe the differences to my neuro at the time (didn't come with aura or nausea, decreased photosensitivity), but it still took a while for him to stop saying "Well, but they're ALL migraines, trying to separate them into two categories doesn't make any sense!"
I certainly think that they may be related, especially since a TN flare-up almost always sets off a treatment-resistant migraine.
Yep, I had migraines a couple years before and they just put me on naproxen to stop them. I don't have have a sensitivity to caffiene at all, it just makes me tired if its in soda or coffee form.
I haven't had a history of migraines (maybe a handful my whole life) but I do get now and then a TN migraine, unilateral on my TN side on my temple/forehead. The only thing I can do is take pain killers (the last one needed half a 10mg morphine tablet) just enough to go to sleep and sleep through it. I've had 2 this month which worries me as I was coping fairly well on current meds and I have small children to look after.
Yes, this is the case for me for sure Min. For me, the migraines became worse and escalated into daily concurrent with initial TN diagnosis. Prior to the TN diagnosis the migraines were only hormonal in nature, occurring once a month for only a couple of days, usually one. I am convinced of the connection between the two of them because the noise associated with migraine symptoms causes me to have TN "shocks." Also, for me, I was doing fertility treatments for years before developing TN sx. Since Migraines are hormonal in nature for me, and what had changed for me were all the hormone treatments for fetility (2.5 years worth of meds), my hypothesis is that the TN condition and migraines I developed at the same time are connected as well.
Caffeine sensitivity, yes if you consider myself becoming too wired on it. I had discontinued the use prior to getting TN or some years decreased to one cup of black tea in the morning. It tended to make me jittery, even trying one cup of coffee around 3 or 4pm would cause me to not be able to sleep the rest of the night until 12 or 1am.
Wow, that is very interesting. I have caffeine sensitivity too. I am convinced, migraines and TN. Pretty common. :(
Hello
I have been diagnosed with chronic migraine for the past 20 years, and according to my mother, have had headaches since age 2. I was diagnosed with ATN in 2007, confirmed 2013. I have had an increase in the quality and severity of the migraines, and have recently (last 6 months) noted that the headache appears to start more in my nose near to my left eye with terrible burning at that site. I saw a title on google for trigeminal migraine. I am now wondering whether some or all of my migraines, which are lasting longer and covering several days are actually my tn2. Trials of medications to prevent the flare ups have proven either ineffective or have had intolerable side effects. MVD has been recommended. I get botox injections to manage migraines (went from 22 per month to 8-15 per month. The botox has not had any effect on the TN2. I am concerned that the tn2 is worsening (as I was told it would), and is actually triggering migraines or are actually the migraines. Confused. Is there any research on this? Both are on the left side of my face, severest pain radiating from inside my left nostril near the sinus area, near to where my migraines begin. According to my neurologist, I am also demonstrating symptoms of tn1 on the left, and possibly bilaterally now, although a little different symptoms, some mild burning and numbness on the right side of my nose-nothing like on the left, though. Migraines respond to migraine medication and symptoms of tn2 (burning radiating to my ear and eye and lower jaw sometimes lessen in severity. So, I believe these two conditions are linked for me. I have retired early mostly due to the chronic migraine/tn2. I am feeling somewhat hopeless and depressed. Maybe research will help me to better get a grip on these two debilitating conditions. Quality of life is not good. Thanks
Camia
Camia,
I’ve posted this before but for your info
Possible links of interest
http://cep.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/04/07/0333102416644436.abstract5
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 5
Increased risk of trigeminal neuralgia in patients with migraine: A nationwide population-based study.
KH Lin, YT Chen, JL Fuh and SJ Wang, Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache, Dec 2015 20
The objectives of this article are to evaluate the association between migraine and trigeminal neuralgia and to investigate the effects of age, sex, migraine subtype, and comorbid risk factors on trigeminal neuralgia development.