Yes, yes, and yes!
Leah said:
I do drink wine and it helps when I am having the dull ache in the back of my head where I had the MVD surgery. It isn't a trigger for me, it helps to relax me. Does anyone else have pain at their surgical site? I also have a big indentation there.
I have a big dent from my MVD surgery, too. It freaked my husband out at first. My first surgery was 10 months ago. It does hurt sometimes but I think mostly when the muscles are tight from the healing and I know I hold my body weird bc of the pain.
And I totally agree about the sleep. If I don’t get enough it throws me into a bad flare up.
aw shucks...i wrote for a living...thx
Dorsey Salerno said:
An aside from TN: I'm a novelist and noted that "thehoward" writes so well that I can easily imagine the whole picture, the strength of it and the truth of it. Dorsey Price Salerno
thehoward said:When I was younger, I would feel fine for an hour or two, then feel the pain (TN2) settles over me like a shroud. Now it is there. somewhat, when I wake up, but with meds, the a.m. is still the best part of my day. (If I miss my meds, and I still sometimes forget, I have about a half hour to make up for my mistake; otherwise it is an awful day, no matter what I do.) As the day goes on, it intensifies. A noon dose and/or a late afternoon nap and/or a dinner dose helps some. Aerobic exercise helps most, but the pain does flood back full throttle, as if my nervous system took offense and decided to strike back. Still, I have more of a positive outlook than if I do not exercise. I now have heart disease so I am exercising more - 3 times a week (should be 4) - because I have to. The pain dampening effect is quite a bonus, despite what comes later in the day. I am lucky to be retired and plan my day around my needs. The pain (and the meds) did crimp my ability to work. My wife now works to fill the hole I left in our finances. She doesn't quite get the pain I'm in, and there are arguments -- but I could not live without her support.
I totally get u on making sure I get plenty of rest. If I have a terrible weekend I just make sure to get a lot of rest. My husband is so understanding and all my kids are grown and gone. I have 11 grandchildren that I try to see and be around when the pain is in remission. When my pain is in remission I can take my regular dosages,but if I am having a bad time with the pain, usually because of the weather changes here in Houston, I take extra meds and supplement with Motrin and sinus medicine to keep from sneezing too much as this can also bring on the pain. Summer time has been the best for me so far, (knock on wood )… So I look forward to it. I love sitting on my porch and letting the sun just warm my face and it helps it. Thanks for letting me share.:).
Notafraid said:
How long have you had TN? As time has passed, I have become accustomed to it. I rest often. Every day I rest for three to four hours at midday in order to feel pretty normal the rest of the day. I cannot exercise rigorously, but gentle exercise, of all sorts is fine. Enough sleep each night is a highest priority, or pain will happen guarantee for several days until the nerve settles down. I take extra gabapenten, just one and break up the times I take my meds so that either I take lower doses throughout the day, or higher doses at midday, or whatever is needed when my pain flares. As time has passed, my TN is slowly beginning to feel more like a symbiotic relationship rather than a wicked curse. But, I am older, have no responsibility of a job, or young children, or any of the things most people have to do to survive in life. All you can do is ask your loved ones to help you get rest, and to take the burdens of any type of stress off you. Cook for you, clean for you, do everything possible. You join when you feel good enough to want to. If your loved ones can do this and you can accept this you may start to feel better during the day. Oh, and Stop, Drop, and Rest when you feel pain coming on. Bump up a medication. After a week or so, you will feel better. As time goes on, it will not take so long to feel better; usually, just a day or two. Then, all you need to do is that maintenance rest during the middle of your day. It’s really helpful. Pamper yourself.
Hi purple 74..Before I found effective pain control, I shared the same experience..What a nasty tease TN can be. I figured the nerves slept a little longer than I did. Footsteps,teeth brushing and a number of other triggers ended my dream that the pain had flew the coop. However.........
My pain is like this, constant within an hour of waking up and usually increasing in severity as the day goes on. Then blessed sleep until it starts over the next day. My pain is bilateral, and is either/and burning, ache or pressure anywhere on my face. I was told I have Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain aka Atypical Facial Pain. My MRI/MRA/MRV were all negative so my neuro has me currently on gabapentin and carbamazepine. I was on Lyrica as well but had horrendous weight gain within a month at a low dose. I'm glad I don't have the stabbing jolts like TN sufferers, but the almost-always-in-pain is so wearing.