I thought I had read some posts about people receiving nerve blocks to verify where or which neuralgia they had such as occipital, trigeminal, etc.? Is this the case and if so what is the outcome supposed to be if you have it?
This disease is mostly diagnosed symptomatic ally so I was wondering if my nerve block could be of any more help in confirming this diagnoses. It was excruciatingly painful! Still one day out, so they said steroid would take 2-7 days to kick in. Here’s hoping!!
Not sure about help with diagnosing…I had a series of four and was told if they worked I could have them every eight months. The last one was in October 2012, and they did help a bit. I wish you the best!
I was told they could be diagnostic
I have no idea…I had them quite awhile after diagnosis.
You probably feel exactly where the pain is, right? My impression is that they use it to jack up the bills. I did have trigger point injections and they were not painful at all… Steroid and lidocaine.
My neurologist is extraordinary. He has never mentioned having them and concurred with me not to have them. He prefers to use medication. I had 2 drs tell me not to use Cymbalta… It is a mixture of the old and new anti-depressant so the drug companies can charge more as it is considered a new drug.
TN can be generally confirmed by either a positive response to anti-convulsant meds, or a positive reduction in pain for periods longer than 72 hours, when sphenopalatine gangleon nerve block is administered. Not all patients respond the same way, but a positive outcome to either of these courses of treatment tends to be confirming of the diagnosis for a lot of doctors.
Regards, Red
Who is your neurologist?
KTOHARA said:
You probably feel exactly where the pain is, right? My impression is that they use it to jack up the bills. I did have trigger point injections and they were not painful at all… Steroid and lidocaine.
Yes, actually I do. It has aggravated my TN more and/or caused it to be worse.
I am in much more extraordinary pain and it now comes in hock wave where as before it just used to e 24/7. The process of receiving the nerve block was horrible as well, I cried the entire time it was the wort process I’ve ever been thorough, worse than a spinal for my c- sections.
KTOHARA said:
You probably feel exactly where the pain is, right? My impression is that they use it to jack up the bills. I did have trigger point injections and they were not painful at all… Steroid and lidocaine.
Holy cow, Kerry! You were wide awake? They put me out. O. U. T. Briefly, but I was unaware and peaceful. I can’t imagine being awake, I saw the size of the needles! I had a series of three and I doubt I would have completed them, had I been awake. Good gracious…and yes, I remember my epidural for c-section, too…hated that also! Lol. I am not a needle fan, but this did give me some appreciable relief.
Saber
I will be happy to give
you info. He is a sleep specialist now. At the very least he could give you a referral. Email me.
I am supposed to have a nerve block as a test to show my insurance co that I am a good candidate for a Neuro Stimulator Implant (not currently covered because the FDA hasn’t approved it for TN) and I have real misgivings about it.
I too am afraid of that. Have you tried any topical prescriptions? I just did, this past week, and it is helping a TON.
Nerve block is rarely a source of renewed or increased pain in TN. However, it is also relatively rare that nerve block persists past 48 hours, even when used. Thus it is hard for me to see it as a seriously useful means of diagnosis. A much better diagnostic indicator is any positive improvement of facial pain after tapering up with an anti-seizure or TCA med.
Regards and best,
Red
I respectfully agree with Red. I also asked my Diagnostic Neurologist and he had not heard of such being used as a diagnostic tool. He recommended finding another doctor, as he always uses MRI (with contrast) to check on blood flow and to rule out MS, etc.
Hope this helps!
Saber
Thanks for your input. A few weeks out after he nerve block that did nothing to help and I believe caused my face to be tighter and now have shooting shock like pains described with TN. My internist recently started me on fentanyl patch and that has given me my life back! Goin to see atypical facial pain specialist on July 30 in Kansas City. Hope he can take over the treatment for this since I have a doctor and staff who are treating me but have no idea what it is I am suffering from.
Kerry, Red suggested to me to ask my doctor for a topical ointment. I did and WOW, what a difference! My opioid use is considerably down and my energy is up…may want to try that, too. I would definitely seek the advice of an atypical facial pain specialist and I am thrilled you are doing so much better.
Kerry -- be advised that the term "atypical facial pain" is sometimes misused to imply pain of psychiatric origins. The term is basically a garbage diagnosis for pain in patterns the physician doesn't understand. Likewise, be prepared to inform the examining physician that bilateral facial pain is not at all uncommon. About 20% of our members report that condition, and over 40% report a mixture of Type I and Type II pain symptoms. See the TN fact sheet on our main page.
Regards and best,
Red
and a “p.s.” to my previous post:
my pain mgmt specialist said she would never do a block simply for TN diagnostic purposes, & she is very comfortable with the procedure. so I guess I’d have to agree w/ the consensus: find another doc! good luck in KC.
I asked my Neuro for topical cream and she said it would not help me because mine was too deep. Ironically, I am not really bothered by the idea of a Peripheral Nerve Stimulator but I am REALLY bothered by the idea that the pain management/ anest/ neurosurgeon wants to do a diagnostic nerve block first, before the Peripheral Nerve Stimulator. I am concerned that the nerve block has potential for more damage, more pain, etc.