New to this, some questions/my story

General General TN & GPN (Old Site)
1

Hi all-

I have been having problems since early January. I got a dental cleaning on one day and then a root canal the next on the right side lower molar. That weekend I started experiencing jolts on the left (opposite) side of my mouth - also lower. I should state that I had had other dental work and a root canal about a year prior on the side where I've been having pain.

Since then I've been sort of struggling through trying to find natural ways to deal with the pain - which has gotten increasingly less shock like and more constant tooth pain/jaw ache/burning sensation in cheek. This is all on my left side but now it is upper and lower teeth and occasion I get eye symptoms too. I tried acupuncture, vitamins, homeopathic pellets, chiropractic and cranial sacral (I'm actually still doing the CS)

Additionally, about a month after the root canal in early Feb I went back to get a crown on the root canaled tooth. So this was like my 3 or 4th appointment with a lot of mouth open time ( and I have a history of TMJ problems). After this appointment I started having TMJ pain (I think) on my right side too and joint clicking on both sides as well as ear fullness and sound sensitivity in both ears.

My pain gets worse as the day goes on - in the morning it's not so bad for the first hour or so. Both sides of my jaw hurt pretty bad by the end of the day. But the burning aching teeth pain is all on the left side.

So basically I'm all messed up. Saturday I gave in and started taking the Trileptal that the neurologist prescribed me back in February. (it took me about a month of bouncing around the dentists to get to the neuro). I'm taking 150mg in the am and 150mg in the pm.

It's not really helping yet but it's only been six days.

My question is this: If I had some kind of damage to my nerve (neuropathic pain) from the dental work (which I know it's not really possible to know for sure, but it seems like it since this all began after), can I be treated the same way as if it were TN or ATN? Will/can medications work? And is MVD even a possibility? Or is it just trial and error basically?

Sorry, I know this is an ear/eyeful, I'm just so confused and pretty bummed out about it all, as I'm sure you can relate to. I feel like my life has been completely stolen from me.

Any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jennifer

2

Hi Jennifer,

We were chatting the other day. You will see that many people here started off in the dental chair--some having pain directly resulting from dental procedures. My ATN started before dental work but still I had unnecessary dental work done.

Everyone's experience is very different with their symptoms and what medications work for them. I do not know about an MVD. I am seeing a Neurosurgeon for the first time at the end of April. We share a lot of our pain locations, patterns and symptoms. Maybe I will have some insight after my appointment.

It is a frightening thing to be faced with but you are not alone and this website is full of people with experience and empathy. There are many medications to try. Many have success and are pain free. Some also experience remissions. I did for eight years. You know a bit about my story already.

In my experience it is a lot of trial and error. Have you had an MRI done? If not you should. I am also glad that you have a neurologist that is helping you. Hang in there and ask any question that comes to mind :))

3

If you have ATN. you have 65% + successful MVD, long term best outcome with a surgeon who has done hundreds. You can lower or get off meds.

The caveat is to do it within first three years

and this percentage will go most likely way down. IF you do gamma or cyber knife…any nerve destroying procedures before MVD

For now… I would immediately ask to go up a little on trileptal if not better by monday.

AND call in to gp or neuro or dentist…ask for lidocaine face patches RX. And lidocaine mouthwash!

GO and google. The neuropathic tides of pain. Video by Dr. Ken Casey

if you cant absorb it all, break it down… First hour slides…and great info
second hour direct questions from pain patients and their loved ones.

Order his book on amazon
STRIKING BACK…has great info, supplements, ointments, from 2004

The video was 2010. More updated on procedures now since his book.

He’s been doing this since 1970s. TN and ATN treatments both basically same

I traveled to Michigan from Missouri… He set it all up by email , personally.

Two nights in hospital and now
two years no pain no meds…
as i have TN 1
Where odds are better for long term… But this is a progressive disease, and i could get it again

Meds stop working eventually

So i hope this helped for starters…most good MVD people are not hanging around here…they are out living!

Read, learn, ask, repeat!

Here is a good
Post for your grief

http://www.livingwithtn.org/forum/topics/an-important-reminder-for-yourself-and-your-loved-ones-caretakers

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Kimberly

4

Hi Jennifer,

Your story is very similar yo mine in that our symptoms started after dental work. I have not had MVD, have just been on meds since 10/2013 . Meds have helped me significantly and many if not most of my symptoms (again very similar to yours) have completely disappeared for now. Please consider giving the meds a try. It may take several different meds before you find one that works best. I really feel like I have my life back and am out from under the depression/anxiety that seems to come along with all of this. Hope this helps.

5

thank you all very much for your responses - all very very helpful.

6

thank you all very much for your responses - all very very helpful.

7

Hi Cleo

I'm wondering if the damage could have occurred during earlier dental work on the left side and then just been retriggered by the cleaning? There was no needle for the cleaning, but she was particularly aggressive. Does nerve damage produce pronounced symptoms right away?

I have been going to physical therapy for TMJ and am considering getting an orthotic but wasn't sure if I should try to get my meds straight first/some relief. Do you think it's possible that the TMJ could be causing some of the nerve pain as well?


Cleo said:

If injury occurs on the lower right mandibular nerve branch during botched dental treatment the pain would not be able to travel to the left due to the left being a totally different trigeminal nerve branch.

Same meds are used for all nerve pain. MVD can detect vascular compression at the brain stem. But, It will not detect or repair the pain of a damaged nerve in the jaw/maxillary area that has been hit by a drill bit, root canal overfill, anesthetic injection, implant, abscess, impacted tooth, ect... All dental care needs to be ruled out before considering moving out of the dentists life. What treatment are you under for TMJ? Did you have injections for the cleaning?

8

yes i had a cone beam x ray done and they say it's fine. i'm also starting to have mild symptoms on my right side now where the recent root canal was done. teeth aches, minor electric sensations in jaw, a few quick stabs. both root canals were done on cracked teeth. i almost wonder if I should get them both pulled just to see if pain goes away. but i know that can cause even more problems if that's not the issue….

Cleo said:

TMJ causes joint pain not nerve pain. nerve pain wouldn't appear a year later after a cleaning. Has the old root canaled tooth been re evaluated?