What is my next step my mri comes back normal. I’m on 600mg of carbamazepine that does take the edge off the pain. Every day I wake up with my teeth hurting, ear and cheek on my left side also some days my nose burns like someone putting a match to it. My dr nurse said it was good that my mri came back clean no tumor and the trigeminal nerve looked good. I hate to say that I’m disappointed but I am. I want to know what is wrong with me this starting to cost me a fortune. Has anyone else had this happen. Please help, I think I’m going crazy
see if your mri came normal than the chance of you having TN due to MS or a tumour is nearly zero.Now the most probable cause of your TN is vascular compression by a blood vessel at the trigeminal nerve root which is sometimes very difficult to observe in a normal MRI.talk with your doctor about this
It is completely normal to have an MRI come back normal when diagnosing TN.
There really aren’t any diagnostic tools that can confirm TN.
You are diagnosed based on your description, as well as your response to the anti-convulsant medication.
You can have a fiesta MRI which is able to see more clearly the Nerve, but it doesn’t always show compressions on the nerve due to location…
You’re not going crazy! Although it feels like it…
((Hugs)) Mimi
Hi cab I actually live very close to you in florida! Im in lake county. I read that you have type 2 pain so do I I take nortriptyline 75 mg. It helps with type 2 pain and maybe you can add it to what you are taking. My teeth hurt all the time. I had 2 mri's first one came back normal and the second one I did was a 3t mri which is more in depth where they found compressions on both sides I thought I would be happy with this finding I was not sent me deeper into being scared! I will not do surgery at this time because the statistics aren't good for type 2 patients. If you would like to talk more friend and inbox me
My MRI’s (I had sooo many) never showed anything, but when my doctor went in for my first mvd he found an artery on the wrong side of the nerve and laying right on it. He also found scar tissue and a strange spider web type tissue all over the plase adhering the nerve to structures around it (anyone else ever heard of this?). My surgeon said he’d never quite seen anything like it. So you cams DEFINITELY have stuff going on in there that never shows on imaging.
It is not unusual for MRI's not to find anything. I too have had several at my local neurologist and at Mayo Clinic. Even the latest and greatest MRI technology, including some experimental stuff, found nothing obviously wrong with my left Trigeminal Nerve. As mentioned, you are often diagnosed based on the description of your pain and the effectiveness of the anti-convulsant medication. Unfortunately these meds turned me into different versions of a zombie depending on what I was on. I highly recommend reading the book "Striking Back" by Dr. Ken Casey. I credit it for saving my sanity...and some days, my life. It allowed me to recommend a med combo to my neurologist that finally worked quite well with less side effects than previous. I still couldn't think well enough to work, but it was much, much better. Fortunately, and for no known reason, I've been able to wean off of the meds after 1 year and seem to be in remission other than a bad day here and there. It may get bad again, but for now, I thank God for every day that I don't have the crushing, excruciating type 1 & 2 pain in my left forehead. Educate yourself and stay determined that you will get better! Many of us will be praying for your improvement.
My MRI also was normal. No tumors, no cancer. But my ear Dr. diagnosed me with trigemial neuralga. He now wants me to go to a neurologist and I do have an appt. but went to this same guy about two years ago and did not like him and he did nothing for me.. doubt I will go back. I can keep myself comfortable with Advil and also voltaran so will discuss this with my family Dr. on April 3 when i go for my check up if he says it's okay I'll continue with it. I get a violent headache, then the roof of my mouth aches and then the rest of my mouth, sometimes the side of my face aches also.
I guess it is a blessing that the Trigeminal nerve is intact...now if they would just remove the vein from the side of it all might be well???
While you hopefully find a competent neurologist that has TN patients -- for immediate pain relief.....your gp can call you in something to help numb the pain
1. lidocaine mouthwash
2. lidocaine nose spray
3. lidocaine patches or cream for face
I also suggest you read the book mentioned -- the faster you get greatly educated on TN - the better off you will be !
Keep Posting!