I'm trying osteopathy for TN type 2, comforted by the advice of Porcelina and Red that it's been helpful for some and probably not harmful. I've only been for 2 sessions so far. The first one, he just rested his fingers on my face to feel the natural flow going on within my skull, and even that pressure hurt my left TN side. The pain that night was high-normal, I chucked down some extra tylenol and it was okay. Weirdly, I had a lot of drainage for the next couple of days from that side of my sinuses (or so it felt) down the back of my throat). The second time I went back, he tried putting his fingers on the occipetal something on my neck just below my ears. It was incredibly reactive! It felt like my eyes went instantly cross-eyed and I got so dizzy I stopped him. He waited a minute and asked if I got dizzy because I'd just layed down, but I didn't think so. He tried again and within 2 seconds the same thing happened, and he had to stop. Then he moved onto the temporal bone (?) pressing my cheekbones very gently towards my nose. Again, I became so dizzy it was very uncomfortable. He asked me to close my eyes, so I did and just tried to get through it. The experience was so bizarre, it felt like the middle of my face was a ball in his fingertips, and then the lightning storm of pain shocks started - around my left eye, down into my ear where I get the sharp pain, along my jawline and into my teeth, pretty much everywhere I get TN pain. I could handle it for awhile, then it just had to stop. The osteopath said it was so reactive, he would go home and do some homework on it and we'd meet again in a week or so. That night and the next day I was in a lot of pain and had to take tylenol on top of the TN med I'm already on. I'm also in the process of switching medication from topimax back to tegritol along with effexor. I was told the effexor might help with some of the type 2 symptoms, but I also think my dr's think I'm depressed. Anyway, I'm hopeful that the osteopath may be onto something. He's ultra qualified in sports medicine and I've known him for years, but didn't know he was also an osteopath. Has anyone else out there tried osteopathy and had such a big reaction from the temporal bone? thanks everyone! Take care, all.
Two observations: first, it's unusual for TN to respond well to Tylenol (Acetaminophen). The fact that yours does, might suggest that something in addition to TN could be going on (notably sinus infection). Second, it sounds like you have extensive trigger zones. Given your sensitivity, it might be well for you to ask the doctor specifically what he hopes to make happen by exerting pressure on the bones of your face and neck. Is he expecting to "adjust" something in the manner of a chiropractor? Or is he working with soft tissue in some way? These are fair questions.
Likewise, be sure the Osteo is aware of your drainage, particularly if it persists. He should have training as an Osteopath, to evaluate you at least at a basic level, for sinus infection.
Effexor is one of the meds in the class of Seratonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI). I've heard of them being prescribed as alternatives to Amitriptyline or Nortriptyline (tricyclic antidepressants), in treatment of Type II TN pain. You can ask your doctor if the dose he's recommended is intended for antidepressant effects or pain control. Usually the pain control effects tend to kick in at doses somewhat lower than commonly used for depression itself.
You yourself can probably determine whether you are feeling emotional depression. It isn't unusual as a co-morbid effect of TN pain, due to sleep disturbances and disruption of daily life. But depression also isn't a cause of TN pain as such. It's more of a potentiator for stress that lowers your pain threshold for feeling any form of organically caused pain.
Go in Peace and Power
Red
Have you read the book Striking Back? It has sooooo many other things to try -- like accupuncture - etc etc -- Sports medicine does not make a degree in Trigeminal Neuralgia -- please be careful!
PS My surgeon is one of the top in the field -- said to only use chiopractic care if NUCCA qualified -- you can find them on google NUCCA site
Thanks for your responses, Red and KC Dancer. Originally, my GP thought I had a sinus infection, so he sent me for x-rays which came back clear and I went through 10 or 11 rounds of antibiotics - the only one that really helped was biaxin. However, I was only prescribed 7 days, and on the 8th day, I felt something pop in my sinuses and finally I felt 'normal', like my nose airway was finally clear and bigger somehow. The odd thing is, I didn't really have any excessive mucous or nose blowing during this 'sinus infection' time. I had a delayed CT scan after several antibiotics, and of course everything was normal - a slightly deviated septum and a very small polyp, which I was told, neither would cause my problem. I had the scope put up my nose, and all was clear. But when I took biaxin, I'd get the same kind of drainage that I'm now getting with the osteopath. I kept going back for more biaxin til the pharmacy cut me off! And by the last time, it didn't help much anyway, I'm sure I'd built up a resistance to it. I referred myself to the dentist to check for an abcessed tooth, all was fine. I went to the eye doctor and all was well there - even got the retinal scan. When I went to the osteopath, really out of desperation for some kind of relief since I'm having so much trouble with the TN meds - wicked stomach upset (I have GERD and a small hiatal hernia) and fatigue - I told him basically, I feel like I had a sinus infection that wasn't properly treated and it went into my soft tissue, and somehow is now affecting my Trigeminal Nerve. I'm no doctor, but that's how it feels from inside this skin. Now I've got the twitch thing going on after I eat or brush my teeth - not every day, but some days, usually when I eat something more resistant, like chewy French bread or steak for example. It's embarrassing. I tried smiling to see if it would break the twitch cycle, but alas, no! The osteo also touched the back of my head, and the twitch in my eye started going off - I thought it was maybe coincidence, but it happened 4 times in a row, and he noticed it too. My fear is that I've got some weird infection deep in my face or bone. I went to an ENT here, but once he finished his tests and they came back negative, he said it wasn't sinus, and closed the door - no referral, no follow up, no nothing. Same with the neurologist, although he's going to treat my carpal tunnel. I'm on the waiting list to see another one, but it will take another 1-2 years. I went to have my internal ear tested since a lot of my symptoms involve dizziness, and all the inner ear mechanism is perfect. However, I find that one of my main triggers for TN pain and visual disturbances and dizziness is sound. For instance, today in church they had a great worship band, but I had to leave because the drums and cymbals were 'twisting' my vision. Too bad, they sounded good. I'm not sure what to do anymore. I do feel down, but I'm not sure I'd classify myself as depressed. Frustrated, definitely. I'd like to get out into the world and make my life and my kids' lives better, but I feel stuck on the sidelines, dependant. Thanks so much for listening, it helps a lot.
Richard A. "Red" Lawhern said:
Two observations: first, it's unusual for TN to respond well to Tylenol (Acetaminophen). The fact that yours does, might suggest that something in addition to TN could be going on (notably sinus infection). Second, it sounds like you have extensive trigger zones. Given your sensitivity, it might be well for you to ask the doctor specifically what he hopes to make happen by exerting pressure on the bones of your face and neck. Is he expecting to "adjust" something in the manner of a chiropractor? Or is he working with soft tissue in some way? These are fair questions.
Likewise, be sure the Osteo is aware of your drainage, particularly if it persists. He should have training as an Osteopath, to evaluate you at least at a basic level, for sinus infection.
Effexor is one of the meds in the class of Seratonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI). I've heard of them being prescribed as alternatives to Amitriptyline or Nortriptyline (tricyclic antidepressants), in treatment of Type II TN pain. You can ask your doctor if the dose he's recommended is intended for antidepressant effects or pain control. Usually the pain control effects tend to kick in at doses somewhat lower than commonly used for depression itself.
You yourself can probably determine whether you are feeling emotional depression. It isn't unusual as a co-morbid effect of TN pain, due to sleep disturbances and disruption of daily life. But depression also isn't a cause of TN pain as such. It's more of a potentiator for stress that lowers your pain threshold for feeling any form of organically caused pain.
Go in Peace and Power
Red
My third osteopath treatment made me so dizzy I almost threw up, and he had to keep stopping the very gentle pressure he was using because it made me incredibly dizzy. I was dizzy the rest of the day and had to sleep the afternoon away to recover. He applied very slight pressure upward on my jaw, and inward on my temporal (cheek) bone. He's wondering if I don't have an underlying temporal bone infection. I still get some relief from my worst TN days when the left side of my face is so achey and the tegretol doesn't cut it, when I take extra strenth Tylenol. Seems like my TN may be secondary due to an infection? I'm hopeful he'll find something because he's researching and finding trigger zones. He says ANYTHING that touches my trigeminal nerve on that side seems to make me dizzy. This is the main reason why I'm not working now, the dizziness and resulting fatigue. Anyone else out there like that?