Hiya im a new member who's type 1 TN has recently come back after being 20 months pain free with no medication.
Im now back on 200mg Tegretol but this isnt working this time. The pain is worst at night and when im trying to relax and i think this is because my blood pressure is lower at night. Has this been the case with anyone else? How does TN link in with circulation and blood pressure?
Also, is 200mg considered a low dose? ive read that the normal dose is 600 to 800mgs.
does anyone have any pain coping methods? at the moment im not sleeping and i feel that a hot water bottle to keep my head warm does help slightly.
AS you have heard, 200 mg of Tegretol is a low dose. I've talked with patients taking as high as 1500 mg per day, though at that dose there tend to be significant side effects. Suggest you speak with your neurologist about titrating up. If the side effects become unacceptable, there are other options too (Trileptal and Neurontin among them).
It is not always clear that there is a link between TN and blood pressure. Some patients notice an easing of pain at night, and others seem to be more vulnerable .
For "tips on pain" suggest you run a search on "tips" in our window at the top right. There was a discussion thread on the subject a few weeks ago.