I am back again, have had some trouble the pas 2 weeks, two weeks ago, after having a clean two weeks with no pain, my pain returned. I had been taking Tegretol extended release 100 mg 3x a day. One question I have is if I am taking this medication right, I know it is extended release but I am just going by the directions on the bottle, is this normal?? It worked great for about two weeks, then I started feeling break through pain. Another question, my pain is not in my face at all, however I do experience some numbness in cheek from time to time. My pain is solely in top left portion of my head. It is a constant feeling of a pressure/burning, could this be occipital neuralgia instead of TN? I have had an occipital nerve block but it did not relieve symptoms. However, the neurologist that I was seeing then made me suspect to whether or not she did it right because my scalp did not become numb whatsoever and that usually happens. Either way, the pain I am in now is very disheartening and I just wish this pain on the top of my head would go away. I am thinking about asking my neurologist next week about starting a triglyceride antidepressant, as I think I have either occipital neuralgia or atypical trigeminal neuralgia and have read on here where people have had success with these type of drugs. Like I said the tegretol worked great for two weeks but now just seems like I am taking skittle. Need help and insight being 22 trying to sift through this disease or whatever it is I have is tough and very discouraging.
I get complete numbness and pressure, pain, muscle spams, twitching and blinding pain.
Maybe you need an increase in drugs. This is a delicate dance. I take 1800 mg’s of gabapentin a day. It is not completely working all the way but any more and I can’t work.
You really need a skilled neurologist. Not all have experience with TN.