could Sativex ( or medical marihuana) help with Facial pain .
I have TN caused by MS .
I’m at 800 mg of Carbamazepine and still I’m in pain from morning till evening .
Help, help… I hope to hear if there is help to be expected from Sativex ?
Dunno about sativex, but, have you tried gabapentin as an adjunct med? Some people with MS have luck with it in general for the nerve issues that can come with MS.
The biggest drawback for MS people is it can cause drowsiness, so, depending on your other MS issues/symptoms it may not be the best option but it might be worth trying.
Thanks for your answer .
Last year I tried Gabapentin for a little over a month and it worked- but I gained over 3 kg in just a month . That why I stopped using it .
Hi, Omieke. Are you in the UK? If so, you’re in (some!) luck because Sativex is only available for MS patients here. I know because I tried to get it for my TN recently but was refused because in Scotland (where I am) it’s an “off-register” item only prescribed for MS patients (for muscle spasticity). However, as a bona fide MS patient you can at least be considered for it. It has been used to treat TN (I think there are papers on PubMed, which is where I read about it), so you need to dig up that research and quote it at your doctors/neurologists. I see no earthly reason why they should refuse you a trial, especially since you are struggling with Carbamazepine.
If you are in the US I don’t know how things stand with using Sativex there, but the problem you will encounter in both countries is the price. I think it said it cost £50 or so for a ‘pen’ when I looked at it last. That is very expensive. Please do let me know how you get on with it and if you get it. I would very much like to know about results with it. Good luck
Me again, Omieke, I just looked at your profile and saw you are in Belgium (should have checked first!). I don’t know how things stand with your health service there, but I imagine it may be similar to the UK, in that Sativex’s use will be being governed by the EU, so at least it should be available for you? Let me know how you get on. If it is available in Belgium, you should definitely fight for it - don’t let them put you off! As an MS sufferer you have a right to it. Best of luck!
thank you for your answer(s) .
You can legally get the Sativex here, for ms patients ( in some cases ) .
Up to now I only spoke to two persons that tried it - with no succes .
One person ( also ms patient ) stopped it because it gave him stomach problems and he hated how he felt that he had constantly take notes about his use - and this way he was obliged to think about his problems constantly .
The other person was a Parkinson patient and she thougt it did nothing for her , so she gave up after a couple of weeks .
They were both fairly convincing NOT to try it …
My neurologist suggested I should try it, so no problem there, but as long as I don’t hear or read " succes story s " I don’t know … ( what about driving ??? - this holds me also back )
Thank you again ( and if ever I try it, I will let you know !!! )
I have to say that the two people you spoke to who tried it were not ‘incentivized’, as the Americans say, to give it much of a trial. One didn’t like taking notes (I sympathise and know what he means but it’s not great for motivation) and Parkinson’s is not really pain-centric as a condition (I don’t think!) plus a couple of weeks is not really enough time to try any drug, so I wouldn’t put too much faith in either of them. It’s certainly far safer with, as far as I know, less side effects than anti-convulsants so if you can get it I’d definitely give it a trial. At least it isn’t trashing your white blood count and blood sodium! Hope you decide to give it a shot some day and let us all know how you get on. You could be a gateway to help other TN patients who are currently prohibited from using marijuana products (good old forward-thinking Britain!). Best of luck with whatever you do, hope you find that magic bullet. X X
I just started medical marijuana for my TN of 8 years. I get the CBD oil, low THC oil and vape. I have only been on it for about 1 month. I can’t really tell for sure that it is helping with my TN but it has helped with the debilitating fatigue I suffer due to an autoimmune disease (unknown type) and all of the many medications I am on. I am much happier and active. I think it’s too soon to know if it is helping the TN but I have high hopes, no pun intended lol. I think with any severe pain disorder it should be at least given a try if it is legal where you are. I believe in “right to try” not only for terminal patients but for patients with extremely painful conditions like ours. I hope one day medical marijuana is available for any that want to give it a try!