I am wondering if anyone else has been treated with steroids for their TN. After a couple months of constant pain during my first TN attack my doctor put my on a medrol 6 day dospak. This simmered the pain down. So I ended up taking a pretty high dose of medrol for 6 months. Then I finally went into remission. A few weeks ago I relapsed and my doctor gave me a 6 day dospak again. I haven't had too much of an issue since. Now my doctor is thinking of IV steroids when I have full blown relapses. I consider myself lucky that medrol helps me. The only unfortunate part is that I ended up with Cushings from the steroids. But it beats the hell out of the TN pain.
Hi, I am wondering why your doc hasn't given you an anti-siezure med. Such as Tegretol or Trileptal?? These are usually the first line of defense against the TN strikes...
I have heard of some others on here taking steroids for a short period of time and getting relief. But I don't think they are that good for you long term...just my two cents...I know I've taken them for sinus problems and they worked GREAT for that.. so I know what you mean.
It can take awhile for these other meds to build up in your system and they do have side effects, but they work. I wish you the best. Min
I would get 6 day Medrol for break through pain several times per year. I was taking 1200 mg Gabapentin and 200 mg Topamax but if the pain broke through, the steroids would help, but I was always told the steroids were not good for long term, as long as there were other options. I had MVD 16 days ago, and am currently on Medrol and weaning off my meds, but have never heard of steroids only for treatment of TN pain. Do you take any of the other anti-seizure meds?
I have tried taking tegretol and another one. They didn't change anything. I have been on gabapentin and that has helped my occipital neuralgia and the more constant pain of TN but only the medrol has been able to stop the pain from full blown attacks. I have also tried a few different muscle relaxers, gone to chiropractors, and so on.