Hi, the lower part of my left eye got poked. The eye became bloodshot and shortly thereafter I suffered excruciating pain on the left side of my face and the left side on top of my head. Could not touch the top of my head and continually shocks went on and on. I call my primary and they were unable to make an appointment for me until 2 weeks. Primary suggested I see the eye Doctor. Called the eye Doctor and an appointment was set up for the next day. When my eye was examined, the doctor said there was excessive pressure in my left eye probably due to glaucoma. I asked him if the poke could have caused the pressure and he didn’t think. He thought that I had glaucoma and it lucky for me that my eye got poked so they could start treating the glaucoma. Another appointment was made for 2 weeks. When I went for the 2nd appointment a different eye doctor examined me and said the eye pressure in my left eye was ok and I did not have any signs of glaucoma. I asked him if the eye poke could have caused the problem. He wasn’t sure. I told him I was in a lot of pain, and asked him what about my eye could be causing the problem. He said my eyes were fine. The eyes were not causing a problem. A few days later I saw my primary. I had listed the symptom and she started me on Gabapentin and I got relief. She also set up an appointment with a neurologist. I was able to cut down on the opiate I was taking. The neurologist called to set up an appointment in a city to far away for me to travel. The only appointment I could get with a neurologist visiting the area was 2 months from the injury. sorry for the long story, but I’m an old lady so be patient. Thank you.
Good morning Little_Bear, I wanted to tell you from my experience, that TN can come in various forms and very unexpected. I was flossing my teeth one time and that triggered pain for 6 months. Nobody could believe it. I took one pain pill and somehow that triggered pain in my forehead that lasted for 2 years. Expain that to the doctor.
Doctors scare me. Many act as if their word is law. When I get a doctor like that I’m never sure what to do. I know I’m the one who pays the price for wrong diagnosis based on a doctor’s arrogance.
Sorry to hear about your misdiagnosis of your glaucoma, from my LONG history with doctors…so many shouldn’t have gotten their degree!
What is the status of your situation now?
At this time … just some tightness no shocks at this time. Will keep appointment with neurologist on Feb 13. I’ve had relapses before and then it starts with a small twinge and degenerates into a full blown attack.
Little Bear, I am an old lady too. So I am relating to your dilemma. I hope you will find a knowledgeable doctor that can help you. I had to have MRI’s to find my problem. I am praying you will get relief soon. Gloria
I’m having new problems now. Although the jaw shocks have diminished, I now have discomfort around the left side of my nose, eye and forehead. My eye feels irritated and is constantly watering. I have constant annoying headaches on the left side. Not terrible, but annoying and my skin in those areas feels like its being stretched. Wish I could see the neurologist sooner, before 2/13 but my age and the distance is too much. Old Age is surely not golden and one has to be really tough to survive this portion of our lives.
I keep remembering my grandmother saying that.Don’t know why they call them out golden years.Only ones they are golden for are the doctors,and doctors,and more doctors.Also the pharmacies.I hope you find relief soon.It is not fair.
I seem to be depressed. Not sure if its medication or because i’m old living in an uncomfortable world. I take 3 @ 300 total 900 , gabapentin a day. the new problems have subsided, but I don’t want to do anything. All I do now is read science fiction until my eyes start to water and I can’t read anymore. There are many things I can do, I just have no interest or enthusiasm to do them. I even stopped meditating and meditating is really good for me. Not sure what I’m dealing with.
Hi Little Bear
For me,taking more than 200 mg gabapentin at a time during the day makes me just lie in bed.
Maybe you could get the smaller capsules and take a few more times a day.Someone said there is a long acting gabapentin,but I am not to too sure.
I am glad that it is helping your pain.
I still have not put up my 2917 calendar.Dreading writing all the appointments.
OOOOPS 2017
Must have time traveled with the science-fiction stories!
Hi Little_Bear,
It is difficult when expert care is not near you. As we get these bad things it might be better to live next to a teaching hospital but then you’d be in an expensive city.
I have TN in my eye. It is awful as you say and I can’t see when it strikes either. I have returned to 3-4 ophthalmologists who say my eye is okay and they are sorry but it is the TN and they cannot prescribe anything. The neurologist is the best or one who consults with your primary. Most of us take Tegretol and she has you on it. That is a good start. Opioids don’t work on nerve pain like ours. Hang in there. There are helpers.
So far I have had minimal if any pain. I still take the gabentin but I take it now twice a day. Because the pain is so minimal I almost convinced the eye poke caused the problem. I will see the neurologist. Because if this thing kicks up again I will need help. The day before the pain stopped I had an excruciating painful attack, the next day no pain at all. And since then minimal if no pain. Unfortunately I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak.
It’ s starting to kick up again. I really believed that I was cured and the nerve would be okay. I would get a very mild twinge every now and then. But now the twinges are not so mild and I’m considering upping the gabapentin dosage. I really wanted to believe that this thing would go away.
Little_Bear,
I hope the pain does go away for you and for all of us. I think we need to keeping hoping for that and not get discouraged. That being said, it is difficult to do but I think we need to keep being hopeful.