Hi there. I’m relatively new to this but I have been reeding your post.
I have been experiencing extreme facial pain after a dentist punktured my mental or alveolar nerve with a needle and high dose of strong anestetic.
I have been experiencing terrible pain in my mouth and lower jaw now since a year which obviously turned chronic cause the pain never went away. I’m on high dose of tegretol, lyrica tramal and seroqel for sleep. But still experiencing pain and unable to function.
Lost my job, girlfriend, everything. Now sitting in a quite room in parrents house, battling face and jaw pain 24/7.
They already cut down the mental nerve at the maxilofacial unit. Unfortunately that didn’t completely stop my pain, the pain is now radiating from teeth and the part which has been cut. With numb chin and lip on one side of face as expected. The next solution they gave me is to cut the alveolar nerve. Neurosergeoun is very preciousness with my case as they didnt found clear neurovascular conflict on mri.
Which I expected as the intense burning and stabbing pain started emediatly after a dentist ruptured my nerve with a needle and high dose of strong anestetic.
The pain is now going on for a year and it ain’t stopping. I suppose it’s already neuropathic and both neuralgic in character. The pain is horrible it’s constant and 10 on scale. Only with tons of medications I am able to put it down to 7.
I’m very sorry to hear of your experience, I can obviously sympathize since I have the same trouble. When I went to see the pain management experts the first suggestion was surgery, which I rejected. It seems that the surgery you had just made things worse? I have had my pain for 5 years and I have chosen to manage it with drugs, and for the most part - with some creative juggling - I have kept the pain manageable. Sometimes the drug(s) will wear off and I will then have to find an alternative mix. I have come off a drug that has ceased to help, only to go back on it again later with renewed results. A work friend of mine is a pharmacist who will sometimes make a suggestion, I take this to my Pain specialist and he will typically fill the prescription.
I don’t know what else to say, except that if you need a list of the meds I have used let me know.
Bill
Hi Bill thank you for your sharing.
Unfortunately I’m an extreme case.
I was lied by dentist and negletatet to wisit the hospital. He told me to take antibiotics and the pain will probably stop. Of course that didn’t happen my nerve was literally burning inside out from chemicals and affected injury.
I was in horrific pain and agony. Was also suicidal cause the pain was literally burning my mouth like with gasoline and teeth stabbed in gums like dull knifes. Could barely sleep and eat.
Now the situation is a bit better as I was put on hard medications including tramadol.
I do feel slight improvement with nerve cutting or neuroctomy. I don’t regret doing it. They told me after surgery that my nerve was impaled with dense scar tissue.
Unfortunately I didn’t get rid of my pain , I think it’s because it’s both trigeminal neuropathic pain and chronic facial pain. Surgical option I was given now is to cut the alveelar (lower jaw nerve).
I’m sceptical about it but I still have strong pain and it’s constant… it aint stoping or going away even during sleep. Because the pain wokes me up after several hours.
My medications as for now are ■■■■ mg Carbamenzine, 300 mg Lyrica, 200-300 mg Tramadol with 1500 mg Paracetamol.
I am taking these several times a day each day and still experiencing pain which can trigger strong at any point. The worst is in the morning. I run to a glass of water and swalow Tramadol and Carbamenzine emediatly to shorten the time of agony.
I’m still in pain even with medications, I can’t socialize because my mouth hurth all the time … I opt for disability…
At least the medications are giving me some realife not to commit suicide or even die in agonyzing pain.
Lukas, I feel for you, my pain was constant at one time also and yes, I know what you mean when you describe it as intense burning. My pain has changed over time morphing into the fierce burning of the lower jaw. It began like an electric shock shooting up the side of my face, lighting my face up, if you will, triggered by either gently touching my chin, chewing, talking, even lying on it in bed. I used to have to keep moving my head until I found the sweet spot where there was no pain. This could take a while. Now, thank God, it’s manageable. I take 1800 mg of Gabapentin and 50mg of Nortriptyline. I was on Amitriptyline, but that wore off, as did the Gabapentin for a while. I have found that by returning to them at a later date, they become effective again. I am not saying I will never consider surgery, I will if, or when the medication becomes permanently ineffective.
The dentist responsible for my injury was a young woman just starting out, (she had bought the business from my former dentist) and she not only ruptured the nerve, but left me in the chair for so long while she worked on other people, that when she returned the Novocain began to wear off! She continued to drill even though I tried to tell her I could feel it. Needless to say, I haven’t been to a dentist since. I’m just too afraid. I live in constant fear that the pain will return permanently.
Try and be optimistic and keep researching, and try to cling to hope. I know that might sound hollow, I found myself devoid of hope a number of times, but I did my doctors job and researched the condition. I have found myself being the one suggesting treatments most of the time. Hopefully something will present itself to you.
Kind regards,
Bill.
Thank you Bill for your sharing and reply.
You can call me Homer as Lukas is only my e mail name.
Looks like you are going thrue this pretty well and strong now? When is your pain the worst during day?
Mine is in the morning when my body relaxes a bit during night and the medications wears off… My mornings wake ups are thrue suffering and agony, for which i also suffer psychologically immerse. My face burns like it’s burned with gasoline and electrical shocks tear apart my mouth and front lower jaw.
Also my autonomous nervous system sends alarms to my brain that I’m in death danger cause the pain is like being teared apart by wild animals. So immediately take tramadol and carbamenzine together with paracetamol to ease up the pain.
Because of the agony pain and suffering I endure I rarely leave the house.
Hi Homer, glad to have your real name. My pain can come at any time during the day. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern to it, although these days it’s a mild burning in the lower trigeminal nerve (I think it’s the same place as you by the sound of it). As I have said, right now it’s under control, but I know from experience that this will change and the full force of the pain will return when the medication becomes ineffective. I always live in fear of that, it’s not called the suicide pain for nothing. I feel very sorry for you Homer, I know that compared to you, I’m lucky. I have been in the situation where any pain relief is welcome, even if it’s only for a short time. As soon as the medication wears off I’m in panic mode and consulting with my Pharmacy friend and on the phone to my pain specialist to try a different combination of drugs. Right now it’s burning my face, but it’s confined to where the needle went in 5 years ago, a very small area. When the meds wear off, the burning goes right up the left side of my face. Sometimes it’s like an electric shock shooting up; It’s debilitating for sure. When this happens I become immobilized, not able to do anything. I imagine this is what you are going through at present? I just hope you will find relief and achieve some quality of life.
Best regards,
Bill.
I’m a big fan of the lidocaine patch. It’s not an immediate fix and you probably won’t notice anything right when you put it on, but, over time, I’ve found that it seems to quiet the nerve reactions.
I cut a 2" wide strip and run it along the nerve branch that’s acting up (or even feeling vaguely odd in my case). I leave it on for days at a time!
You can get it OTC in America and Canada as SalonPas at the drug store, it’s 4% strength. Prescription strength is 5%.
It’s non-invasive, has low interactions, and you can pick it up while running errands for a few dollars. Might be worth trying for a week to see if it helps settle the nerve reactions down.
Hi Bill, thank you for your support and sharing.
Yes the pain is similar to yours, it’s located in the lower jaw portion. Especially at front jaw where the mouth and chin is. They already cut down my mental nerve so I suffer also of some kind of throublsome numbness. But now most part of the pain is going somewhere where the nerve has been cut.
Most of the pain radiates from there so I guess it’s real nerve pain not phathom pain.
They told me if I suffer to much pain they can cut the whole low dental nerve (alveolar nerve) I’m thinking to thry this method sooner or later maybe.
Best regards Bill,
To hear from you soon…
Hi azurelle thank you for your ideas and sharing…
Yes I could definitely try those. Although the pain seems to be also deep located not just on my skin. My mental nerve which supplies mouth and region has been cut down cause I suffered to much pain.
I have pain now radiating where the incision was… so I guess it’s not just phantom pain.
You said you suffer from atypical trigeminal neuralgia. How did your pain started? Are your nerves in the face damaged in some way?
Do you think some kind of rhizotomy would help for this pain?
To burn the nerve down with radiofrequency.
I’m hoping for every procedure to get relief.
Hi Homer, That’s a radical approach, but if I’m honest, I have considered that method myself should the medication approach fail to work. I guess we have to do what we have to do to gain pain relief. As I write this I’m experiencing a lot of discomfort, which keeps the possibility I may have to resort to this method alive in my thinking. I just don’t want to go that route so long as the meds work. In your case I guess it’s a no-brainer. A numb face is preferable to acute pain. If you go for that, you’ll have to keep me posted how it went, and more importantly, if it worked. Keep going Homer and never give up.
Bill.
Hi Bill, nice to hear from you.
I’m in strong discomfort my self…
When I don’t have intense burning and stabing pain I always feel that dull aching presure somewhere in front jaw line.
It’s another level of horror but it’s less intense then those Electric Burning Stabbing pain… I can assure you right now that even if you get some kind of phantom pain it’s ussualy more endurable then the real nerve pain. At least that’s what I’m experiencing right now. It’s better to have a numb portion of lower jaw then to have constant pain. Yes I’m worried about that dental alveolar nerve. It’s causing me discomfort in teeth and portion of mouth and jaw. The surgical option they gave is either to cut it down or to “burn” the whole mandibular nerve with RF rhizotomy…
I’m thinking to try “cut the dental nerve first”
As this is a conservative approach.
They did neuroctomies in past with more or less success.
I Will sure let you know about my symptoms and future procedures.
I already know it’s impossible to get 100 % pain free from neuropathic pain.
But if they can reduce it why not.
When they cut my mental nerve they said it was highly damaged and in scar tissue.
I do feel some sort of relief now as the nerve was wasted.
The problem now is the dental alveolar nerve which is causing me the most discomfort. The Surgeon already told me they can cut it down.
So I will let you know how this went with a new topic. He told me first to calm the nerve with several nerve blocks and if that goes well they can cut it down under general anesthesia.
Lukas – lidocaine is a topical anesthesic and it does work on “deep” pain vs surface pain because it’s absorbed into the body. I find that it works exceptionally well on burning/aching that won’t stop.
I have ATN as a secondary conditional to migraines. The general idea is that the swelling from chronic migraines damaged the nerve.
There is also the fact that the nerves in my face have never been “right.” I never numb correctly for dental work, I either don’t feel pain or feel too much pain in my face (as a child I broke my nose playing softball and didn’t notice). So, although migraines may be the trigger to really set off the nerve issues there seems to also be an underlying issue of that nerve never being what one would call correct in the first place.
Lukas,
I have been diagnosed with TN since 2014. It is good that you found the website. It may be the best thing I have found since I experienced the onset of the condition/disease. Just like so many of us , it was after a dental treatment that my problems started. I had perfectly good teeth pulled, because the dentist , well he had no idea and he was greedy and lazy…before I was recommended to see a neurologist . He prescribed the heavy meds : gabapenten, lyrica…Unfortunately they did not work for me so fortunately I stopped taking them .
On a daily basis I experience all of the symptoms…Currently I have a spell in the morning that last for about two hours. I have to watch what I chew on. No more crunchy or chewy foods. (I have lost weight…yo-ho) At worse I have to lay down , and apply a heat pack to my left jaw. At best, I can function normally even though there is pain 27/7.
Here is what I use for my condition…Nueragen Cream …Over the counter medicine for diabetic nerve pain. …Nueragen oil…Same company, for the same use. I stopped seeing the neurologist four years ago when he told me that there was no way “that stuff” can work. I also stopped taking his meds then. There are times when I feel the onset of the condition, I will exercise moderately . If I walk the treadmill or outside, the pain is controllable., sometimes. I think there could be a connection between pain control and the brain on exercise…
And, lastly, and most effectively for me…Medical Marijuana…I rely on heavy doses of cannabis with high CBD content. I use CBD oil in certain foods that I prepare for myself…Smoothies , especially. Soups and cereals. Tea…
I recently saw that there were only 45000 people in the US with our condition. If that is true, then , I consider myself special.
Don’t give up. Keep trying different things. I know that I try to stay optimistic but way down deep I don’t know how or when the TN will change up on me again. I just hope and pray it does not get worse.
When I am having a real rough time of it I take a dose of Tegretol in the middle of the night. I find things then are not quite so bad in the morning when I get up.
Jeanie
Hi azurelle,
My daughter has migraines and started doing yoga and her migraines have decreased dramatically. She now swears by it. I don’t know what has caused them but she does not have TN either.
best wishes
'scott
Thanks for the tip, Scott. I’ve done yoga off and on for years, I really enjoy it as well and suggest giving it a try if you haven’t!