I am new to the DX of TN....I tried Neurontin and it had side effects I could not handle. Is Botox a realistic solution to help calm the nerve? I am a little nervous to try other drugs at this time due to the reaction to Neurontin. My TN thank goodness has seemed to calm a bit....still hurts but not as much and not as often so I am good now (but I am sure it will come back sooner or later in full force again!!). So I don't know if it is even a good time to try anything. Not sure how I would know if anything is working when I am feeling pretty good now.
Botox for facial pain is a crap shoot. it helps some and not others. it also worsens the pain in some. repeated procedures every few months are necessary; this invariably affects muscle tone in the face over time.
confirm with your insurance company they will cover the cost; they do not always reimburse for the expense.
good luck,
vesper
There are other meds to try first - if you have TN1 -- Trileptal --- you can try Lyrica
Between meds I put a lidocane patch on my face
Sometimes you just have to put up with some side effects from the drugs as long as they are not too severe.
I can say Tegretol helped control the severe attacks when I was first diagnosed, but I was like a Zombie, so my GP changed me to Lyrica (Pregabalin). The dose has been built up over some weeks to 400mgs per day. I still have some side effects like blurred vision and a feeling of drunkeness but this is improving after only 4 days of the increased dosage. So Im keeping my fingers crossed!!!!
Venting is what this website is here for. Good Luck tomorrow. :)
If you had a bad reaction to Neurontin, I don't think Lyrica (pregabalin) is the next thing to try because the two meds are so similar.
If your pain is the electric shock type pain, you might want to try Tegretol or Trileptal. Trileptal is supposed to have fewer side effects, but they both still have side effects.
If your pain is a 24/7 constant aching, burning pain, you might want to try Amitriptyline or Nortriptyline.
All meds have side effects, but usually your body gets used to them, and they aren't so bad after a month or two. And also, most meds don't start working until you've taken them for a few weeks. Sometimes I see people give up on a med too soon, because they didn't give it ample time to start working.
Many people find that a combination of a few meds together are how they get pain relief. If you do this, my advice is to start with one med at a time, as opposed to starting three at once. This way, you'll know what's working and what isn't. If you take three meds to start, you'll never know which one is truly helping.
Please post and let us know how it goes tomorrow...