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Old 09-28-2006, 07:52 PM
Jeanc Jeanc is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 30
15 yr Member
Jeanc Jeanc is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 30
15 yr Member
Default Start a Pain Diary; get a neuro

If you haven't already, start a Pain Diary with a history of your pain and a daily log of your pain - description of the pain (sharp, dull, aching, stabbing, shock-like, throbbing, burning, etc.), intensity on a scale of 1-10, length of time the pain lasts, how often it strikes or if it is constant, and so on. Also, what medications you have tried, are currently on, times and doses, side effects, whether they work and how well, etc. Also record doctor visits, questions and answers, diagnoses, treatments, etc. TN is diagnosed mainly by extensive patient history and description of pain and eliminating other conditions with similar symptoms. There is no test or exam that can determine TN, unless a vascular compression of the Trigeminal Nerve ganglion happens to show on one of the newer, more sophisticated MRIs (thin cut, 3D with contrast, fiesta, ... even these may fail to show a compression that does show up during a Microvascular Decompression (MVD) surgery). "Regular" MRIs are generally used to eliminate other causes of neuralgia such as tumors or MS lesions and rarely show a compression.

If you don't have a neurologist yet, try to find one who specializes in TN or at least has experience in treating it - recent experience. It's a rare condition so experiened neuros are hard to find especially if you don't live near a major city or hospital, but it's critical that you find someone who knows about TN and current treatments. There are a number of meds to try - some new ones with fewer side effects - but they don't all work for everyone and you need to find someone who will work with you to get the best relief, not just throw a script at you and send you on your way, or insist you're too young to have TN because you're under 50. The many posters to this (TN) Forum had their first TN-type pain between 20 and 50 years of age (we have one who was diagnosed at 3 years old). Some may have gone years before they were diagnosed because it is so rare and many doctors, dentists, even neuros have never seen even one case.
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