My AD was caused from a motorcycle accident/no helmet/I was a rider, where I was thrown off and into a 4x4 post and curve sign. I have no memory of the accident or the pain at the time and didnt wake up until I was in Surgical ICU. Surgery was not done for four days on my eye socket which was splintered and I also had a crushed nerve in my left cheek. Everyone thought the pain would go away but it didnt. After another surgery to remove the pins, then MVD surgery - which helped nothing and has left me with pain in the back of my head too, surgery to pull my eye back forward and the doctor injecting the nerve in my face to try and make it just be numb. This seemed to work for about a month and then the pain came back even worse. Ive also been to Portland OR - OHSU for a stimulator placed in my cheek, which was worse and aggravated the pain, then a round of narcotics which only made me feel weird but still with the pain. Up until a month ago I took Ritalin (to get my mind off the pain) Cymbalta, Depakote, Tramedol, Lyrica, in the morning and all this except the Ritalin at night PLUS, Arthrotec, Lunesta and Ibuprofen at bedtime just to get to sleep. Somedays it helped and others it didnt. My stress level was very high as I continued to work although from home in a technical writing capacity. I did this until I was so stressed out that my eyes were twitching all day long and I was so depressed I could do no more than just work in the day and then want to sleep. My doctor NOW has taken me off depakote and put me on carbamazepine instead and cut down the cymbalta by one pill. It is causing my AD pain to be worse all the time, even though I take the Ritalin..it masks the help that it had been affording at least for a few hours a day.
I am looking for any other places to go for clinical trials or other treatment methods that may help. No one really understands the constant burning, stinging and numbing pain that an AD person is under since we all look ok. Except I have a scar and a cheek that stays puffy from it all.
I am on short term disability right now too, trying to stay out of stress while changes are made.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.