I'm so sorry to read about the suffering you are going through. I had a MVD about 2 years ago that was successful in relieving all pain and getting me off medication with all its side effects. While the surgery was a bit scary to contemplate, my pain was escalating and I had tried just about everything else. The surgery didn't turn out to be that difficult to go through and recover from. And you owe it to yourself to try everything you can to make your life better.

Have you had a second opinion about the effectiveness of an MVD for the kind of TN you have? Do tests show a compression? (If they don't you still could have one...).

I hope you can find some relief.