Marlene, I have atypical TN which fired every minute I was awake. The only way I could sleep was sitting up. I couldn't move my head at all.
I've had a lot of trouble too with pain meds, especially with anti-depressants, neurontin & lyrica. I'm using ketamine which may be worth looking at. I know the profile is scary but if you can get a doctor who's experienced with it and the amount is slowly built up there isn't usually a problem. If you shud have a problem tho, at least the drug is very short-acting. I'm talking about low-dose outpatient therapy. I'm still in pain but it's vastly reduced and I can lie down to sleep!
The trick is to find a doctor with experience; you don't want to be a guinea pig. Paula