Three years ago I was randomly afflicted with major chest pain. Originally, I thought it was a heart attack (at age of 35). The emergency doctors said it was anxiety.

I haven't had a chest pain episode in three years since. However, the pain moved to my Carotid Artery. After two years of miss-diagnosis, including surgery to remove a lymph-node and my tonsils, I was finally diagnosed with Carotidynia.

My episodes are severe. The pain starts in my neck, and within a day or two, spreads to my jaw, teeth, and the side of my head, much like a severe migraine or abscessed tooth. It is unbearable for a few days, then slowly goes away.

I've been living with this for over two years now. After they finally diagnosed me, they put me on Gabapentin. My Doctor just ups my dosages whenever I call her about the pain going away. I'm up to 800 mg a day, and there have been zero results.

Questions:

Is there another medication? (Gabapentin really messes me up. I loose my balance easily, and have trouble concentrating. It is making work almost impossible.)

Is there a narcotic that can help take the pain away during an flare up? (It's not that I want to take narcotics, but it's too the point where I cannot even sleep or lay down. I usually have to sleep in my recliner when I have an episode.)

Is there a cure or surgery? (I have insurance, and am willing to do anything to get rid of this. This is a life changing condition for me.)

Have they (you) not tried prescription migraine meds? They're named as a firstline treatment by many sources.

There may likely be, but currently, doctors are reluctant to prescribe narcotic medications.

I don't know the answer to that question. A surgical solution might best be asked of a vascular surgeon.

If you haven't yet, I would suggest spending some time on goggle researching this condition so that you understand it, and what is/isn't known about it (there seems to be some controversy in the medical literature as to whether it's a distinct condition or not).

There have also been previous discussion here (if this link doesn't work, search for carotidynia in the archives.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/se...ry=Carotidynia

Doc

I would try Lidoderm patches on the neck area. The carotid is not very deep and it must be pulling on the nerve.

Nerves are in yellow:
http://doctorsgates.blogspot.com/201...-mnenomic.html