So i am a 31 year old male, active, have a great job, beautiful lady who is 33wks preggers, and very busy.
so as you can imagine experiencing the most excruciating pain i have ever felt threw me for a loop this monday.
It started as a severe migraine/sinus type headache on monday, i went home early and took a lot of Tylenol e.s and some herbal medicine but before i went to sleep i started to get the most intense pain in my upper teeth on the same side, i have had some baaaadddd tooth aches in my time and this was right up there, except it was in everyone of my teeth on the upper right side..
it passed and i managed to get a few hours of sleep until i was woken up every hour or two with this stabbing, burning, shocking ,eye crossing pain.
I tried to tough it out on tuesday convinced i was experiencing the worst sinus pressure i have ever endured, i have had 100s of severe sinus infections throughout my life and none have ever felt so painful.
so i laid around all day with a dull pain in my cheek and ear, with an interruption every couple of hours or so that were INDESCRIBABLE , serious pain. Deep in my ear it would start, then move down to my upper and lower teeth making them feel like they all were infected and needed to come out!
the longest spell lasted 25 min, when it was done the right side of my tongue was numb and tingly..i then knew this couldn't be sinus.
So i went to the doctor yesterday,family practice, and he checked all my sinius and concluded it wasn't a sinus infection.
when i described the pain he stated it could be Trigeminal neuralgia and we could find out by giving me a prescription for the pain with Methylprednisolone a strong steroid.
i followed the dosage and the pain has subsided and i have gone without an episode of pain all day(fingers crossed)does this mean i definitely have TN?
Interestingly enough i have seen the correlation between root canals and TN, i have had 3 on the corresponding side in the last 6 months....
needless to say i am frightened
thanks to all who post here
B

I'd suggest you go to an ENT and get MRI/Cat scan of the face and head.

There can be sphenoid sinus infections and also swelling from those into the cavernous sinus next to it. The facial nerves run thru the cavernous sinus and can then get compressed. The proper imaging tests will show if this is your problem. The steroids may be a temporary fix. If you have this syndrome, it may return.

Also ear infections can be hard to determine, especially if they move into the mastoid process.

I'd skip the general doctors when you have severe symptoms like this...you need more evaluation from a specialist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavernous_sinus
and this more serious event:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavernous_sinus_thrombosis

thanks for the reply.
I ended up having a 20 min spell about an hour ago
i made an appointment with a neurologist
so he will see me next week and hopefully give me a firm diagnosis

Hi sinic, and welcome to NeuroTalk!

This is such a great place to hang out with lots of friendly, caring, and helpful people! We're so glad you found us!

Hi Sinic. I'm so sorry for that awful pain! And I would have said what Mrs. D said...ENT. I hope the neurologist helps! Let us know please.

So sorry about the horrible pain you have had to endure...

Hope you can find a doc that can run the proper test to help you...oh and by the way Oh, congrates on the upcoming baby!!!