New facial pain - please help
 

Hello

I have just joined these forums today. I am 36, female, and for the past few days I've had severe pain in my left cheek/jaw area. Googling it has led me to TN hence this site but I'm not sure if my symptoms exactly fit, so I was hoping someone would be able to help please :confused:

The pain is almost constant, from just after I wake up until I (eventually) fall asleep - but its so sore its hard to get to sleep. Mostly its a strong ache but occasionally it changes to a more severe, almost stabbing-like pain that lasts for several seconds / maybe a minute. Sometimes I also am getting a strangle 'tingling' sensation on my cheekbone, lasts for about a second or two, hard to describe but feels like something 'nervy' if that makes sense.

:(

The pain is mostly on my cheekbone but sometimes in front of my ear and into lower jaw. Paracetamol/ ibuprofen don't have any effect whatsoever.

I have had no injuries that would explain the pain. Eating and speaking is difficult.

Please I hope someone can help.

Well Hello ThisBe :hug: You have come to a GREAT site (neurotalk) that has some very caring understanding people.
The pains you describe sound like T.N. :(
I am not a Doctor so that is just my opinion . The best thing would be to find a Neuro and also a pain specialist and start on some of the meds that help treat T.N.
T.N. is caused by other things besides an injury . A blood vessel pressing on the nerve .. an infection that traveled to the nerve it may even be hereditary in some cases .
Try to eat easy chew foods . do things that help reduces stress . try warm compressions or others find ice pack helps.Try to learn what your triggers are. Read some of the stickies up above tips for new comers useful web sites and caring for one with T.N. are loaded with great info. most important I would tell you to Find a Neuro Doc and pain specialist.
Please keep posting because the best thing that sometimes helps the most more then anything else is being able to have contact with others who have this others who understand and know what it is like living with this.. Your not alone ! All of us here care and want to help anyway we can.
Let us know how things go post any questions you have or you can send message to one of us just by clicking on the name and then clicking personal message .
Sending low pain and healing energy to you my new friend :hug:
PEACE
BMW

Hi hun so sorry you are suffering :hug: I agree with Burntmarshmellow It sounds like TN sounds like some of my symptoms although I have so meny :( This is a good site with fab people. We are here for you. xxx :hug: :grouphug:

Try this...
 

I'm 27 (male) and have had TN for about 2 years. It sounds like you have it to me. Mine started out feeling like a tooth ache.

Let me tell you what I do, and have done, to get rid of the pain. I've tried all the drugs, and was even scheduled for brain surgery, when I discovered a remarkably simple theory.

I eat 10 grams or less of SATURATED fat a day. That's it. It works off the idea your nerves need to repair themselves. However you cut it, I tried it and it worked. I also lost a bit of weight, because it's the American Heart Association diet.

You need to do it for 3 weeks. It will either work or not.

***

Hi, I'm sorry to read of your pain, I agree that your symptoms seem like TN, have you had any medical help yet at all? May I suggest that you get a professional diagnosis and onto some medication quickly, otherwise there is every chance that your pain will increase significantly. Things to mention to your doctor is about having a prescription for a drug such as carbamezapine, maybe having an MRI scan to see if there is a compression (an artery or blood vessel pressing against the nerve causing your pain) or even an appointment to see a neurologist. Ask any questions that you like, I'll try to help as best that I can, I'm working long hours at the moment but I will get back to you. Best wishes and stay strong (easier said than done I know)

Thank you for all your kind replies :grouphug: And sorry to hear that you all are suffering too.

I have some more news, but as you'll see its just left me more :confused:

I went to my GP on Monday, explained my symptoms like in my post here, he pressed around my cheek/jawbone (and made it hurt more), first he said it might be toothache but I said no, my teeth aren't hurting, its my cheekbone area that hurts. He then said I needed a blood test to make sure there is no inflammation. I asked him what is causing the pain and he says "there is something that can go wrong with your nerve but that would give you excruciating pain".

I thought to myself "if feeling like I'm being stabbed with an ice-cold knife isn't excruciating then I don't know what is" but by this point I was too tired and sore to question him more (it hurts if I talk a lot).

So, I had my blood test, and got a prescription for painkillers. I got home, took one painkiller tablet (Naproxen) and within an hour I was back at the surgery needing a nebulizer - the tablet had reacted with my asthma.

As you can see I had a very traumatic day :( I spent the rest of the day trying to sleep, but I got a new pain, this time it felt like I was being stabbed right through my ear. The pain happened 3 or 4 times in succession, each time strong enough to make me cry out loud and jerk my head, it was that intense.

Now I am waiting for result of blood test. Can blood test show TN ?

Meanwhile the pain is same as it was before (I am now on co-codamol as this is the safest for my asthma apparently). It hurts most of the time to some extent, a strong but dull pain, but every now and again I get stronger, sharp, stabbing pains on my cheekbone / in front of my ear, these are intermittent and last for maybe 30 seconds / up to a minute, they make me tense up because I don't know when there's going to be another one.

Another strange thing is, sometimes I feel itchy / kind of hot over my cheekbone and it makes me want to scratch it, but there's nothing there to make it itch. And I still get the 'twinges' across my cheekbone, I find it hard to explain what they're like. They don't hurt, they just feel like a 'blip' I suppose.

Sorry for long post and questions, I'm just really confused right now.

A blood test WILL NOT show if it is T.N. sometimes an xray or MRI will show the nerve being compressed by a vessel but many times it does not show up with MRI even :(
I am sorry you are going threw all this but I have hope you will get the right DX very soon and be put on meds that will help.
Let us know what the blood test shows and know we are here for you.
:grouphug:
PEACE
BMW

Tn
 

So sorry you are getting the so called run a round. All of your pain that you have is exactly all the pain that I had when I had TN. Actually, I still have Tn. You kind of always do. You need to go see a Neurologist. They will know exactly what to do. They will start you on the right medication. If that does not work, then they will have other options for you.

The pain you are having is right in line with Tn. There are no tests, or blood work that shows TN. The Docs go simply on your description of the pain. Your pain could not be closer than my pain. I got TN March or 2009.

If you would like to talk to someone who has had it, I am more than happy to talk to you on the phone. You can email me at calewark@me.com. We can talk about exchanging phone numbers.

Please call tomorrow and try to get into a neurologist soon. They usually are really busy, so you what to get on the list right away.

Hope to hear from you soon

Cheryl
calewark@me.com

Hello everyone, and thanks once again for your kind replies :grouphug:

Well I went back to doctors yesterday for results of blood test. She said my white blood count was a little high and my red blood count low, and something else was high indicating inflammation, she said it looks like I have an infection and inflammation but the blood test doesn't tell her where.

She asked if I'd had a cold recently, I said no, just my usual sinus problems (I have suffered sinus problems for about the past year, on and off. Nasal irrigation works wonders but it still flares up from time to time).

She then said she thinks there is a sinus infection that is irritating the nerve in my face, and prescribed me antibiotics. If pain is still there in 7-10 days I must go back :(

So perhaps I not have TN? Does sinusitis irritate same nerve as TN?

:confused:

Describing pain
 

Hi again, I thought that this may help you, in my opinion it is a brilliant piece of writing which I've lifted from the LivingwithTN website by a lady known as 'the researcher' I'm sure she'll not mind me sharing it as she seems to be a very helpful person. Some of it might apply to your situation, so have a read of this and see if it does help you....

http://www.livingwithtn.org/forum/to...31Comment38684

.