Hi I'm 'buntbean'

March 2005 I developed severe, sudden pain in my eyes. I had recently had an eye exam and my eyes were fine (no dryness). With the onset of the severe pain I also had severe dryness. The corneal specialist told me there was no way the pain I was describing had anything to do with dry eye (welding sparks, bacon grease). He told me it was all in my head. I became suicidal, my primary put me in the hospital where I was seen by a neurologist. He felt it had something to do with the nerves but he didn't know what. I was put on cymbalta, tramadol, gabapentin, lorazepam. The pain became less intense thanks to the meds. My pain is more of a constant, background pain with times (sometimes days) of more severe pain now. I was seen 2 years ago at the Boston Foundation for Sight and was given the diagnosis of corneal neuralgia/trigeminal neuralgia. ANA is up and down, biopsy for sjorgrens was negative, thyroid fine.

Welcome to NT, but i'm sorry your here. My TN started with bouts of eye pain. Mostly felt like little swords were stabbing my eye, non stop for weeks, two to be precise. Then it just stopped. This is a weird condition. Have any of your doctors offered any explanation as to why you have it? You mention your ANA is up and down, are they looking for an autoimmune disorder?

The pain changes all the time. I know exactly what you mean by the little swords. I find the tramadol works well when it feels that way. None of my doctors know why this happened. I was completely fine. Just had an eye exam and the doc told me I could be a fighter pilot. Then I went grocery shopping one evening and suddenly it felt like sharp icicles flying into my eyes. I couldn't stand the lights, wind, dust. I've been tested for every autoimmune. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis years ago. I had a thyroid storm. It's been fine ever since (I get tested every year). I do have raynauds (cold hands+feet). My rheum. says that may be the reason my ANA is high. I do have to say when this all started it was very high, but again, they didn't find anything.