Hello flans....

I would like to ask you to provide some details on how you
control your ammonia levels. Some links to share, that we all can read?

The body controls ammonia pretty well, as it is very toxic when out of control. In patients with liver damage or failure, ammonia levels do rise and affect the brain. Is that what you had?

Have you had blood tests to show changes in blood pH?

I am a regular on the Peripheral Neuropathy forum, and we do
discuss acidic conditions that may contribute to chronic pain.
We've some links there you might like to read. Some of the PNers who post here have chronic burning, for example. Not unlike TN. One of test remedies that work for me and some others, is TriSalts or original formula AlkaSeltzer. This blocks histamine receptors briefly and relieves burning pain for some.

hi,,,,,you dont need to have a damaged liver to have high amonia levels,,,it all depends on how well we filter amonia,,each person has diff abillity,,,we cant all procsses the same amount of protein,,yet we eat a lot of proteine,,amonia circulating in the blood stream has a high afinnity for irritating nerves,but only acumilates in the brain,,where it can disrupt nerve signaling,documented,,,with alkaselzer,you may be changing brain chemistry,and the brains perception of pain,,just as tegretol changes brain chemistry,and nerve excitabillity,,,,

ive got stable liver damage,,so have done lots of research,,there is no specific link to reffer to,,information from many links,,,there may be no damage to a nerve,,to have pain,,just as alchohol numbs our nerves amonia does the opposite,they both change brain chemistry,,now imagine that you cant filter the allchohol from your body,,,your perception of pain would be for ever change,,but thers nothing wrong with your nerves,so taking meds.is a waste of time,,tn is like that,,,its not in the nerves ,,its the brain,,

flans, I see that you didn't answer mrsD when she asked for links to literature to back up your claims.

It's easy to post all these statements but I personally would like to see evidence of proof, and I'm sure that other people would too.

What literature do you have to substantiate your claims? I've tried to find evidence that ammonia causes TN, and so far have been unable to find one article that says so.

If what you are saying is true, then please posts links to all the articles that prove your theory, so we can all read them. Thank you.

Excess ammonia may build up in some people with liver disease,
and you, flans, do admit to that. What happens then is that those patients develop encephalopathy as a result.

Using Lactulose liquid can help prevent this.

Here is a link explaining ammonia testing, and in this link are conditions that may raise ammonia in some people:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/003506.htm

So that most commonly in medicine elevated ammonia levels can be due to liver damage. Doctors monitor their patients for this with blood work. A yearly exam for example will include blood chemistry tests, including renal and liver functions. And because there is always ammonium ions present in the entire body, it is not feasible to remove it all. It would have global effects and not just affect one nerve path.

Flans, your posts do not include your medical history and details. They do not include details of your own interventions to reduce your ammonia levels. Did you have medical testing to reveal elevated ammonia? Did you go on a special diet, or take lactulose to help?

Dietary manipulation in TN patients is not new. This link is to a gentleman who believes saturated fat is the culprit for pain attacks:

http://www.franksherwood.com/
His dietary restrictions are spelled out in that link.

Other medical conditions may be linked to diet:
gluten intolerance ( a known causer of neuropathies from wheat gluten)

food allergies like dairy

allergies to various food groups... lily family (onions etc), nightshades, corn and soy are the most common

Other conditions of the nervous system like MS has some dietary suggestions that some people use..called the SWANK diet. This is also
a modified fat diet and works for SOME.

All of us are different and unique. We have different genes that may or may not make us be prone to certain afflictions. Metabolically there are people who cannot utilize B12 or folate in supplements. They have MTHFR mutation. 10% of humans (and some suggest up to 30% fail to methylate properly). We all have slight anatomical variances from the norm. I, for example, have twisted internal organs, called malrotation.
So one thing or intervention just cannot affect all people. We are all so different in some ways from others. There are many other examples.

The beauty of forums like this is to share information, provide links, and support each other in our quest.

canadian nurologist..said,,,,,,i beleive its ammonia,,,that causes tn,,,,and the quantities can be so low we cant measure it,,each individual can process only so much ammonia,,some may be supersensitive to it,,,but what we do know is,,,ammonia is a nerve exciter,,the one and only way tn can happen is a change in brain chemistry,,it is not the nerves themselfs,,it certainly is not a blood vessel,,,as billateral demostrates most clearly,,,there is no other naturaly occurring nerve exciter produced by our bodies,,,,only amonnia can do this,,,,as it does to horses and dogs,,,if we ignore tn in other species,we might as well put a blind fold on,and keep taking the meds,,,,,

the atkins diet made many sick,,,to much proteine,,,,some got weird face pains,that went away when they returned to normal diet,,,tn,,,,,lots of docs say,,nerves is hyper excited,,well,,,,somthing is responsoble for that,,,and it can,,only,,,,be achange in brain chemisrtry,,,,there is only one nerve irritant thats able to do this,,,amonia,and its naturaly occurring,,,we take tegretol to,,calm,, the nerves down,,that is why it works,,,better to take the iritant away,,,which i did,,,,no more meds,,,no pain,,best argument another can make,is,, try diet and we shall see,,,this is not a faddy diet,,its goal is reduction of proteine load,,,,i eat 80grams of proteine a day,,,,its easy to just count the protene on the packet,,

meat has the most protein and amonia,,,i avoid almost all of it,,i eat mainly canned cooked meat,,because ot poor quality meat,,just count the proteine,,,and above all,,,eat same qnantities of food a day,,the goal is to produce less amonia,may be dif for each individual,,,,this diet is meant to change brain chemistry,,,to be realy honest,,,,i find the cause of tn,,a bit obvious,,you can not miss it,,,,i drink alchohol,,brain chemistry changes,as it does when we eat,,,you can read on the net,,over and over again,that ammonia excites nerves,, in dogs horses humans,,we have absolute beleif in blood tests,,yet,,liver test can be normal,,,and yet the liver or kidneys are only working 80percent,,biopsy is gold standard for liver and kidneys,,and even then,,it may be the indevidual canot cope with any amount of amonia,,and no ones filter system is perfect,,

you do not need to have any illness to have amonia in your system,,,,,that blood test dont detect,,,amonia is a nerve exciter and disrupts nerve signaling,,if i were a detective,,,,dont think i would be looking for any other suspect,,its the one and only nuro toxin to do this,,i cut the proteine levels very low,,,after 8years wth tn,,,its gone,,

ok,,,heres the clues,,,tn thought of illnes of the old,,tn mostly on right side of face,,but spreads to left,,,get worse as time passes,,,tn has fluctuating nature,,,it responds to tegretol,,,,,which changes brain chemistry,,,,,,here are a list of suspects.....blood vessel compression,,viruses,,,blunt trauma,,dentistry,,,,old age,,,,or,,,,,,,ammonia,,,of course our filter systems are less efficient as we age,,,hence why tn get worse with time,,tn fluctuations are due to ammonia level,,and our abillity to process it,,