I've had AD since 1988 as a result of the "Shingles" virus that damaged my facial nerve. I have total numbness over the entire right side of my face with the crawling sensations and sometimes the numbness becomes extremly tight ( like a vice on my face). I have tried all the meds with no sucess. It's like being tortured 24/7. Thank God that I have no pain so at least I can work. Has anyone here had any sucess with treating AD?

I can't answer the question about AD starting as a mild burning then getting worse. But I did have a radifrequency rhizotomy in 1998 and I remember I did have some burning and aching that I worried might be AD. It wasn't constant and I used a rice sock (an old sock with rice in it that I heated in the microwave) to ease the pain. And it did go away. I think we delayed decreasing my meds for awhile but I did get off them. The numbness was very uncomfortable but it does ease in time. And it was comforting after awhile because I felt protected from the TN pain.