Thanks guys, i certainly do keep my consultant well informed.. i write down whenever i have attacks and the pains i'm experiencing etc.

My occassional attacks seem to have been replaced by a constant burning/ numbing sensation in my lower lip. However i can seem to eat normally now.. it's very strange how this has progressed in as little as 2 months. I guess what i'm concerned about is how it will progress further.

Fortunately my scan didn't show the presence of a tumour or 'anything sinister' according to my consultant. They seem to think it will clear up through medication alone.. not much of what i have read on the internet seems to suggest that is the case though. And i'm aware this can't be cured, so like you say.. i can learn to live with this.. as i think i am starting to do already

I'm sorry you're going through that! It really sucks. For you, is the constant weird sensation a bit of an improvement over random attacks? I thought that after my attacks went away with medicine that the jaw pain I'm having isn't nearly as bad as being in fear of an attack. But it's also really annoying, because sometimes it hurts to eat. Did your doctor say your problem would go dormant? That's what mine said.

I went to the dentist last week. Around part of my jaw that was hurting, a tooth broke. It turns out that that tooth and the one directly above it are really messed up, the broken one even has an infection in the jawbone! I'm getting the broken one pulled tomorrow. (I'm going to get an implant in a few months, luckily it's a lower bicuspid so I won't look all toothless.) Then I have to get a root canal and a crown on the top one. It was all secondary tooth decay from under fillings.
The dentist was like "Didn't this hurt a lot?" Well, yeah, but I assumed it was the nerve. The dentist was really nice, too, and didn't act like I was stupid for assuming that. He just said "Yeah, it's hard to tell things like that apart from tooth pain."
So maybe my teeth are irritating my nerve? The teeth both had decay down to the nerve. I don't know. I'll try to hope that fixing my teeth will fix my nerve, but not get disappointed if it doesn't.

I hope you guys don't get bored with me posting all the things that happen to me here. I hope someone else can read this thread and get some kind of information. (I guess if people talking about their medical issues is boring to someone, they should probably read a different forum! )

Yep. if we aren't interested, then we probably aren't here reading what you wrote! If it helps you to write, then write! Your experience can also help others.

I hope getting your tooth fixed clears up all your pain. That would be great!

I don't get bored from your posts.. i find they help me a lot! Especially with you being a young sufferer like myself.

The constant numb pain i had now appears to have gone and i'd say i'm relatively pain free at the moment.. probably about 90% normal.

However, I am still on 3x 300mg Gabapentin and 4x 150mg Pregabalin to maintain my current pain free state, until i see my consultant again towards the end of the month. I was supposed to be coming off the gabapentin!

As to whether the constant numb/burning sensation i had last week was better than the attacks.. for me, i'd say: yes.. definitely!

I too have been told that the pain can go dormant (or into remission, as they say) for a period of time, or go away completely. However, from what i have researched.. the latter is unlikely!

The cause for mine is unknown.. scans and xrays did not show anything dental to be the cause.. nor was there evidence of anything pressing on the nerve.

I guess for you it could be the fact you have decay to the root of your nerve.. but i'm not sure whether this can be a cause of TN. Maybe something less serious. I actually really hoped i had an absess or something! lol. So in the nicest possible way.. i hope you have bad tooth decay and that your implant fixes the issue!

Let me know how you get on!