I have not officially been diagnosed with Atypical TN yet, but am 95% sure that I will get that diagnosis soon.
I am interested in trying tegretol but worry about it's side effects long term. Is it safe to take long term? I also have depression. Will it mess up my chemical balance because I see it also treats bipolar disorder. I'm not asking for official side effects, but your personal experiences. Also, if you take this long term can it shorten your lifespan? I had a neighbor who was bipolar and took lithium for years. He died of kidney failure due to the lithium.
Also, what about natural remedies or seeing a homeopathic doctor. Are there any positive results you have had for that?
Can you live a normal and decent life suffering from this?
I am currently taking gabapentin along with Excedrin migraine for the drill like pain in my right eye, but it is not working very well. This started back in February 2013 and has gotten worse. Although, as of now it still appears to be ATN and not TN.
Advice welcomed.
If any of you use the homeopathic route, how do I find a good doctor in my area for that? They are very expensive so I don't have the money to waste trying out doctors until I find a good one if I go that route.

I have many of the same symptoms right side numb and the drill in the eye. I got a diagnosis of ATN I was on gabapentin for years, I swear it lowered my IQ by 20 points I call them La la pills I was so dysfunctional. I started smoking bubble hash instead about 4 yrs ago. it worked to control the pain and I was still alert and could think. I still live with pain and the numbness 8 yrs later but no prescription drugs that do more harm than good. look into it online CBD not THC.

Is there any chance it could be an atypical migraine instead?
Did the pain start after physical trauma of some kind?
I have both migraines and atypical trigeminal neuralgia. The ATN came on over a year ago right after some horrendous and peculiar dental work.
There was lots of confusion afterward....and finally I was sent to a neurologist who dx'd me as having ATN.
In terms of something natural, capaisin cream , which is from a pepper, always helped me a little (and still does). I would rub this cream on my face where the pain was at its worse and get some relief. One has to be careful though, as the cream can burn the skin and of course, you can NOT get it in your eye!!!!
I go to a website for tn pain (I put it in the top thread here/USEFUL SITES) that I would highly recommend. There I met a poster who has a PhD. His wife has ATN and he had done a lot of research on the best meds to treat ATN. Gabapentin does provide relief for many people. So do the Tricyclic medications like Elavil. Together, they often work well.
My regimen is slightly different, but works well. I have posted about it a lot here because I am very excited about it...as the pain I was having before was HORRIBLE.
After trying many different medications, I now take:
Desipramine: Pill nightly
Compounded Cream: Containing Gabapentin, Lidocaine and Capsaicin
I also did acupuncture for many, many weeks at the beginning.
I still sometimes have to use a heating pad or very strong pain relief medication...but less now as my routine above is helping.

Tegretol, like all the antiseizure drugs, can cause brain fog. I'm having some of it too, but it is worth it for the improvement in pain.

Wishing you well...I know this is very hard!!!