Thanks for your reply. I've only developed TN since Jan this year. I think it's typical TN. Pains when unmediated would be severe and sustained for a few minutes at a yield, like labour pains. I couldn't eat or drink hot things, brushing my teeth or even breathing was awful.

Happily, although carbamazepine made me ill, I'm tolerating gabapentin pretty well and am 95%pain free. Completely pain free on warm, sunny days.

I'm happy it shows compression as it's good to have an official cause for the pain.

I have a good friend who developed TN a few months before I did and I've followed her through the route of being diagnosed by the same gp, being referred to the same neurologist at the local hospital, being sent for an mri at Walton, then being referred to Eldridge upon the mri results.

She went expecting to be a good candidate for surgery. Younger than 40. Eldridge dashed her hopes straight away. She was too young for surgery. He wouldn't consider it until she's exhausted all medication first. He said time from him seeing someone initially to then operating was about 7 years. I will see him in the next couple of months and expect to be told the same.

I have a small twitch from time to time, but I think that's a side effect of the medication, not any neurological symptoms. I also have memory issues, but again I think that's the meds.