This thread, from the General Health Conditions forum, is far too important a topic and series of posts to just be accessible there, so I'm linking it here:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread206493.html

Please read, comment, share.

I replied on that thread. I have been increasingly disappointed in the medical profession. I suppose it has been increasingly harder for doctors due to insurance issues. But, since they are responsible for human lives, it's impossible for me to be ok with how they can not participate in continuing education or how they rush patients, see too many patients in one day...like every ten minutes throughout the day or make biased decisions, or refuse to learn about problems related to their field.

For example, I went to the dentist with no pain for a crown and ended up with pain due to nerve damage. Each dentist I went to after that, actually made things worse and I lost a tooth. Dentists don't seem to want to learn about nerve damage and so are more inclined to cause it or not recognize it when they see it. I was shocked when I read in the book"Striking Back," how typical this scenario is...all because dentists are ignorant about nerve damage and refuse to educate themselves. Because of this ignorance, I ended up with trigeminal nerve damage and it is AWFUL!!!!!!

That thread brings up some very good points. I too became very frustrated with my doctors when I was first diagnosed with TN. I actually saw some ER doctors that had no idea what TN was. One of them ASKED ME what TN was. Give her credit tho...at least she went to the hospital library and looked it up. When she came back into the exam room she said "I am so very sorry you have this dreadful disease". Actually I had never thought of it as a disease at that point.

I stopped going to my primary care physician that I had been seeing for 14 years because of his nonchalant attitude toward TN. I was very mad when I left his office and never went back. All he could say was "Just remember that it's (the TN) not fatal" Are you kidding me?

After going to 4 different Neurologists that just wanted to throw medications at me and send me to pain management, the 4th one finally said that I needed MVD surgery since none of the medications were working. I should mention that I had type 1. The other 3 told me that there was nothing else they could do for me. That's the last thing you want to hear from a doctor.
Not a single doctor up to that point told me there was a surgery that can be done. Did they not know? I'm thinking not.

So to make a long story short...I now have a VERY jaded opinion of doctors in general.

I have to say that when I finally was able to see a Neurosurgeon, He was great. Once he found out that none of the medications I had tried over the last 18 months worked, he scheduled me for MVD surgery. That was 3 years ago and I am pain(attack) free. Literally saved my life and gave me my life back.

I guess there are some good doctors out there but in my opinion they are hard to find.

Zatochi, Your post resonated with me on several levels. I am so glad you had the MVD and are TN pain free. what a blessing!!!!!

But it is disappointing, to put it mildly, how doctors (and dentists) seem to be so inefficient (for lack of a better word) lately.

I have ATN and my MRI was fine; so MVD isn't for me. I am having more and more breakthrough pain and am bedridden with my iPad this moment. It is hard not to be frightened. I fight for my sanity almost daily.

I'm having some oddities with nerve pain in other areas...but nothing even close in degree as the ATN.

I have lupus and Sjögren's syndrome...as well as other AUtoimmune related illnesses. Do you have or suspect any auto immune illness?