I think I let my stress get the best of me and I can't even brush my hair at the moment. My medication isn't doing anything. Any tips? I've tried heat, cold and a bubble bath. I also tried sleeping and crying.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I'm not much help, I'm afraid! I've been under huge amounts of stress lately and my TN is breaking through my meds! My anxiety is through the roof, and I'm doing everything possible to calm myself!

Only advice I can share is to try to focus your energy on something else (if you can, can be easier said than done) and do what you can do to relax or destress. Some people use Capsacin cream, but I can't find any sort of description of how its used. I've tried it on my foot and that stuff burns like crazy!

Anyway, hopefully someone else will come along and post!

Hang in there and big hugs to you!
e

Stress is a huge factor in my pain and in breakthrough pain.

A couple of things that help me is when I know I'm highly stressed, I will do (as much as I can throughout the day) progressive muscle relaxtion. It causes me to focus on the whole of the body while physically working to relax all other parts. That said, I can't do the facial part of this exercise but as a whole it really helps me.

When I've finished the relaxation, I try to go to a "place of relaxation" within my mind. I can't always do that if the pain is high, but if it's not it seems to help keep it from peaking. My "mental relaxation place" is a harbor on the eastern coast. At times I'm on a sail boat, others I'm on the dock, and imagine the chill in the air combined with the chill of the water spray then the warm sun mixing with that giving the body a "warm tingle". Another place that I go is back to the same beach in Hawaii that was near where I lived and imagine the sunset again, the lava rocks rough on my feet, etc. By doing these, I'm concentrating on the good bodily sentsations that I'm imagining. I think another word for what I do is called "imagery" and I've just recently read that it's a great tool for pain and even healing. I never knew that when I was doing it though.

(((((( ellie )))))))

KD

Stress is the least controllable source of our pain - you can avoid the physical triggers but you can't control those things that lead to stress - and it can be either emotional stresses or the pressure that comes from trying to do too much, work too hard, keep going too long, eating improperly, dealing with other pain or physical problem. I too find that breathing exercises and imagery are helpful. And my "places to go" are also quiet and peaceful spots by ponds or streams or the bay (water seems to be important), often I visualize slowly placing pillows in a canoe and then resting myself comfortably nestled in the pile of pillows while the canoe glides over the water. I think perhaps some of the tapes or cds that are available would help if you haven't ever tried this.

As for the capsaicin, I used a lot of it to bridge between the pain breaks that I had when my tn was younger. You just apply it to your face - very carefully, you don't want it in your eyes or mouth or the inside of your nose - and be careful to wash your hands after applying it. I do think it helps. Yes, it burns, but that is something I found less painful than tn jolts, and you get used to it. You have to apply it often enough, and stick with it - one dose won't do it. But since it can't do any harm and might do some good, why not put up with the sting and burn. Be prepared though, after you have it on the burn fades and you'll be surprised when you get near heat, like a hot shower or a hot stove to find that it begins to burn all over again. Maybe some people are more sensitive to this than I am but it never bothered me much.

Learning to manage stress is helpful whether you have tn or not. I'm impressed with the results that they have in teaching stress reduction techniques to patients with everything from cancer to psychological problems, it would be helpful if there were more medical centers that offered classes. I hope that things get better for you whatever you try. Nancy

k.d. I do that ...go to happy place when I am sitting in the dentists chair Well actuly hours before I go and the closer I get to the chair the harder it is to find the happy place inside. can you just fall into that state of mind fast and easy as you wish or is it pratice pratice??????? did you take a class or read a book??? if so what was the name of book?? or what type of class???

It takes practice! The more you practice, the easier it is to get there...unless in severe pain. I try to go there when stressed...before the pain flares from the stress.

It's also good to attempt to do some kind of physical relaxation first, such as the progressive muscle relaxation (you can do a google search for that and find the instructions just about anywhere). It's really a great tool to getting the body to a place so that the mind can do what it needs to do.

Good luck! If you try, let us know?

I've practiced this for years and years (beginning in childhood). It's pretty easy for me to get there now when all is quiet. I never learned it anywhere. It first began as an escape for an abused child. Later, I find out that they actually "teach" people to do this.

KD

It finally died down some. I realized my wisdom tooth was causing my gums to swell which was probably a part of the pain.

There's not much I can do, it's hard to find someone to touch the mouth of someone with epilepsy and trigeminal neuralgia. A lot of the medications don't work well with my AEDs.

Thanks for the tips everyone! *Hugs*