Trigeminal Neuralgia : More To It Than Pain

Trigeminal Neuralgia is a horrendous, painful condition. There can be no arguing about that. However, there is so much more to living with a condition like this than just the pain.

Dealing with any chronic illness can be soul destroying. Life can change so much. Relationships change, and sometimes sadly fall apart. People often can't continue to work, which can bring financial problems, which then bring on more worries.

So many aspects of life can become affected by chronic illness.

Emotionally, living with chronic pain can be overwhelming. People often say they feel sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. How true that saying is. Pain from a condition like Trigeminal Neuralgia can also be incredibly isolating. People often feel so very alone with their pain feeling that nobody understands, and often, that people who should care, don't. That in itself can bring about problems within relationships and lead to serious insecurities.

Then there's the fatigue. It's not just a tiredness which can be shaken off after a good night's rest. People living with pain can become tired, physically and mentally. It can be emotionally draining.

People can become frustrated and exasperated by what their illness does to them. They want to be able to lead the life they had before, but the pain just will not allow them to do so. They can feel despair and hopelessness when treatments don't work, and they can begin to lose hope that anything can help.

Panic, anxiety and fear are three emotions which nearly every chronic pain sufferer lives with. These emotions could stem from worrying about their job or how to pay bills. Could be worrying in case the pain will get in the way of a family celebration. Or it could simply be worrying about what the future holds. Sometimes, living in fear of pain can be as bad, and controlling, as the pain itself. Even people who have pain remissions probably worry every day in case their pain returns.

People can get impatient, snappy, and often  irritated about things which would never have mattered before. Possibly even over-sensitive. A joke, or a funny comment may not seem so funny to someone living with pain.

They can feel bitter and resentful at the changes in their lives. They may feel like a failure, feel worthless, feel they are a bad parent, spouse, son, daughter, sibling etc. They often feel that they just can't cope with this new situation they are in. Life can seem so unfair at times…….

Depression can easily take hold.

This drawing has been used with kind permission from the artist Michel EL Hachem
More of his art can be viewed on his Facebook Page or his Devian Art page

Probably everyone, whether living with pain or not, has experienced some of those emotions from time to time. But when living with chronic pain, these emotions can sometimes take over. It becomes an effort to do anything. It can become easier just to disappear into their own world, because the pain is too much. Too much to deal with and too much to explain.

All of those emotions are completely normal. But, we do have to try to change what we can so that those negative emotions are not allowed to drown us. We need to learn to ask for help and support. We need to be 100% truthful, especially with our doctors. They need to know how we are emotionally so they can try to treat us as a whole person, not just to try to treat the pain.

Nobody should ever be ashamed or embarrassed to admit how they are feeling. Admitting it is very often the way to move forward. There is help out there and there are people who understand. Everyone needs a good support network. But sadly, not everyone has that. Sometimes online support groups are a person's only real support. These are often run by people in the very same situation, so they do understand, and often, together, they can find a way to help one another.

If you are feeling like this, please reach out for support and help. Don't let depression eat away. The further you go down, the harder it can be to climb back up, so it is important to reach out for help sooner, rather than later.

Living with chronic pain can mean a lot of learning. 'Learn to accept' are three very easy words to say, but accepting this pain is far from easy. However, accepting doesn't mean that we have to like the change, but by accepting it, it can be a bit easier to find ways of coping with it. Learning to realise what we are capable of, so we don't set goals that are too high. Learning to realise when we need to rest. Learning to relax. Learning to make the best choices. Learning to make priorities. Learning what is right for ourselves. And possibly most importantly, learning to ask for help when we need it.

Treating Trigeminal Neuralgia

We have made some files containing information about some of the treatments available for Trigeminal Neuralgia. These are on our Facebook awareness page (www.facebook.com/endTrigeminalNeuralgia)

The links are below. If you have gone through any of the procedures, please feel free to leave a comment in the comment box on the appropriate file. Your experience may help someone else make a decision about their own options.


MVD (Microvascular Decompression)

Percutaneous Procedures (Balloon Compression, Radiofrequency Lesioning & Glycerol Injection)

Gamma Knife

Also, we have some info about meds here and a file with tips on living with TN here

It's A Pain In The Face!

I wake up in the morning, and straight away I feel it and I just think...here we go again, another day with this pain.

From that moment, until I next fall asleep, it’s there.

I am on high doses of meds to try to keep the worst at bay. They help, though some days it doesn’t seem like it. My pain is there every day. Every single day.

Sometimes it’s there in a niggling kind of way. Burning or a bit achy or tingling. There....but I can try to forget. Not completely forget it. I can never do that. But I can live round about it, just being careful about what I eat and drink, careful about what I do so I don’t antagonize it.

But sometimes it’s there in a way I can’t forget it’s there. Feels like a knife is ripping up between my teeth, my teeth being pulled and twisted. My eye hurts....sometimes just aching, or pain in the corner, other times as though there are knitting needles being stabbed in it. My forehead and cheekbone feel so painful as if I have just banged against something. As if there is a huge bruise and I am pressing on it. Sometimes my head feels like it is being squashed. And every now and then, the pains will just surge. Sometimes the pain just suddenly comes out of nowhere, for no reason. 

Sometimes it feels too painful to breathe. Breathe in through my nose, and it's as though the air shoots right up my nose and slices through my head. Breathe in through my mouth, and the air hits my teeth.

I can get pain in my teeth, as though I have just put a live electric cable into my mouth. It’s as though it just sizzles all the way down every tooth to my chin, then along my jaw.  Thankfully, the Tegretol has controlled that type of pain to a degree.

I have no choice, but live with it. I try to make the best of a bad situation, but some days are definitely harder to deal with than others.

Smiling hurts....but I do it. Laughing hurts....but I do it. I try to enjoy doing what I can, rather than cry about what I can’t. So I can’t eat ice-cream or spare ribs, but I’m not going to cry about those things. I know there are things I can eat. And on the really bad days, I just thank my lucky stars that I have a caring husband who makes me something to eat, and says, ‘You need to eat....I know it hurts, but you really need to eat.‘

Every day of my life revolves around my pain. I have other pain too, not just TN. Although there is nothing just about TN.

But what can I do?

Sit and cry all day, or try to make the best of a bad job?

I try to choose the second option.

E.Sirrell

Would you like your story on the End TN blog?

If you live with TN or another form of facial pain, or if you are friend, relative or carer of someone with TN and you would be interested in sharing your story with others, please send us a private message on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/endTrigeminalNeuralgia 

Treating Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain……… One Size Doesn't Fit All!

If only treating Trigeminal Neuralgia was as simple as going into a shop and buying a new tee shirt.....one size fits all. No need to try it on. It will fit. Says so on the label.

No, Trigeminal Neuralgia isn’t that simple. Doctors prescribe a drug at a certain dose, then increase it, then keep increasing it. Then the doctor will add another med into the mix. Then increase it, then keep increasing it. Still in pain? Ok, let’s try this med as well, or sometimes instead of. If it’s instead of, then you need to come off those others and start from scratch. 

It can go on and on and on. And people can often still be in pain. No matter how good the doctor is, no matter how knowledgeable the doctor is about TN, the same thing can happen. It’s not the doctor’s fault. It is Trigeminal Neuralgia’s fault. It is just so difficult to treat.

Many people go for a long time before a proper diagnosis, so then it is even worse. They have often already been through every over the counter med that you can buy in a pharmacy. Then GPs start trying stronger analgesics. They don’t help either, so eventually the the correct TN meds get prescribed. Those are normally epilepsy meds and some anti-depressants. But just because they are the correct meds, doesn’t mean they will work for everyone.

It is all very trial and error. Every med works differently for every patient. Some don’t work at all for some patients. And some cause a bad allergic reaction for some people. And what makes meds even more confusing for patients is that each drug has at least two different names.

But…...with patience and understanding doctors, the right drug or combination of drugs can sometimes be found. It might not always be perfect. There might still be some pain, but if it is better than before, then it is good.

And if meds really don’t help, then there are some surgeries and other treatments. Again.....there is no one size fits all. If only...

Even with home remedies, it is the same story. What helps one person, may not help another. Everyone is different. We have a file on our Facebook page with some self help tips which have given some people a bit of relief. Obviously, we can’t guarantee that any will work with any individual’s pain, but it may be worth taking a look. It’s HERE

Hopefully one day, they will come up with something which does suit everyone.