mikestap at aol.com (MikeStap) wrote:
>> My mother in law is struggling with a severe case of trigeminal neuralgia,
> which she has endured for over a decade. She has been taking Tegretol and
> is currently in need of other pain relief in order to allay the pain. She
> is seeing a neurologist, who has referred her to a pain specialist (we
> anticipate he will inject a nerve block and are hoping for favorable
> results). She has undergone one prior block about 12 years ago and has
> since had two surgeries to cut the nerve back. The Tegretol doesn't seem
> to perform at this point, or it is unable to control the nerve as well as
> it once did.
> Anyone out there have comments, advice, experiences that could help us
> find some relief, give us some solace? Her pain attacks are overwhelming
> and it takes anywhere from 2-4 hours to soothe her. My wife and her
> father are pained and exhausted at the conditions she must endure.
Sounds more like atypical facial pain, judging from the way it has been
treated. True trigeminal neuralgia (which typically has NO pain or neurological abnormalities
inbetween attacks) is treated surgically by either moving an artery
away from the nerve as it enters the brainstem (see the 1987 book
WORKING IN A VERY SMALL PLACE) or by sticking a needle in the
nerve where the cell bodies are located and making a thermal lesion.
Pain clinics tend to know the neurosurgeons in your area
who are experienced in these procedures. Most big cities now
have a few neurosurgeons experienced in them.
Atypical facial pain (where there is continuous pain, and/or
fixed neurological deficits between attacks) is altogether another
matter, with no particularly effective treatments.
