do you have

[joy]

Do you have any other neurological problems besides trigeminal neuralgia? I can't remember whick came first the TM or the eight nerve which ended up being menieres disease for me. My pimary care doctor kept telling me it was progressive. How I hated hearing that! I also ended up having peripheral neuropathy which is spreading everywhere in my body. I took tegretol which sorta numbed my pain some. Luckily I haven't had a big flare up in a long time and I am on nothing but my usual pain medicine for other problems. I thought that wine used to help start my pain. Anyone else have any triggers other than the cold, hot, toothbrushing? I always hate visiting the dentist even for tooth cleaning. Just afraid when they polish it will warm up area too much. Any other triggers for you all?

[baywatcher]

Yes, I have had several other neurological problems. Right now my doctor is tending to think that my ear problems are not just the aftermath of the whooping cough but possibly a nerve. Dizzy, but also some other things going on. Also, about 2 years ago a sudden onset of polymyalgia rheumatica. I'm on prednisone for that - hate taking the prednisone but I couldn't manage life with the disability that the pmr was causing. And yes yes and yes to other triggers. Foods seem to be trouble for many of us - I haven't eaten a pickle in years, since sour things are really bad. And even some things that you don't immediately think of as sour, like pineapple, but which can trigger pain. Also very very sweet things. Almost anything that makes the saliva start, even the smell sometimes will do it. No grapefruit of course, but we aren't supposed to eat that anyhow if we're taking certain meds (I sure did love grapefruit). A couple of years ago we had a great long list from people of their triggers, lots of foods and other cold/hot/wind/contact sorts of things. Heat - especially if I'm in the sun and sweating - is bad for me, as well as cold and wind. We should do a "triggers" thread again, it was interesting and helpful. You'll probably get quite a list in answer to your question. Nancy

[EE03]

Right off the top of my head (it was still there, last I checked) some of mine are as follows:

drinking(not speaking alcohol here, just drinking something:mad: )
talking
flying:eek:
dental work or problems
sinus problems(real bad problems with sinus infections:eek: )

More to follow as I think about it although I haven't made any connections to food yet, I'm sure the time will come!

Take care - E!

[papadrew]

altitude seems most obvious for me. Can't eat strawberries or pineapple. Brushing teeth is somewhat a thing of the past and anger seems to trigger. Anyone get the this branch that branch syndrome and perhaps prefer one over the other? Ive been going through severe shooting pain in my eye then the next day lower nostril upper lip zappage{2 days in a row on that} I think I prefer that to the eye. No electric shock in my teeth lately. Can't eat apples of late either., back to triggers, but I can sure swallow some Trileptal... Making light of all this helps me the most. I'm getting pretty fast with one finger. Andy

[EE03]

Andy,

I get the eye stabs, continuous and unrelenting (actually sent me off to the eye doc more than once, he said allergies, choking back a laugh as I type this) and I also get the electrical stab/tingling all about the lips. Sinuses too! They are frequently affected and mine do seem to happen like a bullet ricocheting(sp???) and from side to side.

The eyes and sinuses have, in the past, just about drove me to nutiness! It would go on for months and not quit, just constant stabbing.

Anyway, my life seems to be spiraling out of control at the moment, so don't mind if I run on. I've been reviewing my own medical documents and was reminded of all these stupid episodes I went through with teeth, eyes, and sinuses, that its not funny, before I was diagnosed.

I'm also operating on little sleep here and really should try to rectify that. I can't spell these days either! Drugss...........

Take care, E!!!!!

[LyndaT]

Eye stabbing pain was probably the first, along with other pain in the face. I had ear disorder/balance disorders. It just all kind of fell apart after that, you name it, thigh neuralgia first, ... then the trigeminal neuralgia was diagnosed. I have had countless neuralgias since.

[baywatcher]

I hate eye pain worse than anything. When the spike hits the tn eye, it's horrible - but worse than that is the results. After a few hours with one eye screaming the other one gets all sympathetic and begins to be teary and then they both close! With a lot of effort I can manage to get the "good" eye open enough to barely creep around. This goes on for hours - 12 or more in bad cases. And then I have an aftereffect of the eyes being very sensitive to light. As you can imagine, this puts me out of action in a big way. And am I terrified that someday it will happen while I'm driving? Yikes. I rarely drive at night any more because it seems as though the headlights of oncoming cars are enough to trigger this - I have no other definite triggers for the eye other than rubbing my eye or touching anything like eyebrows, eyelids, bridge of nose. I have certainly trained myself not to do that. Do any of you sense that in the area of your nostrils there may be some kind of cross-wiring? When things are really touch and go with the zaps, a touch on my right side (tn is left side) will trigger a zap on the left.

Hey, Ellena, things sound tough, sending you massively big hugs (((((((HUG))))))).

Andy, you're getting good with that one finger. No apples for you, either? Tough. Applesauce is ok and apple pie is possible.

Nancy

[ToTs11]

Andy,
I hate the eye pain and the teeth pains jointly.
I seem to be able to cope with the ear, temple and cheek, forehead pains more than the eye and teeth.
Trouble is having it in 6 branches, it seems to pick and choose where it fancies, worst is when both sides play up together, I feel like chopping my damn head off some days.

Hope your feeling better soon Andy, and start practicing with two fingers :D

Tracy.

[papadrew]

The other finger holds down the shift command when needed. Feel ok right now. Lips are kind of tinggy. I'm going through the mill. Ear is still bothersoome. Maybe I took feeling good for so long and not checking in here for granted or something. I'm paying for something. I can count my blessings today. I feel badly about that pitcher getting killed and for his family. If I heard the news correctly, he grew up around here in Glendora. My latest thing is I take my meds, turn the news on low, stick my head between the pillows and try to sleep all day as I clinch. Catching some stuff on the news though. Time for a dose... goodnight. Andy

[EE03]

Well, I know there is cross wiring in my face! Anytime I have sinus problems, it can start the flare up! Even teeth can cause the eye and sinus/nose pain. It's like thousands of little gremlins with super sharp spears are just taking their turn at continuously poking and stabbing. The darn critters don't stop either. My two long standing boughts(sp?) went on like that for months on end. Of course, this was prior to being diagnosed. Day in and Day out, never let up. I tried everything, even steam to the sinuses to get it to stop!

Long story short, I thought I was losing my mind!!!!!:eek: It didn't stop until it just stopped.

I love some of the descriptions on the net, ie: episodic. My reality is such that its episodic, but in my case, and I'm sure others, the episodes can last and last!!!!!

I hope this info helps some to understand that they aren't crazy - they just have a horrible, evil condition with its own agenda for each person!!

E!,

[southerngirl]

sinus problems for me were the first sign of the pain, I do believe now that they do intertwine with each other.
I have been watching a great doctor on tv, he is on FamilyNet on cable if anyone gets him check it out.His name is Dr Becker and you can find him on www.bioinnovations.net I ordered his Noni juice and it helped my overall health tremendously, he really believes in alternative meds for illnesses and that doctors will have you on 10 pills for different things if your not careful to question, and sometimes the pills are worst than the illness, this of course with tn the exception.
It seems we all suffer from different things its just so great that we have found each other from all over the country and can share our feelings
Gosh I've missed you guys (typing while I'm wipe the tears away):)
Catherine
ps also as soon as I turn my heat on my pain increases