Trigeminal Neuralgia – What Is It All About?

By John Anthonio

There is a medical condition where a person experiences pain on one side of his or her face, and it is called Trigeminal neuralgia. This condition can now be treated with a lot of advanced methods that have been developed recently. The main thing that would have to be addressed in the treatment for Trigeminal neuralgia would be pain relief. After all, a person suffering it would be subjected to a lot of pain. Carbamazepine is one of the most commonly used drugs to treat patients who are suffering from Trigeminal neuralgia. The brand name of this drug is Tegretol. Facial pain is effectively dealt with when this drug is used since it is designed for maximum pain relief. Also commonly used are drugs such as Gabapentin and Baclofen. Other options include Trileptol and Klonazepin.

Patients suffering from Trigeminal neuralgia will experience very sharp pain. Often the pain experienced is for a short period only – seconds, even. In other instances, they could last for hours on end. You will feel as though something is being triggered on your facial muscles. Blow some air against the face or give it a light tap and the pain will be triggered. Then the whole painful episode will begin. The pain would intensify when you bite or chew on your feed, and even when you say a word or two. Thus performing everyday activities is so difficult for such people.

The most highly recommended treatment for Trigeminal neuralgia involves the use of anticonvulsant drugs. But that is not the only option. Other drugs are also effective. Phenytoin, sodium vaporate, Lamotrigine and Oxcarbazpine are simply a few of them. Many doctors are not even averse to prescribing morphine and oxycodone. These drugs, after all, has been in consideration in many cases where neuropathic pain is involved. It is found that the effect of all these opiates is found to multiply when it is given along with the drug like Gabapentin.

Some people are unlucky enough to be suffering two problems simultaneously. Sometimes a patient could be suffering from depression and Trigeminal neuralgia at the same time. In such cases, use of drugs like Duloxetine can be a good Trigeminal neuralgia treatment. Aside from bringing pain relief, it is also an antidepressant. Surgical options are also considered by many. Glycerol injections are often used in the treatment for Trigeminal neuralgia. You can say this is just like an alcoholic substance. It is made to pass through the nerve track. Since this is considered to be a little corrosive, slight damage of the nerves can occur.

Another process you can try out is what is known as micro vascular decompression. Have you heard of radiofrequency thermorhizotomy? It is also a good method. In some hospitals, gamma knife radiosurgery is being practiced. These procedures will bring about pain relief. But you should keep in mind that they come with certain side effects. Gamma knife surgery could lead to the treated area experiencing a bit of numbness. It’s not something you can do away with. But since these procedures are very effective, you should not have doubts about choosing any of them. You can also choose treatments that involve the use of needles or catheters. This will be passed through the face.

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