Nov 01, 2001 02:59 AM
1862 Views
(Updated Nov 01, 2001 03:00 AM)
I have suffered from TGN(Trigeminal Neuralgia), an intense painful condition of the face, for several years.Initially this involved lengthy visits to the dentists and then being refered to a large dental hospital before it was diagnosed properly.
The pain was driving me'bonkers'.My teeth felt like sharp glass stabbing upwards into my gums and cheek.I couldn`t eat, talk or act normally. As if that wasn`t bad enough - the whole of the right-hand side of my face, teeth and head were involved - at the Dental Hospital I was subjected to a lengthy series of tests that involved increasing powerful electrical stimuli applied to each of my teeth in turn.That was a real'Electric Chair'!(Reminded me of'Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman') The dental profession appear unable or unwilling to even suggest that the acute pain in the teeth caused by TGN could be anything other than dental at source and therefore vital days of relief were postponed.
Finally a consultant neurologist put me onto carbamazepine.God! It knocked me out at first.No pain but I didn`t know whether I was coming or going! Spaced out!I`ve never felt sensations like those caused by this medication having never partaken of any mind-altering drugs before.After a few days my body and mind became accustomed to the drugs and I was able to start functioning with something approaching normality.
Why don`t dentists know much about it and why aren`t sufferers warned enough about the side effects of the drug.?The illness is supposedly more common than those cases diagnosed as a lot get put down to migraine.Please, more education for G.P.s and for dentists .
Luckily, the attacks have diminished over the years and I now suffer fairly infrequently and then quite lightly, thank goodness.
The reasons for the onset of TGN are varied and can be both physical and mental, including stress!I hope you never have to suffer from it.
