For the past several days I've been having pain on my left side of face. The first episode woke me up in the middle of night with horrible stabbing pain just behind my left ear. The pain ran down my jaw line. Very painful and stabbing. I'm also having brisk episodes of eye/cheek pain too. It has been coming and going for the past few days now and is only on the left side. After researching I think it may be TN. Maybe. When the pain hits it's horrible, but it only lasts a second and is gone. After the brief stabbing pain, it sometimes feels achy, almost like a bad tooth ache or something... I've been getting several a day, but it's not keeping me from doing regular activities.
I'm worried cause TN is a symptom of MS. I didn't see anything about lyme disease. I do know that lyme likes the cranial nerves though and TN is caused from irritation of one of the cranial nerves.
Does anyone have any ideas? IS this lyme related? Or should I be seeing my neuro again?
Thanks for the help Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Hi,
Trigeminal neuralgia is absolutely horrific. I'm so sorry to hear you are suffering with this, too.
My episodes tend to cluster with "migraines" and last between 3 - 4 days. It is totally debillitating.
Glad to hear that your episodes are shorter, at least.
There are a few things that seem to help to a small degree - enough to keep me relatively functional. Various meds, it's taken a lot of experimenting. If you want any of that info, just let me know.
Definitely mention this to your LLMD, maybe even give him/her a call before your next visit.
While it can be a symptom of MS, I think it's also a symptom of Lyme and TBDs.
My own episodes have been increasing in frequency lately, and LLMD feels it is because I have been off of abx for quite some time.
The current theory is that (for me) these episodes are related more to bart than Lyme.
But that is just a guess on the part of my LLMD.
So... all that rambling was simply to say that, yes, I think it can be Lyme or TBD related. And that it's worth mentioning to your LLMD.
As for seeing your neuro again... Personally, I'd ask the LLMD and then decide what to do about the neuro.
Your LLMD may feel that another MRI is necessary, or that an appt with the neuro is essential.
Hang in there, Cactus
Posted by kissis (Member # 4165) on :
Yes, it can be a complication of lyme, please read the folowing.Over the years I have found several things that help it go away, Ioradol' I usualy take two per day, or if I do get a flare, Benidril realy helps it.
I have something similar. Not sure what it is, but I know it's nerve pain.
I had a really bad bout of it last year when I tried to wean off my Cortef. When I got to nearly nothing, the nerve pain kicked in.
It was horrible. I went back on the Cortef at the regular dosage (only 10 mg) and the pain gradually left. No problems since.
I remembered thinking.. OH, I had this pain back when I was first being treated for Lyme. So it wasn't like it showed up suddenly...just seemed so!
I would check with your LLMD about it too. Neuro if MUST be. They are so worthless!
Posted by kareamber (Member # 20110) on :
Does this sound like TN? OR not? It's a bad stabbing pain, but it's very short lived and isn't debilitating.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
quote:Originally posted by kareamber: Does this sound like TN? OR not? It's a bad stabbing pain, but it's very short lived and isn't debilitating.
It sounds like nerve pain, but I'm not a doc.
I get one other type of cranial neuralgia - a stabbing earache which lasts several hours (rather than days).
Like yours, it's shorter in duration and not debilitating - just hurts like heck.
Can you email your LLMD and ask about it?
Posted by kissis (Member # 4165) on :
Yes, it sounds like TN, it is short lived and mild at the start but if not treated it can grow in severity ,frequency and length of duration. And a good way to know is if the pain can vary, from the teeth, jaw, ear or even the skin of the outside of face.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
I had TN. It always came during the end of eating a meal. It can be brought on by chewing, especially if chewing foods that are not soft.
The pain was so bad it caused me to scream out. It was truly debilitating.
I got this during lyme treatment. My lyme treatment was inadequate.
What helped me was Benedryl. Then, I changed lyme doctors and got good Burrascano type treatment and it all went away.
It sounds like TN to me because after a number of episodes, after the sharp shooting pain subsided, I did have a different kind of pain like achiness in the face there.
It only came on one side of the face.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote: [QB] Does this sound like TN? OR not?
I would think it's like cactus said.. early stages. That's what I think mine is. Hope it stays away!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)