[enghud]

My PCP thinks I have TN - About a week ago I started having numbness above my left eye which got progressively worse everyday - my forehead - then my skull. Now I have constant partial numbness on my left side - eyebrow to skull. I have shooting pain - altough mild - tiggered by lifting my eyebrows and sometimes mild head aches. Can I expect this condition to get worse? What is the progression of this condition? Will I eventually have numbness and pain in all three branches of the nerve? Will the pain come and go? Can someone tell me the usual course of Trigeminal Neuralgia? I am 58 years old and never really experienced facial numbness/pain before? How long does it usually take for the pain to become severe??
Thanks!

[stulchinsky]

Hello, this is a forum moderator responding. Although I do not have a direct answer to your questions, I would like to refer you to the following physician-developed and -monitored content for additional information:
http://www.neurologychannel.com/trigeminal-neuralgia/treatment.shtml

Thank you for participating in the forum!

[nightowlmom]

Excuse me---but your pcp (THINKS) you have TN--You must be kidding--what he needs to do is send you for a CAT scan to begin with-- sounds like you have alot going on there- some are symptoms of tn and others don't-the numbness doesn't sound like tn- I've had tn for 4 years now- it started with me waking up one morning with electrical shock type pain on the right side of my face - like nothing I ever felt in my life. It then progressed to pains that came and went on the right side of my face-My doctor sent me for a CAT scan and it showed nothing--unfortunately when you have tn it doesn't show up on a cat scan. Next step he put me on tegretol xr 400mg twice a day and it has helped considerably. I still wanted my doctor to write me a script to be able to see a neurologist which he has done and I go every 3 or 4 months to see him to keep this affliction under control if it gets out of hand. But I will tell you if it does get out of hand there are operations that can help and I will not hesitate to have something done. To keep your sanity - please get to a neurologist if at all posssible. Good Luck and God Bless

[kazz]

Hello, you said you would not hesitate to have surgery done. Have you had any procedures done yet and if so did it work and for how long. I want to go to a neurologist too and I am trying to find someone who works with people with no insurance. Thanks for any info