Hello Sweetspirit, and welcome to Connect! Thank you for sharing your ailment with other members.

I moved your discussion post to a very active existing discussion on Trigeminal Neuralgia. Here you will be able to read through a large discussion taking place on many different aspects of living with Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Is there anything specific about TN you would like to ask other members about and discuss?

How do you control the pain? I've tried so many things, but would be interested in knowing how others manage. Lately, mine has been keeping me up ALL night! Even if I sleep in the day, it starts up.

I had pain all the time hard to brush my teeth shower eat or drink anything. lived on applesauce grits & soup. Tegrital helped somewhat but I was so drugged up I couldn't work or drive. I had a procedure done took about ten minutes where they burn the nerve radio frequency lesioning. I am off medication life is back to normal . my face feels like I had dental work on one side and tongue tingling took about a week for my speech to return to normal. its been almost a year I was told the pain may come back if so I will just go back and redo.

The sleep deprivation is what bothers my dad the most. I did find a pillow for him that is shaped like a C; I think it is designed to avoid wrinkles! But it also avoids pressure on the cheek while he is sleeping. Many nights he resorts to his recliner.

FACIAL PAIN I WAS TOLD NOT TO HAVE SURGERY OR IS THIS CALLED SURGERY WHAT KIND OF DR. DID THIS?? THEY SAID MY FACE MIGHT GET PEARLIZED. AND NOT TO DO IT.???

@bigred80 I don't know who your comment is directed to or what it is in reference to, but this link might help explain the procedure my father and others have had. It isn't really a surgical procedure, but a neurosurgeon and radiologic interventionist usually collaborate on the procedure. http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/stereotactic-radiosurgery/home/ovc-20130212. The surgery your physician might have been referring to is Microvascular Decompression https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/neurosurgery/for-patients/treatments/microvascular-decompression.aspx. Either procedure can result in loss of sensation of movement of some facial muscles (similar to Bell's Palsy) but a lot of people choose to chance these complications rather than live with the pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia. I hope this helps explain things.

THANKS I WILL LOOK INTO THIS.  HAVE A GREAT DAY

Hello sweetspirit21, I am new to the group also.
annamh