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I get what is called trigeminal neuralgia or ice pick headaches. I've read everything I could on it and it seems a lot of folks over 50 get them. Excuse my language, but they are hellish. It's a sharp, stabbing pain on the left, or right, side of my head, usually somewhere over the ear or right behind it. It's as if someone stabs me with a hot poker. I take Rx Motrin and since I started taking Lamictal, they are much less frequent. When I've tried to tell my family about this, they just blow it off like it was nothing ….. well, if they got them they'd soon feel differently.
abby
Replies to "I get what is called trigeminal neuralgia or ice pick headaches. I've read everything I could..."
Hi Abby @amberpep, I'm sorry to hear about your family not understanding how much pain you are in when you have one of the headaches. That adds even more stress on you which I'm guessing makes things a lot worse. Would it help to educate them a little?
Here's a good description of the headaches. Maybe you could print it and make a copy for each of them?
What to know about ice pick headaches
-- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317234.php
I’m so sorry Amber that your family doesn’t understand. Hopefully John’s link will help them and thereby help you too.
It’s hard to believe we ended up with the most miserable pain practically on the planet. I’m Very thankful to have discovered that too much salt, stress and caffeine where my biggest triggers. Thankfully ibuprofen was as far as I had to go with pain meds. My main cure has been a change of diet and managing stress. I wish it was that simple for everybody.
Hoping and praying you find relief and support from your family.
Respectfully,
Kim O.
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Hello, @amberpep - I'm sorry to hear you are enduring so much pain, not only physically, but from your family members not understanding what you are going through. As you mentioned trigeminal neuralgia, I moved your post here to connect you to others talking about this condition so they can empathize and offer support. Please click VIEW & REPLY in your email notification to find your post and to read previous posts in this conversation, "Trigeminal Neuralgia*."
I'd like to invite some of those involved in this discussion to return and offer some input on the "hellish" sharp pain on the side of your head, as if someone was stabbing you with a hot poker. @kim_o @krissye @lauren123 @johnbishop @richj8 also may have some input on your family blowing off this pain like it was nothing.
You mentioned taking lamotrigine (Lamictal), @amberpep. If I understand correctly, this is helping decrease the frequency of these stabbing pain incidents? When they do occur, are you taking the prescription ibuprofen (Motrin) at that point, or how are you managing these pain episodes?