I consulted a neurosurgeon and was told to NEVER let anyone touch the trigeminal nerve. He said I would have worse problems. I've taken gabapentin for 13 years after having shingles on my face/scalp. I use a compound cream from an anesthesiologist-pain specialist around my eye and I sleep with a large frozen gel compound on one side of my face at night. This combination helps make post-herpetic neuralgia tolerable but, even with all this, I have frequent severe itching attacks at night. My neurologist also gave me an rx that I take when the itching becomes unmanageable.