Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Neurology (Expert Forum)
atypical trigeminal neuralgia
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
atypical trigeminal neuralgia
by Bonita D, Feb 09, 2000 12:00AM
How successful are botulinum injections to treat atypical trigeminal neuralgia? My pain is centered in my left upper gums but spreads throughout the left side of my face below my eyes. Throbbing pain with knife-like pain are the usual problems. I always have some pain. Wearing glasses triggers intense pain. I've tried numerous medications with limited success.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS, Feb 09, 2000 12:00AM
Dear Bonita:
Sorry to hear about your pain. The use of botox for trigeminal neuralgia is not a universal treatment. True it will help with blocking nerve transmission, but it depends where the lesion in the nerve is affected. Most of the time botox is used for muscle problems such as spasticity or dystonia. I would be very hesitant to use botox for trigeminal neuralgia. I would make sure that this is the last resort for possible pain management and this person has done this in the past with good results.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
Sorry to hear about your pain. The use of botox for trigeminal neuralgia is not a universal treatment. True it will help with blocking nerve transmission, but it depends where the lesion in the nerve is affected. Most of the time botox is used for muscle problems such as spasticity or dystonia. I would be very hesitant to use botox for trigeminal neuralgia. I would make sure that this is the last resort for possible pain management and this person has done this in the past with good results.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
Thanks, Ann
A shunt would be a relative safe procedure. It would keep the syrinx stable. However, the decompression should have stabilized the syrinx as the pressure from the Chiari I was removed. What does your neurosurgeon tell you? Shunt can fail, they can become infected, etc. Make sure you find a good neurosurgeon who has done many of these before and make sure your syrinx is the etiology of your problem.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
Thanks for all your help with these questions.
Sincerely, Ann
Alot depends on the surgeon. We have seen some patients with complete resolution of their problems after surgery and some that continued with their problems even with surgery. We do not think surgery is the answer unless the situation dictates. Something like hydrocelphalus would be such a circumstance.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
CCF Neuro MD
Cheryle
There is always the possibility. One thinks of diabetes, amyloidosis as systemic disorders that can manifest in polyneuropathies. In addition, chronic alcohol use, autoimmune disorders, rare inherited disorders, etc can elicit such symptoms. I would talk to your physician able the possibilities.
CCF Neuro MD