Question about trigeminal neuralgia

Does trigeminal neuralgia always cause pain and is it always one sided?

[Fluffysmom]

Hi there!

There is a wonderful website that gives all sorts of information on trigeminal neuralgia and other kinds and causes of facial pain, fpa-support.org.

As far as I know, TN does always cause pain, though there are often periods without pain.  There is also Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia, where there is a constant dull pain with occasional zaps and zings of truly electric pain.

I think it's most common for TN to be one-sided, but it can occur on both sides.  People with MS are more likely than the general population to have it on both sides; I forget the ratio.

Check out the facial pain association website; I think they recently changed the name, but the fpa - support . org  address will get you there.

Kathy

[essdipity]

Kathy has given you good advice. TN always causes some sort of pain, if not always the classic excruciating kind. That's because the nerve is inflamed. There'd be no other way of knowing you had it.

Bilateral TN is not common, but when it occurs the chances of MS being the culprit are huge.

ess

[michelleric]

As for me, my trigeminal neuralgia is always one sided, and "usually" extreme pain is with it. Sometimes it is just "regular" pain, other times it is severe, but it is always painful for me.

Michelle