Re: Change in Headaches - Neuralgia?

Posted By Thanks Mark from Karen on April 06, 1999 at 21:26:02:

In Reply to: Re: Change in Headaches - Neuralgia? posted by Mark on April 06, 1999 at 11:24:44:








KAREN, I think the doctor that gave you the gloom and doom and said it's all locked up in CN system is all wet.  Find a better doctor that knows something! If you have to, go to the nearest large city to you if you don't already live in a large city with better doctors. I tried the Atlast chiorpractic and it has stopped my pain of 5yrs.

Thanks Mark for the kind words of support.  I live in Houston and this MD Anesthesiologist is in Houston also. He was a big disappointment.  I have heard of the Atlas treatment.  Doesn't just a few chiropractors know how to do this?  How long did you go to one before you got relief?  I will try anything for relief. I think I have something also laying on something that causes my heart rate to go irractic.  This happens when the pains get real bad.  Maybe something is off kilter and laying on the carotids or the vertebrae.  Thanks for making me feel like someone cares.  God Bless.
Karen.



I am a 28 year old female with a sudden change in headache type.  I have had migraine headaches on the left side of my head since I was 14 years old.  Generally, they were infrequent and manageable with Midrin (first) and later, Esgic Plus (used sparingly, since one prescription lasted 6 months+).
: : About 3 1/2 years ago, I began to feel a continuos twitching in my left eye, which seemed to disappear after two weeks.  After which, I noticed ptosis of the left eyelid.  Also, while a headache was occurring, I had constriction of the left pupil.
: : Shortly after this, I became pregnant and had virtually no headaches during this pregnancy, or while nursing.  In December '98, just more than a year after my baby was born, my headaches seemed to become more frequent, but still manageable.
In Jan. '99, I awoke with a different type of headache, which has never gone away!  I experience a daily pain, which centers around my left eye, but is a burning sensation (unlike my migrain pain).  Sometimes there is a sharp/stabbing pain in the upper corner of my left eye that accompanies the burning feeling.  The burning sensation seems to vary in severity and location (eye, cheek and back of head) from day to day.  I feel the burning from the moment I open my eyes in the AM.
____
Dear Roslyn:
Sorry to hear about this facial pain.  I was happy to hear that you had an MRI as we do worry about MS in young females.  Your symptoms really do sound like trigeminal neuralgia.  Actually the first line therapy is carbamazepine with alternative medications of phenytoin, clonazepam, baclofen, and pimazide.  The tegratol does work the best but you should find out if your pregnant yet, simple blood test.  Actually, we really stay away from the TCA in this type of pain, but I guess various physicians have their own way of treating.  The literature says that the earlier treatment begins, the better the prognosis for favorable outcome.  I would say to start early, first by getting a pregnancy test and if negative then pursue the first line therapy.  There is no ear pain is there?  We also like to rule out Ramsey Hunt (varicella infection).  I hope your facial pain get under control.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro[P] MD




Dear Dr.  I would like to ask a question regarding your answer to Roslyn.
What does TCA mean?
I also have these symptoms and you asked Roslyn if she had pain in the ear.  I have pain in  the left ear with a continuous buzzing.  
Can one have these type symptoms for 4 years and be told that it is too late to do anything  as the pains have been there all too long and are now locked in the Cenrtal Nucleus of the Brain Stem.   I was told this by a pain doc.  No exam was done.  No diagnostic injections.  Just a gloom and doom diagnosis.  He told me he calls all this type of pain Neuropathic in nature that no surgery and very little meds would help.  I desperatley need your opinion.  Thank You Doctor.....Thank You Phil.  
P.S.  I saw three neurologist early on and no answers.  They kept telling me to find an oral surgeon.   No answers with the Oral Surgeons either.