Re: Trigeminal Neuralgia

Posted By CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS on March 15, 1999 at 08:17:08:

In Reply to: Trigeminal Neuralgia posted by Brenda on March 13, 1999 at 13:14:24:






I have been diagnosed with  Chronic Cluster Headaches and Trigeminal Neuralgia.  I also have frequent bouts with fever blisters.  I have severe pain in the temple area and behind my eye on one side.  I also have severe shock-like pain that runs across cheek to nose and my upper teeth on that side feel like they will fall out because it hurts so bad.  I have trigger points, one being when I brush my teeth or touching my face.  The trigeminal pain sends severe pain across my face that lasts for approximately 45 seconds and then it stops.  This happens several times throughout a day.  Are these two disorders similar in origin?  I had never had fever blisters until this pain started.  How can fever blisters play a part in this process?  Thank you.




Dear Brenda:
Sorry to hear about your headaches and trigeminal neuralgia.  Your trigeminal neuralgia sounds like it might be herpes related, since you comment that you have fever blisters together with the pain.  I think that I would make sure that your trigeminal neuralgia isn't herpes related (Ramsey Hunt syndrome) which  would be different medications to treat.  We usually try calcium channel blockers.  We also check for dietary triggers and have the patients stay away from the triggers.  There was a recent article published in the Lancet showing that cluster headaches are generated from the hypothalmus.  The etilogy of trigeminal neuralgia is different in that it can be infectious, autoimmune, etc and not a hypothalmic problems.  I hope you get your problems under control.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro[P] MD