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Neurology (Expert Forum)
atypical facial neuralgia
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atypical facial neuralgia
by Beth-Ferenz, Sep 02, 1997 12:00AM
Re: atypical facial neuralgia
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Posted by CCF Neurology MD on September 05, 1997 at 01:34:23:
In Reply to: atypical facial neuralgia posted by Beth Ferrenz on September 02, 1997 at 19:56:29:
: After a severe, but undiagnosed sphenoid sinus infection which eventually was treated and cured, I remained with intense pain on the entire left side of my head and teeth. This occurred 6 years ago. Overtime, I was diagnosed with atypical facial neuralgia. I had taken many drugs with no significant improvement when given Tegretol, and referred to Dr. Neil Raskin of UCSF. He added 60 mg of Nardil to my Tegretol dosage and I improved greatly. Some months later, due to elevated liver enzymes, I was forced to discontinue Tegretol. Nardil has been the best drug for my pain, however I still endure pain all the time, which ebbs and flows with certain circumstances like cold wind on my face, and other times, for reasons not understood. If you are familiar with this disorder, can you recommend any other medications or therapies? I have taken Nortriptylene, Amitryptilene, various calcium channel blockers(which really intensify the pain), Diltiazem ER (which caused hair loss), I'm sure there are more, but I don't recall.
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Dear Beth:
Dr. Raskin is a world-renowned authority on problems of your type. Your pain has been difficult to control with a whole range of medications, and we would have little to add to Dr. Raskin's recommendations. I can only state that some of the newer anticonvulsant medications such as gabapentin and lamotrigine have been found to be effective in the treatment atypical facial pain and trigeminal neuralgia, and are also very safe. These drugs may be possible new options for you at this point. I trust that you are aware of the drug and dietary restrictions that go with Nardil.
Good luck!
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options of your specific medical condition.
