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Trigeminal Neuralgia (Expert Forum)
TN and cancer treatment
Answered by
Michael Lim, MD - brain tumor, trigeminal neuralgia
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Baltimore - MD
This forum is for questions and discussions relating to Causes, Clinical Trials, Diagnosis, Family and Friends Issues, Living with Trigeminal Neuralgia, Pain Management, Research, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Surgery and Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia.
TN and cancer treatment
by rickdan, Jul 24, 2008 02:56PM
I have TN and began radiation and chemo treatment last week. I go 5 days a week for radiation and 1 day a week for chemo (cesplatin).
My TN started bothering me again last Monday and I am wondering if the treatments I am getting affect the TN nerve?
I have squamous cell carcinoma and my left eye was removed at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Tx on June 3rd. There are cancer cells still in the cavernous sinus and hopefully treatment will get that cancer that was left.
My Tn become active about 2 weeks before the surgery and my neurologist at MD Anderson thought my stress level was the cause of the TN pain however after surgery I continued to have this problem for about 2 weeks.
When I returned home after the surgery my MS doctor began reducing my lyrica dosage and that in combination of my treatments for cancer may be the cause of the TN pain again.
I no longer feel I can deal with the TN and the cancer treatments so I want to know what would be the next step I should take?
Thank you
Richard Daniels
My TN started bothering me again last Monday and I am wondering if the treatments I am getting affect the TN nerve?
I have squamous cell carcinoma and my left eye was removed at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Tx on June 3rd. There are cancer cells still in the cavernous sinus and hopefully treatment will get that cancer that was left.
My Tn become active about 2 weeks before the surgery and my neurologist at MD Anderson thought my stress level was the cause of the TN pain however after surgery I continued to have this problem for about 2 weeks.
When I returned home after the surgery my MS doctor began reducing my lyrica dosage and that in combination of my treatments for cancer may be the cause of the TN pain again.
I no longer feel I can deal with the TN and the cancer treatments so I want to know what would be the next step I should take?
Thank you
Richard Daniels
Doctor's Answer
by Michael Lim, MD, Aug 17, 2008 10:28PM
, Aug 17, 2008 10:28PM
I am sorry to hear about your pain. In general, surgical treatment for TN may be difficult when a patient is getting chemotherapy. Sometimes, radiosurgery can be performed in patients getting chemo. I would suggest seeing a neurologist to see if your medications can be optimized/changed.
i am suffering from bilaterial tn for last 34 yrs i take tegretol and neurontin one of each three times a day during the attack of pain, but once the pain goes i stop taking them.
u can try tegretol after consulting your doctor, it is the only medicine that arrests the pain of tn. and when combined with other anti convulsant drugs like, dilantin, or neurontin, it works even better.
hope u are feeling ok
yakub