NUMBNESS AND TINGLING ON LEFT SIDE OF FACE

[JACKSON647]

I'VE HAD NUMBNESS AND TINGLING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE FOR OVER A YEAR. I'VE BEEN TAKING GABABENTIN 600MG TWICE A DAY. LAST YEAR I HAD A MRI, SPINAL TAP AND THEY ALL CAME OUT NORMAL.  RECENTLY, THE NUMBNESS AND TINGLING ARE STARTING TO SLOWLY GET WORSE. SEPTEMBER 2006 I HAD SHINGLES FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND AS SOON AS I WAS OVER THE SHINGLES I DEVELOPED A SEVERE TINGLING "PINS AND NEEDLES SENSATION ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE...IT FELT LIKE A SPIDER WAS CRAWLING UNDER MY SKIN...AND ALSO AFTER TAKING THE GABABENTIN FOR OVER A YEAR, I'VE GAINED OVER 30 POUNDS...CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME?  I'VE BEEN TO 2 NEOROLIGIST AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH ME...THEY JUST PRESCRIBE "GABABENTIN"

THANK YOU

[JACKSON647]

thank you...i did hear about acupuncture and i've considered it...my only question is:  if i do decide to use acupunture will i have to have treatment for the rest of my life?  also, i read somewhere that i could possibly be having mini strokes.  my husband and i live in a motorhome (recreational vehicle) because my husbands job requires him to travel all over the united states so, i'm usually only in one place for about 3 to 4 months, however, i do plan to go to another neurologist when we get to are next destination...do you have any suggestion or questions i might asked?

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  If gabapentin does not work, you can try acupuncture, which has been shown to be effective in treating facial neuralgia.