Natural Trigeminal Neuralgia Treatment

Happy thanksgiving, Connie. Happy Thanksgiving Deidre who has given us this opportunity to frankly advise and report to each other about what can help this most horribly painful condition.

I am back on a Homeopathic remedy which does seem to help in about 3-5 days. I am also on 2 injections per week, until I get tests to see why I can't hold or absorb the B vitamins like most people.

I need to find a way to take sublinigual Methyl B12 and the B complex vitamins orally, instead of the expensive injections. I am very terribly afraid of needles and don't seem to be able to do it myself. Even giving it to myself, it would cost about $100 a month from a safe and reputable place I trust. It only costs about $20 for 2 months for the oral Methyl B12.

The doctor can't figure out why this form of B12 )dibenzocide)hurts my nerves more and wonders if it is something else in the product. But 2 different products with the same version of Active B12 hurt my nerves, so I am staying off it.

To report: my nerves are better, much better today. Only feel a little symptoms, nothing worse. When I stop feeling any symptoms, I will get off the homeoathic remedy (which has almost saved my life this past year-but doesn't really heal the problem-just masks the symptoms)

SO I need to find a sublingual B-complex that doesn't have PABA in it. I am allergice to PABA and find alot of people are as well. IT can almost put me in anaphylactic shock, so I have to not buy the same B complex you use. My doctor says to try to get a sublingual form of B complex-yeah, good luck without the PABA.

Any way, also, my doctor says it should be safe to augment my injections with 4000-5000 mcg of the Methyl B orally a day, and a B complex, when I don't get the injections that day. It can't hurt you since your body gets rid of any extra B12 it doesn't need.

I would advise people to try the Methyl B12 who have any nerve, brain, problem to help them, cause it is pretty safe.

It lease I haven't had a full=blown attack since I used the homeopathic remedies. My last full-blown attack was when I was diagnosed with TN almost 2 years ago, (in Feb)A day I will never forget.

Hope this info helps others. If anyone wants to buy homeopathic remedies that help with the pain safely, until you can figure out what med plan works for you best, then others can log into: biogetica.com. Try the $55 kit-it should last about 2-3 months--it is safe and it really takes the pain away.

Have a wonderful holiday,

P

P.S. To those who suffer from Trigeminal Neuralgia:

I wanted to give you the exact website url to the Biogetica. com Trigeminal Neuralgia products;

http://www.biogetica.com/cure-trigeminal-neuralgia.php?gclid=CKyLzLOI5J8CFRwUawodBCDyHQ#

I also want to let you know that with this product I bought, it worked. Traditional Medicine balks at it because it doesn't contain really any measurable pharmeutical agent; that is the main reason it is so safe. But it does work; on the principal of physics-the original agents were diluted enought times in purified water, to keep the original vibrations of the agents. Now just the "water pill" works by itself. they have been arguing about this company for ages on the website. I am hear to tell you that Traditiional Medicine only offers us terrible dangerous drugs that lose their effectiveness after a period of time. This Natural way offers you real help without the danger. I am a living witness to this; I would just like to be doing more than just masking my symptoms--so I am trying the Methyl B12 road.

P

Hi Pat ; Thank You! I'm not a professional practitioner, I'm someone who has had many conditions over the years, and has tried a great many substances to alleviate them, like folks here. I came looking here in my searches through the internet a couple of years ago, and found what I consider to be one of the great inventions of this century, really. Deirdre has designed this forum so that people can report their findings, positive, negative, inconclusive, etc. , so that we may better understand their effects. We are specimens in the best of ways, who share this information with each other. This is a very intense theater of the real, and it takes a lot of bravery for us to reveal our conditions to each other, but it can be most healing. ( I admit to feeling a lot of embarrassment after I post). I see these qualities in your posts, and I look forward to reading your results with whatever you find in your ventures.

Even though our posts are anecdotal, we can learn so very much from this. So again, Thank You Deirdre for creating this marvelous forum!

Dear Connie:

I do not know what words I can say to let you know how much I appreciate your help. My doctor will not be in til Wednesday, and I have been having quite a few short shocks today and worried that they will get worse. I will have to wait for an injection and am not sure if I can keep affording them. They wind up being about $200 a month, so for the short term it is ok, but long term it is hard.

So I went to our natural supplement store. I did not buy what you take, since I am new at this and thought it would be hard to divide and break them apart. (the 5000 mcg) But I did get B12 Methylcobalamin, 1000 mcg that you place under the tongue and it melts pretty fast. I have taken 2 of these and will probably not take more for today.

I also got a peppermint flavored Coenzymate B complex with only B6 with 10 mg only a pill. It also contained folic acid at 400 mcg and also vitamin B12 from dibencozide (co-enzymated) and some other Bs such as ribloflavin, niacin, thiamine. I think I have enough Bs for the day and will see how I feel tomorrow morning.

I have acquired 4 auto-immune diseases since I contracted drug induced lupus a few years ago. So the no-gluten diet is helping to free me from these symptoms, but obviously not the TN. I got the lupus from an allergic reaction to Osteo-Biflex. Can you imagine that? Yes, I also have knee arthritis but have found some naturopathic remedies to heal this as well. I am a work in progress, but have learned alot about health and supplements on my road to a life with less pain. You have helped immeasurably, because lets face it, what is worse than Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Sometimes the B vitamins don't get absorbed as well because of low stomach acid. So supplementing carefully with hydrochloric acid and pepsin can help --and can aid in your body carrying the Bs to places it needs to be. Sometimes citric acid and vinegar is an alternative to the hydrochloric acid route as well.

My doctor feels that one shouldn't have to supplement the rest of their life for Trigem Neuralgia, but with Trigeminal Neuralgia, well, let's face it, vitamin Bs ain't a bad thing such as the drugs that disable your other organs. And you can know that your myelin sheath is healing in the process, which is a good feeling in itself.

I hope these oral Bs help me. I was really needing some help today and I am so thankful to God that I found this website, with someone as knowledgeable as you. Are you a Naturopath or something?

God bless you,

Pat

Dear Veerle:

You mentioned you have been taking B12 for Trigeminal Neuralgia. What kind of B12? Is it sublingual and is it methylcobalamin and what is the amount? do you take it orally or thru injections? It sounds good if it can help you back to being pain free in 2 weeks.

I need to buy some of this to have it on hand to take myself. I am also thinking of chiropractic care with the neck, since I have heard that this helps too.

Thanks, P-

Hi Connie:

The trigeminal Neuralgia has been coming back since my injections dropped from 2 a week to 1 a week. Trying now to determine if I have a malabsorption problem (I am on a gluten-free diet now-only 2 weeks) and also going to be tested for metals. ) I guess the no. of injections I have had have put most people in remission, except me.

I also found that vitamins that have high amounts of the B12 ((adenosylcobalamin), another active form, seemed to cause me more pain just yesterday. (I couldn't figure out why my pain was so much worse yesterday, until I checked out the B12 ingredients and reread your online info) So I am stopping this now.

If I start the sublingual B12, I will probably need close to as much as you do. (is that about 4000 mcg? daily-what are the mgs dose equivalence?) I wanted to ask you for the brand name of the Subliminal Methyl B12 and the B complex you take. Is the B complex subliminal? Also how long have you been taking these?

Do you have malabsorption issues too? Have you tried a gluten-free diet? Been tested for metals? Or have you tried Milk Thistle, which enhances the body's liver to absorb nutrients? Have you ever tried Homeopathic remedies for the control of symptoms? I have also heard that Ashwagandha (east indian herb for stress) greatly benefits people with this nerve disease. I know it helps me a little. It is an actual ingredient in the formula, Trigical, which I think is from Denmark and marketed that it stops the pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Where did you come across the knowledge to try subliminal B12? Hope some of my comments can help you too. Is there a way we can get each others email privately?

It is good news knowing that there is hope to heal these nerves. Most traditional doctors can't agree on the cause of this most painful horrible condition. Most MRIs don't really show it and only rule out a possibility of it being a brain tumor. Who wants to go for brain surgery with so many risks and little, if any, long term relief?

Looking forward to your comments. They have given us all hope.

P

Hi Pat ; It's great that you've found relief from TN, as it is one of the most shocking of pains... Now, you've reached another hurdle, the question of whether to maintain nerve health with supplements. It's true that too much of one can disturb the balance of the others. I can only guess what you personally may need, but I'll try to help you with a method of finding this. If you have had no other signs of B12 deficiency, particularly ones such as balance problems, numbness with tingling, vision disturbance, incontinence, etc. , then you may need less than other people (such as me).

If the cause of the TN was a mechanical injury, such as dentistry, then you may be fine by continuing good dietary practices alone. If there has been chronic exposure to heavy metals, such as mercury, or to noxious gases, there may be more of a need for regular supplementation. If there is a malabsorption problem, that so many of us may have, then regular supplementation can even be a lifesaver. Although many people can take large amounts of the B's and have no problems; they excrete the excess, I have to take them in a more measured way. I take a smaller amount with each meal. I'll divide a cap of , say a B-25, and take 1/2 of that with a meal. Some of the B's, such as B1 and B6 can be helpful to nerves in the right amounts, but irritating with high amounts. I have a high need for B12, so I take extra, 5000 mcgs. of sublingual methylcobalamin every day, or I begin to suffer nerve damage. Even though there are people that need much more than I, it looks like many more people need much less than this to maintain nerve health. Some people thrive with 1000 mcgs daily, and many may find that they need B12 two or three times weekly or less. I suggest that you watch for the return of symptoms, even the slightest twinge may indicate a need for more regular supplementation.

I have been getting the injections and the last 2 have seemed to irritate my nerves a little. they did help with the Trigeminal Neuralgia and I wonder and am so thankful that I came across Connie's entry about B6-be careful that this can irritate the nerves if overdosed.

I am off all shots and meds now and feeling pretty good so far. Time will tell. I don't know if the injections of B12 and the B complex vitamins put people in remission or not. I have had 19 injections so far and probably only needed 17. After the last 2, is when I felt some nerve irritation. I am concerned about it being a slight overdose.

People can go indefinitely without any other meds or shots for Trigeminal Neuralgia or in the case of a few, just need a maintenance dose-only 1/3 of the cases need a maintenance dose of once a week, after 2-8 months from stopping the injections. 2/3 need nothing more indefinately, I am not sure what part I will be.

I go to my Naturopath later to talk about this. I wonder about the subliminal B12 and B6 and if you are supposed to take them everyday forever?

Pat

I just began getting the symptoms of TN, and began googling my symptons like crazy. I am so thankful to have come across this site. Since I knew peppermint oil helped with headaches, I decided to rub the oil all over the areas that hurt, and it does relieve the pain! I use Dr. Young Living oils or if you want to pay less you can order them from Mountain Rose Oils. (Try and get their highest grade)

I am so thankful to have come across this site, as I am totally against taking drugs. I am going to order the supplements mentioned here. I am thankful to have done the alkaline diet previously for Chronic Fatigue. But fell somewhat off the wagon for the past 6 years. I want to stop this in its track, before it gets worse, so I am back to eating greens, greens, greens, breakfast, lunch and dinner. The good part is, I will finally lose those stubborn 10 lbs I had put on. The book that helped me cure my CF was THE PH MIRACLE. Dr. Robert Young (different from the OIL Dr Young) teaches all disease comes from an overacid diet. I am hoping I have the same success with this TN that I had with CF. I can't imagine what the pain that some of you experience as mine is still mild, with electric feeling shocks thru mostly the left side. It started with a very sharp shooting pain 4 days ago, and immediately I started alkaline and noticed the pain subsided. But I still have the electrical shock thingies. (I had nerve damage on that side from surgery in 2000, but only now is it starting to act up)! Wish I had never had that face lift, LOL.

Will try the B12 and Omega just diagnosing TN. Praying for all who suffer to have the mind of Christ and know this is just for a moment.

Dear Sonia,

I found a fantastic website that explains what Trigeminal Neuralgia is, what the cause is, symptoms and treatment. There is laser treatment for TN that is almost 100% successful. It is non-invasive and completely safe with no side effects. I hope this helps you. Diane

I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia twenty years ago, with hours and hours of pain with each attack. I was treated successfully with carbamazipam although after read up on the side effects I became concerned about possible liver damage from taking the top dosage daily, since I did a lot of partyng in my younger days. Since the medication is an early one for epilepsy, I lurked on some sites re that disease, and found a growing number of people talking about the k factor diet for epileptic children ( a precisely measured high fat diet ) and even more people talking about "modified Atkins" for adults. Fortunately the Atkins type diet worked for me. As long as I maintain a high level of fat in my diet and very little carbs, and avoid my worse triggers, I have no pain at all. If I am exposed to a trigger, if I move fast enough any pain subsides in minutes. If anyone wants more information, contact me at liberty82645(at)yahoo.com. To go from being close to suicide to almost pain-free is a true miracle.

I was diagnosed with TN about 2 weeks ago. I first notice the pain while putting on my make-up. Later I had pain in my teeth. Went to the dentist and he said nothing was wrong with my teeth. I went to a doctor in Mexico and I told him I had sinus infection. Well he checked me and said there was nothing wrong with my teeth or my sinus and but that he thought it had to do with my face muscle. A week later went the emergency room with the pain and I was diagnosed with TN. I know that TN does not cause paralyses but I feel my lips don't have that puffiness and a lot drier so I use a peppermint chap stick. It funny Peppermint was mention because when I put it on I don't know if it's the smell or what but it calms my pain too. Maybe I will try a peppermint tea.

I have been healed of this brutal affliction, trigeminal neuralgia, after suffering from it for over 10 years. The procedure was called a Balloon Gangliolysis. Anyone wanting to receive more information please contact me at kenbkb(at)wowway.com.

I realize how incredibly painful this is but I am living proof there is a remedy for it. Regards,

Ken

Have you tried EFT? Very easy to learn and helps with many issues doctors can't touch with meds/surgery. Energy healers? A lot of people have found pain relief this way. You can also buy your own cold laser these days for not a lot of money. I've found laser therapy pens to be very effective for relieving many types of pain. Hope that helps.

Steve

I suffer from TN. After going to 3 Dentist and 2 Oral Surgeons because I thought it was my teeth, I googled pain in the face only to find TN. I went to my MD and he immediatly knew what it was. I have been taking Gabapentin. Started out 300mg once a day, then 3 times a day, now 600mg 3 times a day. The pain started out in my lower teeth, then upper teeth, it moved to my check and eye. All the pain I have read about describes exactly what I feel. Pain washing my face, brushing my teeth, talking, sleeping. From the shocking pain to the burning sensation in my teeth. I just read about the Laser Med center but was curiuos as to the price. Could you give me a price range. Also, I see that you have to stay there two weeks in order to get the treatment for 30 min twice a day.... Thanks to all for sharing your treatment. I keep seeing B-12 and Omega 3, but how much. I too am willing to try most anything but surgery and more drugs.

Pete, Saturated fats are actually needed by the body. The brain for one needs saturated fats. It is made up of saturated fat. Here is a youtube video on cholesterol and saturated fat and why we need it. I recommend you watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9HFZT5x9Xc

I'm glad to see this thread! Have suffered with TN for almost 5 years. Am a vegan most of the time, sometimes go into eating dairy for periods of months, tried Frank Sherwood's TN diet (strict control of saturated fats), found that it seemed to help for a number of months but the TN came back during a stressful time with less sleep a few weeks ago. Got disheartened, "fell off the wagon, " have been eating some junk food again, having more and worse attacks...

I was super strict from Oct. 3 through about three weeks ago: in fact by Jan. Was not only eating less than 3 grams of saturated fat a day, but also all raw--was living on raw fruit, raw veggies, raw seeds and nuts (mostly pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and walnuts, in carefully measured small daily amounts) and just enough flax to get omega 3s. No sugar, no flour, no refined anything, no cooked or toasted foods... and exercising every day until I tried going outdoors to walk in May and began having TN attacks again--partly stress/overwork/undersleep but also pollen/pollution/mold and outdoor weather seem to trigger them off no matter how perfect my diet is.

Some things I have found that help, often work miraculously are:

HOMEOPATHIC ALLERGY/SINUS TABS. Homeopathic tabs that if I take them right at the beginning of an attack, often stop the attack completely. I always need two. Sometimes they do not work at all.

SUBMERGING MY HEAD in water. Yes, literally, "soaking my head! " I fill the bathtub with medium-warm or lukewarm or cool water depending on the ambient air temp, and kneel down and dunk my head under, slowly blowing out through my nose, holding my head under as long as possible, coming up for air and immediately going under again... After a little while it often stops the pain completely. Again, not always but it works often enough to be worth the trouble and attempt.

I will try B12-maybe my veganism is causing the TN, in part! Lack of B12. I was taking more B12 during the period when I was having fewer attacks, did not realize there was a reputation for it to help with this. Just happened to slack off by chance...

Try the homeopathic tabs! I suspect TN may have many different triggers for diff. People, but for many of us may be akin to an autoimmune/allergic response to environment. Lately I feel like a tropical fish, oversensitive to the extreme to minute changes in the air. Weather really sets these off. The tabs somehow seem to help me restabilize when my trigeminal nerves start to "go postal.

Hi,

I've had TN for about 6 years now, for the first 3 it was non stop, and doctors put me on the brain surgery waiting list after all of the drugs didnt work, I was 22 so not to keen on the idea of surgery, and refused to go on anti depressants.

But everything changed when I started having weekly sessions of acupuncture and cranial osteopathy. The accupuncture just treated the stress the condition had put on my mind and body (as I was seriously depressed and had been in therapy for a while) and the cranial osteopathy treated the actual pain. After each osteopathy session I experienced a very bad attack for a couple of days, as my osteopathist had warned me. I continued this treatment for about 2 months, and couldsay for definate that I have been 95% cured since and its been 3 years. When I told my neurologist he actually laughed at me, but with a combination of that and a healthy lifestyle and a relaxing environment (going home to the beach from the city helped a lot) I could carry on life as normal again.

My pain only now flags up if im really stressed or in extreme weather environments.

One more piece of advice is speak to the acupuncturists and osteopathists first and find someone who understands it and is confident they can help.

I hope this helps someone, dont give up there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia / atypical facial pain in 2009 after dental surgery to my jawbone. Sonia your description sounds very much like mine. I am so sorry. People who haven't experienced this pain, have no idea how horrible it is. It turned my life 180 degrees upside down. Thank goodness for the internet and the facial pain association and god's grace (I think it was formerly known as the trigeminal neuralgia association). Through their support groups I got in contact with a person near Dallas, Texas - who also had trigeminal type pain after dental surgery. I believe her name was Shelley Wilson and she had a benign tumor removed from her jawbone which led to her pain starting. She was on increasingly high doses of neurontin and painkillers for 5 years. I was so fortunate to have found her within 6 months of my pain starting. She led me to Dr. Allen Sprinkle - a dentist in Arlington Texas who specializes in chronic facial pain. He diagnosed the virus that had infected my trigeminal nerves and put me on the all natural Omura protocol (no more anti-seizure meds and painkillers)... It took about 6 months to regain my strength and health but now 2 years later I am pain free. Here is his contact information: Allen Sprinkle DDS 1106 W. Randoll Mill Road Suite 100 Arlington, TX 76012 (817) 461-9998. If you want more information from me you can contact me at batz(at)windstream.net

He also has a website if you google Dr. Allen Sprinkle in Arlington, TX. He's a very kind man and if you e-mail or call for him he's usually very quick in responding.

Don't be discouraged that he's not in your area. He may be able to refer you to someone closer as there are other practitioners of the Omura Protocol around the country. I pray for you that you are well on your way to healing and like I said I am glad to answer any e-mails or questions you may have.

This is directed to Luca and others who suffer from Tn as well as cluster headaches. I was diagnosed with both conditions, August 2010. Unfortunately, I suffered in pain without any relief for 9 months prior, as the doctors could not get a handle the fact that I had multiple conditions.

Firstly, Oxygen on level 7 works miracles for my clusters. I am also on Topamax but have reduced the dosage from 275mg to 50 mg over the year. Secondly, the TN did settle a little with Lyrica, but is wasn't until I started vitamin therapy that I started a significant change in my pain level. I still react to certain food enzymes and odours as well as cold air... However, I have gone from a daily pain threshold of 6-7 to a 1-3 from Glutathione and Meyers IV infusions. I recommend them. N

I have had the excruciating pain of trigeminal neuralgia even when my B12 level was over 1,000. I have foun trigeminal neuralgia specifically linked to the amound of saturated fat that I have eaten. I was searching for some kind of relief and came across a diet for trigeminial neuralgia. It was written by Frank Sherwood. I tried it and it worked. I went off of the diet and am home today suffering the consequences. It took about one week on the diet to reep the benefits. I was also taking about one to two tegretol pills a day with the diet. It was because I felt a flicker of pain and was afraid of a full blown attack. I have not suffered a full blown attack today because I am taking tegretol but I am not feeling well because of the medication. I am convinced that the diet was the key. I also went to the chiropractor. That is also beneficial.

b12 is important so is Krill but what I found that got rid of TN "face pain" after 40 years was Cervical Chiropractor. thank God I tried the Chiropractor!!

Hi Anna; Since I posted in both the TN and B-12 sections here, I feel I should write. When I search Earth Clinic for info, I check ailments sections, but I also use the search box because there is so much of an overlap with conditions and treatments here. I duly respect the Editors here, and I feel a little sheepish because I have not made filing easy for them. I also want to elaborate more about B-12 for you that you may best benefit from its use.

There are several ways and types of B-12 to try, and I haven't tried them all, but I'll suggest what has worked best for me. I haven't tried injectons. Some people require them even weekly. Cyanocobalamin is most often used, but it must be converted to active forms by the liver. Methylcobalamin is an active form of B-12 that is most often recommended for neuralgia. I take sublingual Methylcobalamin now daily. I divide a 5000 mcg. Lozenge into 4 parts and take a wedge 3 or 4 times daily. Even though B-12 is supposed to be stored in the liver and tissues for use by the body, mine doesn't do this. B-12 is also easily destroyed by gases and pollutants. This method doesn't make scientific sense, but it works for me. I did try another form of B-12, dibencozide, (adenosylcobalamin), another active form, but it increased the pain in my nerves, especially the mouth. I do recommend also taking a B-complex with sublingual Methyl-B-12, but try a smaller dosage to see if it is agreeable. Some of the B's can irritate nerves if the amount is too high. I don't have any more than 25-50 mgs. of B-6, for instance, as I've experienced nerve pain from it. I tried the "P5P" form of B-6 and also had pain. This may not apply to other people, but I caution people with any sort of nerve pain.

Hello. Searching different ways to treat and/or cure trigeminal neuralgia. I see on your site that people are praising vitamin b12 for this. However, when I go to supplements and search b12 on your site, the benefits of taking this vitamin do not list TN at all. I am recently diagnosed with this and am trying to see light at the end of the tunnel. Why is that?

Bone cavities, if not fixed at the time of an extraction, will continue to cause radiating face pain. It's just like having a cavity in your tooth only it is in the bone above the tooth. It took 2-3 weeks after the extraction before the pain was completely gone and that is with a dentist that was familiar with bone cavities. Some are clueless as to what they are. The cavity was on my left side and it made the whole left side of my face ache.

I don't understand why the mouthwash sometimes works, but I can concur with the effects of peppermint mouthwash. At one point, this became a very simple remedy for me, but over the years seems to have become less and less effective. I was diagnosed with TN in my mid-twenties and have been under a doctor's care on and off for more than twenty years.

Hi Herbert,
The clinic that helped my mother is in Myrtle Beach they have a website lasermedcenter. com and they have a facebook page www.facebook.com/#! /pages/Laser-Med-Center/119990178056852

My mother is Carmela and you can view her testimony either on the facebook page or on the website. Give them a call and they will answer all of your questions about the treatment.

All the best!

Daniela

I would like to get the address of the clinic that gave the treatment with laser to cure people from TN.
Herbert

Connie, I have suffered with TN for 17 yrs. It started when I was 20. I have told people that orange juice, chocolate, and tomatos cause flair ups for me. I would like some more info on this acid thing. Thank you.

Dear Veerle, My name is Luca and I am writing you because my 26 years old girlfriend is experiencing trigeminal neuralgia associated to cluster headache. Since the 31st December 2009 she had headache everyday. The several exams did not evidence any specific cause and despite different medication she's still experience an unbearable pain and too many side effects. Obviously her quality of life is largely influenced and she is currently not able to work, practice sport and live with serenity her life. I have been really impressed by your words and your story and I am wondering if you could give us your mail contact just to ask you some advices. I am a physiotherapy student and to realize that I may potentially help her is fantastic. I am aware that this post is really old but I hope that you may answer. This is my mail: cazza67(at)live(dot)it.

Many thanks. Luca and Manu

Apologies y'all, the quantities of epsom salts that I take are 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp daily. My typing mistake would be a very dangerous amount to suggest that someone take. Please dismiss the previous measurements for epsom salts. Thanks, Connie

Hi Sonia; After reading Tom's post to you and the links he provided, I realized that I have had TN, both classic and atypical in the past, and that I may be able to offer some help here. My symptoms were in the lower right jaw, and did result with shocks that made me gasp and jump. In years prior to the shocks, I had TMJ, bruxism, inflammation, and swelling that radiated to the sinus, ear, and neck areas. I've recently had a flare-up, so I've had to shift my approach somewhat. The symptoms that you describe can be called Atypical TN, although some of these neural condition terms can get technical. While there may be a little relief in having a name for this condition, we need to understand the cause. And Even though some Dentists, et al. , can worsen the problem with their Clumsy and primitive procedures, We've ended up in their chair because of health problems. ( Its certainly not that we would choose any of this. ) It is beyond my range to decide whether there's been wrong doing.

Fortunately, I can pass some info about what's brought relief from this condition. There is inflamation and there is infection. Reduce acids that are causing this. Because of Ted's posts to us here , for which I'm so grateful, I've realized repeatedly that so very much of my nerve pain, neuropathy, neuritis, neuralgia, neurosis, etc. , is a direct result of too many acids in the wrong place. This procedure is one of the most difficult ones I've tried. Its the best. I call it "acid accounting". (sorry its corny, maybe someone more poetic can improve this) Simple sugars of course are a cause, but I've had to press this much further. I'm one of the folks that has to suspend or minimize the use of ACV, citrus, citric acid, and even citrates for now. I keep finding new ones, most recently stearic acid, high amounts are found in chocolate. (sorry y'all) While we need good acid in the stomach, colon, vagina, etc. , we need to find ways keep acid in the right place, stop leaking it, and flush excess acid.

One of the kidneys many jobs is to rinse excess acid, so I recommend that we treat kidneys well. (dandelion root and leaf, marshmallow root, nettles, and lots of celery. ) Another kidney function is to balance electolytes. (there are also Other endocrine and exocrine glands that help with this, but the kidneys are a master. ) Magnesium supplementation stopped the shocks and helped much of the pain and inflammation. 6yrs ago, I began with 400 to 600mgs magnesium citrate In divided doses daily. Now Ive switched to Epsom Salts, 14 to 12 tsp. Daily. (It is 39% elemental magnesium) I also recommend a high potassium diet. Try to get 8grams daily or more. That's alot of chewing. Make vegetable juices and soups. Have some fruits with care, slow the delivery of sugars with a light Saute in coconut oil and sea salt. Get a nutrition almanac and search for high potassium foods. (careful with citric acid , high in tomatoes, simmer well. )

My best results with mouth infections have been with an iodine rinse. It may need to be rather strong, 6 drops 2% lugol's in 2oz. Water swished and held , like oil pulling For 1 to 3 minutes 2 to 4 times Daily. I also still use goldenseal tincture, but iodine goes deeper to the root. Someone posted that their TN was relieved with the herb bark called "toothache tree". (zanthoxylum clava, and zanthoxylum americanum), commonly called, prickly ash. Thanks Y'all, Connie

I'm not a doctor but in my opinion, even though you aren't having all of the symptoms, you still may have it. I had it after some dental work with what felt like electrical shocks but the pain without the shocks was also unbearable. All of my teeth hurt and it felt like my gums were going into spasms. I couldn't sleep because of the pain, I could barely drive a car and I was still working full time. I found a doctor who would give me vicodin and I was able to keep working and driving, etc. I tried acupunture, and a few other therapies that didn't work but finally went to a homeopath who adjusted my neck. I think he said it was the C4 vertebrae.

Sonia:

It looks like no one has replied to you, and since you're in dire straits I'll try to give you some information which unfortunately is not from first-hand experience until hopefully someone else replies.

First , to your question, here's a good medical description of true TN:

Physical damage to the nerve caused by dental or surgical procedures, injury to the face or infections.

Here's the trigeminal (aka semilunar) ganglia, splitting to each side:

http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/neurosurgery/247017-1505614-248933-1879073.jpg

More images of same:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=TRIGEMINAL NERVE&go=&form=QBLH&scope=images&filt=all

I assume you are in too much pain to try things like oil-pulling, or even swishing some colloidal silver around orally?

It is very likely that you have nerve trauma, not an infection, and that the pain should decrease slowly as the nerves heal and rejoin. To that end, and I realize you may not be able to eat much if at all, you want to speed up the nerves healing with a few nutrients:

Can you afford, or do you even have access to, a naturo who can give you Vitamin B12 injections by needle? This is used by people with nerve problems, like MS patients and people with TN. If not available or too expensive, can you get a bottle of B12 sublingual 1000 ug or even 5000 ug tablets?

Do you have a basic lecithin supplement handy, in any form like granules, capsules, or bulk container? It has a small percent of sphingolipids in it, which are important in forming the nerve myelin (outer insulation sheath).

The above 2 will require NO chewing action, very important.

Hopefully it needs only time and nutrition to heal, since any oral surgeon doing additional work cannot guarantee that you won't be worse off than when you went in.

It would be good if someone with first-hand knowledge could reply to you while you're healing.

I have constant pain on on my teeth where an dental implant was removed due to severe pain since removal pain is constant on my right upper jaw with radiating to cheek bone, constant pain and burning. Is this trigeminal neuralgia because I never felt shocking or numbness or tingling? I have taken Lyric , carbamazipine and afraid to do anymore dental work , I use a topical anesthetic compounded by my dentist which helps pain. I WANT CURE. PLEASE HELP I AM WILLING TO TRY ANYTHING AND WILLING TO SHARE RESULTS. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR SYMPTOMS, PROPER THERAPY SO I CAN FOLLOW. WHAT IS TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA HOW DID I DEVELOP AFTER DENTAL PROCEDURE AND HOW CAN I WARN OTHERS? THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU

My mother was diagnosed with TN over a month ago. She received treatment and is almost pain free after two weeks. She was treated at the lasermed centre in Myrtle Beach. They have been helping patients become pain and drug free from TN since 2006. She was in so much pain she wasn't eating, sleeping or drinking because the pain was unbearable. The treatment is non-invasive and I spoke to numerous patients in the clinic on a daily basis that were getting tremendous relief from the treatments. The laser is FDA approved and there are no short or long term side effects. If you are suffering with this disease you have nothing to lose, please they can offer you hope and I witnessed it with my own eyes. Don't suffer with this disease any longer than you have to. The medication they prescribe is horrible and the surgeries were not an option for us.

Could you please tell me how long before you noticed significant improvement? Also why do you think the Phosphatitdyl serine was the most effective? I am just now trying to get help using natural remedies.

WARNING!

Hi, as like what Melissa said, chewing gum triggers my TN off, so be careful, good luck though x

Hi, Just found your comment as well as the site. I believe I am having a mild bout of TN. But as I have had a number of patients with it, I am able to hypothesize that that is what's going on with me. I hope you are doing better. I am a psychologist who specializes in helping people with chronic pain. I suffer myself from Rheumatoid Arthritis which I was diagnosed with at age 3. Anyway I cannot stress enough the importance of meditating. It is essential for anyone under chronic stress and or chronic pain which of course is a stressor. It takes a lot of guts to deal with pain but there are some important strategies that help. My best to you and your fight. Ann

WARNING!

Just a word of caution for those of us with TN and not ATN. Chewing is a trigger of pain for most of us. So gum chewing is usually not advised.

Dear Veerle (from Belgium)

I read your post regarding the use of Omega3 & B12. My wife suffers from TN. I have passed on the info gleaned from your post. She is taking two capsules of Omega3, twice a day. Plus one B12 capsule in the morning (1500mg).

She isn't one to take medication if at all possible. However, the pain associated with TN forces her to take 75mg (three tabs) at bedtime. If she would follow the doctors advice the dosage would be far greater.

Thanks a million for the info. Please feel free to share any other info that you come by. We will continue seeking info and relief. Spoke to her about acupuncture, but she's not leaning in that direction. We'll see! Thanks again, and good fortune in your search for relief. 'JR'

You know I've actually noticed this but I assumed it was because of the jaw movements rather than the pepperment. I originally chewed the gum for fresh breath. I was also spoken to for chewing gum at school.