Sometime ago I was first diagnosed with TN and was treated with Lyrica and after some time the pain eased off.
About twelve months later it returned to haunt me again and once again I started on Lyrica, after a month or so I had relief again. Again, the devil struck under twelve months this time, so once again I was on Lyrica but this time it was not as effective.
I had my dose increased gradually to the point of me being zombie like, my medication was changed to oxcarbazepine at a dose of 300 mg three times a day. Whilst it made me quite sleepy, the tiredness and lethargy were just as bad although the pain had eased.
I finally made an appointment with a Neurosurgeon on the Sunshine Coast (where I live) and he referred me for a MRI of my head before seeing me. After my visit with the doctor, I was booked in for Microsurgery(Microvascular decompression) to separate the Trigeminal nerve from the blood vessel it was rubbing on causing the pain sensation in my face. The rubbing of the nerve and blood vessel was like an electric short circuit, which would flare up in different parts of the right side of my face randomly.
My skull had a hole cut into it and nerve separated and an insulating gauze placed between that and the blood vessel. After I was stitched up, and woke from the anaesthetic, I had no pain and no medication. The surgery was almost twelve months ago and so far, very good. I have not suffered any ill effects from this operation and was very lucky to have a GP, Dr Michael Walsh
Dr Michael Walsh – Coastal Family Health
who recognised the condition from the start, and a good surgeon Dr Michael Bryant located on the Sunshine Coast QLD to do the operation.Fred Smedley.
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