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Please help....have I got trigeminal neuralgia????

Posted , 5 users are following.

alice72925
alice72925

Hi there, I am new to this and would really really appreciate some help as I am struggling so badly....

I will be honest, I suffer with severe health anxiety and have done for years. I used to think I had a brain tumor as someone noticed I had uneven pupils. Went to the optician in October and all okay.

Anxiety is very very bad at the moment. I have made the hard decision to have CBT and also take citalopram which I have been taking for 10 days. They almost make me feel drunk, slow and very disconnected from the real world. Having to think about things more to understand them, feeling floaty and dizzy etc. Sleeping has been bad and vivid dreams also.

For the last 2 weeks I have been experiencing a new symptom with my anxiety, tingling in my face. I have had this before but it's gone off pretty quickly but this has lasted a while longer. I read up on trigeminal neuralgia and have now convinced myself this is what it is....

I have tingling, like a hair is on my face, also pain in both sides of my teeth, nose and head. Although I do have a cold so maybe also sinus?

It goes off when distracted, when touching my face, eating, moving facial muscles, sleeping on that side or when touching head etc. I do get the odd shooting pain but it goes off immediately and it's not that bad. It's just the ache all the time and tingling. I've also convinced myself I'm not talking normally or struggle to read.

I went to the doctors twice last week and was told its anxiety, also the therapist told me this twice and yesterday got so bad I went to the doctors and she did a physical examination like looked in my eyes, made me move my head/face and also reflexes.

All okay and told me not a tumor and a healthy blood test, I'm not convinced. I also get a blurry eye but goes away when glasses are used?

I am so depressed and desperate I hope someone can tell me what they think, share experience of TN etc?

Thank you all!!!

2 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • eddie13
    eddie13 alice72925

    Posted

    Alice,

    What strikes me is you say tingling, which I find not severe enough to indicate TN. Have you ever had anything outrageously painful like something that felt like an electric shock? Usually - always on 1 particular side of the face. If so, I recommend see a neurologist.

    eddie13

    • alice72925
      alice72925 eddie13

      Posted

      Yes like now I just get the odd shooting pain in my head etc and it just goes off but I suffer with very bad anxiety and I know your body can react this way. Also doctor did examination yesterday and said I was okay
    • alice72925
      alice72925

      Posted

      Not outrageous just a shooting pain then goes immediately

      Thanks Eddie

  • alice72925
    alice72925

    Posted

    Also if I go outside, walk round etc it goes and no tingling if distracted
  • Proxy
    Proxy alice72925

    Posted

    Sounds to me like a text book description of Bartonella infection,

    I hope that helps ++

  • Proxy
    Proxy alice72925

    Posted

    Actually, having googled that, it isn't as helpful as your detailed symptoms suggest. 

    Lyme and floating

    Lyme and uneven pupils

    Lyme and disconnected

    Lyme and blurry vision

    lyme and facial twitching

    I mean every describer you use is spot on

    Please fear not. Eradication is not difficult. Educating your doctor is a different matter!  wink

     

  • Windy338
    Windy338 alice72925

    Posted

    Hi Alice,  It may be Trigeminal Neuralgia but anxiety can do just about anything to our bodies too.   Taking strong medication can make you feel like you're crazy and can't figure out what is wrong.  That has happened to me too.  It does no good to have someone tell you it is anxiety and just relax because then you try harder.  If you are not in terrible pain, and I mean Terrible pain, then try to tell yourself it will pass.  The tingling, feeling floaty and dizzy are not TN symptoms.  Just the shooting pain if it gets very bad might be TN.  It does to me sound like you have sinus pressure and reactions to the medicine you are taking which will probably subside in time.  Be patient!

     

  • Andraste
    Andraste alice72925

    Posted

    are you coming off effexor recently or sometime in the past? dr's will tell you there's no side effects but stopping effexor i had an odd lick like lightning go off in my head, it wasn't painful just very very annoying cause it always interferes with what i'm doing. effexxor has nasty side-effects.......

    thank god i stopped it long ago

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