Nerve damage

robyndel2020
robyndel2020 Online Community Member Posts: 7 Listener
edited October 2021 in Rare, invisible, and undiagnosed conditions
Hello I had a dental implant placed 12 years ago and I’ve been in pain ever since, it damaged the mental nerve, I’m in pain all day everyday, I’ve tried anti depressants, epilepsy medication, acupuncture etc with no luck. The only thing I can think left to try is a nerve block, I’m just wondering if anyone has had this or has and advice or experience. 

Thank in advance 

Comments

  • steve51
    steve51 Online Community Member Posts: 7,121 Championing
    Hi @robyndel2020

    Welcome to our online community/family.

    I am one of the Community Champion’s here at Scope.

    I have also got Chronic Pain all down my right side following further Brain Surgery.

    Hopefully someone on here will be able to help you with regards to Nerve Blocks.

    I would be very happy in helping you with this.

    @steve51
  • robyndel2020
    robyndel2020 Online Community Member Posts: 7 Listener
    Thanks Steve any help in managing the pain would be greatly appreciated 
  • steve51
    steve51 Online Community Member Posts: 7,121 Championing
    Hi.

    No probs my friend.

    Yes I am on all high amounts of my meds.

    Pregabiline 300mg Twice a day
    Oxcarbazapine 150mg Twice a day.
    Amantadine 100mg Once per day.
    Amatriptaline 150mg Once a day.
    Transtec Patches 35
    Every four days.

    Please let me know if you need anymore help????

    @steve51
  • robyndel2020
    robyndel2020 Online Community Member Posts: 7 Listener
    Okay thanks so much for the info, do you still experience pain or do these meds suppress it completely?? 
  • steve51
    steve51 Online Community Member Posts: 7,121 Championing
    Hi @robyndel2020

    That’s no problem.

    Yes these do take the edge of things to be honest.

    I am looking into other options as well to try to help me further.

    I there’s anything else that I can help you with please let me know.

    @steve51
  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Online Community Member Posts: 1,273 Trailblazing
    I'm not sure about nerve blocks because they change the names of everything in the NHS every few years. However, I have had a spinal injection (one of two types) but mine was for lower limb pain. It was an anti-inflammatory injection (the other is a pain killer) because that is usually more effective. It worked for a little while but, as only 1 injection a year is permitted, it was never repeated. With your issues I would say that this would not be possible simply because the nerves involved are high up in the spine, Cervical area most likely, and are fairly inaccessible due to the shape of the spinal bones in the Cervical region.

    On a more positive note there are 5 pain killers specifically for nerve pain though, as they all were developed to combat something else, are a bit hit or miss. However, I would suggest exploring these with your GP. They are Amitryptylene, Duloxetine, Gebapentin, Pregabalin & Nortryptylene. Two were developed to combat epilepsy and the other 3 for depression all of which were ineffective but by accident and for some reasons beyond the knowledge of most GP's they ARE good for nerve pain. They all accumulate in the system so can take a while to be effective in much the same way as anti-depressants.

    All of these will be far more effective than high levels of opiates due to the way opiates defend the system. Opiates are nerve end pain killers while those I mentioned are mid-nerve pain killers.

    Hope this helps.

    TK
  • robyndel2020
    robyndel2020 Online Community Member Posts: 7 Listener
    Thank you so much for your advice I’ve taken note of these and will speak to my gp tomorrow. Thanks again for your help 
  • steve51
    steve51 Online Community Member Posts: 7,121 Championing
    Hi @robyndel2020

    That’s my Pleasure.

    Yes please let me know how you get on tomorrow.

    @steve51
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Online Community Member Posts: 16,863 Championing
    Hi @robyndel2020 - & welcome to the community. I'm sorry about the pain you're experiencing with trigeminal neuralgia & feel it's definitely best to discuss this with your GP as you intend to do tomorrow.
    Often pain medications just dampen things down a bit, which I'm sure your GP will mention. Gabapentin & Pregabalin are in the same family of Gaba meds. Pregabalin has been found to be just as effective as Gabapentin, but can be taken at a lower dosage with the same effect, so potentially fewer side-effects. As these are anti-epileptic meds, which taken at much lower doses can help some kinds of pain, you may have already tried these, as well as anti-depressants from what you've said. I have no knowledge about nerve blocks, or other surgical intervention, but there is some info here on the NHS website.
    Please see: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/trigeminal-neuralgia/treatment/ this also contains a link to the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association which may also be useful: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/trigeminal-neuralgia/treatment/
    The trigeminal nerve is one of the 12 cranial nerves, & is accessible, & can thus be treated, but your GP will better advise as to the success of this.
    Hope some of this may help, & please let us know how you get on after speaking to your GP. :)


  • robyndel2020
    robyndel2020 Online Community Member Posts: 7 Listener
    Brilliant that’s so helpful thank you, so can I just ask do you know is damage to the mental nerve the same as Trigeminal neuralgia? I thought as much but any medical advice I’ve previously had hasn’t mention this? Thanks again 
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Online Community Member Posts: 16,863 Championing
    edited August 2020
    Hi @robyndel2020 - I think it's possible this was mis-spelt, or you mis-heard, as there isn't a mental nerve. From the info you gave, I reckoned it was the trigeminal nerve that was implicated, but please do ask your GP. I'm a physio, tho qualified a long time ago. I have still maintained an interest in neurology throughout the years, so sort of think I've guessed right, if that is OK to say. Hope you get some helpful info tomorrow from your GP.
    Just to add, which I should have mentioned, neuralgia is (usually) severe pain due to nerve damage. I had been in touch with a lady who had trigeminal neuralgia many years ago, who said how bad it was; she had some surgery, but unfortunately I don't know how well she fared in the long term. :)
  • robyndel2020
    robyndel2020 Online Community Member Posts: 7 Listener
    Wow amazing thanks so much that’s so helpful. I have no medical experience at all, and without this kind of info my research is limited. I was under the impression the mental nerve came off the Trigeminal nerve. I’ll explore that more now, obviously I’ve misunderstood. Thanks again. There’s so much more information about treatment of the Trigeminal nerve, which gives me more hope 
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Online Community Member Posts: 16,863 Championing
    You're most welcome @robyndel2020 - so pleased that clarifies things for you. I've had letters from consultants in which their secretaries mis-spelt things appallingly, which doesn't help. Now you know what to search for, this will hopefully help you more. Search for 'trigeminal neuralgia.' My best wishes.  :)
  • neuromum4
    neuromum4 Online Community Member Posts: 71 Empowering
    I have had spinal epidural pain injections in my cervical spine, to be honest no difference.
    I currently take 900mg gabapentin 3 times per day, along with 200mg of carbamazepine a day for trigeminal neuralgia and baclofen 10mg 3 times per day. I also use a butrans patch, still does not even touch the pain.
    I guess different things work for some people.
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Online Community Member Posts: 16,863 Championing
    Whilst carbamazepine is often the first med of use with trigeminal neuralgia, as I'm not a Dr I felt I shouldn't say.
    The 'spinal epidural pain injections' mentioned above in the cervical spine, were however likely for a different disorder. Importantly do discuss what matters to you with your GP @robyndel2020 . :)

  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Online Community Member Posts: 16,863 Championing
    @robyndel2020 - Just noticed I gave a link to the NHS website twice. The Trigeminal Neuralgia Association link is: https://www.tna.org.uk/ :)

  • robyndel2020
    robyndel2020 Online Community Member Posts: 7 Listener
    Thank you so much I’ll have a look now 
  • steve51
    steve51 Online Community Member Posts: 7,121 Championing
    Hi @neuromum4

    Good Morning ??

    Yes I was on Gabapentine & the Butrans Patches but they put me onto the Transtec Patches instead.

    The stronger Patches haven’t made much of a difference to be honest.

    Yes I worked at a rehab centre & they did use baclofen.

    How do you find it???

    The patient’s that used it had pumps fitted to administer it.

    @steve51

  • neuromum4
    neuromum4 Online Community Member Posts: 71 Empowering
    Hi @steve51sorry it's taken time to get back to you.
    I have had a few rough weeks.
    I had an allergic reaction to my patch and tried a new one, that one also I had another reaction too.
    I think in combination baclofen makes the spams less intense.
    I have heard about the pump and some say it's more effective.
    Take care Neuro x
  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,464 Championing
    Hi @neuromum4

    I'm sorry to hear that you've had a rough few weeks. Is there anything that we can help you with? You're always welcome to come back and post here, regardless of how long it's been. 

    Tori

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