Medications are the first line of treatment for
TN and include carbamazepine (Tegretol®),
phenytoin (Dilantin®), gabapentin
(Neurontin®) and baclophen (Lioresal®).
As the disease progresses and pain becomes more frequent
and severe, increased doses of medications are required which may lead to intolerable
side effects and/or inadequate pain control. Each sufferer has differing tolerance
to these medications and pain, but at least half will eventually find that medications
do not adequately control their progressively worsening TN. The surgical procedures
then considered are either microvascular decompression surgery
or some form of nerve injury procedure (rhizotomies).
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Trigeminal Neuralgia
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