We are patients living with Trigeminal Neuralgia, here for your support.

10 Things to help with TN pain

Here are some things that help me with TN pain hopefully it can help some people.

*Heat or cold pack

*sleeping with a towl or warm or cold cloth over ur head were pain is

*Having a nice warm bath to relax your body

*when trying to sleep try and breath deep and as you breath out relax your body till its limp

*When you feel a stabbing pain breath thru it

*Get a partner to massarge your neck to releive tension

*If you get pain in your ear try putting a cotton ball in your ear to keep it warm

*Put a hott or cold water bottle in your pillow slip and lay on it

*If you need to eat take small bites and carefully chew not to set off the pain

*If you are women take out hair so it dose not pull and cause pain and dont have wet hair as this might press onto your face and also cause pain.

These are a few things they help my pain and help me cope when i have a bad flare up

mina xxxx

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Permalink Reply by Liz K. on April 6, 2010 at 2:05am

Tamina,
Thanks for the suggestions. I have never used heat for my pain. I have always been scared to touch my face when the TN is acting up. I am thinking about it. And I haven't tried anything cold. I used an ice pack for a migraine and I believe that is what caused my TN to become uncontrollable and led to an MVD. It happened within an hour after I used the ice pack.
Liz

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Permalink Reply by tamina stewart on April 6, 2010 at 5:31am

Hi Liz,yes cold pack dose not help me but i have heard some people use a cold pack i use heat and its the one thing i keep with me it stops my pain in 5 min sometimes i tie it to my head when im at home hahha looks funny but feels good try a heat pack and let me know how you go. mina xx

Liz K. said:

Tamina,
Thanks for the suggestions. I have never used heat for my pain. I have always been scared to touch my face when the TN is acting up. I am thinking about it. And I haven't tried anything cold. I used an ice pack for a migraine and I believe that is what caused my TN to become uncontrollable and led to an MVD. It happened within an hour after I used the ice pack.
Liz

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Permalink Reply by Melissa A. Williams on April 6, 2010 at 7:46am

thanks for the sugestions! i use ice packs alot!!! when the pressure starts to build the ice packs keeps it at bay at least for alittle while. but when the pain is roaring loud NO WAY!! i can't even touch my head! heatting pad work alittle bit for me but its usually only a temporary thing. one thing i also have to do is keep my hair thin. i have very thick hair and if i don't its just to heavey and hurts. i have a hard time keeping my hair in a pony tail now, clips are my friend :) easy to put in and take out. after attacks my shoulder, neck and shoulder blade are VERY tense and tight so a good massage is always helpful.

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Permalink Reply by Melodye Olsavsky on April 6, 2010 at 8:02am

I have a rice bag I heat (moist heat). I don't heat it up as much as I would say for my arthritis or MS spasms... a little will do. I then put it on my pillow and lay on the heat... the rice conforms to my face. I cannot use ice ~~ it starts tremors that don't leave!!

Hopefully I will be TN pain-free once I recover completely from my MVD.

Blessings,
Melodye

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Permalink Reply by tamina stewart on April 6, 2010 at 9:40pm

Hi Girls,
Yes Heat packs seem to help alot or cold pack,it takes the edge off but the only thing is you have to keep heating it up lol well i hope you find these things helpful when you are in pain. mina xxx

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Permalink Reply by Suzanne Marriott on April 7, 2010 at 10:03am

Love the rice bags! I got one for Christmas that has lavender in it. Smells soothing and really helps. Ice used to work in the early days... now it makes it hurt more intensely. I have to keep my hair off my face, since a strand touching my face can feel like an electrified wire! If I were a guy, I'd probably shave my head (ha!). It seems the longer I have this, the more painful "normal" things become. Lately, I haven't been able to eat ice cream or drink anything cold.

Melodye Olsavsky said:

I have a rice bag I heat (moist heat). I don't heat it up as much as I would say for my arthritis or MS spasms... a little will do. I then put it on my pillow and lay on the heat... the rice conforms to my face. I cannot use ice ~~ it starts tremors that don't leave!!

Hopefully I will be TN pain-free once I recover completely from my MVD.

Blessings,
Melodye

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Permalink Reply by robyn holder on April 23, 2010 at 10:22pm

Hi ladies,

I have a lavender rice bag too! It's great. I also keep a heating pad in my car. I plug it in and use it (I have to park though). The pain always intensifies for a few minutes. However, if I can withstand the first few minutes, it calms things down significantly. It just seems that everything is so individual I am so thanful for the forums and suggestions from everyone.
Robyn

Suzanne Marriott said:

Love the rice bags! I got one for Christmas that has lavender in it. Smells soothing and really helps. Ice used to work in the early days... now it makes it hurt more intensely. I have to keep my hair off my face, since a strand touching my face can feel like an electrified wire! If I were a guy, I'd probably shave my head (ha!). It seems the longer I have this, the more painful "normal" things become. Lately, I haven't been able to eat ice cream or drink anything cold. Melodye Olsavsky said:
I have a rice bag I heat (moist heat). I don't heat it up as much as I would say for my arthritis or MS spasms... a little will do. I then put it on my pillow and lay on the heat... the rice conforms to my face. I cannot use ice ~~ it starts tremors that don't leave!!

Hopefully I will be TN pain-free once I recover completely from my MVD.

Blessings,
Melodye

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Permalink Reply by Suzanne Marriott on April 24, 2010 at 11:21am

Thanks Robyn! I never thought about getting a 12 volt heating pad for the car. That's a great idea! It's strange, my pain has changed since its first inception. Ice used to help in the early years, but now anything cold near my face is agony. I sure miss ice cream! I am probably the only one here that does this... this morning I went outside and laid my face against my favorite little pygmy goat, HA! She was lying in the sun and felt so soft and warm. She used to be a petting zoo goat, and must have been trained to hold very still when she was "on the job". I find that stroking any kind of pet (and boy! do I have an assortment!) is very calming for me.

I have a lavender rice bag too! It's great. I also keep a heating pad in my car. I plug it in and use it (I have to park though). The pain always intensifies for a few minutes. However, if I can withstand the first few minutes, it calms things down significantly. It just seems that everything is so individual I am so thanful for the forums and suggestions from everyone.
Robyn

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Permalink Reply by emma whitehead on June 1, 2010 at 2:38pm

hi, some of your suggestions sounds good, ive tried the cold packs they werent a good idea i was in agony within minutes of it touching my face, the cotton wool sounds good will have to try that one cos i get alot of ear pain.
emma

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Permalink Reply by Tina Sumerford on June 9, 2010 at 6:46pm

Thanks for the ideas.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin Forrester on June 14, 2010 at 9:19am

I also think my TN started from a dentist hitting one of my nerves, and then later from root canals. I used to be able to eat ice cream and cold water also, but not now. Rice packs are great!! I am having a hard to a work lately. I work at a pizzeria. Answering phones and talking alot. That trigger my attacks alot more now. I am taking teregetol 1200mg/day. Having a hard time remembering anything! Thought of quiting my job and staying home. Anyone else not able to work?? I am not able to eat very much. Thanks for listening.

Suzanne Marriott said:

Love the rice bags! I got one for Christmas that has lavender in it. Smells soothing and really helps. Ice used to work in the early days... now it makes it hurt more intensely. I have to keep my hair off my face, since a strand touching my face can feel like an electrified wire! If I were a guy, I'd probably shave my head (ha!). It seems the longer I have this, the more painful "normal" things become. Lately, I haven't been able to eat ice cream or drink anything cold.

Melodye Olsavsky said:
I have a rice bag I heat (moist heat). I don't heat it up as much as I would say for my arthritis or MS spasms... a little will do. I then put it on my pillow and lay on the heat... the rice conforms to my face. I cannot use ice ~~ it starts tremors that don't leave!!

Hopefully I will be TN pain-free once I recover completely from my MVD.

Blessings,
Melodye

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Permalink Reply by tamina stewart on June 15, 2010 at 2:33am

Hi,I also have a hard time keeping up with going to work it takes it outer me but i try really hard to go to work every day i know its unbareable but we all need somthing to get our mind off the pain it will still be there when u work or if u are at home or when we sleep its always there... :( but u can get thru it god bless u xxx Mina

Kristin Forrester said:

I also think my TN started from a dentist hitting one of my nerves, and then later from root canals. I used to be able to eat ice cream and cold water also, but not now. Rice packs are great!! I am having a hard to a work lately. I work at a pizzeria. Answering phones and talking alot. That trigger my attacks alot more now. I am taking teregetol 1200mg/day. Having a hard time remembering anything! Thought of quiting my job and staying home. Anyone else not able to work?? I am not able to eat very much. Thanks for listening.

Suzanne Marriott said:
Love the rice bags! I got one for Christmas that has lavender in it. Smells soothing and really helps. Ice used to work in the early days... now it makes it hurt more intensely. I have to keep my hair off my face, since a strand touching my face can feel like an electrified wire! If I were a guy, I'd probably shave my head (ha!). It seems the longer I have this, the more painful "normal" things become. Lately, I haven't been able to eat ice cream or drink anything cold.

Melodye Olsavsky said:
I have a rice bag I heat (moist heat). I don't heat it up as much as I would say for my arthritis or MS spasms... a little will do. I then put it on my pillow and lay on the heat... the rice conforms to my face. I cannot use ice ~~ it starts tremors that don't leave!!

Hopefully I will be TN pain-free once I recover completely from my MVD.

Blessings,
Melodye