Trigeminal neuralgia comes down to one thing: pain. That’s why it can be difficult when your medication is not working. However, there are other trigeminal neuralgia treatment options available, and though medication is typically the first method your doctor will recommend, some patients will require additional interventions to provide relief.
While a conversation with your doctor is necessary, it can be helpful to have a more thorough understanding of your condition, why your trigeminal neuralgia medication is not working and what other treatment options may be available to you. That will empower you in your conversation and help you take a more active role in managing your condition as you move into the next phase of your treatment.
About Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that affects areas of the head and face. Patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia experience recurring bouts of severe pain, which can become debilitating if left untreated. The ultimate source of pain is the trigeminal nerve, which transmits sensations (including touch and pain) from the head, face and neck to the brain. However, sometimes the nerve becomes overactive, leading to pain without stimulation.
Anyone can be affected by trigeminal neuralgia, but it most commonly affects women over 50. Sometimes the cause is unknown, but it is often because of pressure on the trigeminal nerve, typically from a blood vessel, causing it to be stimulated and triggering pain. It can also be related to systemic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.
Trigeminal neuralgia has been an elusive condition to treat until somewhat recently. Because doctors cannot conduct conclusive diagnostic tests or images, they make diagnoses entirely based on a patient’s symptoms, making it relatively difficult to diagnose and understand. However, through research and clinical experience, the medical field has developed new trigeminal neuralgia treatment options, such as Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
Why Your Medication Is Not Working
There are a few different types of medications used as trigeminal neuralgia treatment options. Some help ease the pain directly, while others try to provide relief by eliminating the cause of the dysfunction. Sometimes the nerve is overstimulated, and medications can help inhibit it from firing excessively and causing pain. Anti-seizure drugs and some antidepressants can help in this fashion and are typically the first step your doctor takes in treating your trigeminal neuralgia.
However, sometimes your medication does not work. That may happen because your condition results from something physically pressing on the nerve and causing it to fire inappropriately. Sometimes a tumor is causing the pressure, but it is most commonly a blood vessel near the brain that is the culprit. When this is the case, different trigeminal neuralgia treatment options to remove the impingement may be necessary.
Your Next Steps
If you feel like your medication is not working, you should immediately schedule an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor will discuss your symptoms, whether you’ve experienced relief from your medications, which ones and to what degree. Sometimes imaging may be necessary to help your doctor determine the next appropriate steps. You should work with someone experienced in treating your condition, such as a neurologist, as you move into your next phase of treatment.
Gamma Knife is a Trigeminal Neuralgia Treatment Option
Should your doctor determine a structure is putting pressure on the trigeminal nerve, different treatment options are available, including traditional surgery. However, there is a minimally invasive approach that requires no hospital stay, no incisions and reduced healing time: Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
Despite its name, Gamma Knife is not a surgical procedure. It’s an advanced form of radiation therapy. Using multiple, highly focused radiation beams, your doctor can target only the treatment area, sparing healthy surrounding tissues. As a result, patients experience fewer unpleasant side effects commonly associated with radiation therapy and require fewer sessions.
Gamma Knife radiosurgery is performed in an outpatient setting, often in a hospital but not requiring a stay longer than a couple of hours beyond treatment completion. The length of your treatment session depends on the location and size of the area being treated but tends to last from 15 minutes to a little over an hour. Many patients require only a single session of treatment, but this too depends on your individual condition.
Keep Looking for Answers
If your trigeminal neuralgia medication is not working, you do not have to continue to live with the pain. There are other treatment options available, and your doctor will work with you to determine the next steps in treating your individual condition. No two patients are exactly alike, and what works for one person is not necessarily going to be the right solution for you.
Self-education is a fantastic way to play an active role in your health, and learning as much as you can about your condition and treatment options will allow you to better understand your condition. Take the information you have learned into your next conversation with your doctor and ask about Gamma Knife radiosurgery for treating trigeminal neuralgia.
