Trigeminal Neuralgia: Breakthough 2016-1
The opening gun of the new salvo began during that little experiment with curling, near the end, at about 1440. Classic (for me) onset and development at first. By the time I got home, took my .5mg clonazepam and got into my dark room, things began to get different.
The sensations (about five seconds apart) were about Mankoski 7 and McGill 8 (see above) However, instead of diffusing over the whole nerve, they descended the main stem to the posterior neck, and ascended to the ends of the peripheral branches (below).
Previously, clonazepam and a darkened room have reduced the pain well below my tolerance level and usually put me to sleep briefly. Neither happened. After about an hour and a half, the pain was in the same location and barely tolerable.
I got up awkwardly. I have a nightstand made of those coated wire segments with press-on attachments, and I managed to bang into it and knock it into several segments. Normally, assembling these things is a kindergarten-level exercise. I stood there stupidly and couldn't figure out where to start. Noted since inability to perform basic tasks goes with both nastier TN breakthroughs and clonazepam. With that experience behind me I went to the kitchen to make supper. Decided to skip dicing fresh tomatoes and opened a can of diced tomatoes instead.
The basic pain level gradually transitioned to pain hangover, as the clonazepam wore off, then began to come back. I took a second 0.5 mg, and while I could focus enough, fixed the nightstand. I fell in bed, and again there was no sleep, and kept having level 7/8 zaps every few seconds, now on my classic pattern. This time, they were punctuated by extreme zaps, brief but disorienting, incredibly painful, and capable of eliciting involuntary moans. If I had to put a number on the big ones, it would be 9+. This went on for almost two hours. Eventually the zaps, big and small, subsided below tolerance level. Since I was still awake, I thought I could handle a little light, and I read a little as things fell under control. I finally slept.
Total duration of the episode was 7+ hours, and it was the worst in several years both in maximum intensity and duration. The current course is troubling, as it differs in several ways from my past experience. One lives on hope; the hope in this case that this was an isolated breakthrough.
I post all this chiefly for the community of people who share this disorder, and interested clinicians. One can tell the latter apart from the rank and file, because they're the ones who flinch when you tell them what you have. Most laypeople can't comprehend the experience. Some few are convinced we are all faking. They are too stupid to bother with.
The sensations (about five seconds apart) were about Mankoski 7 and McGill 8 (see above) However, instead of diffusing over the whole nerve, they descended the main stem to the posterior neck, and ascended to the ends of the peripheral branches (below).
Previously, clonazepam and a darkened room have reduced the pain well below my tolerance level and usually put me to sleep briefly. Neither happened. After about an hour and a half, the pain was in the same location and barely tolerable.
I got up awkwardly. I have a nightstand made of those coated wire segments with press-on attachments, and I managed to bang into it and knock it into several segments. Normally, assembling these things is a kindergarten-level exercise. I stood there stupidly and couldn't figure out where to start. Noted since inability to perform basic tasks goes with both nastier TN breakthroughs and clonazepam. With that experience behind me I went to the kitchen to make supper. Decided to skip dicing fresh tomatoes and opened a can of diced tomatoes instead.
The basic pain level gradually transitioned to pain hangover, as the clonazepam wore off, then began to come back. I took a second 0.5 mg, and while I could focus enough, fixed the nightstand. I fell in bed, and again there was no sleep, and kept having level 7/8 zaps every few seconds, now on my classic pattern. This time, they were punctuated by extreme zaps, brief but disorienting, incredibly painful, and capable of eliciting involuntary moans. If I had to put a number on the big ones, it would be 9+. This went on for almost two hours. Eventually the zaps, big and small, subsided below tolerance level. Since I was still awake, I thought I could handle a little light, and I read a little as things fell under control. I finally slept.
Total duration of the episode was 7+ hours, and it was the worst in several years both in maximum intensity and duration. The current course is troubling, as it differs in several ways from my past experience. One lives on hope; the hope in this case that this was an isolated breakthrough.
I post all this chiefly for the community of people who share this disorder, and interested clinicians. One can tell the latter apart from the rank and file, because they're the ones who flinch when you tell them what you have. Most laypeople can't comprehend the experience. Some few are convinced we are all faking. They are too stupid to bother with.
Labels: documentation, trigeminal neuralgia
posted by Uncle | 01:02
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