Diagnosis and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

  Trigeminal neuralgia multiple unilateral radiating, electric shock-like, sharp, superficial pain in the distribution area of the trigeminal nerve, each attack lasts for a few seconds, and the pain interval can be completely painless, so trigeminal neuralgia is a typical episodic chronic pain. There is usually a so-called fixed trigger point: the pain can be induced by actions such as eating, talking, washing the face, etc.  I. Drug treatment: 1. Carbamazepine is preferred for oral administration, which can relieve pain in 70 percent of patients. Carbamazepine starts at a dose of 100 mg twice daily, and increases by 100 mg three times a day thereafter. A small number of patients can get pain relief with a small dose, and once the pain is relieved, do not increase the dose again. If 200mg 3 times daily (as the current dose of this patient’s friend), no nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and bone marrow suppression after 1 week (blood tests need to be repeated monthly while taking the drug!) If the pain is not controlled, the dose can be increased to 300mg 4 times a day.  2, such as carbamazepine effect is not good, can also choose gabapentin or pregabalin and other neuropathic pain drugs, but the price is more expensive.  The trigeminal nerve block treatment can be performed in the pain department at the same time: in fact, it is a needle in the painful area, which is fast-acting, and can be done at any time, with little cost.  Minimally invasive surgical treatment in pain department: If the above effect is not good, you can do fine needle puncture trigeminal nerve radiofrequency adjustment (according to the severity of pain or partial destruction), the advantages: small trauma, local anesthesia, postoperative response is very fast, postoperative activities are not affected, about 3 days after surgery can be discharged.