How do you know if it's trigeminal neuralgia or TMJ? Was it hard to get diagnosed, how long?
Answer Summary
Members shared their experiences trying to tell apart trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and TMJ, with many noting that getting the right diagnosis... Read more
@A MyFibroTeam Member
Yes definitely make the call
Tadpole, I suggest you go to see a neurologist and get evaluated. My primary care doctor referred me to my neurologist when my problems first started. I hope this helps you.
Tadpole, My neurologist ran many tests, but couldn't find a cause for my trigeminal neuralgia. It just came on slowly and over the years increasingly became more painful. My neurologist seemed surprised that I hadn't had a head trauma of any kind. After reading 1fibroKYn post I understand better why...
I also hope you do not have it. ๐. Mine is mostly managed by medication, but it is unlikely that will always be the case.
I was diagnosed with terminal neuralgia TN about 15 years ago, and all I remember was that I told my primary doctor that I was having unusual feeling in my face above and near my left ear that wasn't really painful but that it felt like how I would imagine it would feel if you could actually feel blood running through your veins (which of course you can't feel). He was a bit alarmed and referred me to a neurologist.
Neurologists were very thorough, but I do not recall exactly what he did? But it was many tests.
The trigeminal TN severe pain started later, and the neurologist has been pretty successful managing it with medication. I can tell you that the entire left side of my face hurts, forehead, cheek, nose, jaw, and I feel like I have a migraine as well, during the periods where the medicine did not work as well. The right side doesn't hurt at all. (TN nerves are separate for each side of the face.)
As for tmj, I grind my teeth and have damaged them top and bottom on both sides starting about 2 years ago. I now wear a mouth guard. I have not ever thought that the teeth pain and the trigeminal neuralgia felt the same. But I had the trigeminal neuralgia first, way before the teeth grinding.
I hope this helps.