Thats a large word right there if I’ve ever seen one: “Trigeminal Neuralgia.”

What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Google’s definition says: “neuralgia involving one or more of the branches of the trigeminal nerves, and often causing severe pain.”

Which literally makes no sense. Let us translate:

Trigeminal Neuralgia (or if you prefer the fancy word: “tic douloureux”) is an intense, intermittent pain along the course of a nerve, especially in the head or face.

That doesn’t sound like much, but for those that don’t know, this condition is often called the “Suicide Disease” because of how painful it is. It is an absolute 10 on the 1-10 scale (even worse than childbirth!). To make things worse, unlike childbirth which is over in a matter of days, trigeminal neuralgia is a lifelong disease that is difficult in both diagnosis and treatment.

Before worrying about pillows:

Definitely go to a neurologist ASAP so they can run tests and assess your medical situation to make sure it is not something more serious. 

• This way, you are provided with a 100% objective perspective why you have trigeminal neuralgia, and if it is related to an obvious cause. 
• Your neurologist would likely run an MRI to figure this out.

Causes

Trigeminal Neuralgia is usually caused by two things: 

1. Nerve damage
2. Nerve inflammation

The real difficulty is finding out the cause of the two listed causes. 

Get a MRI, blood tests, and keep track of all the results.

It is uncommon, but it might be because of multiple sclerosis since trigeminal neuralgia is listed under that umbrella.

It might also be a brain tumor, but that is rare as well.

Top Recommendation

Mediflow: Fiber Waterbase Pillow

Pros

• Superior to memory foam pillows
• Helps significantly with cervical spine issues (don’t need to go back to the chiropractor anymore)
• Gets rid of migraines and arthritis neck pain
• No foul smell that comes with most new pillows
• Easy to fill or drain to your preferred firmness
• Do not need to worry about “gel cooling features” since its a water pillow and keeps your head cool automatically!

Cons

• More complicated than just a regular foam pillow. In addition to filling it up with water, you also need to make sure air does not get inside of it.
• Since there is water involved, there may be cases of mold if there are leaks in the pillow. You have to be delicate and handle this pillow lightly – otherwise you will get leaking seams. However, the company is very responsive and there is a 30 day satisfaction guarantee + 1 year warranty:

Beans72: Organic Buckwheat Pillow

What is a buckwheat pillow?

From thesleepjudge.com:

You can also combine the water pillow (listed above) with your buckwheat pillow underneath it. 

What this does is give you a lot of control and gentleness, so the buckwheat does not feel that firm to sleep on.

Shape the buckwheat hulls into a support for the back of your neck, then put the water pillow on top.

If you are a back sleeper, lie on your back with the buckwheat under your neck. This way the water pillow can keep your head level. 

Pros

• Kills headaches and neck pain
• High quality
• Comes with a small elastic cover with zippers
• No dust and no foul smell
• Great pillow for all types of sleepers: side, stomach, and back sleepers
• Very adjustable and customizable. If needed, you can add or remove hulls to get the right firmness for your preferences. 
• Small size is great for travel purposes

Cons

• May be too small for some. However, the smallness of the pillow is by design. A smaller pillow tends to be more effective in terms of stopping you from slipping down during the night
• Too firm for some people. Again, this is a buckwheat pillow designed to heal pain, not for those wanting a cotton-soft, foamy cloud as a pillow.
• After time goes by, the pillow might compress after a while. However, this is easily re-mediated by adding a cup of the hulls back in, and firmness will be right back as it used to be.
• The buckwheat will make a rustling noise when you move around. That is the nature of a buckwheat pillow. However, many users get used to the rustling noise, and it should not wake your partner up if they are sleeping alongside you.

Medications

For trigeminal neuralgia: the longer you are on medications, the less effective they become. This results in an ongoing increase in dosage and constant different combinations of medicines. Therefore, nothing will bring 100% relief unfortunately. 

If anyone has found a combination that relieves 90%+ of pain more than 3 months, please let us know in the comments below!

You also have to be on the medication every single day, because the pain comes back if you do not take it on a daily basis. However, if you are on the meds, don’t expect to have much energy. There are also side effects, such as stuttering and speech impairments.

Tegretol

Tegretol is the treatment of choice since it is 80% effective. This is obviously prescription only.

However, with many of these pharmaceuticals, there are always side effects. There is a 30% chance you could have a negative reaction to it. For example, Tegretol decreases nerve impulses that cause seizures and pain. Others may get a full upper body rash or other serious symptoms that would warrant no more taking the medicine.

Inspect your body carefully when you come out of the shower to see if there are any abnormal bumps or reactions. It’s very important to not ignore symptoms. Do not take Tegretol without talking with your doctor first.

Trileptal

Even though Trileptal helps a lot, the pain never completely fades away. It only reduces the severity of the condition. 

If you start trileptal, monitor your sodium levels since it can decrease your sodium levels to critical levels. 

Make sure your body can handle the dose you are taking. For example, if your body cannot handle more than 600mg, do not take more than that even though it will ease more of the pain.

Janetta Procedure

If none of the above work, there is a surgical procedure called The Janetta Procedure that could replace the medicines. 

Most people believe that Trigeminal Neuralgia is caused by an artery compressing the trigeminal ganglion. The Janetta procedure relieves the pain while preserving sensation to the face. Look into it if Tegretol doesn’t work!

Bacopa Monnieri Capsules

Bacopa Monnieri Capsules are a natural alternative to tegretol. This is for the people who have a negative reaction to Tegretol, or if you know that you are allergic or unable to take Tegretol.

Appendix

Difference between Trigeminal Neuralgia and Occipital Neuralgia

The main differences between trigeminal neuralgia and occipital neuralgia are the specific nerves involved (trigeminal nerve vs. occipital nerves) and the location of the pain (face vs. back of the head & upper neck).

Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia include:

• Sudden, severe facial pain triggered by everyday activities, such as eating, speaking, or touching the face
• Pain lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes, with possible periods of remission
• Pain usually affecting one side of the face, focused in the areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve (forehead, cheek, and lower jaw)

Symptoms of occipital neuralgia include:

• Sharp, stabbing, or shooting pain in the back of the head and upper neck
• Pain that radiates to the sides and back of the head, and sometimes behind the eyes
• Pain triggered by neck movement or pressure on the affected area
• Tenderness or sensitivity to touch in the occipital region