TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA & CPAP Mask

I have had a form of trigeminal neuralgia for 10 years after a botched sinus surgery. It is in all branches on both sides but that electrical pain is constant across my entire face. I found the "CPAP Pro" the best because there is no touching of the face except by the nasal pillows. You wear a mouth guard and the nasal pillows and tubing are attached outside onto your mouthpiece. I also am very bothered by the "wind" blowing into my nose. The ramp on the machine helps the nerve get used to the wind pressure but using a high humidity machine and heated tubing is the answer for me. Several companies have great machines with all these options. The closer in temp you can get to your body, the less it should bother you. Speaking as a nurse, I can tell you that blocking the nostril that hurts is not a good option. You will have trouble getting enough oxygen with only one side open. Make sure you are going to a pain doc not just a PMD. Mine has been a gift from God for me. May God give you wisdom and peace. TT

Hi, I have trigeminal neuralgia and had DMV surgery 3 years ago and after that success was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I used the cpap and bipap mask. Couldn't adapt to mask. November 2015 my TN has come back which I am controlling with Gabapentin and my Sleep apnea is getting worse. I am terrified of putting any kind of mask on my face! I have just heard of Inspire for sleep apnea. I hope this will be a good alternative.

DMV? Department of Motor Vehicles?

chunkyfrog wrote:DMV? Department of Motor Vehicles?

I'm all up for excising that!!!

There are a couple of masks that only sit on your nose and the hose then goes back over your head - don't go anywhere near the usual TN focal sites... plus if you otherwise would need a FF mask for mouth breathing, you could tape as others have done, but I am not as familiar with those masks as others here would be so I hope they show up and help you!

"Trigeminal neuralgia can occur as a result of aging, or it can be related to multiple sclerosis or a similar disorder that damages the myelin sheath protecting certain nerves. Less commonly, trigeminal neuralgia can be caused by a tumor compressing the trigeminal nerve."

What is this: I have just heard of Inspire for sleep apnea? If it is the Sleep Apnea disease discussion in Inspire website that it is as lousy as this one.

Avi, why are you hijacking this poster's question (with one I don't even understand)?

Alzheimers.

Julie wrote:Avi, why are you hijacking this poster's question (with one I don't even understand)?

:blink: really?

because Avi!

Oh well...

Could you just stick a cotton ball in your left nostril?

Ouch!

Velroc wrote:I have been using CPAP for about 60 days and it has worked wonders, I am 67 Male and I feel much better, more energy and better mood.

BUT, last week I started having face pain and head aches on my right side, then electric bolts to my right lower jaw?? My self dx is TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA. I all ready take neurontin for neck pain, so not sure what they can do. I see my GP next week.

Could the TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA be caused by my full face mask that also holds my mouth closed ? I have never had TN before and the pain really sucks, pardon my french.

Is there any secondary twitching of the right eye and side of the face? Several years ago I had a condition that initially seemed to fit the TN diagnoses. On further review, a neurologist diagnosed it as a Hemifacial Spasm. It is a condition where a facial nerve is wrapped around or wraps around a blood vessel inside the skull. In this, as a blood vessel pulses, it causes a simultaneous pulsing of the nerve and a resultant twitching of the facial muscle with no or minimal pain. Each one of the two elements are tiny - often smaller than a hair. No medication deals with it; only botox injections or surgery where a hole roughly the size of a Nickle is drilled in the skull and a Teflon pad (also tiny) is placed to buffer the two elements. I used botox for several years; in time the efficacy diminished greatly and I finally had surgery - the problem disappeared immediately and has not presented since.
see:
TN http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/trig ... ralgia.htm
HFS http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hemi ... _spasm.htm
Video animation of microvascular decompression surgery - the same technique is used for TN and HFS with different nerves affected - this animation is from Florida Hospital, Orlando and is where my surgery was done. Dr. Melvin Fields who did my surgery is the surgical director of Florida Hospital Neuroscience Institute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdZnSKun7Dk
In this video, Dr Fields explains some of the misconceptions and understanding of TN: https://vimeo.com/124959426

In either case, a consult with a neurologist with a specialty in both TN and HFS would be my first step to finding a solution.

JimW159 wrote:

Velroc wrote:I have been using CPAP for about 60 days and it has worked wonders, I am 67 Male and I feel much better, more energy and better mood.

BUT, last week I started having face pain and head aches on my right side, then electric bolts to my right lower jaw?? My self dx is TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA. I all ready take neurontin for neck pain, so not sure what they can do. I see my GP next week.

Could the TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA be caused by my full face mask that also holds my mouth closed ? I have never had TN before and the pain really sucks, pardon my french.

Is there any secondary twitching of the right eye and side of the face? Several years ago I had a condition that initially seemed to fit the TN diagnoses. On further review, a neurologist diagnosed it as a Hemifacial Spasm. It is a condition where a facial nerve is wrapped around or wraps around a blood vessel inside the skull. In this, as a blood vessel pulses, it causes a simultaneous pulsing of the nerve and a resultant twitching of the facial muscle with no or minimal pain. Each one of the two elements are tiny - often smaller than a hair. No medication deals with it; only botox injections or surgery where a hole roughly the size of a Nickle is drilled in the skull and a Teflon pad (also tiny) is placed to buffer the two elements. I used botox for several years; in time the efficacy diminished greatly and I finally had surgery - the problem disappeared immediately and has not presented since.
see:
TN http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/trig ... ralgia.htm
HFS http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hemi ... _spasm.htm
Video animation of microvascular decompression surgery - the same technique is used for TN and HFS with different nerves affected - this animation is from Florida Hospital, Orlando and is where my surgery was done. Dr. Melvin Fields who did my surgery is the surgical director of Florida Hospital Neuroscience Institute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdZnSKun7Dk
In this video, Dr Fields explains some of the misconceptions and understanding of TN: https://vimeo.com/124959426

In either case, a consult with a neurologist with a specialty in both TN and HFS would be my first step to finding a solution.

You are answering a post Velrock wrote in 2009...7 years ago.....Hopefully he has solved his problem by now without your suggestion.

LSAT wrote:

You are answering a post Velrock wrote in 2009...7 years ago.....Hopefully he has solved his problem by now without your suggestion.

Actually, I never even noticed the date of the OP's posting. I was responding to the thread and saw the original post as identifying the thread's message most clearly. Your comment is, indeed pertinent in that I hope he has found relief. My suggestion remains valid, though - perhaps not for him only.