Retired Banker Finds Relief from Trigeminal Neuralgia with Homeopathy

Mrs. UI, 43 years old (Patient ID: 6193) visited our Borivali clinic for complaints of her trigeminal neuralgia pain. She was suffering from the same for the past 4 years and was already on conventional medicines with no respite.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition where the patient gets severe episodes of pain along the route of the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve starts from the brain and supplies sensation to the face. Any inflammation or compression to the trigeminal nerve will cause severe, sharp shooting pain along the course of the nerve. The pain is so severe that it is sometimes referred to as suicide disease, and it significantly affects the person''''s quality of life. 

In Mrs. UIs''''s case, the trigeminal nerve on the left side of the face was affected, and the pain was located around the left eye, left cheek, and left upper jaw. Initially, the pain episodes were infrequent, but in the past 1.5 months, they had become a daily affair. The patient described them as crampy shooting pain in the left upper jaw with swelling of the left cheek and pain in the left eye. The pain increased with the movements of the jaw, brushing, drinking tea, nasal congestion, and before menses.

Along with this pain, the patient also experienced frequent flickering of the left eyelid with pain in the left eye. 

The patient was on a tablet. Tegretol 200 twice a day for her pain. Since it was not helping, her physician shifted to Tablet Mazetol 200 once-a-day dose with no relief. 

For the past 5 years, she also had complaints of allergic rhinitis, with watery discharge from the nose, heaviness over the forehead, and cough with sensation of the stuffiness of the nose. 

During the detailed case history, the patient stated that she loved to eat spicy and salty food and had a strong dislike for green vegetables and bitter-tasting food. Her bowels used to be constipated, and the frequency of using the restroom was going 2–3 times a day since her stools were unsatisfactory. She was sensitive to cold weather and preferred warmer climates. She had difficulty getting sleep and remained awake for a long time at night to sleep.

Her menses were regular but she felt feverish during the menses. She had 2 kids.

She stayed in a joint family along with her in-laws, husband, and two children. She worked as a clerk in SBI. Mentally, she preferred a hassle-free life. Used to get tensed easily when she was misunderstood. Since her trigeminal pain had started, she used to get irritable on small matters. She used to cry very often and wondered when she would be able to overcome this condition.

Dr. Shah studied her case in detail and prescribed her homeopathic medicines based on the case analysis.

It was advised to continue with conventional treatment along with homeopathy. 

Follow-ups:
There was not much relief in the first two follow-ups. 

In the third follow-up given in Dec 2004, she stated that the intensity of the pain was reduced by 50% and the intensity of the cold was better by 60%. 

In the next follow-up on January 24, 2005, trigeminal neuralgia pain was better by 80% with occasional episodes. Since she was feeling better, she stopped the treatment. 

She visited us once again on 22nd August 2007. Had severe episodes of trigeminal neuralgia, post which she underwent radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFTC) surgery for pain. However, the pain relapsed despite the surgery, with the same symptoms as last time and with an additional symptom of heaviness on the left side of the cheek. Also, she was having difficulty chewing and was unable to open her mouth. Was taking a soft diet only.

After restarting the treatment in September 2007, she reported that there was a 30% reduction in the pain intensity. However, the pain relapsed again due to an episode of cold. Dr. Shah revised the medicines, and in the subsequent follow-up, the pain was well controlled.

By 23rd October 2007, the pain relapsed once again due to cold weather, and she started with Tegretol 200. Post this, the intensity of pain was reduced by 75%, and I used to get only mild episodes on and off due to cold weather.

Over time, Mrs. UI also received treatment for other ailments like acidity and sleeplessness, which also showed improvement.

Remarkably, she has been able to manage her TN completely with complementary medicines since 2020 and discontinued regular Tegretol use in 2020.
She is still taking treatment with us, and the pain is under control without the requirement of conventional medicines. 

Conclusion:
Trigeminal neuralgia can be a debilitating condition with a significant impact on daily life. A combined approach, integrating conventional and complementary therapies, may offer better pain management and improved quality of life. Relapses are possible, emphasizing the need for ongoing management and personalized treatment plans.