Is Trigeminal neuralgia permanent? This is one of the first questions patients ask, upon learning their diagnosis. It is natural to want to know how long they have to face these facial pain-attacks.
The pain of a TN attack is itself not permanent, but comes intermittently most of the times. In a few patients this pain, especially in those who have had it for a long time, may last a few hours at a time.
Does the pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) ever go away?
Unfortunately, no. The pain attacks keep appearing. Initially, the attacks are infrequent, later they become more severe and frequent or even continuous. the timeline varies for every individual who suffers from this.
There are periods, sometimes for months when the pain does not re-appear. It is called pain remission. Some people have short remission periods, and for others it’s longer.
As the condition progresses, the remission periods shorten and the attacks become more frequent. Very rarely, there may be near-permanent remission.
How long does the pain of Trigeminal neuralgia last?
The actual pain attack of TN may last a few seconds to a few minutes. The actual condition is unlikely to ever go away. Most patients need a combination of medications to keep the pain under control. Non-medical therapy helps in managing pain, and living with it. Surgical procedures give longer pain relief. Microvascular decompression surgery is the main option available for a possible permanent relief from the pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia.
Dr Jaydev Panchwagh and his team at the Centre for Trigeminal Neuralgia Treatment by Microvascular Decompression surgery have an experience of more than a thousand MVD procedures, in the last twenty years. The centre is known for the best treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia.
Dr Jaydev Panchwagh is a renowned neurosurgeon in Pune, India and has many referrals from international patients as well. Plenty of video lectures delivered by Dr Panchwagh on the subject, are available on YouTube.