How annoying to have a pattern and not know the trigger. I dont have a cycle to link my pain to. Stress brings on the stabby-zappy's for me. I hope you find your answer. Maybe it is linked to a different part of your cycle. I also get migraines and when I did cycle it would come on the wall before I bleed.

I keep a journal for my TN flares which is how I know they are cycling. Yes, so frustrating. I thought my allergies were triggering it at first - but they are still happening and I'm aggressively treating my allergies.

Stress is definitely a trigger - but I have reduced my stress in the last month. At least a little bit....

Hi. I take carbamazapine for my TN for around 3-4 years now. I don't get full flare ups anymore, only occasional pings. The side effect that I don't like is that it affects your thought process. It makes me know what I want to say, but can't get it out fast enough. Anyone else?

I switched from carbamazapine to oxcarbazapine a few years ago. Carbamazapine along with gabapentin definitely put me into a sort of remission. I'm not ready to do carbamazapine again. The side effects were heavy duty

I just got over an eight week intense episode that almost did me in. I tried to take gabapentin and then tegretol but the side affects knocked me completely out. I am a teacher and could not function. I finally got in to see a neurologist and he put me on Duloxetine. It makes me sleepy too but not near as bad. I also discovered Terry Wahls and the Wahls protocol Diet. I started that about two weeks before the trigeminal pain went away. Not sure if it is the meds or the diet. So I am keeping up with both. I had and MRI a couple weeks ago and will post the results when I hear back from the neurologist.

So, I made an interesting find yesterday. Vitamin B1 can apparently be a trigger for some - it's the problem with bananas that some of us have. I recently started a B1 supplement. I stopped it today to see if that helps with my flares.