Trigeminal neuralgia and MS

Trigeminal neuralgia can be a symptom of MS – it causes a sudden pain on the side of the face that usually lasts a few seconds or minutes.

What is trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia causes nerve pain on the side of the face, where the trigeminal nerve is. People often describe the feeling as a sudden, strong, sharp pain, which usually comes and goes, lasting a few seconds or minutes at a time. But the feeling can last longer. There’s often a trigger for the pain, like brushing teeth or a cold wind in the face.

Trigeminal neuralgia is caused when the trigeminal nerve is damaged or compressed. Around 2 to 5% of people with MS experience trigeminal neuralgia at some time. People who don’t have MS can also get trigeminal neuralgia.

Causes of trigeminal neuralgia

MS can cause trigeminal neuralgia, but people who don’t have MS can also have it. Depending on the cause, doctors might call it ‘secondary trigeminal neuralgia’ or ‘classic trigeminal neuralgia’.

Secondary trigeminal neuralgia

When trigeminal neuralgia is caused by MS or a different health condition, it’s sometimes called ‘secondary trigeminal neuralgia’, ‘idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia’ or ‘atypical trigeminal neuralgia. 

With MS, this happens when the protective ‘myelin’ coating around the trigeminal nerve or connections to deeper parts of the brain are damaged. 

Classic trigeminal neuralgia

Another cause of trigeminal neuralgia is when a blood vessel puts pressure on the trigeminal nerve. That’s sometimes called ‘classic trigeminal neuralgia’.

There is a usually something that triggers this kind of trigeminal neuralgia. For example, the pain happens when you brush your teeth.

Finding the cause 

To find out the cause of trigeminal neuralgia, a doctor might arrange an MRI scan or refer to other healthcare professionals. Finding the cause can help find the best treatment. But there might be more than one obvious cause. And some of the treatments offered could be the same whatever the cause.

With any new symptom, your doctor or MS team can also do a review of drug treatments you take. That helps rule out side-effects being a cause.

Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia in MS

The main symptom of trigeminal neuralgia is sudden and sharp pain in the face. The attacks can last from a fraction of a second to a couple of minutes. Some people describe trigeminal neuralgia pain as like electric shocks.

Trigeminal neuralgia normally only occurs on one side of the face. Very rarely, it can happen on both sides. But usually not at the same time.

For some people, trigeminal neuralgia is an occasional pain, while for others the sensation happens more often.

In between the attacks, some people still feel a dull burning or tingling sensation in the affected area.

There can be days, weeks or months, where the pain goes away entirely.

READ MORE – from MS Society UK

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