Drugtxtgn.xls

Medication Treatment Options For Trigeminal Neuralgia Is Generic
Maximum Some Common side effects
Who Should NOT take
Brand Name
Generic Name
Available?
Serious side effects (Call MD) 2
this drug 2
Selected Drug Interactions 2
Class: Anticonvulsants (Anti-seizure drugs)3
Drowsiness, fatigue,
Fever, sore throat, rash, low depression, allergy to
dizziness, or nausea.
blood counts
Liver disease, narrow Oral antifungal drugs, alcohol, Blood Tests and Liver Function tests. Do hypnotics, antianxiety agents, not stop taking this medication abruptly.
Causes significant drowsiness and will be Caution in patients with kidney problems dry mouth, swelling of Unexplained muscle problems, or on dialysis, heart problems including hands and feet, blurry such as muscle pain, soreness Do not stop taking this medication abruptly palpitations, dark urine, skin Sensitive to phenytoin gum tissues; visit your dentist regularly. rash, itching, unusual bleeding or other hydantoins Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. This Do not stop taking this medication abruptly Is Generic
Maximum Some Common side effects
Who Should NOT take
Brand Name
Generic Name
Available?
Serious side effects (Call MD) 2
this drug 2
Selected Drug Interactions 2
Class: Anticonvulsants (Anti-seizure drugs)3
Blurred or double vision, eye
pain, eye redness. If any
medication abruptly. May cause weight
500 - 750 1000 mg/ confusion,co-ordination Is Generic
Maximum Some Common side effects
Who Should NOT take
Brand Name
Generic Name
Available?
Serious side effects (Call MD) 2
this drug 2
Selected Drug Interactions 2
Class: Antidepressants7
Mouth side effects. For Atypical TN & Atypical Facial Pain & TN neuropathic Allergic reaction (swelling of seizures, narrow angle heartbeat; muscle stiffness, or diseases, Caution in supplements, Thyroid, Many Allergic reaction (swelling of seizures, narrow angle heartbeat; muscle stiffness, or diseases, Caution in supplements, Thyroid, Many Antidepressants increased the seizures, suicide risk patients, MAOI drugs, cimetidine, herb supplements, patients, MAOI drugs, Alcohol, Blood thinners, Tri - Is Generic
Maximum Some Common side effects
Who Should NOT take
Brand Name
Generic Name
Available?
Serious side effects (Call MD) 2
this drug 2
Selected Drug Interactions 2
Class: Antidepressants7
cimetidine, lithium, pimozide Do not stop taking this medication abruptly Do not stop taking this medication abruptly given together prevents the metabolism of Is Generic
Maximum Some Common side effects
Who Should NOT take
Brand Name
Generic Name
Available?
Serious side effects (Call MD) 2
this drug 2
Selected Drug Interactions 2
Class: Antidepressants7
dry mouth, weight gain, Allergic reaction, blurred vision seizures, suicide risk Do not treat yourself for coughs, colds, or increased sensitivity of or eye pain, sexual difficulties, patients, MAOI drugs, dry mouth, weight gain, Allergic reaction, blurred vision seizures, suicide risk Do not treat yourself for coughs, colds, or increased sensitivity of or eye pain, sexual difficulties, patients, MAOI drugs, Weakness, sweating, nausea, constipation, Allergic reaction, blurred vision seizures, suicide risk regularly, can increase blood pressure in or eye pain, sexual difficulties, patients, MAOI drugs, some patients. Dry mouth side effects.Do pressure meds, MAOIs, and no stop abruptly. For Atypical Facial Pain Is Generic
Maximum Some Common side effects
Who Should NOT take
Brand Name
Generic Name
Available?
Serious side effects (Call MD) 2
this drug 2
Selected Drug Interactions 2
Class: Muscle Relaxants and Anti-spasticity11
abruptly. Adjunct therapy in clinical studies drive, use machinery, or do anything that Dry mouth, blurred vision, Confusion, fainting spells, low talked with your health care provider.
Is Generic
Maximum Some Common side effects
Who Should NOT take
Brand Name
Generic Name
Available?
Serious side effects (Call MD) 2
this drug 2
Selected Drug Interactions 2
Class: Analgesic Drugs
Subclass:NSAIDS15
Allergy to drug, taking alcohol, ACE inhibitor blood Do not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol; these increase irritation to your stomach Subclass: Opiates16
Is Generic
Maximum Some Common side effects
Who Should NOT take
Brand Name
Generic Name
Available?
Serious side effects (Call MD) 2
this drug 2
Selected Drug Interactions 2
Subclass: Other Analgesic Drugs
be cut to patches at Skin irritation, redness, contact of lidocaine patches with eyes due Skin breakdown, cough, very Allergy to drug or red Class: Miscellaneous Medications
Cafergot is a drug that is routinely used to treat migraine headaches. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that it might be effective for some cases of atypical TN.
Ordinarily used for heart rhythm problems. Experimental use for neuropathic pain. This anti-ulcer drug shows promise for patients whose TN is the result of multiple sclerosis.
Used primarily for schizophrenia and Tourette's Syndrome. Use for TN has been suggested.
Used for migraines and cluster headaches. At least one reference has suggested use for TN.
Used for analgesia and anesthesia. Some studies show promise for TN.
Dr. Joseph Vaughn a neurologist of Tyler, TX has used Namenda with success for TN; See TNA newsletter July 2006 Nerve blocks utilizing clonidine, fentanyl, and bupivacaine reported to be effective for TNSee Anaesthesia Journal 2006 page 61 Notes: The list summarizes treatment options that may provide resolution or relief for TN.
These options are often combined, and not all of them apply for all stages of treatment in all patients.
1. Dosages listed are from medical literature for informational purposes only. Dosages should be individualized for each patient.
2. This information is not intended to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions, or adverse effects for this drug.
If you have questions about the drug(s) you are taking, check with your health care professional.
3. Anticonvulsants are usually the most effective drugs for treating classical TN pain. Unfortunately, these drugs tend to have serious side effects.
4. Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant and is often the first medication to be tried in treating Trigeminal Neuralgia.
5. Gabapentin sometimes is used in combination with other drugs, as it may strengthen the effects of these drugs. 6. Trileptal is as effective as carbamazepine, has fewer drug interaction problems, & appears to work faster and to cause less drowsiness. Most Expensive 7. Antidepressants are effective for atypical forms of TN. Good results when antidepressants are used together with anticonvulsants.
Tri-cyclic antidepressants are most used. Has serious side effects, including weight gain. Therefore, other types are being investigated.
8. Amitriptyline is the most commonly used tri-cyclic antidepressant in the treatment of TN and other pain conditions.
9. Dosage for TN is lower than as antidepressant, can start as low as 10 mg/day and is increased gradually until there is no decrease in pain.
10. Fluoxetine to treat TN is a possible choice when the side effects of tricyclic antidepressants are bad enough to make them unusable.
11. Muscle relaxant drugs are somewhat related to anticonvulsants, but act on the muscles rather than the nerves themselves. They can be effective in the early stages of atypical TN and are often used in conjunction with other drugs, especially Tegretol. 12. The primary use of baclofen is to reduce spasticity. As such, it appears to be most often used for TN related to MS (multiple sclerosis).
Since the drug affects the nervous system as well as the muscles, it may also help TN symptoms when used with anticonvulsant. 13. Cyclobenzaprine is a muscle relaxant and is not used to reduce spasticity and therefore may not provide relief in TN.
14. Tizanidine works by reducing spasticity. Therefore, it may be as useful as baclofen for TN symptoms when used with anticonvulsants.
15. Unfortunately, in TN few painkillers are effective for pain. Even strong opiates often do not help, let alone over-the-counter NSAIDs.
These drug groups cannot be considered to be in the mainstream for relieving TN pain, but are included here for information purposes. 16. The use of opiates to manage pain related to Trigeminal Neuralgia, Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia, and Atypical Facial Pain (ATFP) is controversial. However, some pain patients do get some relief from their pain with prescription opiates.

Source: http://www.facepain.us/pdf%20files/DrugTxTGN.pdf