Diagnostic Questions for Trigeminal Neuralgia
A helpful questionnaire for the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from varies types of trigeminal neuralgia.
1.
When you have pain, is it predominantly in your face (i.e., forehead, eye, cheek, nose, upper/lower jaw, teeth, lips, etc)?
yes
2.
Do you have pain just on one side of your face?
yes
3.
Is your pain either entirely or mostly brief (seconds to minutes) and unpredictable sensations (electrical, shocking, stabbing, shooting)?
yes
4.
Do you have any constant background facial pain (e.g., aching, burning, throbbing, stinging)?
yes
5.
Do you have constant background facial pain (aching, burning, throbbing, stinging) for more than half of your waking hours?
yes
6.
Do you have any constant facial numbness?
yes
7.
Can your pain start by something touching your face (for example, by eating, washing your face, shaving, brushing teeth, wind)?
yes
8.
Since your pain began have you ever experienced periods of weeks, months, or years, when you were pain-free? (This would not include periods after any pain-relieving surgery or while you were on medications for your pain.)
yes
9.
Have you ever taken Tegretol® (carbamazepine), Neurontin® (gabapentin), Lioresal® (baclofen), Treleptal® (oxcarbazepine), Topamax® (topiramate), Zonegran® (zonisamide), or any other anticonvulsant medication for your pain?
yes
10.
Did you ever experience any major reduction in facial pain (partial or complete) from taking any of the medications listed in Question 9, or any anticonvulsant medication?
yes
11.
Have you ever had trigeminal nerve surgery for your pain? (e.g., neurectomy, RF rhizotomy/gangliolysis, glycerol injection, balloon compression, rhizotomy, MVD, gamma knife)
yes
12.
Have you ever experienced any major reduction in facial pain (partial or complete) from trigeminal nerve surgery for your pain? (e.g., neurectomy, RF rhizotomy/gangliolysis, glycerol injection, balloon compression, rhizotomy, MVD, gamma knife)
yes
13.
Did your current pain start only after trigeminal nerve surgery (neurectomy, RF rhizotomy/gangliolysis, glycerol injection, balloon compression, rhizotomy, MVD, gamma knife)? (If this is a recurrence of your original pain after a successful trigeminal nerve surgery, answer "no")
yes
14.
Did your pain start after facial zoster or"shingles" rash (Herpes zoster - not to be confused with "fever blisters" around the mouth)?
yes
15.
Do you have multiple sclerosis?
yes
16.
Did your pain start after a facial injury?
yes
17.
Did your pain start only after facial surgery (oral surgery, ENT surgery, plastic surgery)?
yes
18.
When you place your index finger right in front of your ears on both sides at once and feel your jaw open and close does the area under your fingers on either side hurt?
yes
19.
Do you have facial pain?
yes
20.
Do you remember exactly where you were the moment your facial pain started?
yes
