I have no idea at all. It started in my lowever teeth and just kept getting worse until it turned into the electrical shock pain. I guess I just figured this was my cross to bear. I started when I was 36 so I don't think it was because of age.

Mine was definitely hereditary. Started above my lip and progressed. TN is a condition that is very hereditary in my Mother's side of the family.

For me, it started after therapy to relieve pain in the hip joint. With fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and the techniques for those types of pain, having the sensation of wanting to rip the jaw out was not an easy one to work with.
Here's to lessening of pain for everyone!

I think mine is a residual from Bells Palsy and migraines.

i had tmd surgery several years ago - back in 09 i had a facial cyst removed from upper lip along scar line fr surgery- pain develop on that side- i then had a root canal last year along scar line sifferent side - pain develop- dr has concluded the trig nerve had been damage from surgey - things heal back - new precedures triggered the tn -

I have no idea. There is no history of TN in my family and I have not had any surgery or dental work done. One day I was fine and the next day I started having the terrible electric/shocking attacks. I asked all my doctors what caused me to have this and they said they did not know. My surgeon said he thought it was because I have high blood pressure and over time this caused the blood vessels to damage the nerve.

It is very strange what actually cause's TN. My surgeon told me it was very, highly unusual for someone to have such a family history of TN when there was actually know logical reasoning for it to be hereditary. He said however it could have something to do with the skeletal bone structure, maybe hereditary varicose veins. What is odd, is the face that some have it in different places and some have had different reasons other than a blood vessel puncturing the nerve. And I was 51 when I developed TN and others were different ages such as 27, 65 on up to my Grand Mother in her 70's.
Linda

I believe it was dental work. Too many root canals on my lower left jaw. I think he went too deep. My bone and joint doctor told me it was from a virus.

I personally feel mine is a result of having migraines, atleast 1 a week, since I was 16. All of my headaches and the trigeminal pain is on the left side, very odd my neurosurgeon says. None of my Dr.s know what it came from thats my theory.

Went to dentist in 2002 after losing a filling (bit down on a peanut in some Cracker Jacks). When she went to inject the procane (aka novacane), she missed the nerve she was supposed to hit and got my trigeminal never (right side). Felt like my head had been blown off by a shotgun. Pain went away, but a few weeks later TN symptoms began. Last 10 years has been a nightmare. Just had Gamma Knife three weeks ago. Pain supposed to go away over time (maybe as much as 6 months). Don't feel much relief yet...maybe a little.

I wondered for a long time. I had recently had dental work, but it was on the other side of my face. Just a month ago I tested positive for MS which is a cause of TN. This is six years and two MVD surgeries later. Boy had I known I would have saved myself some grief. The myelin sheath around that nerve is not coming back.

I don't know either. I woke up with it and thought I had a really bad toothache. I was in great health working out all the time. I had a back injury in December then July 4th weekend the horrible mayhem of TN was discovered. The MRI doesn't show where or why it is. I've been diagnosed with ATN. I've had Migraines since I was 10. I've also had an EEG show a Migraine stuck in a loop? Don't know what that meant that was 8 years earlier. Medication works with side effects I still stay positive and try to smile :)

think mine is a bit of both my grandmother had tn many years ago but think dental treatment kicked it off root canal to deep and dentist kept digging away after 6 injections still felt the pain just after that tn pain started and i am now awaiting mvd surgery

For me, it seems like the stress of having a particularly horrible sinus infection, anxiety took over and the next thing I knew, there was the neuralgia. Ironically, my mother in law has TN, and I've watched her battle it for years. I pray I can be so gracious.

i wonder if my tn is because i have had hi cerebral fluid levels since 08. i now have an lp shunt which helps with that. I don't tolerate meds well so to be honest i believe i frustarate my docs.