I have long suffered from Face pain. I take imitrex to relieve. It travels between both sides so my doc did not attribute to surgery however, I am not so sure. (compensation issues with facial issues)
Anyway, decided in Feb to go on Carbamazapine (Tegretol). 300 MG at night. Initial week I got the pain but the number of episodes and length has subsided greatly. Taking very little Imitrex etc.
Lately, I have been feeling wiped out. I am talking I think I have mono wiped out. I had a cold that didn't get better for 9 days. So, my client makes a comment last week (I am a massage therapist) that a friend of his was on this drug that was supposed to help with Trigeminal neuralgia and it ended up seriously lowering his white blood cell count. (My client had no idea I was on it or that I had trigeminal neuralgia. I went in for blood work 2 days later and my white blood cells were 2.9 (Should be between 4 and 11!!!!!)
I am so happy I found this out. So I am going off and retesting blood in 2 weeks. My doc seems to think that this is why it is low.
Please please please test your white blood cells periodically if you are on this drug. I would rather go in imitrex than deal with something that is wrecking my immune system. I also want to say that going off Gluten has helped me as well manage this and wearing my bite guard at night.
Mary
