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Living with Trigeminal Neuralgia, known as Suicide Disease: ‘I was running out of money, sick leave and hope’
by Amy Lynch
28th Mar 2023
28th Mar 2023
Unsplash
Imagine waking up with a crushing, burning pain in your face that persists for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, only stopping when you sleep. Painkillers help, but the pain lurks close by and as soon as the pills wear off, the pain sneaks back. This is the reality for women with Trigeminal Neuralgia, also dubbed the 'Suicide Disease'. Amy was eventually diagnosed after years of trying to find a treatment that worked.
What’s your first thought in the morning and your last thought at night? For me, it used to be pain. As soon as I opened my eyes, I suffered with constant facial pain. We’re talking about the kind of crushing, sometimes burning pain in my face that persisted 24 hours a day, seven days a week, only stopping when I slept. Painkillers helped, but the pain lurked close by and as soon as the pills...
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