Summer vs Trigeminal Neuralgia

All during the winter, I was hoping and wishing that the weather would get warmer. Well, the weather has indeed gotten warmer and it has had the opposite effect on my pain than expected. 

My Trigeminal Neuralgia pain has significantly increased in recent weeks. There are a couple of reasons that this could be happening. Firstly, my pain specialist wanted me to get off tegretol. I started to reduce my doses, which isn't pleasant at all. The intensity of my pain sky rocketed! I thought that I had hit my tolerance level, but I couldn't have dreamt that my pain would get worse. I made the decision to go back on tegretol, albeit a lower dose than before.

Sadly, my pain is still as bad as ever, and the hot weather we are having at the moment isn't helping at all. My face burns constantly on both sides, and the high temperatures suck. It's ridiculous. The cold weather bothers me, the hot weather bothers me, wind bothers me and I can tell when a storm is coming. There is absolutely zero relief at all! 

I haven't a clue what the future holds for me. At the minute the weather is bright, but my spirits are low. I have had to cancel arrangements, let people down and I am a cranky bitch most of the time. I have accepted that this is what my life is like for the moment, but it doesn't mean that I have to like it. 

I wonder if the warm weather bothers anyone else with Trigeminal Neuralgia? Everyone usually talks about the cold weather and wind, especially in Ireland where winter lasts about 10 months. I don't remember being bothered by the heat last year, but my pain has changed in the past 12 months. As well as it being Atypical, it's now more intense, I have pressure between my eyes and the top of my head often, my balance is completely wonky, and it is bilateral now. 

I am begging to see my pain specialist, but the health system here is so crap, I am not holding out much hope. I have regular appointments with him, but I need to see him urgently. I can't stick this pain, I just can't. My GP will help me as much as he can, but it doesn't help my now. Every day that passes feels like a month. There are so many struggles, even brushing my hair or teeth takes it out of me. Anyone with Facial Pain knows what I mean. I am hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.