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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Itchy Skin After Stopping Medicines For Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Hello I am experiencing under skin itching of my arms, legs and neck. It started about 3 weeks ago after I was taken off some MEDS I was taking for Trigeminal Neuralgia after having a successful procedure where a needle was inserted through my cheek to burn the nerve. It was done by a neurosurgeon and I am free of the most horrible pain that created. Was the stopping of my drugs (weaned by neurosurgeon and neurologist not cold turkey)
Mon, 20 Jun 2016
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Dentist 's  Response
Hello,

I can understand your concern. It would have been helpful if you had mentioned the medicines you had taken for controlling pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia. However, the most common medicine given in Gabapentin, which can cause itching ranging from mild to severe while getting off it.

It is very difficult to predict for how long you will experience the itching as it differs for all patients. While some patients experience it for a few weeks, others can feel it for months. The severity of itchiness decreases though as time passes. It is very unfortunate that very little can be done to ease the itchiness in such cases. It will go away on its own. As you have not stopped the drugs cold turkey and have tapered doses, chances are less that you will experience severe itching and for a long period of time.

However, if you feel extreme trouble with it and not able to cope with it, you can consult a dermatologist to see if any ointment can relieve the discomfort.

I hope this information helps. Thank you for choosing HealthcareMagic. Take care.

Best,
Dr. Viraj Shah

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What Causes Itchy Skin After Stopping Medicines For Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Hello, I can understand your concern. It would have been helpful if you had mentioned the medicines you had taken for controlling pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia. However, the most common medicine given in Gabapentin, which can cause itching ranging from mild to severe while getting off it. It is very difficult to predict for how long you will experience the itching as it differs for all patients. While some patients experience it for a few weeks, others can feel it for months. The severity of itchiness decreases though as time passes. It is very unfortunate that very little can be done to ease the itchiness in such cases. It will go away on its own. As you have not stopped the drugs cold turkey and have tapered doses, chances are less that you will experience severe itching and for a long period of time. However, if you feel extreme trouble with it and not able to cope with it, you can consult a dermatologist to see if any ointment can relieve the discomfort. I hope this information helps. Thank you for choosing HealthcareMagic. Take care. Best, Dr. Viraj Shah