Prescribed medication for Trigeminal Neuralgia but I think it's a polyp in my sinus

[HungryButterfly]

I'm so annoyed at myself for not being more assertive with my GP. There's only one GP in the practise so I can't ask to speak to another unless I move to a different medical centre althogther.

I've been having horrible sinus headaches and pain in my left nostril and under my left cheek. I also intermittently get dry eyes, pain and itchiness in my outter ears. This has been going on for 2 years now. I am so sick of being on different medications. Now GP has said that I have Trigeminal Neuralgia...I don't think it's that but just for the sake of ruling it out I'm giving the medication a go.

I think there's either a polyp in my sinus behind my left cheek or the tube is too thin or really inflamed and not working properly.

I just find it such a struggle to find the energy and time to call the docs at 8am on my one day off and only be allowed to have a phone app and then he always seems to call an an inconvenient time and my toddler has a tantrum and I don't get to properly explain what's going on never mind be assertive. He fires loads of questions at me before I've answered the first.

I want him to refer me for an x-ray scan or CT scan. Ages ago he said there was a massive lockdown backlog so couldn't refer me this time he said he would look into it. I just feel like I am being fobbed off. And it's really affecting my quality of life now.

I don't know what I want from this post, I just feel hopeless and miserable.

Anyone had similar?

How old are you? Trigeminal neuralgia under 40 is rarer and more likely to be due to something like MS

Not that I'm trying to scare you as you don't think it's TN anyway, I'm just wondering if you can leverage the fact that it should be investigated if you are under 40 and you shouldn't just be given meds to demand some more tests?

Yes I'm under 40, good point thanks for that!

The only symptom that I have that fits with TN is headaches. But they aren't shooting pain headaches anyway so it would have to be atypical TN but then that would t explain the sinus pain anyway. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

The other thing is (and honestly you don't sound like you have TN, I'm not a Dr but I've had TN for 10 years and I'm in support groups where we discuss our symptoms) but sinus polyps can cause TN. So even if it is TN its not okay to fob you off with medication with side effects that can make you feel crap if there is a fixable solution to the problem

Can you see a different GP? Are you at a practice where that's possible?

@Neitheronethingnortheother there's only one GP at this practise. I'm going to have one more app with him tomorrow to say I'm not willing to continue with the Carbamazepine since it's not working and it makes me drowsy and more importantly I don't think I've got TN, please can you refer me to ENT. If he says anything other than yes OK I will have to move GP practises.

Thanks so much for your replies, they are validating.

I rang up first thing for an app and I was told GP would call me for a phone app. No call. So annoying.

Can you go privately?

I could stretch to go private for the sinus x-ray but anything after that no i couldn't afford it. And I'm not sure on the process for getting the results from the x-ray looked at as presumably I'd still need a referral from GP to ENT so that I'd be able to give ENT the results. In which case I may aswell wait for GP to refer to ENT for the x-ray anyway!