Is Neurontin Drying? Weird Face Pain TN???

[barwalzun]

Hi,
Dx Sjogren's 9/2011, presented w/horrible pain and dryness mostly in eyes and mouth. Was referred to a Rheumatologist and put on Salagen/Pilocarpine 5mg/4x day, which has helped the dryness a lot.
Around first week of Jan, the skin around my right eye felt really tight, like somebody was trying to pull the skin off my face. The pain has gotten worse and I no longer think it's dry skin. (I even got some African, raw shea-butter to put around my eyes, LOL!) Last week, I saw my ENT (in lieu of my primary care doc because she's sooooooooooooooo useless) and he said it's probably Trigeminal Neuralgia and gave me some Neurontin 3x a day.
Now, I'm thinking I should have seen my Rheaumatologist, because I think TN is related to Sjogren's, but I didn't know this.
Question: The Neurontin is causing LOTS of mouth/throat and eye pain and it seems to be drying me out TERRIBLY!!! My eyes don't hurt me anymore, ever, and now they're starting to sting again. I even went down, in the last couple days, to only 2 Neurontins a day, but I guess it takes time because the dryness and pain is increasing.
Has anybody else had trouble with Neurontin drying them out?

I'd much rather have face pain than this drying-out pain, any day of the week.
Has anybody found an alternative to Neurontin that doesn't dry?

Thanks for your help!

Barbara
 

[jazzlover]

VERY DRYING!!!!

I used to take it way before I found out I had SJS. It was extremely drying and I could not tolerate it.  I take curcumin for pain.

[topping21]

Oh great, I just started this yesterday.  Guess I am not taking this no more.

[Joe S.]

Barbara, I do not take Neurontin as it causes me to have TIA's. A genteel mint like Mint Melody or plantation mint may help with the TN since that is on the stomach meridian.

[eyeamdry]

I had trigeminal neuralgia in my left eye thanks to Lasik surgery.  This was before I knew I had SJS.  I tried Neurontin and it made my eyes dryer.  I did not take Neurontin long because of excess drying. 

Nine years after my Lasik and I knew I had SJS by then, my rheumy suggested I tried Lyrica.  Well this was about 3 years ago and it took the TN pain away in my left eye. Since I've had SJS, I have lots of other pins and needles all over and the Lyrica helps it, but does not do away with it completely.  Nine years of TN in my eye/face was almost enough to drive me off the face of the earth.  Lucy

[topping21]

I have taken Neurotin for the past three nights now and today I have noticed I am more dry especially in the mouth.  Does anybody have any suggestions or advice on what other meds Ican take for my severe prickling sensations on my lower body?  It seemed as if the neurotin cured it but I dont like to be more dry than I already am?

Joe, any advice seems like I cant take alot of the sames meds?

[jazzlover]

eyeamdry uses Lyrica