Young woman diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia, the 'Worst Pain in the World' receives innovative treatment to relieve symptoms
Carolina Arruda, diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, is still considering the possibility of euthanasia abroad. However, she is willing to reevaluate that decision depending on the results of the new treatment.
Carolina Arruda is already hospitalized for treatment aimed at reducing the pain of this medical condition - Photo Reproduction/Carolina Arruda/Personal Archive
Trigeminal Neuralgia is a rare neurological condition characterized by intense and sudden pain in the face, often described by patients as the "worst pain in the world". Recently, a young woman diagnosed with this illness found hope in an innovative treatment that promises to alleviate her debilitating symptoms.
Carolina Arruda, from Minas Gerais, diagnosed with the medical condition, was hospitalized this Monday (8) in Santa Casa de Alfenas, to begin an innovative treatment, aiming to alleviate the intense and persistent pain. A veterinary medicine student, she mentioned the possibility of considering euthanasia abroad, but is open to reevaluating this decision depending on the effectiveness of the treatment.
What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?
Trigeminal neuralgia, also known as painful tic, is a painful condition that affects the trigeminal, the fifth pair of cranial nerves. This nerve is responsible for transmitting sensations of pain and touch from the face to the brain. Trigeminal neuralgia causes sudden, intense episodes of excruciating facial pain, which can be triggered by everyday activities such as talking, chewing, brushing your teeth, or even lightly touching your face.
The exact causes of trigeminal neuralgia are not completely understood, but it may be related to compression of the nerve by a nearby blood vessel, multiple sclerosis, injuries, or, more rarely, tumors. Symptoms often begin abruptly and can be very debilitating, significantly interfering with the patient’s quality of life. The pain of trigeminal neuralgia They are compared to electric shocks and even stabbings.
Treatment varies depending on the severity of symptoms and may include pain medication, such as anticonvulsants or muscle relaxants, as well as physical therapies and, in more severe or resistant cases, surgery to relieve pressure on the nerve. Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic condition and may require ongoing management to control symptoms and improve quality of life for affected patients.
Diagnosis and the Patient Journey
Carolina Arruda lives in Bambuí, in the Center-West of Minas Gerais, and is studying veterinary medicine. Married for three years and mother of a 10-year-old girl, Carolina started feeling pain at age 16, during pregnancy and while recovering from dengue. She remembers that the first pain came while she was sitting on the sofa at her grandmother's house, shortly after recovering from dengue fever. She described it as intense and unusual pain that made her scream and cry. At first, he thought it was a dengue-related headache, but he soon realized it was something completely different, a pain he had never experienced before.
Seven years ago, neurosurgeon Marcelo Senna diagnosed Carolina Arruda with the "worst pain in the world". With more than 30 years of experience in trigeminal neuralgia, Senna was approached by Carolina when she was 20 years old. At that time, she had already suffered from pain for four years and had consulted several doctors without success. Interestingly, years before, Senna had given the same diagnosis for her great-grandfather. Despite having consulted more than 50 doctors and undergone several procedures, the Bambuí resident decided to try one more treatment. At the same time, it continues its online campaign to raise funds and seek assistance for assisted suicide in Switzerland.
The Challenge of Conventional Treatment
Traditionally, Trigeminal Neuralgia is treated with pain medication, physical therapy, or, in extreme cases, surgery to decompress the affected nerve. However, these options do not always provide lasting relief or are tolerable to patients due to significant side effects. After receiving the diagnosis, Carolina Arruda underwent several treatments with different doctors, including surgeries such as microvascular decompression, balloon rhizotomy and two phenolization neurolysis.
However, none of these procedures provided the relief needed to improve his quality of life. The intensity of the pain and the impact of the disease led Carolina to make the difficult decision to seek an end to her suffering. She started an internet campaign to raise financial resources and plans to carry out assisted suicide in Switzerland.
According to the Minas Gerais native, she has already researched treatments abroad, but found that they are similar to those available here in Brazil, that is, There's nothing innovative out there. Doctors' lack of understanding about the disease only makes the situation worse. Often, the specialists and doctors on call are unfamiliar with the condition and don't know how to approach it. According to the young woman, another doctor who has been following her for some time is investigating an alternative, which would involve neurologists from Argentina. However, this treatment would be costly.
New Treatment
According to the young woman, after the case gained repercussions, the interventional pain doctor and clinical director of a hospital in the south of Minas, Carlos Marcelo, offered to help her. He was available to perform some treatments free of charge. Currently, the girl from Minas Gerais is already hospitalized to start the new treatment. She explained through a post on her social network that the doctor proposed inducing her to sleep to "reset her brain." During her stay in the ICU, over the next 20 days, he will evaluate her response to decide on the procedure to be adopted, which could be radiofrequency, morphine pump or implantation of an electrode. The choice will depend on your answer. According to Carolina, if successful, the treatment can reduce pain by up to 50%.
