Is trigeminal neuralgia treatable?

Trigeminal neuralgia, also known as tic douloureux, is a painful disorder of a nerve in the face called the trigeminal nerve or fifth cranial nerve. There are several medications used to treat it. They are the same ones used to treat any type of persistent nerve pain. Often, a patient needs to try several different medications to find the one that offers the best pain relief. When medications are not helping enough, a surgical procedure to “deaden” the nerve can be considered.