Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GN) is a rare pain syndrome that affects the glossopharyngeal nerve (the ninth cranial nerve that lies deep within the neck) and causes sharp, stabbing pulses of pain in the back of the throat and tongue, the tonsils, and the middle ear. The excruciating pain of GN can last for a few seconds to a few minutes, and may return multiple times in a day or once every few weeks. Many individuals with GN relate the attacks of pain to specific trigger factors such as swallowing, drinking cold liquids, sneezing, coughing, talking, clearing the throat, and touching the gums or inside the mouth. GN can be caused by compression of the glossopharyngeal nerve, but in some cases, no cause is evident. Like trigeminal neuralgia, it is associated with multiple sclerosis. GN primarily affects the elderly.
Most doctors will attempt to treat the pain first with drugs. Some individuals respond well to anticonvulsant drugs, such
as carbamazepine and gabapentin. Surgical options, including nerve resection, tractotomy, or microvascular decompression,
should be considered when individuals either don’t respond to, or stop responding to, drug therapy. Surgery is usually successful
at ending the cycles of pain, although there may be some sensory loss in the mouth, throat, or tongue.
Some individuals recover from an initial attack and never have another. Others will experience clusters of attacks followed
by periods of short or long remission. Individuals may lose weight if they fear that chewing, drinking, or eating will cause
an attack.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and other institutes at the National Institutes of Health
conduct research related to GN in its clinics and laboratories and support additional research through grants to major medical
institutions across the country. Much of this research focuses on finding better ways to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure
disorders such as GN.
American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) P.O. Box 850 Rocklin, CA 95677-0850 ACPA@pacbell.net http://www.theacpa.org Tel: 916-632-0922 800-533-3231 Fax: 916-652-8190 |
Prepared by:
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
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Last updated April 24, 2009