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July 29, 2025
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4 Facts To Know About Occipital Neuralgia and Lupus Read Article...
A MyLupusTeam Member

Susie Nichols 🤕
Niranjana,
Thank you so much for the info.
I was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia years ago and was lucky to find a DR who prescribed me Gabapentin and Carbamezapine so I haven't had to deal with a lot of pain. The feeling of novacaine wearing off never goes away though.

July 30, 2025
A MyLupusTeam Member

Trigeminal neuralgia affects the facial nerve and causes facial pain, Susie. Occipital neuralgia, as AI says, affects the occipital nerve in the back of the scalp. They both cause sharp, shooting pains but in different locations, and O.N. causes headaches. Medicines such as gabapentin, Lyrica, and carbamazepine are among the treatment options for these conditions.

Rarely, a surgical release procedure may be done for these neuralgias, as nerve compression may be contributing. In our case, nerve inflammation from lupus can cause either, but those without lupus can get it, too.

July 30, 2025 (edited)
A MyLupusTeam Member

How about Trigeminal Neuralgia? Is there anything that would help the side effects that comes with Trigeminal Neuralgia and what is the difference in the two

July 29, 2025
MyLupusTeam

Occipital neuralgia causes severe, piercing or throbbing pain specifically in the back of the scalp. The pain can be on one or both sides of the head and may radiate to the sides or behind the eyes. Treatment options for occipital neuralgia include
- Heat pads applied to neck and back of head
- Physical therapy and massage Show Full Answer

Occipital neuralgia causes severe, piercing or throbbing pain specifically in the back of the scalp. The pain can be on one or both sides of the head and may radiate to the sides or behind the eyes. Treatment options for occipital neuralgia include:
- Heat pads applied to neck and back of head
- Physical therapy and massage
- Anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, or anticonvulsants
- Nerve-blocking injections with anesthetic or steroids
- Botox injections
- Surgery in severe cases

For people with lupus, treating the underlying inflammation with corticosteroids may help reduce symptoms.

July 29, 2025

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