A woman suffering from a rare condition known as "suicide disease" has spoken out over her pain.

The 35-year-old has the rare syndrome which is so painful its victims wish they were dead.

Trigeminal caused neuralgia is an excruciatingly painful and debilitating condition, known as "the suicide disease".

Annabelle Woods fell through a trap door at the pub where she worked and developed the condition following the fall, reports DevonLive.

The condition leaves Annabelle with a stabbing pain like "an ice pick" in her skull.

It is regarded as the most painful condition that is known in the medical world and is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve in the face which results in its overreaction to everyday stimuli, such as talking, eating and light touch.

Annabelle, from Ilfracombe, Devon, also suffers from facial paralysis and has symptoms similar to that of a stroke.

She first started suffering from the terrible condition after the fall in 2005, when she returned to work.

Annabelle said: "I was talking to a customer and suddenly half my face was paralysed for about 30 seconds.

"This kept happening and started getting more painful. I took myself to a doctor as people started to notice my face looking droopy."

The conditions Annabelle suffers from cause her immense pain

Annabelle went to see her GP who diagnosed her with a combination of conditions, including trigeminal neuralgia, chronic migraines and cluster headaches .

Annabelle said: "Diagnosis was by my GP which was a lot easier than some people as my symptoms tied in with my accident immediately.

"I'm always having tests for multiple sclerosis (MS) as the neurologist believes it may develop into that too over the years as my nerves are so damaged."

The symptoms have been described by some doctors as "the most severe pain you can imagine" and has left Annabelle completely debilitated on several occassions.

She said: "There's stabbing pain in my face which feels like an ice pick to the skull.

"I get right-sided face paralysis and it feels like my head is either ice cold or on fire.

"My body feels like it's 90 years old and has just run a marathon.

"The head pain can happen so suddenly, I've been outside in the street and collapsed a few times."

To combat the pain, Annabelle is on a number of treatments including oxygen therapy, pain killers and Lidocaine anaesthetic facial patches.

She also goes to the hospital every three months to have 33 Botox injections in her neck, scalp and shoulders to help in the prevention of chronic migraines.

She said: "I've learned to fight against the pain so I can work out of necessity, but this makes me so tired I will sleep for 10 hours a night and wake up still exhausted."

Annabelle has been recommended for treatment at the Great Ormond Street Hospital, where they will administer intravenous dihydroergotamine every eight hours.

The University College London Hospital is the only one in the UK licensed to prescribe the treatment of this medicine.

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Annabelle's mother has launched a crowd funding campaign to help her pay for the expenses she incurs getting treatment.

On the GoFundMe page she says: "Annabelle will be in hospital for up to three weeks and this is why I have set up this page.

"As her mother, I know her financial situation as firstly she is self employed and will not have any sick pay to cover loss of earnings from her nails business and as a musician.

"Also she will need ongoing treatment and this will mean further trips up to London again. She can't travel there and back on her own.


"As Annabelle has to stay up there so long, both her husband Richard and I want to be able to go up and support her where possible."

So far the page has raised more than £1,200 which will go towards Annabelle's travel costs, parking, accommodation, food and drink.

Annabelle added: "My treatment in hospital will hopefully reduce my tablet intake from 14 tablets a day, DIY injections and oxygen therapy down to just six tablets a day."

You can visit Annabelle's fundraising page  here  .