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Bollywood superstar Salman Khan opened up about a deeply personal struggle on the premiere episode of Prime Video’s chat show Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle Khanna, where he appeared alongside Aamir Khan.

The 59-year-old actor revealed his long battle with trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic facial pain condition often called the “suicide disease” for the unbearable intensity it brings.

Here’s what he said about the song’s comeback!

Salman Khan on how he struggled with Trigeminal Neuralgia

Instagram/beingsalmankhan

Salman Khan recently shared that he first felt the excruciating pain back in 2007 while shooting for his film Partner with Lara Dutta, recalling a moment when a simple strand of hair being removed from his face triggered waves of unbearable pain.

Talking about how the pain made his everyday activities tough, Salman shared, "You've got to live with it. There are a lot of people living with bypass surgeries, heart conditions, and many more. When I had trigeminal neuralgia, that pain used to be... You would not want your biggest enemy to have that pain.”

“I had it for seven-and-a-half years. It used to hurt every four-five minutes. It would happen suddenly, while talking... It used to take me about an hour and a half to have my breakfast, and I used to go straight to dinner. For an omelette, because I couldn't chew it, I had to force myself, hurt myself, take as much pain, so I could get rid of the meal," he added.

Initially, many assumed his pain was related to dental issues.

Salman shared, “I was taking around 750 mg of painkillers, and even that didn't provide relief. They thought it was a dental issue. I was asked when the pain would subside. I replied that it would lessen a bit after having a drink or two, but it would return at longer intervals. That’s when they realized it was a nerve problem.”

Salman Khan recalls first jolt of excruciating facial pain

Instagram/beingsalmankhan

He traced the first jolt of pain back to the set of Partner (2007) and spoke candidly about the intense Gamma Knife Surgery he underwent, which ultimately relieved his pain.

He said, “Lara was there. She brushed a strand of hair from my face, and I felt a jolt of pain. I joked, ‘Wow Lara, you're electrifying!’ That was the moment it began,” he recounted.

Speaking about treatment, Salman said, “The highest rate of suicides is among those suffering from this disease. Many people are unaware of it. I chose to speak out because numerous individuals are affected. Nowadays, it is quite treatable.”

“There’s a procedure called Gamma Knife Surgery where they attach screws to your face for nearly 8 hours. I went through this surgery. When I emerged, they informed me that my pain would decrease by 20-30%. But, by the grace of God, it completely vanished,” he added.

For those unfamiliar, trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that impacts the trigeminal nerve, causing intense facial pain that can be triggered by simple everyday actions such as chewing, brushing teeth, or even a light touch.

Social and lead image Credits: Instagram/beingsalmankhan

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