Salman Khan Opens Up About His Painful Battle with ‘Suicide Disease’ on New Prime Video Show
Bollywood star Salman Khan, 59, has revealed his long and painful struggle with trigeminal neuralgia—a severe facial nerve disorder often called the ‘suicide disease’—during his appearance on the new Prime Video chat show Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle, hosted by actors Twinkle Khanna and Kajol. Salman was joined by his close friend Aamir Khan on the episode.
Recalling the onset of his condition, Salman said, “I was shooting Partner. Lara [Dutta] was there, and when she removed a strand of hair from my face, I felt this sudden pain. I joked, ‘Wow, Lara, you’re electrifying!’ That’s when it started.” He explained that the disorder’s intense, shooting pain made each day a challenge.
“You have to learn to live with it,” he said. “Many people deal with bypass surgeries, heart problems, and more. But when I experienced trigeminal neuralgia, the pain was… something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. I endured it for seven and a half years. The pain would strike every 4-5 minutes, sometimes even while I was speaking.”
Salman described how even simple tasks became difficult. “It would take me an hour and a half to finish breakfast, and I would go straight to dinner. For something like an omelette, I couldn’t chew it properly, so I had to push through the pain just to finish my meal,” he said. “I was taking around 750 mg of painkillers, and still, there was no relief. At first, they thought it was a dental issue. They asked when the pain would subside, and I said it would ease slightly after a drink or two, but then it would come back.”
Eventually, doctors realized the problem was nerve-related. “The highest rate of suicides is among those suffering from this disease. Many people are unaware of it,” Salman noted. “I chose to speak out because so many are affected. Nowadays, it is treatable. There’s a procedure called Gamma Knife Surgery where they attach screws to your face for nearly eight hours. I went through it, and when I came out, they said my pain would only reduce by 20-30%. But by the grace of God, it completely vanished.”
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