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388376 tn?1302011418

Facial numbness


Hi about a year and a half ago i was celebrating the christmas season with my family. parents, brothers and kids ect. Although it was a lovely time it was also an very stressfull time. My brother kids are wild and scream constantly. Anyway i was so stressed out one day i felt as if my head was going to pop. I had the weirdest thing happen, something in the right side of my temple felt as if it pinged. From there i had a very sore ear, went to the dr there he said it was an ear infection, gave me antibiotics. I the got on a 7 hour filght and the days that followed weren't good. My jaw started to hurt, my teeth hurt when i ate and brushed my teeth. It even hurt to talk. Then slowly a numbness started to spread from my right temple to my chin. Also the inside of my mouth, teeth, gums and tongue are numb. I have been for various blood tests, a spinal tap and 3 mri's nothing came back. I went to a specialist that thought it was tmj, then a different jaw specialist that said nothing to do with my jaw . A neurolagist couldn't figure it out and told my just to think of my cup as half full!!! I have seen a few specialist that more or less threw their hands up. The only dr that has given me a somewhat resonable answer was an oral pathologist. She said i have Atypical trigeminal neuralga and put me on these drugs that quite frankly make me high. I'm hoping this isn't it for me. The horrible sensations  feel in my face ever min on every waking hour is so frustrating and it never goes away. I am going to see yet another specialist to hopefully get some answers.Has had anything similar or think they have any suggestions to help please .

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388376 tn?1302011418
I just wanted to thank you so very much! I have indeed got a subluxation of the 1,2 and 3 vertebra. i started adjustments and acupuncture on Friday. I will be seeing the chiroprator 5 times a week for the next couple of weeks. He said he will know in that time if it is working. Wow i so wish i had found you sooner.
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Avatar universal
I have ms and the left side of my face is very weak. I still have feeling but not a lot. I also have vertigo and blurred/double vision. Will the facial numbness/weakness go away during remission?
Ashley
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388376 tn?1302011418
Thank you . As you can imagine i am at the point i will also do anything. I will check the chiropractor tomorrow. So nervous this horrible sensation won't ever go away:(
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Avatar universal
Hi there,
I am so sorry you are suffering. I am not a doctor but have had some similar symptoms that you are describing. I also had an mri that came back negative for anything. My sister had told me about a upper cervical specific chiropractor. I decided to check out that route for i was willing to try anything to make the numbness, tingling go away. I had it throughout my whole left side of face and mouth. He found that my C1 (atlas) was putting pressure on my trigeminal nerve.(supplies facial sensations) After some adjusting and giving the nerve time to heal (4 months) all of my symptoms were gone. I highly recommend looking into it. ( NUCCA technique). I hope this helps.
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388376 tn?1302011418
Thank you for your help. I have already had a lumbar puncture. Could it possibly be temporal arteritis?
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I cannot tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

There are many causes of facial numbness.  Sensation of the face is a function of the trigeminal nerve.  Any impairment along the trigeminal pathway can cause dysfunction of this sensory system.  This pathway can be disrupted by a wide variety of causes including trauma (dental, surgical), infection (syphilis, varicella zoster), systemic diseases (diabetes, connective tissue disease), tumors, drugs or toxins (cocaine), inflammatory conditions (sarcoidosis), vascular anomalies (aneurysms), strokes, and demyelinating disease.  There is also an entity known as idiopathic trigeminal sensory neuropathy, where a person may have transient sensory disturbances in the territory of the trigeminal nerve without a known cause (this is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning other possibilities must be ruled out).

It is reassuring to hear that you have had multiple MRI’s that have been negative.    This would make a tumor or aneurysm much less likely (it may be helpful to find out if your MRI imaging was with contrast, as some intracranial tumors are detected with contrast).  It also appears that you do not have a history of known trauma.  Many of the other conditions listed above may have been ruled out with blood work, although you may want to check with your physician.  A lumbar puncture would have also been helpful in determining whether a demyelinating or infectious process may have been involved.  It is reassuring that your results are negative.

I am unsure which specialists you have been referred to, but after starting with a neurologist, it may be helpful to seek the opinion of an ENT physician, or dentist. In certain cases, where there is evidence of a connective tissue disorder or autoimmune process, a rheumatologist may be needed.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
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388376 tn?1302011418
Hi - i just have numbness in my face. No i haven't had an ultra sound of my carotid arteries. I will also get my blood pressure checked. Do you have any suggestions on what i have ?
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Avatar universal
Have they done an ultrasound of your carotid arteries?  Is it just numbness in your face?  or do you have numbness anywhere else on your body?  

I have personally been through years of workups..  had everything under th sun done on me.  Assuming they did an Mri with contrast to look at your vessels in your head?    Also get your blood pressure checked.. when my blood  pressure is high.. I feel pressure in my head like it will explode.  Also I work in a neurosurgical icu ...so have some back ground experience.
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