swollen parotiod/trigeminal nerve

[nowwhatswrongwithme]

Can the parotid gland swell and cause trigeminal  neuralgia?  Or even lymph nodes swell and get into  any facial nerves or am i stuck taking this horrible medicine (carba..) for a long time and these are two different symptoms????

[zionrachel]

I have CFS/CMV.  All my glands/lymph nodes are swollen, but the most noticeable is the right parotid.  That is because for three years it has caused trigeminal neuralgia.  I am in almost constant pain and have not ever found any relief.  I eat a mostly natural diet because this is supposed to help, but the pain is always there to some degree. It also causes some numbness and muscle twitching.  Let me know if you find some relief!!  I'll try anything!!

[nancy99n]

I looked at a portion of Gray's Anatomy (not the TV show -- the book on anatomy) and was shocked to see just how much of the face/head the Trigeminal Nerve interacts with.  

Here's a quote (very technical medical stuff):
"The Auriculotemporal Nerve (n. auriculotemporalis) generally arises by two roots, between which the middle meningeal artery ascends. It runs backward beneath the Pterygoideus externus to the medial side of the neck of the mandible. It then turns upward with the superficial temporal artery, between the auricula and condyle of the mandible, under cover of the parotid gland; escaping from beneath the gland, it ascends over the zygomatic arch, and divides into superficial temporal branches."

If you want to look at it yourself -- the link is:  http://www.bartleby.com/107/200.html

I have no idea if the gland is swollen if it will bother the nerve -- but since it's all interconnected it's a good hypothesis.  Something to talk to your doctor about.

Hope you find a pain solution!
Nancy