parasthesia on left side of head

[JMAUD]

I HAVE CHRONIC PRESSURE & NUMBNESS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY HEAD. THIS STARTED ABOUT A YEAR & A HALF AGO IN MY LEFT EAR. I WAS SMOKING AT THE TIME. EVERY TIME I SMOKED IT GOT WORSE. IT SPREAD TO MY LEFT TEMPLE & PART OF MY FACE. MOST OF THE PRESSURE IS NOW IN MY TEMPLE. I QUIT SMOKING A YEAR AGO. I DO GET TINGLING IN MY EAR STILL. I HAVE PRICKLING & PINS NEEDLES IN MY TEMPLE NEARLY CONSTANT. I HAVE BEEN EXAMINED BY 2 ENT & HAD A CAT SCAN WITH  CONTRAST THAT CAME BACK NORMAL. I SAW A NEUROLGIST & HE DID A BRAIN MRI WITH CONTRAST AS WELL AS MY INNER AUDITORY CANAL. THESE WERE ALSO NORMAL. I WENT TO A CARDIOLOGIST WHO DID A CAROTID ARTERY TEST & A STRESS TEST WITH DYE . EVERY THING CAME BACK NORMAL. I WENT TO EMERGENCY LAST AUGUST BECAUSE MY LEFT TEMPLE WAS SEVERELY NUMB. THE DOCTOR THERE SUGGESTED IT COULD BE A PINCHED NERVE RELATED TO MY JAW. I DID BREAK MY JAW 25 YEARS AGO. HOWEVER I WAS ALSO EXAMINED THOROUGHLY BY TMD MAXOFACIAL DOCTOR WHO HAD NO ANSWERS FOR ME. WHEN I WAS AT THE EMERGENCY IN AUGUST I REQUESTED A BLOOD TEST. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL EXCEPT FOR A RHEUMATOID FACTOR WELL OVER 800. I WAS SENT TO A RHEUMATOLOGIST & HE EXAMINED MY BLOOD FOR ANY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE. EVERYTHING CAME BACK NORMAL AGAIN. HE TOLD ME MY HIGH RH FACTOR COULD JUST MEAN I HAVE A CHANCE OF GETTING RA. I HAVE RUN OUT OF OPTIONS & IM DESPERATE. DO YOU THINK THIS COULD BE A PINCHED NERVE ? THE ER DOCTOR WROTE ME A PRESCRIPTION FOR PREDNISONE. I HAVE NOT TRIED THAT YET. I DID ALSO SEE A PHYSICAL MEDICINE DOCTOR WHO SAID I HAVE NO LOSS OF FUNCTION. ALTHOUGH I DONT HAVE NECK PAIN COULD IT BE REFFERED?

[JMAUD]

HI MARY I WENT TO SEE A CHIROPRACTOR & HE S TELLING ME MY TOP 2 VERTEBRAE ARE NOT ALIGNED . HE THINKS THIS IS CAUSING THE SYMPTOMS. HE TOOK XRAYS & THEY ARE GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. DONT KNOW IF I TRUST HIM , BUT I DID SUSPECT A PINCHED OR COMPRESSED NERVE. THANKS AGAIN MARY FOR YOUR INTEREST. SINCERELY JEFF

[Mary 53]

Thank you for your kind comment, Jeff. Nice of you to take the time to post that response.

I hope you get some answers soon. I just remembered that a few years ago when I was working in Special Education, I worked with a Speech Pathologist who did her entire thesis in grad school on Bell's Palsey. Seems like there might be more to this than just the side effect of the droppy face.

I work with kids now in a different setting. A Speech Pathologist from the school district works with our kids...I will ask him tomorrow if he has any info about Bell's Palsey...just curious to see what he says and if he has anything to say that I think might be helpful, I will post it.

The only problem is sometimes we get soooooo busy at my work that we get to "wave" to our co-workers and that is about it. But, I should get a chance to talk to the pathologist...he is very knowledgeable and interesting. He might have some thoughts.

OK...I am avoiding doing some of my paper work :)

Take care,

Mary

[Mary 53]

Hi,

Gee, I wish I could remember. This was back in 1973 when I was a sophomore in college. As I said, I was given cortisone. Hard to know if it was prednisone as such. I just remember the doctor telling me he was giving me cortisone pills...possibly was prednisone, but I don't know the dose. I recall that he did not want me to stay on it for too long, but I cannot recall why not...again, this was in 1973, so possibly the med itself has changed, as well as the dosing.

I hope you feel better soon...

Mary

[JMAUD]

THANK YOU SO MUCH MARY FOR  TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER. YOUR KINDNESS HAS HELPED ME. I WISH YOU SWEET JOY & A MERRY CHRISTMAS !!! SINCERELY JEFF

[JMAUD]

HI MARY & THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT. I DONT HAVE ANY DROOPING OF THE FACE. I JUST STARTED TAKING THE PREDNISONE. IM ON 60 MG A DAY. ITS ONLY BEEN 3 DAYS & NO RELIEF YET. HOW MUCH WERE YOU TAKING A DAY ? IM GLAD IT WORKED FOR YOU THANKS , JEFF

[Mary 53]

Sorry to hear of your suffering.

Say, did any of these doctors talk about Bell's Palsy? It is the first thing that came to my mind. It is a type of Palsy that is caused by inner ear problems. And, it was named after a Dr. Bell some years ago.

I had Bell's Palsy while I was in college. This was in the early 70's. Do you have any noticable drooping on one side of your face?

I can see where you might not have all the symptoms of the Bell's Palsy, but you do seem to have many of them, or at least a variation of them.

If my understanding is correct, Prednisone is a cortisone and frankly, that is what I was given (a cortisone script). I took it for two weeks and it took all of the symptoms away. I was lucky in that I did not have any residual drooping. I eventually got back on allergy shots to help with my inner ear problems...no problems since then except for itchy ears!

Hope this helps in some way.


Mary