facial numbness

[mindyandy]

Hkelsch
I used to live 30 miles north of Seattle. I now live in North Dakota aka BFE. The trigeminal does have 3 branches. My trigeminal pain was in the mandibular branch. I went to the dentist because I thought the pain was coming from a tooth (deep down inside I knew it wasn't a tooth) I guess I was hoping.

Mindy

[mattsmum]

hi - just to add my thruppence worth re sensory branches of facial nerve.
i too had some sensory disturbance prior to my diagnosis - largely of the external ear and just behind it. my tumour was in the cerebellopontine angle but not obviously touching the trigeminal nerve. i did some digging and found some texts do quote there being a sensory branch from the facial nerve that serves some of the skin of the external ear itself. my tumour later was clearly impacting the trigeminal nerve between the brainstem and the cerebellum and i developed first trigeminal neuralgia and subsequently sensory loss in the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve distribution.
i think it is also worth bearing in mind that there can be variations in innervation between individuals.
vikki

[pjb]

Hkelsch
I used to live 30 miles north of Seattle. I now live in North Dakota aka BFE. The trigeminal does have 3 branches. My trigeminal pain was in the mandibular branch. I went to the dentist because I thought the pain was coming from a tooth (deep down inside I knew it wasn't a tooth) I guess I was hoping.

Mindy

Now I am thinking on a daily basis but not all day varies I get a very bad pain in my back tooth just shots of pain and goes away happens few times at day and it is on the AN side and just thinking I always blamed it on the tooth but the dentist said X-Rays look fine and I believe that tooth did have a root canal many years ago do you think it can be from that nerve ....Yours if I remember was severe and constant ??

Best Wishes,

[reg]

 ???great info but is there any thing that would relieve the sensation (smile) again i too can use all facial muscles but i have the numbness, constant pressure and burnimg feeling on my rt side of face and lately

[hkelsch]

I bet the tooth issues could be due to that pesky trigem if your dentists have ruled out dental problems. unfortunately there's not too much that can be done. the drug, carbamazepine, brand name Carbatrol®;Epitol®;Equetro®;TEGretol® may be of some help, however it could cause some drowsiness.