Nose runs during eating

[Boppie]

Hi everybody, I am 6 months post op and have runny nose after most eating sessions that involve chewing.  Most of the moisture comes from the AN side but sometimes it is both sides.  I assume the sinuses are needing to drain sometime, but does the profuse" watering on the AN side" happen with any of you ?  My eyes are tearing although frank watering of my An eye has only occurred twice and that was during eating.  I am hoping this process means I am improving.  I had lots of taste problems and sore spots on my tongue which are diminishing but the nose runniness is not. 

...Small gripes for someone who had tons of luck.  My best wishes are with those of you who have the bad stuff to deal with.

[DeniseSmith]

Hi, my nose runs whenever I do any type of physical activity, even when i am just walking.  I don't have a runny nose when i eat though.  i asked my dr. about it and he said the nerves are misfiring and it should correct itself in time.   I don't know how much time it takes, but I am 13 months out and it is still happening.  My left eye waters once in a while, but not on a regular basis, and usually that happens after i have been doing some kind of stenuous activity.     

I take all of this as a good sign, and hope for the best. But, who knows whats going to happen, maybe i should by stock in Kleenex or Puffs!

Denise

[HeadCase2]

Boppie,
I have the same things going on.  My nose runs (AN side) and my eye (An side) tears up slightly when I eat.   I look at it as just one of those minor inconveniences from having the cranial nerves diddled with.  I didn't recognize that it was AN related until someone else mentioned it.  I think it was BattyP.
Regards,
 Rob

[vcschaub]

My eye tears more than my nose runs but I have the same problem. The following is from the earsite.com website's information on acoustic neuromas: "The internal auditory canal contains three different types of nerves, the hearing, balance and facial nerve. The facial nerve is responsible for conducting information concerning motion of the face on that side. This is the nerve that is responsible for our ability to raise our eyebrows, close our eyes, flare our nostrils and raise the corner of the mouth on that side. It is also responsible for conducting information regarding taste from the front 2/3 of the tongue and also tear production from the lacrimal glands in our eyes."

The following website has a highly technical but informative article about the relationship between acoustic neuromas and eye function: http://www.optometry.co.uk/files/ad4d3e09666ccfa73b3aecc8b9253663_douglas20020125.pdf. Interesting reading!

Hope this helps.

[nannettesea]

Yep, both happen to me, and my doc said this is common after AN surgery.  Don't know if it will "resolve" or not.  Mine didn't start till about 6 months post-op, now 10 months out
Nan

[matti]

Me too!  Mine developed about 2 months after surgery and still with me at 8 years. I get both the runny nose and watery eye while eating or exercising. I am so used to it now that I don't really notice it. Just keep alot of kleenex handy.

Cheryl

[Windsong]

Hi,

Good to see this thread.

My nose and eye on An side runs too. It's after exercise , yes, and also after eating . I will add that it does not happen ALL the time. And it sure did NOT happen during almost all of my life before this entire An business for me.

I'm the type of person who likes answers.

Even though I know that this is far from other symptoms that can occur with an AN or other brain tumours, I am interested in knowing why this happens.

Perhaps the answer lies in studying the mechanisms in how various body fluids are produced in the body during "health" and after some"thing" is diagnosed like a brain tumor or some other thing.

Windsong

[matti]

My doctors told me that it was due to the way the nerves regenerate after surgery and sometimes in this process, the nerve endings can link with various glands. I don't know how true this is

Cheryl

[vcschaub]

This thread has fascinated me and I have done a little research. It is a bit technical but it illustrates how complex the facial nerve is and why if bruised in any way, such as during acoustic neuroma surgery, there may be many after effects. Hopefully, many of them resolve themselves over time.

From: www.optometry.co.uk/files/ad4d3e09666ccfa73b3aecc8b9253663_douglas20020125.pdf  "Some AN patients find that their eyes water excessively during chewing. This is an example of synkinesis, where the regenerating facial nerve fibres become crossed and when the brain stimulates the salivary glands to secrete, the lacrimal gland operates instead."

From: http://www.meddean.luc.edu/Lumen/Meded/Grossanatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cn7.htm "The main body of the facial nerve is somatomotor and supplies the muscles of facial expression. The somatomotor component originates from neurons in the facial motor nucleus located in the ventral pons. The visceral motor or autonomic (parasympathetic) part of the facial nerve is carried by the greater petrosal nerve. The greater petrosal nerve leaves the internal auditory meatus via the hiatus of the greater petrosal nerve which is found on the anterior surface of the petrous part of the temporal bone in the middle cranial fossa. The greater petrosal nerve passes forward across the foramen lacerum where it is joined by the deep petrosal nerve (sympathetic from superior cervical ganglion). Together these two nerves enter the pterygoid canal as the nerve of the pterygoid canal. The greater petrosal nerve exits the canal with the deep petrosal nerve and synapses in the pterygopalatine ganglion in the pterygopalatine fossa. The ganglion then gives off nerve branches which supply the lacrimal gland and the mucous secreting glands of the nasal and oral cavities."

[Windsong]

Thank you so much. After reading these links I definitely have a better understanding of my dripping nose and eye on one side only (AN side). It also explains why, although i had a form of radiation treatment not surgery per se, it may  well be the location of the An and effect on these nerves, that causes these drips

Again, many thanks. I appreciate it. Great to have this site.

Windsong

[Boppie]

My Mom used to say "There's comfort in misery!"  Thanks everybody for responding on this issue.  It helps so much to know the new normal for me is the same for some others.  Being unique isn't so bad.  Now if anybody could tell me how to find the cell phone!

[Sue]

I, too, am interested in this thread. I had GK, but I seem to have a constant drippy nose, mostly on the AN side also.  My eye doesn't seem to bother me, though.   I haven't noticed it being in conjunction with eating, however.  It is just always drippy. Then, again, maybe it's because I live in one of the worse places in the US for allergies!  But I dont' have other really bad allergy symptoms - just the drippy nose.  but I have, on occasion, woken up with a red eye and it's almost always on the AN side.  I don't know what connection that has to anything, but there you go.   

Sue

[Boppie]

vcschwaub mentions "brusied" facial structures.  My face, nose and eye sockets were very tender for some time after the surgery.  I thought it was referred pain from the stimulator patches they used on me.  Now I read Sue who had GK treatment has the dripping nose issue too.  I guess the petrosal nerve becomes damaged in either treatment approach...Hoping someone reports the dripping stops permanently.  Would treatment for synkinesis help?

[kerri lyn angel]

an interesting thread. i must be a contradiction. my noes on the an side pours when i do anything physical but the eye on that side does not ever shed a tear . i guess i'm the wierdo i always knew i was lol!

[Palace]

Hi


What I'm wondering is why I have it.  I had Cyberknife.  (not the big major surgery)  Maybe it is allergies.  I have my ENT appointment tomorrow morning.



Stay turned.......Palace