Facial cramping with paralysis?

[amymeri]

Hi Everyone

For those of you who have or had facial paralysis, did you experience a lot of cramping?  If you did, when did it resolve and did is preage any kind of movement or twitching?  I have no real movement yet, except the corner of my mouth, no twitching but lots of facial cramps, tingles, pains, sensory twitches NOT accompanied by movement...

I am 3 months out.

Just wondering if you could share your experiences.   

Amy

[Static]

Amy,
Wish I had more info for ya but I was extremely lucky, I only had minimal, not extremely noticeable paralysis.  I did experience tingling in my cheek but that is all.  I never lost real movement of my mouth, there was just a small droop on the AN side (the sides of my mouth sort of drop anyway so it wasn't very noticeable except by me).  I am not a doctor, but from things I've read, the tingling and feelings are nerves healing.  Hope this helps.
K

[Obita]

amymeri:

I had some temporary numbness/paralysis post op and at about a month I had some mild cramping on my jaw line near my ear.  That was followed by LOTS of twitching as the nerves regenerated.  I still get wierd sensations every other week or so and I am 26 months post op.

Any twitching, cramping etc...is just what you want to be happening.  I'm sure you know this but the nerves take forever to heal.

Kathy

ps:  Sometimes it even kept me awake at night.  For some reason my healing facial nerves were nocturnal.

[Jeanlea]

Amymeri,

I have just a little bit of facial cramping and a whole lot of twitching, jolts, and other sensations in my face.  Lately I've even noticed that my cheek bounces like blood is going through a vein.  Kind of reminds me of when my babies kicked when I was pregnant, but on a much smaller scale.  I'm thinking all of this activity is giving me more movement.  I first got some movement back at just over 3 months.  It started ever so small.  Now I can make my face move under my eye a little and along the side of my nose. When I squinch my nose up I can now see the corner of my mouth move.  Still can't make it move when I smile though.
When my face is at rest it looks normal.  But when I talk my mouth seems to move my lips over to the good side.  So I try to pull it back with my fingers.  lol

Jean

[DeniseSmith]

Amymeri,

I have pain and spasms on the left side of my face everyday.  My facial nerve was severed during surgery, so i don't know whats going on, my dr. says my paralysis is permanent. I believe him.  So I don't know if I am feeling phantom pain or what.  Yesterday my cheek hurt all day, like it was being twisted from the inside out.  I do not have any movement at all. I am 17 months post op.

Its funny, i used to think if you had any type of paralysis you  could not feel pain. Now i know that you just can't move your paralyzed body part,  that you feel pain but on a different level.

I am sorry I am no help with your question, but it helps me to vent a little of my tension and stress in your thread. I hope your nerves repair themselves soon and you get full facial movement back.

Denise

P.S. I do the same thing with my lips/mouth!  Only I do it while I talk on the phone, my f's and b's are very hard to understand sometimes.

[antoinette]

did they reattach the facial nerve to some nerve like the hypoglossal?
This graft usualy works well, even if done after over a year of waiting.
. I know several people who had it.
Are you confident in your doctor? how many surgeries had he done before yours.
You may start thinking of a second opinion which, if the same, will reassure you.
The severed facal nerve has now regrown a great deal but in what direction?

All my wishes, for improvment and peace of mind.
ant

[Pembo]

Hi Amy. I've had facial cramping. I had complete paralysis and a very small movement started about 4 months post op, it has steadily gotten better in the last 2 years.  My ot said that any feeling was a good sign. She also taught me how to massage my face to relieve the cramps, some hurt. I still get them now and then, recently I had a bout where my face would get stuck if I moved it too much.