Cannot cry out of tumour side eye

[ritapotenza]

Hi

I was just wondering if anyone else is unable to cry AT ALL out of their eye (tumour side). I had retrosigmoid surgery followed by radiation about 18 months ago. My surgeon and radiation doctor has told me that this should not have been a side effect but I certainly could cry out of my right eye before surgery!  I am also suffering from really bad headaches and am wondering if it is related??

Thanks
Rita (from Australia)

P.S. This is great forum!!

[Patti]

I haven't cried out of my tumor side in 18 years and still need to use frequent eye drops. I feel it swell but no tears ever fall.

[Tod]

Yes, this has been true for me since surgery in 2010. It will occasionally water from spicy foods, but not from emotion. I also use eye drops and night lubricant.

Tod

[JLR]

Yes me too. I'm 21 months post op.  My affected right eye does not tear at all. It does well up but never a tear. So odd. I use drops everyday. I use ointment at night. I have a feeling this will be ongoing. 

[Abetpds]

Me too!   I had my surgery on June 26, 2018.  My left eye never tears up, but during the day, I do not need any drops.  Also my left nostril is always dry. When I have a cold, nothing comes out of the left nostril - only the right.  The left side of my tongue has lost its tastebuds - so anything other than spicy foods is tasteless.  Other issue I am finding is that it is hard to read - I keep losing focus as the words on the page get blurry. Then after rubbing my eyes or closing them for a moment, I'm able to read but it happens again. Anyone facing this issue?

[JLR]

Oh yes, me as well. It will be 2 years post op November 1. My right nostril never runs it's also slightly pinched. I'm thinking that is the way it's always going to be. I keep thinking it could be worse so I'm thankful. 

[pbjoneal172]

Me too. 

2001, I had a 5 cm. tumor removed from behind the right ear, (which is that? Sigmoid?, 12 hr surgery, they finally had to cut the facial nerve to get it.

No tears in the right eye, dry eye, need drops/gel when it gets bad, same as everyone else.  But also BLURRY PERIPHERAL VISION WHEN LYING DOWN, no lying down to watch TV.  Also my right nostril collapsed, I assumed facial nerve, but that means when I inhale I get half the air.  And of course headaches.  I am just now looking with a new doctor how to address some of these issues along with some other things die to thyroid ,etc.

Has anyone had any experience with the nose and eyes in conjunction with the tears issue?

[JLR]

We seem to be in the boat. No tears. And my nose is always dry.

[ColleenS]

Same for me. No tears since my surgery. I had radiation five months ago and now I am dealing with facial issues. My eye does not close so I am patching, using the ointment and occasionally I un-patch with drops but I do not last long and then it is on fire from dryness. I hope this gets better as the tumor dies and the swelling dissipates. I understand this process could take one to three years.

[JLR]

Yup me too and it’s been 3 years.

[Zan]

I was told by my doctor that there is a gland in your facial nerve that stimulates tear production. Since my tumor was on my facial nerve instead of in my ear, it was one of my first symptoms.  I haven’t cried out of my left eye since 2016.
For some reason my eye does tear when I am doing cardio. If I’m out for a run, it suddenly starts to tear up.