I also have a collagen condition that causes my tissues to be more fragile than ever thought they could be. I had eye surgery about 5 years ago where an eye muscle and the nerve that runs along the eye down the nose and up to the forhead were torn..now my eye tears run when I have allergies, my head itches instead of my eye and I have double vision due to the muscle being torn and weakened.

So I am really trying to stay away from the oral surgeon but this pain is just horrible...its about the same or a little worse than the pain from my c-section when they did not give me any pain meds while I was in post op recovery.

INJURY:neuropathic pain condition?{who knows}

HOW: wisdom teeth extraction plus one inpacted tooth from roof of my mouth

WHEN:10 months ago

RECOVERY:slow

CURRENT CONDITION: better than 6 months ago state of mind has a lot to do with it.

MEDS TRIED:Neurontin,aropax anti inflammatories,antibiotics bucket loads of over the counter pain killers

CURRENT MEDS:Doxepin 125mg nightly clonazapam 2 tabs nightly and one in the morning

OUTLOOK: depends on the pain l am in on any given day ranges from positive to negative on a daily basis sometimes

INJURY: Damaged IAN resulting in lip and chin numbness also severe toothache apparently unrelated to injury (debatable)

HOW: Wisdom teeth extraction, one impacted and nerve running through tooth and not on outside of tooth hence severely stretched IAN.

WHEN: 3 months ago.

RECOVERY:Seems like forever (Slow)

CURRENT CONDITION: Still numbness in lip and chin slight sensation back, fuzzy feeling when I touch lip it tickles chin.

MEDS TRIED: Panadine Forte, neurofin plus, antibiotics, Reiki (natural healing).

CURRENT MEDS: At present trying to avoid anything.

OUTLOOK: Praying to god that I may feel normal again one day soon, not sure if I am getting better or just used to it, still hurts to brush my teeth.

Injury: IAN after wisdom tooth extraction. Gums, lip, and chin numbness persists.

How: OS saw the nerve between the roots of the teeth. Must've "bruised" it.

When: Almost 13 weeks ago.

Recovery: Very slow. Still pretty numb.

Current: Some of the numbness has been replaced by hypersensitivity and electrical jolt feeling. Can feel light touch, but not regular pressure on the outside of chin.

Meds: B12 and B6

Outlook: I've probably recovered about 35-40%, so I'm hoping by 6 months to be out of the woods. Pretty annoyed and frustrated by eating, which seems to make it feel more numb.

Injury: Lingual nerve

How: "routine" surgery. ENT was to remove a unknown bump on the floor of my mouth, he cut too deep and almost completely severed my nerve.
When: Feb. 20,03- almost 8 weeks ago.

Recovery: ?? Am I? I am making some progress, although very, very slowly. Was told that almost no one ever recovers 100% from this type of injury. My progress is so slow that I'm still major depressed, I break-down almost every day-even at work. I think they are about ready to fire me over this.

Meds: Currently on Neurontin, started out at 100 mg a day, have worked upto 400 mg a day now, can't tell if it's working or not, I still have burning pain so I take Percocet as well. (Also taking Prozac now due to the depression, and I'm not happy about that factor alone).

Outlook: Well I had the Surgery everybody is always talking about, they re-attached my nerve. Now I just have to wait and see if it will regenerate, was told this could take upto 6 months to know.
I have to tell myself everyday that I'm going to get better, otherwise the depression takes over. So I try to stay positive but... I must admit- so far this thing has kicked my ass. I'm tired all the time due to meds and being depressed, I'm cranky to my family and co-workers. Basically I'm a wreck just trying to pretend to "hold-on" and act normal.
Thanks to all for your time and stories, it helps!

Left side -95% after 10-12 weeks (still slightly distorted sensation on lip)

Right side - 80%
Sensations, treatment, recovery and outlook almost identical to "Another Paul's" left side injury. Almost makes me think our nerves were injured same way, same spot......

It was March 14, 2003, and not April 14.

Sorry.

Thanks for this site. It gives me hope.

I am so glad I found this site.. I was feeling alone, strange and scared. Will I have to deal with this forever???????????

Karen K

TYPE: IAN (lower left chin/lips/gums)
WHEN: November 19, 2002
HOW: Four wisdom teeth extraction
MEDS: I took B-12 vitamins for a while, but no longer take them
STATUS: About 95% recovered. I have full feeling back in my gums
and lips. I have a small area (about the size of a dime)
on my chin that's not really numb, but feels "different."
OUTLOOK: I greatly improved between 6 and 10 weeks. I don't think
about it much any more. Like another person on this board,
this injury really rocked my world for about 6 weeks! I
couldn't do much of anything and was SEVERLY depressed.
Prayer and positive thoughts are always a good thing!

I PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD! GOD BLESS YOU!

I have an IAN injury or swelling or brusing ???

I had one partially erupted Wisdom tooth extracted. 15 very long days ago!! I will say that I only had a local, administered 4 times ,with the extraction and because of my anatomy the OS said it wouldn't numb down deep where the nerves were, the pain during and after the extraction were like pain I have never experienced before and hope to never again.

I take tons of vitamins and Ibuprophen and some acetaminephen round the clock/

I'm in a lot of pain/discomfort still have numbness in lower lip and chin (one side) also some numbing and lots of pressure in lower teeth on the side of extraction. Having great deal of difficulty functioning as the pain just wears me out wakes me in the night. My daughter graduates in 10 days and we are doing an open house etc and quite frankly don't know who were going to pull it off....

I'm pretty angry and I want to say thank you it is so nice to be able to say how I feel knowing that I don't have to sugar coat it as all of you will understand God Bless You all!!!!!

INJURY Nerve damage, not sure which kind. Right side of tongue
numb as well as the inside of lower gum.

HOW Lower right wisdom tooth extraction

WHEN Mid-February 03, 5 months ago

CURRENT CONDITION No improvement to date. Tingling persists
especially along the edge of my tongue.
Feels swollen all the time but sometimes
larger than at other times.

MEDICATIONS None. OS has not prescribed anything.

CURRENT OUTLOOK Have an appt. with a nerve specialist in 3 weeks.
At one point I had decided to just live with it
but am having second thoughts. I really don't
have much confidence that it can be repaired and
I'm afraid further damage will occur. I just found
this site this morning and have been reading much
of the day. Glad to know I'm not a freak and I
feel fortunate that I am not also experiencing
pain, just non-stop aggravation and occasional
bouts of anger which I immediately try to quench.

Hope and pray everyone can find help. This surgery does help 90 percent of time, mine was more than one nerve involved so I am different. There is hope, so be sure to go to Dr. P Janetta's website on facial pain.
God Bless-Kat

WHEN - November 11, 1998

HOW - Lower right wisdom tooth extraction not impacted. When the assistant sprayed something in my mouth my tongue went cold. When I was given the shot I felt a strong shap pain.

MEDS - I tried vitamins, and acupunture at the beginning along with pain killers. I now just take pain killers.

STATUS - About the same after the 6 month point. Some days I can just ignore it - The numbness is just "there" a fact of life. Other days, like today the pain is terrible. The inside right gum is painful and when I touch where the wisdom tooth was I feel a pain in my tongue. There is a burnt numb sensation on the right side of my tongue. Somedays I have pain in the right ear from it.

OUTLOOK - Had I not found this site when the injury first happened I don't know where I'd be. Now my outlook is acceptance.

Cost: 60 5mg (5000mcg) tablets are $31 Canadian. I find they are well worth it and last me about 3 weeks.

Magnesium is important too. I take up to 1000mg of magnesium (citrate) per day. Available at any health store, reasonable prices.
Vitamin C is good too. If you get ester-C it is buffered with calcium so you can take more without upsetting the tummy (I take 3000-5000mg per day, with meals, it is high but serves me well, you may want to test out your limit. Vitamin C doesn't stay in your sytem it goes right through you but the benefits are still there.

Keep your immune system up and don't skimp on the B12!(there are 2 kinds, make sure it is the methyl).

Good luck
Joanne

I could not find sublingual B12 (methylcobalamin) locally either. I had to order it from an intranet site. You may want to check this option out too. Here is one site I found that had a few choices.

http://www.iherb.com/met5000.html

I try to take 5mg am/pm.

"T"

I'm glad to read that you are still seeing improvements since your injury in January 2001. I received my injury January 2003 from an injection too. I don't have numbness like you, but do have the pain. My area of involvement doesn't follow "normal" patterns either. If you look further up on this thread you will find one of my posts.

I've been concerned about my recovery because I'm getting close to my one year mark and I think my symptoms are only being controlled with medications. I don’t think my nerve has healed. I’m not ready to back of my medications either to find out how much healing I’ve experienced. My neuro said that 80% heal within the first year. Dang statistics - I don't think I will be one of these "lucky" ones. Nerve healing can be so PAINFULLY slow. It has been physically and emotionally painful for me and has been hard for me to keep my attitude positive during this. I've found this site to be very helpful for my emotionally healing and the information is invaluable. I can get the support and information I need that I can’t or don’t get from my doctors on this site.

I’ve found for me I need several medications to help me control my symptoms. You might want to check into this possibility if you still have a lot of pain. I noticed you said you couldn't lay on your right side of your face. A few months ago that was me. Just the touch of the pillow on my skin would hurt and the longer I kept it there the more it would hurt. My neuro increased my Trileptal dose I am on and I can now put my face on the pillow. Every evening when I go to bed I roll over on this side and just enjoy this feeling of no pain. I also use topical treatments to help me too.

Good Healing

"T"

Glad you are continuing to heal and you can sleep on your right side now even if it is only for a short time. These small improvements add up to big improvements down the road.

I believe medication is a personnel choice. Your attitude is not silly nor are you a masochist just because you don't want to take more medication. You are the only one that knows what you need to get by. Everyone is an individual when it comes to healing and when it comes to the amount of and type of medication they can tolerate. It is your choice, just don't let yourself suffer needlessly.

Reading your story has given me hope that I will heal too. Thanks for sharing it with this site and me.

Good Healing to use all.

"T"

This site makes me feel sooooooooo much better.

I am starting with doctor #9 and soon #10--otolaryngologist and a nuerologist. Can anyone recommend the type of doctor I should be seeing? Tomorrow I go to my internist to address what I am finding on my own and to talk about meds. It seems that several who have posted on this board take Vitamin B's.

Help! The burning, hot and cold sensations, and the pain to my teeth that have no roots is killing me and depressing me, too. I'm on the verge of tears all the time and it hurts sooooo much to talk.

Hopeful that someone will respond,
Linda

Read the treatment page to get an idea of what meds are available. Your internist or Family Doctor should be able to start you on some meds to help you with your pain. Don't let them send you out of their office without help.

I understand the being on the verge of tears all the time and the pain. I had the burning pain and it was very hard to deal with.

Here is what my doctor initially RX'd for me. You my need something different, but this will give you and example of what your doctor should and can do for you.

I was RX's an anti-depressant (Remeron), anti-seizure (Neurontin), pain med (Ultracet). Anti-depressants/seizure meds are usually given for nerve type pains. Again, read the treatment page on this site to get more info.

Good luck and know you are not alone

"T"

The areas on your face that you talk about are all from the same nerve called the Trigeminal. It has three branches that serve different areas of the face, so what your doctor stated about it being different nerves isn't totally correct. It is the same nerve just different parts of the nerve. There is a trigeminal for the right and one for the left side of the face. Sounds like your left trigeminal has been injured since you say all the pain is on the left side. It is very likely it is a nerve injury. You have relief from the medications and that is another sign it is a nerve injury. Your pain and symptoms are very real. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

My injury is from an injection in the lower jaw, but I have pain in all three branches of the Trigeminal. The referred pain is a possiblity because all the sensations from these branches join together in the Trigeminal Ganglion. Sometimes the injured senstations are referred to the other branches that aren't injured after these branches join together at the ganglion.

This is what many doctors like to call "atypical trigeminal neuralgia" because it doesn't follow what they would normally think is "normal". I call my injury a "post traumatic trigeminal neuralgia" that doesn't follow a "typical" pattern expected. Is it a real injury ... damm straight. Sounds like the dentists you've seen don't understand the true nature of nerve injures.

It is hard to know when the pain in a tooth is a sign of real trouble or of referred pain after a nerve injury like yours. I've found if frustrating to know when it is a sign of real trouble or a fantom. If your X-rays look fine I wouldn't have to much work done on the tooth causing the pain, but I would watch it very closely.

Take Care

"T"

Glad I could help. I believe healing can continue for years after an injury. It is more likely to get better if it happens sooner, but I've seen an improvement in myself after the one year mark. I've been able to reduce my meds last month and have not seen an increase in pain. I would not have been able to do that six months ago. I don't know if I will ever be totally meds free, but it is still healing.

What helped me the most? ... that is a hard question to answer.

Physically I think medications helped me the most. The side effect can be difficult, but I found them better then the pain. I couldn't function with the pain. I found I wasn't the tough girl I always thought I was. The pain humbled me and I guess that isn't always a bad thing. I need more rest and comfort then before my injury. I find hot showers and a heating pad on my face helpful. Good food and vitamins too. Topical treatments have also been useful.

Emotionally I'm not sure what helped me the most. I found an inner strenght I didn't know I had. I prayed, meditated and wrote down my thoughts. I'm finding a ways to forgive and accept my new life. It is hard work keeping myself from falling into a pile of self pity.

I gained strength from people on this site and my pain support group. I allowed myself time to cry and grieve. I let my friends know when I needed them. I took time to smell the roses and I don't work overtime anymore.

I try not to think about the days before my injury because it only brings me despair. I feel hopeless when I think of my life in pain forever so I don't want to look out into the future either. I did this in the early months of my injury and I cried everyday. If I fall into thinking like this I will cry again.

I try to live in the present now and not the past or future. I learned this in my pain group: Stand up and put your left foot in the past and your right foot in the future... Now if your living in the past or future look between your two feet and you will see the present. Now think about it...if you aren't living in the present and it is stuck between the past and future it is being peed on. Your missing your life. It is a silly way to remember it isn't good to live in the past or future. It gives me a giggle thinking about it this way.

The present isn't always easy living in with or without a nerve injury, but it is all we have. We have to find ways to make it the best we can. Here are the words I tell myself over and over when I'm falling into despair. I guess it is a small prayer I offer up to God, asking to remind me were these strength are within me so I can get through these hard days. It hasn't been easy, but so far I've found what I've needed to get me though this mess. I say this over and over when I feel like I can't go on: Faith, Hope, Courage, Stength and Forgiveness

Take Care.

"T"

Best of Luck!

JW

My specialist advised me when I first saw him to avoid any foods that are difficult to eat (requiring a lot of chewing or other types of stress to the mouth, teeth or gums). He wanted me to brush less often and be as gentle as possible with the teeth and gums.
The same goes for flossing. I stay away from red wine, chocolate and cheese as much as possible. In some people these items can set of the head and facial nerves. I make every effort not to rub my tongue around touching my teeth and gums, but you know how difficult it is to break that natural habit.

My Neurologist gave me Neutontin for the pinched nerve in my neck and I have found that so far it is the best thing for any nerve issues one may have.

I hope some of this is helpful and that you recover quickly. I know how terrible this type of situation is and the way(s) it affects your total life. I have been dealing with my situation for over one year, but since I found this specialist four months ago, my condition has greatly improved.

Best of Luck for a speedy and total tecovery.

Sincerely, JW

These are all of the titles on his business card. You might want to try and find an Oralfacial Pain specialist in your area. They deal with these types of issues all of the time (their speciality).

I was lucky enough to have a dentist that knew such a person. Mine is about one hour from my house, so I'm very fortunate.

Again, good luck!

JW

Best of Luck!

JW

Tongue always feels burnt and chewed on, lip on left side burns.

Current medication- Ibuprohin, lorazapam, singular, lexipro...

I have lived ten years with this and to reduce the feelings I chew gum. My outlook is accepting it as part of me and move on.

Vicodin sweettarts LMAO thats what I called them.... by chance I stumbled across Elival(sp?) that a dr prescribed for sleep ( I was at the very begining of a divorce when this all started) Anyway they helped ALOT! I havent used much by way of medication is quite awhile now ( injury was 18 mos ago) and Im hmmm 97% recovered on a good day 80% on a not so good day? SO dont give up!!

take care

MEDICATIONS/THERAPIES TRIED clonazapam (at 3 mg - very effective), physical therapy, lyrica - 75 mg helps 2 years and makes me seriously
depressed, medical marijuana, - effective (orally by hot oil),

CURRENT MEDICATIONS capsaicin roll on, fish/flax seed/hemp oil, ambien, lamotrigine, suboxone (2 mg sub lingual), exercise.

OUTLOOK pessimistic.

I hope you are seeing some signs of improvement. I have had a very similar experience to yours. May I ask which tooth caused the problem for you? Do you know what the toxic chemical that entered your nerve was, was it a sterilising fluid for the canal? Do you think it entered through the tip of the root or between the side of the tooth and the gum? Have you contemplated taking any action against your dentist?
You say the use was improper, would you be so kind as to further explain.
Sorry for all the questions, but very worried at the moment.

Best Wishes
Ross

http://www.ooooe.net/article/S1079-2104(04)00434-2/fulltext

http://www.sargentipaste.org/

http://www.dentalwatch.org/reg/complaints.html

I am in the process of using magnets to repolarize the damaged cells in my lingual nerve. Basically injured or diseased cells carry a positive electrical charge but when healthy they are negatively charged. By subjecting them to a barrage of negative energy from the magnets you will reduce inflammation and allow proper neural impulses to resume. When the cells repolarize normal function is restored. Positive magnetic energy can also be applied after inflammation is relieved to actually heal the damaged nerve tissue. In the three days I have been using the magnets (they are taped on) the burning pain in my tongue has been relieved by at least another 20% or 30%. This is significant and makes the pain more bearable. I wear them for a minimum of 15 hours a day (you can sleep with them on). After about 10 days I plan on using the positive and negative polarities together to actually repair the nerve tissue itself. Magnets have been used successfully in spinal cord injuries so I'm hoping it will be able to heal a peripheral nerve (lingual) too. It seems to be helping. Here is a link to the best magnets on the planet for our type of problem.

http://www.biomagscience.net/

Peter Kullish, the founder, will gladly answer any questions via email. I have no affiliation with this company whatsoever, I'm just trying to help all who suffer from this horrible damage.

Bob