subsequent Bell's Palsy pain

[ceasarcarcus]

I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy in March 2018. One day I was at dinner with a friend eating salmon dip and shrimp skewers. immediately I noticed my lips going numb. it was the same feeling I've gotten at the doctor's office with novicain. I mentioned it to my friend, stopped eating the salmon dip but continued with the shrimp skewers. my tingling and numbness progressed. by the time I appetizers were over, my mouth was so numb that food was falling out as I chewed. very embarrassing.

however, I assumed it was a seafood allergy. the next morning, I woke up to half my face paralyzed. I didn't know if it was so allergic reaction or stroke. so I did internet research and became afraid of stroke signs.

after emergency room visit, I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy. I was disappointed. my face paralysis lasted about 3 months. visually it is not noticeable anymore. but underneath the surface, I have a constant sharp pain in my left cheek, still to this day. if I smile or touch my cheek, I get this tinder sore spot in the same location on my left cheek, right underneath my cheekbone -- still to this day.

additional pain includes my neck. every single night I have trouble sleeping. I'm up typing this and reading online because I cannot sleep.

my personal theory, is that the muscles in my face that were initially paralyzed are connected to other muscle in my neck. after my diagnosis, I believe that my neck muscles begin to weaken due to inactivity. it's almost as if my neck is no longer strong enough to support my head.

I have neck pains on both sides. I honestly have not had a nights rest, or nap without pain in my neck. sometimes the muscles in my neck ache and harden that I need to massage it to be facilitate relief. every doctor visits prove very dismissive. they each tell me that no pain is associated with Bell's Palsy. but I know that I've never had this issue until after Bell's Palsy.

does anyone else has subsequent aches and pains after Bell's Palsy diagnosis?

[Indygirl25]

Have you tried magnesium cream? Or magnesium capsules? I just started applying magnesium cream to the back of my neck and shoulders and for me the difference is astounding. I’ve never had pain there, just super tightness. The magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant, so that’s why it helps.

Just a thought. Best of luck to you!

[ceasarcarcus in reply to Indygirl25]

thank you for the suggestion. I am awake now at midnight because this neck pain is life altering. and it isn't the hollow ache pain... this is more of a pressure pain...as if someone is directly stepping on the back of my neck. turning my neck and stretching the neck muscles and tendons feels amazing. it seems that the stretching sensation is coming string enough to make the pain, but the moment... literally moment I stop stretching, the preesured pain resumes. sometimes I sleep in the fetal position with body and face facing downward toward mattress.

[Pawnee67]

I had a friend who was initially diagnosed with bells palsy but after the continued pain his new diagnosis was trigeminal nueralgia. Look into it.

[ceasarcarcus in reply to Pawnee67]

thank you very much for this suggestion. trigeminal nueralgia is described and "one of the most painful human conditions" and an "extremely painful" condition. luckily I can rule this out for myself. my neck pain only comes when lying down to nap or sleep...or when driving in a vehicle. it's isn't extremely nerve type painful... but more very annoying muscle tension/tightness/pressure that doesn't relieve with self massaging.

also, I do have pain in my face. it is constant 24hrs/day... but I only feel the pain when touching a specific area under my left cheek (Bell's Palsy affected side) and when smiling. it's more of a sore pain. the harder I press my finger tip on the spot, the more intense the pain gets. my neck pain however is different. it is an equal pressured stiff ache, I suppose. touching, squeezing or massaging my neck doesn't make the pain feel worse or more intense. the only current remedy for me is to wake up from sleep and stop lying down. now that I typed this...I almost feel like the lack of neck movement while sleeping causes pain... because when I'm active throughout the day, my neck doesn't seem to bother me.

[ceasarcarcus]

UPDATED: it's December 2018. I just want to report that the majority, roughly 80%, of the neck pain I believe I have suffered for to the aftermath of Bell's Palsy had been mostly remedied. for the subsequent months, I chose to get massage since I had constant tension and pain in my neck, shoulder and upper back area. the massages were very ineffective. relieved discomfort for 2 days, at best. since locating and setting appts to meet with a neurologist were a pain, I opted for a chiropractor. he reset or realigned my vertebrae. he also cracked my neck. he believed my body was out of sync. well, ever since then...I rarely feel the constant neck pain and I sleep nicely 5 of 7 nights. I still suffer occasional and constant neck pain, but I keep the visits for now and adjust my own neck when the pain manifest itself.