Severe eye and gum pain: Hi everyone, I... - National Migraine...

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Severe eye and gum pain

doris59 profile image
13 Replies

Hi everyone, I wondered if anyone else gets this type of pain. Mine is around the bridge of the nose, behind one eye sometimes the right and sometimes the left. It feels like my eyeball is swollen and there is huge pressure around the bone just above the eyeball. I also have terrible pain in and around the upper gum on the same side as the eye pain, this feels like I have an abscess on the gum although I don't. The pain in the upper gum in localised to a spot of around half an inch and is also painful to touch.

Thanks Dee

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doris59
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13 Replies
pink_marshmallow profile image
pink_marshmallow

I get that at least once a month along with other types of migraine. So painful - you just want to massage the side of your face forever! Besides the triptans which I take, when I get this type then it helps to use Ibuprofen for the gum aching at least. Good luck. Not funny I know.

Do you also suffer from sinusitis? The pain sounds similar. I have noticed that I sometimes get sinus congestion followed by migraine. I try to tackle the sinusitis with over the counter medications like Sudafed.

pink_marshmallow profile image
pink_marshmallow in reply to

Yes I do! Kept thinking that this type of pain was possibly to do with that as well. I sometimes watch tv with just one eye to help! I take Beconase as and when - sometimes it helps.

doris59 profile image
doris59

Hi Dee here, thanks for the replies. I often wonder if it's a sinus thing too. But I never have stuffed up or running nose. I always feel sick with this and occasionally vomit and this is why I think it more likely to be migraine but I just don't know for sure. I have tried sudafed previously but get palpitations. How can the GP tell the difference? Mine said it is migraine but I have never been examined.

pink_marshmallow profile image
pink_marshmallow in reply to doris59

You need to keep a migraine diary for a couple of months - you can get paper diaries to download from any of the migraine charity websites. Then see the dr and they will see from that the severity/nausea/aura etc. I've had migraines since I was a child and I'm 46 now. It is trial and error with medications/self help. Drink plenty, sleep consistently and eat carefully as blood sugar levels can bring on one! Both my kids have them at stressful times as well.

doris59 profile image
doris59

Thanks for reply pinkmarshmallow, I have just bought a notebook to do this as I didn't know about the online diaries. I am off to find one now to download. Thanks again Dee.

Ceedee profile image
Ceedee

i have something similar....teeth gums and side of the face....teeth all sorted, suspect its sinus now....the sudafed helps when taken at night .

BlueSkies profile image
BlueSkies

I have something similar when I have a migraine. The worse pain is around the eye socket, the bridge of my nose & sometimes down the bone of the migraine side of my nose. I also sometimes get inflammation of all the soft tissue in my mouth on the side of the migraine: gum, inside cheek and tongue. So not a specific place on my gum. Just all of it. It's awful. When the migraine goes the inflammation of sinus/soft tissue goes too. Triptans have stopped working for me and Sudafed doesn't touch it.

doris59 profile image
doris59 in reply to BlueSkies

Hi Blueskies, Thanks for the reply. I asked for the triptan available over the counter in my local pharmacy but they wouldn't sell it to me as I also take 20mg of duloxetine for erythromelalgia. They said it was something to do with serotonin levels and that I should speak to my GP. I haven't done this yet but she will probably tell me the same thing. From what I have been reading on various forums triptans can stop working as it has with you. I am taking migraleve pink tablets at the first sign of a headache/faceache and they seem to help it becoming a full blown one but not always. I am dreading Christmas as I know I will have a houseful of people and as much as I want to enjoy it, I know that the tension of it all will give me a migraine that night or the following day. As many others have said, they just do these things as they don't want to be seen as an old grump. Dee

BlueSkies profile image
BlueSkies

Hi Dee, I dread Xmas too, I always do! Luckily my migraines aren't triggered by stress but I get one or two a week, so it's pot luck if I get a migraine on Xmas day.

Yes, there is something called serotonin shock syndrome that can be fatal if you get too much serotonin in the system so I imagine that's why your pharmacist was being careful. I used to take migraleve but that only helped for a while when I first started getting migraines in my 40s (peri-menopausal/hormone related). I think as time goes on the brain seems to get used to migraine medication and it becomes less effective, well for me anyway. Now I take Alka Seltzer XS, which has paracetamol, aspirin + something for the tummy. That helps sometimes for me but doesn't touch full blown migraines.

Sorry you're suffering too and fingers crossed for Xmas Day for all of us.

Rose

SueRobinson profile image
SueRobinson

I suffer with migraines and last year developed a very similar sounding pain to yours. I went to the dentist thinking it was a bad tooth but he said my teeth were fine. Went to the doctor who said it was linked to the migraines. It got worse so I tried the GP again who said it was unconnected to the migraines and was a blocked sinus, even though I had no other symptoms such as feeling bunged up or a runny nose. He gave me a cortisone nasal spray to use once a day and within about three days, it released large dark lumps which showed my sinus had clearly been blocked. A few more days later and all was cleared and the pain gone. Good luck, hope you sort it.

Cally01 profile image
Cally01

Hi doris59, I had this and yeah it is classed as migraine but I had my TMJ injected with botox privately and it was immediate relief. Google TMJ/TMD dysfunction and see if you can relate. The eye pain is horrific and I had severe toothache but no teeth. Good luck 😀

Beatricemorriso profile image
Beatricemorriso

Hi I get cluster migraines, at the start my gums feel swollen on the right side. And my right eye is actually swollen. I have high blood pressure docs put me on verapamil-er 240mg this cuts down on my migraines a lot

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