Face pain, any ideas?

[ladytelita]

I am really struggling with face pain currently. I've had a better few days with the rest of my body, especially after the last lot of antibiotics for cystitis, but my face hurts so much! If I laugh it is really painful, but just sitting relaxed my face hurts, especially around the eye sockets and cheek bones. Laughing or talking for a few minutes causes my lower jaw to hurt loads otherwise it's ok. I am really tired right now, but I took paracetamol about an hour ago and it's not helped the face at all. If anyone has any ideas at all I'd love to hear them. I will be getting my next lot of results on Monday for thyroid, blood count, inflammation and antibodies. I am not on any medication, beyond pain killers. Thanks.

[helvella Administrator]

In my opinion, maybe you should consider the possibility that you have low vitamin B12?

I was getting some face pain and taking tramadol.

I also have tinnitus and read that B12 can help with that in some cases. So I tried it. Face pain improved. Tinnitus did not.

If ever I notice any twinges coming back I grab a 1000mcg methylcobalamin - maybe every day for a few days. No proof whatsoever that it helps because the twinge might have disappeared on its own!

Rod

[ladytelita in reply to helvella]

I also have tinnitus, although not severely. My last B12 reading was in the lower half of the range, but not desperately so. The face pain rarely leaves me now, although some days are worse than others. I guess I'm still waiting on these latest results to see if there's anything obvious. *sigh*

[Hidden in reply to ladytelita]

Had a quick look at your previous posts, you mentioned acid reflux at one point, did the doc prescribe something for this? Acid suppressant medication can interfere with B12 absorption. If you haven't started supplementing B12 you might want to consider the active B12 test, as you could easily have a deficiency at your levels (or at any level, the test and range are unreliable).

H x

[Hidden]

Sounds like sinnusitis to me?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Link here: patient.co.uk/health/Sinusi...

And yes I spelt it wrong, not sure I've woken up properly yet! I had this a couple of years ago and needed antibiotics to shift it. Very painful.

[Fruitandnutcase]

Sorry this is a bit late. You sound very like I was before I was diagnosed with Graves. I had almost constant sinusitis with face pain around my eye sockets, my cheeks, right down to my teeth, I had sore/ blocked ears, toothache although the dentist said they were fine (I knew they were) and tinnitus. Everything felt worse on the left side.

After I was diagnosed and put on Carbimazole the pain stopped and I haven't had a sinus infection since even though I am now taking thyroxine too ( I am doing block and replace)

The best thing I found for it, apart from antibiotics when things got really bad was to use masses of eye drops for dry eyes, I bought a cheap facial sauna and steamed my face regularly and I also soaked a face cloth in hot water and held that over my eyes because I found the heat helped.

Liz x

[ladytelita in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

It does sound possible although my last tests came back as borderline hypo. I've only just had two seperate lots of antibiotics (which have sorted some things,but not others) for seperate things. The first a bacterial infection and the second a UTI, which I get a great deal.

I will tell the GP tomorrow about my face and see what he says. I'm happy to say my ears don't hurt and I don't have toothache (urgh). It's also very much both sides of the face and occasionally feels cool, almost like the blood wasn't flowing and suddenly could? You know like when we sit on a foot and can feel the blood flow back in when it's released.

Nice idea about the facial sauna but I can't do that. I feel like I'm suffocating and cannot breathe. The doc had suggested a similar thing but I told him how it affects me and he said I really shouldn't then. I think that's due to my asthma though, my lungs cannot take highly humid air.

Ah well, hopefully these tests will show something *prays*

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to ladytelita]

What a pity you can't do that. Try the hot compresses - they feel very good. Hope you find a cure - or even a cause - soon.

Liz x.