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Does Trigmenial Sensory Neuropathy Alter The Face Structure And Movement?
Question: Can trigmenial sensory neuropathy on one side of the face alter the face at all? I feel like my cheek feels chubbier and you can see my muscles more...
Brief Answer:
No, movement is not affected
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
trigeminal neuralgia causes bursts of pain without any motor or sensory loss between the attacks. Sensory loss can be found right after the attack for a while but no finding is "normal" without a recent attack.
If you had motor symptoms (tick-like movements of the face, muscle contractions etc) then another diagnosis should be sought by your neurologist.
Please note though that during attacks you may experience altered sensation of the affected area, so perhaps this is what you feel.
I hope I've helped!
Kind Regards!
No, movement is not affected
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
trigeminal neuralgia causes bursts of pain without any motor or sensory loss between the attacks. Sensory loss can be found right after the attack for a while but no finding is "normal" without a recent attack.
If you had motor symptoms (tick-like movements of the face, muscle contractions etc) then another diagnosis should be sought by your neurologist.
Please note though that during attacks you may experience altered sensation of the affected area, so perhaps this is what you feel.
I hope I've helped!
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
I do not have trigmenial neuralgia i have been diagnosed with trigmenial neuropathy which is constant 24/7 dull pain in the right side of my face. But also all of the teeth hurt too. Since it has occured the side of my face looks different infact my mother even said it looked swollen, but its not swollen it has just altered a bit because of the neuropathy to make it look like its swollen. Also, what medication is the best to cure the pain? Will this pain last forever?
Brief Answer:
Trigeminal neuropathy can cause swelling
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
perhaps this should be a question for a specialist (neurologist), because this condition is a very rare one. Trigeminal neuralgia is also a rare condition but not so rare as neuropathy and that's why at first I thought you confused neuropathy for neuralgia. Actually "neuropathy" is a general term which may include "neuralgia". Anyway... here is my answer!
Regarding the swelling: trigeminal neuropathy can indeed cause swelling and local muscle weakness.
Regarding treatment: I had to look up this one!
It depends on the cause. If herpes is the cause then immediate treatment would require antiviral drugs (like valacyclovir). If the pain remained after a herpetic infection then treatment can be continued with opioids (most effective choice but not recommended for constant pain due to addiction danger) or with amitriptyline, gabapentin or pregabalin.
In autoimmune conditions treatment may require the administration of corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin or plasmapheresis.
Surgery or radiation can be used in cases where a tumor causes the neuropathy.
Alternative choices include carbamazepine, phenytoin, baclofen, duloxetine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).
I can't tell you which is the most effective treatment, because I don't know what caused the pain in your case. If you can share this information with me, then perhaps I would be able to help.
Neuropathic pain may indeed last forever. It can usually get better with drugs.
The sooner the treatment is initiated, the better the outcome.
If you'd like further clarifications, please ask!
Kind Regards!
Trigeminal neuropathy can cause swelling
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
perhaps this should be a question for a specialist (neurologist), because this condition is a very rare one. Trigeminal neuralgia is also a rare condition but not so rare as neuropathy and that's why at first I thought you confused neuropathy for neuralgia. Actually "neuropathy" is a general term which may include "neuralgia". Anyway... here is my answer!
Regarding the swelling: trigeminal neuropathy can indeed cause swelling and local muscle weakness.
Regarding treatment: I had to look up this one!
It depends on the cause. If herpes is the cause then immediate treatment would require antiviral drugs (like valacyclovir). If the pain remained after a herpetic infection then treatment can be continued with opioids (most effective choice but not recommended for constant pain due to addiction danger) or with amitriptyline, gabapentin or pregabalin.
In autoimmune conditions treatment may require the administration of corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin or plasmapheresis.
Surgery or radiation can be used in cases where a tumor causes the neuropathy.
Alternative choices include carbamazepine, phenytoin, baclofen, duloxetine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).
I can't tell you which is the most effective treatment, because I don't know what caused the pain in your case. If you can share this information with me, then perhaps I would be able to help.
Neuropathic pain may indeed last forever. It can usually get better with drugs.
The sooner the treatment is initiated, the better the outcome.
If you'd like further clarifications, please ask!
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
It happened after a weekend of heavy alcohol. Is alcohol the causes?What can i take to get rid of the swelling and get my muscle strength back to normal?
Brief Answer:
Only time may heal the nerve
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
getting back the nerve function requires time. Nerves heal at a very slow rate (when they do...). Avoiding alcohol is essential. Alcohol has a toxic effect on nerves in itself but it can also cause neuropathy after chronic abuse, most commonly in alcoholism. In cases of chronic alcohol abuse vitamin B complex supplementation may help.
Regarding the rest of treatment (drug choices) refer to my previous answer. Most of the drugs target the pain. Corticosteroids may help sometimes in acute nerve injury. I'll have to remind you that such a neuropathy is very rare and alcohol induced facial neuropathy is almost absent in medical literature. Alcohol related neuropathy after binge drinking is even less likely!
So I suggest you consult an experienced neurologist (if you've done so already) to investigate your neuropathy. Abstinence from alcohol is very important, as I mentioned earlier, because all cases that I could find reported recurrence after drinking again.
I hope you find my answer helpful!
If you have more questions, please let me know.
Kind Regards!
Only time may heal the nerve
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
getting back the nerve function requires time. Nerves heal at a very slow rate (when they do...). Avoiding alcohol is essential. Alcohol has a toxic effect on nerves in itself but it can also cause neuropathy after chronic abuse, most commonly in alcoholism. In cases of chronic alcohol abuse vitamin B complex supplementation may help.
Regarding the rest of treatment (drug choices) refer to my previous answer. Most of the drugs target the pain. Corticosteroids may help sometimes in acute nerve injury. I'll have to remind you that such a neuropathy is very rare and alcohol induced facial neuropathy is almost absent in medical literature. Alcohol related neuropathy after binge drinking is even less likely!
So I suggest you consult an experienced neurologist (if you've done so already) to investigate your neuropathy. Abstinence from alcohol is very important, as I mentioned earlier, because all cases that I could find reported recurrence after drinking again.
I hope you find my answer helpful!
If you have more questions, please let me know.
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Thanks. I have had MRI scan and blood tests done and it all came back normal. If this is from a nerve injury will it get better? And does amitryptiline reduce the nerve swelling? Also my immunoglobin M level was 1.46 is that normal? Thanks.
Brief Answer:
The immunoglobulin level is probably normal (depends on the units)
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
the term nerve injury includes many things. For example a nerve can be cut be a sharp object or it can be damaged by excessive cold. Nerve injuries usually get better by time. As far as I know amitriptyline helps for the symptoms only. I don't believe it can help with the swelling. Perhaps corticosteroids can do that, but you should consult a neurologist for that (meaning that I can't suggest treatment for your case).
The normal immunoglobulin M ranges from 60 to 263mg/dL. You can also check the laboratory normal range. I suppose 1.46 is gr/L which means 146mg/dL.
If it's not measured in gr/L then the value is not normal.
You can get back to me, if this is the case but I doubt that.
Kind Regards!
The immunoglobulin level is probably normal (depends on the units)
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
the term nerve injury includes many things. For example a nerve can be cut be a sharp object or it can be damaged by excessive cold. Nerve injuries usually get better by time. As far as I know amitriptyline helps for the symptoms only. I don't believe it can help with the swelling. Perhaps corticosteroids can do that, but you should consult a neurologist for that (meaning that I can't suggest treatment for your case).
The normal immunoglobulin M ranges from 60 to 263mg/dL. You can also check the laboratory normal range. I suppose 1.46 is gr/L which means 146mg/dL.
If it's not measured in gr/L then the value is not normal.
You can get back to me, if this is the case but I doubt that.
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
I think the cold caused it
Brief Answer:
it could be
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
nerve injuries may happen due to protracted cold exposure. Taking vitamin B12 won't hurt and may help. You should consult a neurologist though, as I suggested earlier, for a complete evaluation and treatment.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
it could be
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
nerve injuries may happen due to protracted cold exposure. Taking vitamin B12 won't hurt and may help. You should consult a neurologist though, as I suggested earlier, for a complete evaluation and treatment.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Will it be permanent?
Brief Answer:
Probably not
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Unless the nerve is cut like after a serious injury, when the two ends cannot connect then improvement is expected. It takes some time though. I wouldn't expect substantial improvement before at least 2 weeks. I can't guaranty it either...
Kind Regards!
Probably not
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Unless the nerve is cut like after a serious injury, when the two ends cannot connect then improvement is expected. It takes some time though. I wouldn't expect substantial improvement before at least 2 weeks. I can't guaranty it either...
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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