A Trigeminal Neuralgia story

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MY FACE DIARY

 

 

DISEASES RESEARCHED:

 

HMS   -           Hemimasticatory Spasm

TN       -           Trigeminal Neuralgia

TMJ     -           Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Different Dystonias

 

WHEN DID IT START?

 

It first started in 2004, with my mouth just suddenly locking up, with I mean in closed position. It always locks shut, never in a different position.

 

It just started getting more frequent and more painful from there. The pain are sometimes so intense that I can understand why people commit suicide due to pain, not that I will. With a full “attack” I can’t eat, I can’t talk, I don’t even want to think. I just sleep or sit there like a zombie, not smiling, not talking, nothing.

 

SYMPTOMS:

 

These symptoms do not always happen at once or at the same time. But sometimes more than one can occur at the same time.

 

·         Masseter Muscle pulls in a very tight spasm, pulling the Jaw Shut.

·         Masseter muscle pulls in a tight spams and start jumping around which can be visibly seen.

·         Extreme jabbing intense pain in the Temporal Lobe or Temple on the left of the head. The veins feel as they are standing out during this pain.

·         Intense pain behind the left ear

·         Intense pain underneath the chin on left

·         Tongue feels like it is going numb on the left side and being pulled sideways

·         muscle below the mouth and jaw above the neck to pull tight in an intense pain that shoot into my head

·         The whole left side of my face are being pulling downwards, with the left side of my mouth also being pulled into a point downwards. _This is very humiliating._

·         Sometimes my whole head gives involuntary jolts or twitches.

·         Neck muscles are twitching and jumping

 

WHAT TRIGGERS AND OR AGGRAVATES THE PAIN:

 

·         Talking a lot or too much

·         Extensive chewing, like eating bubble gum

·         Sometimes eating, after first bite jaw locks and can’t chew further

·          Not sure, but seems like cold weather is also a trigger

·         Anger, when I get angry everything immediately locks up

·         Emotions

·         Certain levels of stress seem to be a trigger as well

·         Sometimes, brushing my teeth

·         Sometimes, yawning causes a muscle below the mouth and jaw above the neck to pull tight in an intense pain that shoot into my head

·         Exercise, like jogging or riding a bike after being inactive for a while

 

 

FOODS THAT I FOUND TO BE TRIGGERS:

 

·         Game Sports Drinks

·         Red Bull

·         More than one Savannah Dry

·         Savannah Dry with a Slice of Lemon in it

 

POSSIBLE CAUSES:

 

·         1999, Motor Accident, lost control and hit a wall with the back side of the car in a mountain pass. No medically significant injuries

·         1999, Went under a Semi truck with a Toyota conquest, soft neck tissue damage.

·         2002, was supposed to get a root canal, but moved to Botswana before the time. This tooth later gave more pain and was extracted in 2007

·         2003, Car accident, got rear ended while standing still at a Robot

 

DIARY:

 

03 JUNE 2017

Received 50 units of Botox Injections from Dr. R. du Toit. Pulled a bit in the afternoon.

 

04 JUNE 2017

Was quiet during the day, but started pulling a lot during lunch. As I was trying to eat and have been talking for a while with visitors.

 

05 JUNE 2017

Had a meeting, spas med a few times during the meeting and bit my tong again. The rest of the day it kept on pulling and spasming. Quite painful today.

 

06 JUNE 2017

Woke up with pulling muscles, jaw twitching and locking/unlocking accompanied by pain in the temporal lobe. Continued throughout the day.