Quick question. So...even when I am having no pain at the moment my face is not the same. I mean that by part of my smile doesn't turn up anymore. Even when I feel like I am smiling "normal" when I look in the picture I wonder who the heck it is. My eye has gotten smaller looking & like I said, that part of my mouth doesn't turn up. It's been that way pretty much since this has started in October. If I really force it, like force it really hard then I can make it somewhat straight smile but that really starts to irritate my cheek. I see pictures of people with TN & there faces aren't distorted unless they are having an attack. Is something else wrong with me?
I am experiencing the exact same thing. My parents say I’m crazy and they don’t see it, but I FOR SURE see that my smile is not the same on both sides anymore. You are not alone. I have gotten no answers as to why this might be or if there’s anything to be done about it though. If you get the answers please share!
I have that too. In fact, I've had it since my first MS/TN exacerbation. I have MS and TN but I think the facial distortion/bells palsy look began when my first big TN attack came. They actually thought I was having a stroke because the distortion was so dramatic. Turns out it was not a stroke but now I look like i've had one and it has never improved. The TN pain on my left side, where my smile droops and my eye looks smaller and droopy, has affected everything from the way I look to the way I speak. Its crazy. I feel wierd everytiime I see myself in the mirror or in a picture. It just doesnt look like me.
At first i was pretty shocked, but when I started thinking about how much pain I have in the nerve that controls the left side of my face, I think how could it not change? We just have an "injury" that wont fully heal. that's my therory anyway.....
My sister in law is a cardiac nurse and when my tn got really bad right before my first mvd my sister in law thought I had had a stroke and said I was speaking differently. It has gotten a little better since then. It’s not as dramatic at least. I’ve wondered if it couldn’t get better with little physical therapy? Thoughts? I suppose they could fix it with plastic surgery but I’m so afraid that would aggravate my tn pain I won’t even entertain the idea.