Is anyone else experiencing Sinus pain the same side along with their TN?
Thanks,
Bonnie
Bonnie,
I don’t have sinus pain. But I think that sinus and allergies can aggravate TN despite what the doctors think. I am definitely worse in the spring and fall. I am allergic to everything that breathes and grows according to my allergist. I am considering allergy shots again. My TN became worse in Oct, 2 yrs after I stopped my shots. I think it can’t hurt to try them again.
Liz
I felt like my sinuses were filling up and causing a lot of pressure on my TN side.
Yes - has anyone had to have surgery on their sinuses? I have chronic sinustis and have to have surgery and have Atypical TN as well. I only have TN on one side (the right) but both of my sinuses are diseased.
I am usually stuffed up in the morning, but only on the right side of my face (same side as TN). I use a Netti pot most every morning and it helps tremendously. A lot of people don’t know about sinus irrigation or are turned off by the idea of it but I’ve yet to meet a doctor that doesn’t rave about its ability to keep your sinuses clear and prevent infection. I highly recommend it.
On another note, after a ten day episode with TN last January, I got a wicked sinus infection on that one side of my face that took 2 rounds of antibiotics to cure. My Dr. didn’t think it was related to my TN but it had to be. Too coincidental not to be.
The nurse mentioned sinus rinses to me - I should really consider them now i know whats going on (I literally just found out two days ago). I agree that the sinuses may put pressure on the TN side and increase pain levels, the weird thing for me is that i never noticed any major change in my sinuses - if anything, i thought they were better! No sneezing, nothing out of the ordinary. I haven’t had a flu/cough since i’ve been diagnosed with TN (touch wood) so its quite out of the blue - if it wasn’t for the scan i wouldn’t believe it!
I’ll just reiterate that I have ATN on the right hand side and I’m diseased in both sides, have never had pain in the left. My doctor mentioned I may get increased pain after surgery - I’m going to discuss this with my Neuro.
Hi Bonnie,
I am having some of the same problems. I’m not sure it’s my sinuses; it is on the side of my nose and into my forehead and then above my eye. When I am having an attack I can’t breath through my nose without stabbing pains. It is one of the worst parts of the attack lately. Like I said I am not sure if it’s sinuses because it feels like it’s on the skin. Sometimes before an attack I will start to feel pressure in the same place.
It seems like I remember reading a few months back that someone had tried an over the counter decongestant that worked really well with this type of TN pain. Does anyone remember what that was?
Thanks everyone…it’s nice to know that I’m not alone. I had my MVD on June 2nd and have been using the Netti Pot (when I remember) and it does seem to help. I have been using decongestants for years and years, which is not a good thing…I need to get off of them. I also try to remember to take a Reactine (antihistamine) but until I take it on a daily basis, it won’t help. (I miss my memory so much - Tegretol took it away). I even forgot to ask the neurosurgeon if the sinus thing was connected, but after reading all of your responses, I think it must.
I appreciate all of your replies. Hope you will have many pain free days ahead.
Bonnie
Erin McKeag said:
Hi Bonnie,
I am having some of the same problems. I’m not sure it’s my sinuses; it is on the side of my nose and into my forehead and then above my eye. When I am having an attack I can’t breath through my nose without stabbing pains. It is one of the worst parts of the attack lately. Like I said I am not sure if it’s sinuses because it feels like it’s on the skin. Sometimes before an attack I will start to feel pressure in the same place.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your reply. I’m curious…what do you mean by a ten day episode? Did you have constant TN attacks for ten days? Wow, that would be terrible. Mine were sporadic…sometimes once a day (really bad) and then little shooters when brushing my teeth, washing, kissing my hubby, etc. but would go away almost as fast as they came.
Wishing you pain free days.
Bonnie
Karen Brown said:
I am usually stuffed up in the morning, but only on the right side of my face (same side as TN). I use a Netti pot most every morning and it helps tremendously. A lot of people don’t know about sinus irrigation or are turned off by the idea of it but I’ve yet to meet a doctor that doesn’t rave about its ability to keep your sinuses clear and prevent infection. I highly recommend it.
On another note, after a ten day episode with TN last January, I got a wicked sinus infection on that one side of my face that took 2 rounds of antibiotics to cure. My Dr. didn’t think it was related to my TN but it had to be. Too coincidental not to be.
Bonnie,
I used to get a ten day episode of pain on the right side of my face that, for years, I thought was a sinus infection. I’d get antibiotics, take cold medicine and feel miserable. Always ten days. Even after I was finally diagnosed with TN in 2004 I had a few more ten day episodes (pretty much constant pain, like sinus pressure and an achy, pulsating throbbing). By about the 8th day I’d be so tired from the pain, I just wanted to stay in bed all day.
I was pain free for years until last year, a ten day episode returned following invasive dental work. I had another ten day episode, as I mentioned, last January. But that all changed in June when I started getting inconsistent episodes of pain that would last hours or days with more pain at a much higher intensity. My summer was pretty well shot. My children returned to school yesterday and one of my sons said to me, when we were talking about summer vacation, “Mom, you spent almost the whole summer in bed.” He’s right and it makes me sad to realize I wasn’t there for my kids. I wasn’t literally in bed for the whole summer but the pain would come and I’d have to lie down or take Neurontin which would put me to sleep. I know I missed the entire 4th of July weekend of activities because I was in too much pain. I’d suffer through work, then come home and crash, trying to rest up for the next day. I had several episodes of really bad pain that came at night, just as I was trying to go to sleep. Awful. Those episodes lasted about an hour each, until I was able to fall asleep after taking pain pills and a muscle relaxant.
I saw a neuroligist earlier this week (first time since my diagnosis 6 years ago) about new treatment options. He did a very thorough work up, concluded that I did indeed have TN but luckily, no nerve damage as a result. He has put me on Lamictal, saying it won’t make me drowsy. I start with one pill a day for a week, then two a day for a week, then 3 a day. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Best to you and wishing you, too, pain free days!
Karen
Hope the new medication is working for you. I hope so. If it is then I will ask my Neurologist
If he thinks it would help me. I am so tired
of the Tegretol. I’m sure it’s not helping
my liver either!
Wishing all of you pain free days.
Bonnie
Karen Brown said:
Bonnie,
I used to get a ten day episode of pain on the right side of my face that, for years, I thought was a sinus infection. I’d get antibiotics, take cold medicine and feel miserable. Always ten days. Even after I was finally diagnosed with TN in 2004 I had a few more ten day episodes (pretty much constant pain, like sinus pressure and an achy, pulsating throbbing). By about the 8th day I’d be so tired from the pain, I just wanted to stay in bed all day.I was pain free for years until last year, a ten day episode returned following invasive dental work. I had another ten day episode, as I mentioned, last January. But that all changed in June when I started getting inconsistent episodes of pain that would last hours or days with more pain at a much higher intensity. My summer was pretty well shot. My children returned to school yesterday and one of my sons said to me, when we were talking about summer vacation, “Mom, you spent almost the whole summer in bed.” He’s right and it makes me sad to realize I wasn’t there for my kids. I wasn’t literally in bed for the whole summer but the pain would come and I’d have to lie down or take Neurontin which would put me to sleep. I know I missed the entire 4th of July weekend of activities because I was in too much pain. I’d suffer through work, then come home and crash, trying to rest up for the next day. I had several episodes of really bad pain that came at night, just as I was trying to go to sleep. Awful. Those episodes lasted about an hour each, until I was able to fall asleep after taking pain pills and a muscle relaxant.
I saw a neuroligist earlier this week (first time since my diagnosis 6 years ago) about new treatment options. He did a very thorough work up, concluded that I did indeed have TN but luckily, no nerve damage as a result. He has put me on Lamictal, saying it won’t make me drowsy. I start with one pill a day for a week, then two a day for a week, then 3 a day. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Best to you and wishing you, too, pain free days!
Karen
Hello. That's very interesting. I live in a state where sinus infections are very common. For myself, I've learned over the years that nose sprays will worsen the pain but steaming the sinus's every morning will take the irritation level down. I personally know that the inflammation levels are much higher when I have my worst pain. My face will swell. The pain for me will be even worse when I have a sinus infection. Just experienced this recently but an antibiotic helped immensely.
Karen Brown said:
I am usually stuffed up in the morning, but only on the right side of my face (same side as TN). I use a Netti pot most every morning and it helps tremendously. A lot of people don't know about sinus irrigation or are turned off by the idea of it but I've yet to meet a doctor that doesn't rave about its ability to keep your sinuses clear and prevent infection. I highly recommend it.
On another note, after a ten day episode with TN last January, I got a wicked sinus infection on that one side of my face that took 2 rounds of antibiotics to cure. My Dr. didn't think it was related to my TN but it had to be. Too coincidental not to be.
I don't experience sinus pain, but if I am a little congested I think it triggers the tn pain. A few people in this thread have mentioned the Neti Pot, and YES I highly recommend it. It is temporary relief.
This last week has been pretty bad -- I haven't been able to chew, or sleep soundly. I also think that sometimes the reason the cold triggers the pain is because I breath cold air through my nose. That's when I feel like someone is jabbing an stake through the back of my eye to the roof of my mouth. I also get a jabbing in my ear and a kind of tingling burning on my cheek.
Acupuncture helps, neti pot helps, heaters help, but nothing really makes it go away. It is exhausting and depressing to be in the middle of these episodes. I know that I am normally an energetic and positive person, but during these episodes, it's hard to stay positive and motivated -- that topic is probably in another thread!
I have awful sinus pain and like the worst heads ever day to night constant throbbing severe and just to breath through nose especially cold air agony. Tn2
For years I thought my deviated septum WAS the problem. I had my first sinus surgery in 1992 at the age of 11 (5th grade) and I missed 70 days of school that year. Following the surgery I had a headache at some point every day for about the next 3 months. Then magically the headaches went away and I really didn't have them until a migraine in my 7th grade year (which is when I know this stuff started though looking back it may have been the first sinus surgery that damaged or sensitized me).
Somewhere after the migraine my nasal breathing slowly deteriorated. I assume it was due to a deviated septum that was known since the first sinus surgery. It wasn't until my wisdom teeth were removed that I realized how pervasive my problem was and that it might have been due to my teeth (forming and descending). Two days after removal it was like my head completely cleared/loosened up. Not only could I breath unimpeded nasally, but my nose also didn't look as swollen. I couldn't believe it. But after taking a 8 hour "nap" I awoke with the previous symptoms returning.
To make a long story short, I had 2 masses form in my upper left socket and I have been messed up ever since. I can barely breathe through my left nostril and it's worse when/if I try to be active. I had another sinus surgery in 2009 and it didn't help at all. So yes, my sinuses/breathing are heavily affected by what's going on. Decongestants, anti-allergy pills, steroidal nasal sprays, and saline rinses/sprays do nothing to help.
Hi Bonnie,
The left side of my face began hurting more than 22 years ago. I thought it was sinus pain. I went to an ENT who said I had a big polyp in my sinus and that if he removed it my pain would go away. So, he removed it and the pain didn't go away. I just lived with the pain for a two years then went to another ENT who said my septums were deviated and if he fixed them I wouldn't be in pain. So, I let him fix them, but the pain didn't go away. Over the years I've seen more doctors than one should see in a lifetime and I was never really sure if my pain was from my sinus or TN, until a neurologist just a few years ago said of course it's TN. She made me a nasal spray of ketamine and lidocaine that takes the pain away for a half hour or so. Unfortunately I can only use it twice a day but when the pain is unbearable it's good to numb it for a little while. So, yes I have sinus pain.
Karen