facial nerve pain post thyroidectomy

Hi  

So soon after surgery it's likely that you will be getting odd pains and aches and most likely if you just keep up the painkillers a little longer, you might be able to block that.

During the course of surgery, things inside your neck get disturbed and (I'm guessing a bit here) it's possible that the nerves linking to the area that you mention might have been pushed around a bit and caused some discomfort.

I just found this picture that  posted a while ago about the parotid gland which I suspect is the bit that's hurting at the moment. She posted it in connection with post RAI pain that somebody was suffering, but perhaps it can also be impacted by surgery too. If you see how all those nerves connect and spread, perhaps something got knocked about during surgery.

 can you help out on this one? I'm fairly sure I'm in the right geography of the face but I'm even more sure that you can explain what's happening to Chakaponyo.

Thanks Barbaral, I will also be seeing my consultant for post op appointment tomorrow so will mention then. The feeling I have is like nails down a chalk board, so look forward to my body repairing 

I got my thyroid removed last November and it's been pretty plain sailing since then.

Ohter than the fact that I get really bad face ache, I've been to the doctor and they can't figure out what's wrong but I'm guessing it's to do with my thyroid being removed as I've never experienced anything like it before other than maybe sinusitis, but I know for sure I don't have a sinus infection.

it feels exactly like the diagram you posted,tingeling,numb  pain throughout the right side of my face going from my ear and out to my my sinuses and my jaw..

if it doesn't get better I'll go to the doctor to get it checked out just hate bring them information from the internet haha

Hi

Just in case it’s not related to your thyroid op, I suffer from TMJ disorder, and although I’ve had it for many years my thyroid op last year triggered it again, as can treatment at the dentist, stress, teeth grinding etc. Going through a bad patch just now after decorating. Pain is in the right hand side of my face, up the side of my face, in all my teeth, down my neck. It varies in severity and pain killers often just take the edge of it. I wear a splint at night, and use hot and cold compresses. Massage helps a bit too. 

Just a thought, hope you get to the bottom of it soon what ever the cause, 

take care 

Thanks so much for your message!

 I do suffer from this also but it's never been this bad, I have a mouth guard which I wear when I sleep so I may go back to my dentist and check that before jumping to conclusions with my doctor!

Thank you

Hi again!

i visited the dentist again yesterday as I wanted to rule out toothache as the pain was so bad, I already knew it wasn’t toothache, but wanted to make sure. She’s referring me to the dental hospital again, as it seems to be getting worse and lasting longer, she did remind me there was no cure and it was a matter of managing it. Which cheered me up, not, lol. 

Good luck, let me know how you get on ! Xx

I had unexplained dental pain last year which turned out to be facial neuralgia. Took ages to diagnose as I was back and forth to dentist. GP eventually diagnosed it when I had to make an emergency appointment as the pain became quite severe. A combination of carbamazepine and acupuncture resolved it within a few weeks. 

Strangely, when I had my hemithyroidectomy 3 weeks ago the neuralgia flared up again but carbamazepine resolved it quickly. 

Hope you are feeling better now. 

I had a total tyroidactomy back in january 2013 and I still have nerve damage all down my right ear, cheeks, jawline, neck and down my shoulder to upper arm. I've been given gabapentin and my doctor is slowly increasing it. So far it's not making life any easier. I feel miserable and the only thing that helped me feel normal again was opiods. I don't want to go through an addiction again, so hopefully the gabapentin will work. There is also a procedure where a nerve blocker is injected to the effected damaged area and provided temporary pain relief. I plan on talking with my doctor to try that procedure at my next appointment. Will let you know if it did any good.