Posted by eastbaymom on July 24, 2008 at 21:35:36:In Reply to: Lip sensitivity post op posted by HVMMA guy on July 24, 2008 at 12:25:57:
Dear Sore in New York,
I had MMA/GA done last August (2007) and experienced acute nerve pain in lower half of my face immediately after surgery (from ear to ear, from my cheeks to my chin). I'm not sure if you are experiencing the same type of pain, but since there are hardly any people who have described post-surgical facial "pain" in this forum, I thought I would share my experience with you.
My skin sensation felt like a bad sunburn with a very uncomfortable tingling, prickly, snapping rubberband feeling layered on top of it, and I had two VERY intensely painful spots on either side my chin that seemed to correspond to the location in the chin bone where the "mental nerves" come through (my dentist helped me identify that location and I also did a lot of investigation on the internet trying to figure out what was going on). When I first brought it up to my surgeon, I asked if he might have screwed the two screws from my genioglossus advancement in too tight-- and was surprised to be told that there weren't any screws where I was pointing! My skin sensitivity made it very uncomfortable to be outside in the breeze, and I couldn't have anything touching my face including my hair, covers or pillow. I used Hycet solution for eight weeks post surgery before switching to Neurontin (gabapentin, a drug that is commonly used for nerve pain associated with shingles) which was thankfully very helpful. I was able to wean off of the narcotic medication within a few days upon starting the Neurontin and my extreme sensitivity improved relatively quickly. I took Neurontin for several months (October - January)and the sensitivity in my face got better and better, generally shrinking in area to eventually being localized on my bottom right lip and right chin, and the painful points on my chin got to be much more tolerable-- the left side doesn't hurt at all and although it is still painful on the right side, it is nothing like before.
I got to the point where I felt like my healing in relation to nerve pain had plateaud, and I stopped taking the Neurontin. However, I noticed in the last couple of weeks that it seemed to be getting worse again, spreading again to the left side and I was getting the "prickly" sensation back, so I started taking the Neurontin again this week.
I haven't tried any desensitization program, but I did read a very interesting article in The New Yorker last month called "The Itch" about new research on nerves, pain and the brain.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/30/080630fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=1The experimental work being done by V.S. Ramachandran, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego is particularly interesting, and I would like to apply the ideas presented in the article to my own healing.
My two top front teeth are also sensitive. I wouldn't describe them as being painful per se but maybe "tender?" -- they often feel like they are throbbing and I can feel a "pulse" in them. I wear a clear plastic retainer that fits over my teeth at night, and I think I feel better when I'm wearing it (or at least I like having a different sensation when it's time to go to sleep).
My weirder experience (unique?) is that I now have a definite accoustic vibration in my top two front teeth that is very bothersome-- it started a couple of months after my surgery. The vibration can vary in intensity and I notice it at some times more than others. It can be very uncomfortable, especially when I raise my voice (I have two sons-- 13 and 16!-- "Get off the XBoy-- Nnnnnnnow!")-- enunciate words with the letter "N" (see above)or hum to music-- it can also be very uncomfortable if I have to blow my nose.
Having shared all that... I am still very grateful to have had a positive surgical result in regards to my severe obstructive sleep apnea. I would do it all again--- I just hope that this unexpected outcome continues to improve over time! If any part of the pain I've described sounds like what you are experiencing with your lip, you might want to talk to your doctor about Neurontin-- it might help!
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