| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
mom2aidan2002
14 Posts |
 Posted - 02/26/2010 : 22:02:39
|
A few weeks ago I posted that I started to experience some facial sensations of crawling, paresthesias, and burning on my cheek, chin, etc. At times it moves all along part of my face, at other times I will experience a localized point of hot/cold, burning. (So hard to describe). I google'd and found references to cancer--panicked--but calmed down quickly by turning to this forum and going to my doctor. Because I have had other symptoms of twitching and paresthesias in other locations, my doctor ordered labs, brain MRI, and all was normal.
This is the weird part tho and what has me hung up on whether this is a "real"; i.e., non-TMS diagnosis. Whenever I have had a TMS symptom in the past, I am completely obsessed by it. However, when I am busy, at work, really engaged, the symptoms temporarily go away. When I notice in the moment that the symptom is gone, I obsess again. This is how I *know* it is TMS, because when I am not thinking about it, I get relief. I always know I am on the mend when I wake up and I forget to check in with myself to see if the symptom is still there. These periods get longer and longer until I "forget" about the symptom entirely and become pain free.
In this case tho, I worked really hard with my usual techniques and actually was waking up without thinking about the symptoms at all. However, I would be going from one room to another and suddenly feel the paresthesia and would actually be caught off guard by it. In other words, I momentarily didn't know what I was feeling (sometimes it feels like there is hair on my face, for example, and I would try to brush the hair away, until I clued in--oh, it's that weird symptom again). So in contrast to my *usual* TMS, I wasn't obsessing about it at all and it would return and kind of shock me by being there.
Does this make sense at all? I am so used to getting pretty rapid relief by applying my TMS techniques that this has me more freaked out than usual.
My doctor thought it might be a herpes infection, which actually had me hopeful for relief from the meds she prescribed, but 4 days into the treatment--no relief. Plus, I have never had a cold sore, nor has anyone in my family, and herpes zoster (the other kind of herpes) is usually one side of the face.
I am wondering about atypical trigeminal neuralgia--I don't get sudden, sharp pain--my pain pretty much alternates between constant burning, itching, and a crawling sensation.
I guess I am wondering if there is anyone else who symptoms catch them off guard. It is such a new manifestation that I am having trouble believing this is TMS. Plus, my usual symptoms were so much more "normal"--sciatica, headache, etc. that this creepy crawly sensation is hard to take!
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
|
|
|
catspine
USA
239 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2010 : 22:59:52
|
How does it goes ? If it quacks like duck walks like a duck flies like a duck then...its a duck or a different duck.
I often used the same technique you were using and it still works sometimes.
Try not to feed the fear. when symptoms return you can expect them to be a little different and more sophisticated Since you can not find what it is try the tms approach and watch for shifts to other places the hardest is to see beyond the camouflage.
trigeminal neuralgia is usually extremely painful I guess you would know it quickly if you had that. It is also much more rare than migraines which feel pretty much the same.
What happens to this creepy crawly sensation when it's on and you try to completely relax yourself? or when you get more tense?
does it react to cold or heat dry or wet and in what way? it is sensitive to sun light?
Are you quite uptight lately? Tms Sym Imp can create a burning sensation similar to inflammation or inflammation itself especially on the skin of the face or scalp and makes your skin dry and red and peal kind of like white dandruff.
You may get more freaked out than usual because TMS has found a new way to get your attention I would slightly change the technique to deal with it and persevere and see what happens. You got nothing to loose by running the TMS approach for a while as you already did the doctor check up.
Good luck
|
Edited by - catspine on 02/26/2010 23:24:05 |
 |
|
|
mom2aidan2002
14 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2010 : 00:56:59
|
I too have heard that trigeminal neuralgia is EXTREMELY painful, but *atypical* TN sounds a lot like what I am experiencing. In any case, it appears to be distributed along the trigeminal nerve area.
The symptoms definitely get worse when I am anxious or tense. I have felt completely relaxed and not focused on symptoms and suddenly have it appear tho, as I mentioned. In fact, I think I might have been having it for about 2 weeks prior to realizing I was having symptoms because we had gotten 2 cats and I kept thinking I had cat hair on my chin. I kept brushing my chin to get the cat hair away. When it progressed to burning pain I realized that the "car hair" had been a paresthesia.
It sometimes gets a little better with active relaxation-mostly the burning improves, the creepy crawly doesn't.
I have been tense. Been frustrated, angry. Lots of life stress right now. Hey, I am a TMS-er, so, of course, I have tension and repressed emotions!
Cold makes it worse. Heat makes it better. Haven't noticed any change with wet (although sometimes it feels as if my cheek is wet when it is not--very odd). No sensitivity to sunlight. No rash or pealing. It is definitely a nerve sensation--not a skin issue or condition.
Thoughts? Anyone else had this or been taken off guard by symptoms?
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Peg
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2010 : 08:21:37
|
Hi there,
I can see why you are perplexed by your situation. This new symptom certainly does present differently than your typical TMS symptoms. Because of this, it has been effective at grabbing your attention and keeping it on the physical (sound familiar?). I think you were wise to see your doctor and have testing to rule out anything serious. Her suspicion and treatment sounds reasonable as well. The treatment was ineffective and you did not progress to develop a typical HSV (herpetic) lesion. I believe this rules out that diagnosis. Even if that's what it is, you would develop a sore, it would be painful, then, as is typical for a virus, it would run it's course, and heal within a finite amount of time (1-2 weeks depending on the severity of outbreak).
I don't know very much about trigeminal neuralgia, but I believe the cause is usually unknown (sound familiar?) and I don't know of any treatment for it other than medication for pain relief (you're not having the pain). I believe I have read an article implicating stress in the development of it. Even if you have "atypical TN", it won't harm you and will go away eventually. Would you feel more reassured if you consulted a neurologist and were told there was nothing serious going on?
On occasion, I have had symptoms that have happened suddenly, "catching me off guard", but if I thought about it and was honest with myself, I could usually identify something that I had been thinking of that bothered me and I figure this is what caused the pain or other symptom. If I was able to relax and not fear the sudden symptom, it would ease up and gradually go away. If on the other hand (early on in my recovery), I became worried and fearful of the symptom, or frustrated and angry that I wasn't totally TMS free, the pain would continue until I identified the emotions, journaled or released the emotions with physical activity or emotional release (like a good cry or a long talk with a trusted friend/loved one).
Heat makes it better. Maybe that's due to the heat increasing the blood flow to the area (there is some controversy about whether this is the physiology of TMS) or because heat will release muscle spasm. Even if these are "nerve symptoms", the nerves are in close proximity to the muscles and if the muscles are in spasm (typical TMS), it can affect the nerves. When my shoulder TMS was at it's worst, I had paresthesia in my arms and hands. This is perfectly understandable. The nerves that serve my limbs run through the trapezius muscles which were tight and full of knots (again, typical TMS).
So, you got 2 cats. Have you looked at the time frame between getting the cats and the start of your symptoms? How did you feel about getting 2 cats? Were you ecstatic, happy and peaceful because you love animals? Or were you getting them for someone else? Could you have been a little conflicted about taking on the responsibility of adding two living things, with all the related responsibilities, to your already stressful life? Why 2 instead of 1? Would that double the work involved?
>"I have been tense. Been frustrated, angry. Lots of life stress right now. Hey, I am a TMS-er, so, of course, I have tension and repressed emotions!"
Have you been able to take care of yourself? Are you able to make any changes in your life to reduce the stress, tension and anger? Are you taking care of your needs or everyone else's? Are you getting enough support, both emotional and logistical?
TMSrs tend to catastrophize. We have a sensation, and, because we are worriers, our minds go to thoughts of something serious. When you really think about this, it's a bit silly. I'm not being critical. I've done the same thing, many times, but having lived with this for 20 years, I now laugh at myself. I've learned that when I have a symptom, I can reassure myself that it's nothing serious and it goes away.
When you think about it, if the long term, chronic ailments that many people describe on this and other forums, were serious medical conditions, we would all be dead by now :-)
Hope your symptoms resolve soon.
Take care of yourself.
Best,
Peg
In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei |
|
|
|
Peg
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2010 : 08:26:08
|
Hi again,
Of course I wrote all that and then thought of something else after re-reading your first sentence.
Could you be allergic?
My husband used to have allergic reactions to cats, which included itching of his chin and face. He also had scratchy throat and nasal congestion with it.
Just a thought.
Peg
In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei |
|
|
|
winnieboo
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2010 : 20:27:21
|
Had any dental work recently? Could be your facial muscles resolving from stretching for the procedures (yes, even it was for 30 minutes).
TMS symptoms can creep up on you when you least expect them. The unconscious brain is smarter and trickier than the conscious one. BTW, since my TMS diagonisis I've had two minor injuries involving blood and stitches, and in one case, antibiotics and a tetanus shot, and the pain was so much more intense than TMS--but only for about 36 hours. The pain was unquestionable. None of this, "Is this TMS?" dialogue in my head. Plus, the pain was relieved by painkillers. Both injuries then entered a healing phase and were painless and I forgot all about them. Big difference.
Back to your facial pain: trigeminal neuralgia seems to be another one of those "I don't know what it is!" diagnoses that doctors pull out, like fibro. I've heard it several times in my life, once recently. I get migraines and recently, I went through a huge TMS flare-up, complicated by dental issues, that took a lot of months to resolve. It was not trigeminal neuralgia.
|
Edited by - winnieboo on 02/27/2010 21:14:40 |
|
|
|
Peg
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2010 : 10:54:14
|
Winneboo,
Great job of giving an example and describing how non-tms pain would be experienced. If you really think about it and compare it to the chronic issues most of us have had, it becomes easier to distinguish the two.
Of course the longer you have dealt with TMS, the easier it is to identify it and to not let it throw you.
Peg
In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei |
|
|
|
mom2aidan2002
14 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2010 : 13:07:45
|
Thanks for the responses! It is definitely not an allergic reaction to the cats. I say this because the sensations are "nerve" sensations; i.e. paresthesias, burning nerve pain, pins and needles, etc.--not *skin* itching.
I *was* having some TMJ issues, but that has been a TMS symptom for me and it quickly resolved. There has been no trauma to my jaw, prolonged procedures, etc. Just this unexplicable nerve sensations and migratory pain.
I wanted the cats, but I had a big stress reaction when we got them because they became sick and one was really fearful. I am sure that contributed.
And altho initially when I was having success in not being anxious and not thinking about the symptoms I am now officially obsessed by the pain/creepy crawlyness. I can't think about anything else. It is driving me crazy. (So I am beginning to think it is TMS, but just having trouble using my techniques).
I always go to the place of "this is going to last forever" and "I can't deal with this". So very frustrating. These symptoms are just so incredibly strange that I can't seem to let go...
|
|
|
|
catspine
USA
239 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2010 : 13:32:38
|
I found that TMS can use the "strange " too to grab your attention when the usual stuff doesn't work. Have you read something in the recent past about your symptoms but not read it entirely?
In which case the brain could only use what it knows from your reading and produce an incomplete symptom. I had to deal with this and discovered it by accident or else I would have never found out.
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
facial burning crawling & non-tms like response
