Help--I have nerve pain!!

[I love my teeth]

OK-so I am 4days post BSSO surgery. and since day 2, I have been having nerve sensations/discomfort in my chin and lower lip. My left side is more swollen than my right, and therefore, the left side of my chin and lip have lost more feeling than the right. The right doesn't feel fat or totally numb--just a little off. The left side feels totally huge, no feeling (like with novacaine)....Since post op day 2 I have been having all kinds of weird nerve sensations, from my lip twitching, to just general tingling, today it's almost burning in my lip. So, my questions are:

1. Is this normal?
2. Does it mean my feeling will return sooner rather than later?
3. How long does this phase last--it's very annoying, especially at night!!

Please help me with some of your stories of the numbness/tingling factor--when I asked the surgeon how long, he was non-committal and said it's different for everyone. When I asked the average length of time for feeling to return, again, he said he couldn't even say, as it's so different for everyone.

Any special nutrients/supplements anyone's been taking to help restore the nerve senstations?

Thanks in advance!
Christine

[Christina28]

Vitamin B-12 is very beneficial for nerve regeneration.

[beowulf68]

I'm 10.5 weeks Post-Op, had a Lefort 1, BSSO, Genioplasty and Septoplasty (with some other work on the nose). After surgery I was numb from the eyes down. However, now the only things that is numb is my chin and lower lip on the outside. The chin is slowly starting to feel weird so hopefully feeling will come back in the next couple of months or so. My surgeon told me that there was a 15 percent change that I would never regain feeling in my chin or lower lip. However that numbness shouldn't effect function only feeling.

I didn't really get the weird nerves starting to fire sensation for close to 2 weeks so that's a good thing for you. It means things are turing back on and hopefully a good amount of your sensation will return sooner rather than later. The nerve firing thing could last easily a couple of months. I'm close to 3 months and mine has just recently stopped.

I had tons of swelling (I looked like a pumpkin) but mine was even across the entire face. You'll see alot of your swelling go down by 2 weeks. However, the residual swelling could take a couple of months to completely go away.

[I love my teeth]

Thanks for the replys!!

Beowulf-wow!! you had the works done to your face didn't you! I see you are from Canton, We are from Northville, just living out here until April, then moving home----we should have a coffee and show off our new profiles!! Wondering who your surgeon and ortho are--as I have to make a transfer in April.
It doesn't sound like my numbness and yours will take the same course, my surgeon said only a 5% chance of perm. numbness. I figured having the weird sensations was a good thing, not a bad thing. I am hoping for it to return a bit sooner!! Best of luck with the rest of your recovery--talk soon!
Christine

[freakyteeth]

Canton, MI? I live in Canton. Who was your surgeon?

I've had three surgeries on my lower jaw so far. I have residual numbness on my chin. Things get stuck to it and I can't feel it. It's not bothersome, although sometimes my lower lip itches and tingles.

It's definately improved with time.

[I love my teeth]

Freakyteeth-

Really, another metro detroiter?? who was your surgeon and ortho?? Like I said to beowulf I will be moving back to Nville in April, so I need an ortho who will take me as a transfer patient ( I think I will be within months of having these things off!) and a suppose a surgeon in case I have a problem!

how long did you initial irritating numbness last? Did it get better then just stop at a low level?? I am sort of waiting to come out of this "novicaine phase" But, so far no luck! I guess maybe I'm too anxious, but I can't help thinking I could be biting the insides of my cheeks and I may never know it!

thanks for the reply!
Christine

[freakyteeth]

My Orthodontist is James McNamara in downtown Ann Arbor. He is extremely well known and really, really smart. I also know of some others that are closer to Northville. My surgeon is Sean Edwards at UMICH. I really like Dr. Edwards, he has great bedside manner and is technically very adept. The only negative is that is he is really busy, so you see the residents a lot.

The bad numbness was around a month. My chin feels really strange still, sort of numb, but not unpleasant. The lips tingling and itching is more unpleasant (comes and goes, maybe twice a month).

[I love my teeth]

Hey Freakyteeth!

I'll look into your ortho, in the meantime, who do you know closer to NVille for me to check out? when we moved in 2008 we were in Livonia, and my oldest was only 8, not ready yet, now it's me finishing up, and my oldest will need to start as he'll be 11, my youngest wont be far behind at 7-but he looks like he'll need 2 phase and early work done. Any other recommendations you can give me will be helpful--many have recommended Spillane/Renyonds in Novi??

[beowulf68]

WOW such a small world.....Three people on the same forum/post living in the Canton/Northville/Plymouth area!!

I had/have crazy numbness throughout my entire face. Fortunately alot of that numbness resolved itself. But I'm still really numb throughout the chin (pretty common because of the chin surgery I had) and the lower lip is still pretty numb on the outside. I'm hoping, worse case, most of my numbness will be gone within a year. But I'm already getting use to it so If I stay like this the rest of my life I guess it's a small price to pay to be able to breathe at night!!

On Wednesday of last week I finally had my wires removed (I was wired shut for 10 weeks) and can now open my mouth and eat solid food. It sounds like neither of you had your jaws wired shut and thank the Sun God you didn't because it is a horrible experience. I still have my arch bars in and a rubber band on both sides but I can eat whatever I can fit in my mouth. Which unfortunately isn't much and will stay like that for another couple of months until my TMJ and jaw muscles get back to normal.

I didn't see an Orthodontist because my surgery was due to severe sleep apnea. My bite was perfect and when the did the surgery they adjusted everything to keep it that way. As for my surgeon I see Dr. Joseph Helman out of UofM. He did a great job (he also worked on a family friend of mine with Jaw Cancer and did an equally good job). But like Freaky said in his post, I see mostly Residents. It's usually the same 2 or 3 Residents and they are all pretty cool.

Since the surgery, my appearence has changed drastically and if you new me before and after you would be shocked by the change. Cosmetically I look much better now.....I had such a weak jaw and almost no chin and my nose was crooked.

When you're back in the are and would like to sit down and swap war (surgery) stories I'm ok with that. I don't drink coffee, but I'll have a Coca Cola though!!

[freakyteeth]

That is funny.

I do love my residents! I have my favorites and try to request them all the time, except they have these complicated rotations set up.

Were you inpatient post surgery at UM? Where? how long? Did they come up to the floor and see you?

[beowulf68]

OH I was quite the inpatient!!!!! My surgery was crazy!!! It was supposed to be a standard Lefort 1/BSSO and go for 4 hours. But.....It turned into 9 hour marathon surgery because not only did they break both of my jaws and move them 10 or 12mm out and up, they also did a genioplasty and re-did my nose. After the surgery was over with I (though still under anesthesia) couldn't exhale so they had to keep me intubated in the intensive care unit for 2 days. Evidently the breathing issue was related to massive swelling (I looked like a freakin' pumpkin head) in my airway. After they extubated me I spent another 2 days in the intensive care unit. It was all great fun!!!

I hard the surgery on the 9th of November at the main University Hospital in Ann Arbor. Because I had such bad breathing complications, one of the Residents (I think Dr. Lu) spent the night in the intensive care unit with me. I guess they were a little scared I would have some other problems even being on the ventilator. Other Residents like Dr. Lam and one Chief Resident (can't remember his name) came up to see me every day. Also Dr. Helman came in to see me a couple of the days too. Especially the day they extubated me. There was 20 people in my room when the pulled the breathing tube out in case something bad happened.

[I love my teeth]

OH my Beowulf--you have been through a lot!! After hearing your story, I will stop my little pity party, since I tried to sleep flat for the first time last night (10days post op)--and slept horrible and woke up in a lot of pain this morning. My kids say I look pretty normal now (although there is still swelling, it's not much!) I will definately stop complaining on my day 11 postop--thanks for putting me in perspective!

But the numbness and nerve pain still perisists and I don't think I have gotten any feeling back yet

[beowulf68]

I just recently am able to sleep flat and on my right side. Still can't sleep on my left side because I get a horrible headache after 5 minutes or so. The numbness thing is really hit-or-miss. Even after 3 months I'm still really numb in my chin and outside lower lip. I've pretty much trained myself to get use to just in case it never comes back. You're still so early in your recovery.....So hopefully in the next 2 or 3 months most of your feeling will come back.

[freakyteeth]

Beowulf - OH MY GOSH! That is frightening. Can I ask how old you are? Are you happy with everything now?

[beowulf68]

I'm doing pretty good now. I'm finally getting my arch bars and rubber bands removed this Wednesday which will mean everything is all over with. I still have numbness in my chin and outside lower lip and have quite a bit of TMJ pain after eating because my jaws are still so stiff from being wired shut for so long. Hopefully the numbness will resolve over the course of the next year. Bottom line I'm pretty happy with the outcome. It seems that my Sleep Apnea is gone (will have to get a Sleep Study in the next month to verify that) and cosmetically I look a lot better.

I was 35 when I had the surgery. I guess that is relatively old considering my surgeon said the majority of his patients that undergo something similar to what I did have an average age of 16.