I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy 3 1/2 years ago on the left side of my face. This was the beginning of my pain.

One day i noticed I had a metalic taste in my mouth, that night when i was in bed I had a severe sharp pain behind my ear that only lasted a few seconds, next morning i woke up and noticed my face was paralyzed. Went to the doctor, got prednisone. Got some of my movement back about 6months later, took about 2 1/2 years to get the rest back with only mild weakness. I have had pain on the left side of my face since i started getting it back, and my doctor at the time said it was normal and not to worry about it. I had the twitching, tightening, spasms, voltage like streaks of pain, pressure, swelling and aching pain on the left side since.

It would get so painful that I would have to knock myself out with something or I just sit there with tears running down my face.

Earlier this year the pain started moving to the other side of my face. At first I ignored it, thinking it was just random, until it got worse. I was having episodes of pain and aching pressure from my temple and forhead down along my jaw and across my cheek on both sides of my face at the same time, sometimes only one side at a time. Unbareable pain. I would want to sit there and hold my face, but I couldnt touch it because it would make it worse. I lost my insurance about two years ago and havent been able to get any since, so I didnt want to go to the doctor and have them tell me what my previous one did, that there wasnt anything they could do and to just deal with it.

I ended up going to the ER because I couldnt take it anymore about a three months ago and got a shot of something that only helped for about 2 hrs. The doctor gave me a prescription for carbamazepine and tramadol and was told to find a doctor.

Unfortunately, I had an allergic reaction to the carbamazepine and the tramadol does nothing.

I finally went to another doctor and they said Trigeminal Neuralgia on both sides. My doctor is leery of giving me anything for the pain since i had a bad reaction to the carbamazepine and was supposed to give me a referal to a neurologist. I am waiting to get in to see a neurologist. It isnt likely to happen soon as I do not have insurance since the insurance through my employer will not cover pre-existing conditions.

I can't talk or smile much or hardly touch parts of my face without causing pain, my hearing is so sensitive that I drive myself crazy and have to cover my ears a lot. Loud sounds often cause pain to streak across my face. It isnt a very pleasant feeling at all. I got used to just not touching my face at all and eating very carefully and drinking through a straw. My family knows not to touch my face either. Cold weather isnt a cake walk at all.

This is my story so far, I am in hope of getting some answers and relief soon and hopefully finding a good doctor.