Weird feeling in face, tmj? stroke? tumor?
 

I am starting to think I am losing it. I am a 27/f, with a history if anxiety/panic attacks. Well for several years, very sporadically, i would get this feeling on my face, (either side) that feels like someone is tightening a muscle in my cheek and won't let it go. Well this time I have had it for a month now (left side) and I am totally flipping out. It's not numb,no pain, I have no drooping, no slurred speech or blurry vision. It just feels like I am waiting for it to loosen and it doesn't. Every now and then I will feel very small spasms in it but nothing that noticable. I still have full function of my entire face, it's just this darn cheek that feels like it's tightened. I know it could very well be from stress/anxiety. Especially since I am a bit of a hypochondriac, I think I am going to die from it, and I also think I have had a stroke, (my husband thinks I am nuts) but it is very distressing to have something that you have no idea what it is. Has anyone EVER had anything like this? I also thought maybe it could be TMJ (I am able to repeatedly crack my jaw). Or maybe just a pulled muscle...but in my CHEEK?? I have 2 major cavities on that side on the bottom teeth, but they don't hurt yet. And when I bend over it's like I can feel pressure in that area of my cheek, like when youre on a roller coaster and the wind is pushing on your face, does that make any sense? I have posted this in 2 other forums, and they keep telling me to try different forums, this being one of them..lol...so I hope someone out there can help.Anyways, if anyone has some comforting words for this worrywart, please let me know!!

I have a suggestion...
 

sometimes facial sensations are caused by disturbances in electrolytes.

Specifically calcium. If your Vit D is very low this could be a cause.
Calcium contracts muscles and magnesium relaxes them. So taking a
magnesium supplement may help.

About 70% of the American population is low in magnesium.
Here is a thread where I have gathered information to help people
restore themselves:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html

You can get tested at the doctor's for Vit D. Estimates are about 50% in USA are low in it as well. Fixing that will stabilize calcium in the nervous system and
reduce spasms.

I would start with a magnesium supplement at about 1/2 the RDA daily (200mg elemental). See what happens within a month.

You may need correction to normal levels of Vit D. New research shows that at least 2000 IU of Vit D3 should be taken daily if no sun exposure is provided.
Some people need more...that is why a test is important.

Another issue would be low B12...so when you get the Vit D run ask for B12 as well. Anything below 500 should be supplemented. This is pretty common too.

Thanks, I will look into that...first thing though, I need to calm down about it..lol...but I will look into it for sure, have a good day!!

Hi
 

I really like what Mrs. d has to say,what is the harm in giving it a try.Now do
that first and I do not want to add yo your anxiity,but could be syart of
S Syndrome,my pain is not all the time,either up the cheek are up the cheek
behind the ear. But try what Mrs. d has to say,why smart lady and beyond.
Hugs to all. Sue

muscle spasms in facial cheek area
 

Hi complikati,

Your husband may think you are nuts, but you're not!! Spasms in the facial muscles are fairly common and they can linger for quite some time. There are many reasons why they occur and most of the time, the only way to determine what is causing your own is through a process of elimination.

Sometimes people get a "twitch" in the cheek muscle which is the same thing as when you would get a "twitch" in your arm, leg or eyelid. This type of spasm is thought to be anxiety related, but it could also be from a traumatized nerve. A muscle can become very spastic (tight) or fatigued if the twitching goes on for a long period of time. The fact that you stated you can repeatedly crack your jaw may indicate that you have an ongoing TMJ problem and now the facial nerves are irritated and the masseter muscle is twitching or spasming. It is not good to deliberately crack your jaw as this weakens the TMJ joint by causing damage to the ligaments as well as an abnormal wear pattern of the disk. Keep in mind, this may or may not be your case........

You mentioned that you have two cavities on that side of your mouth. I know you worry alot and this is not to alarm you........ just to inform you that cavities are infections. If those teeth don't hurt and they are not sensitive to temperature then that could be because the nerve has died in the teeth. This is not a healthy thing to let go because the infection will spread to the surrounding teeth and/or bone. So it really is best if you have those teeth taken care of asap. They may or may not be contributing to your other facial muscle concerns.

Clenching or grinding your teeth can also cause your masseter muscles to spasm. Frequently when people have a bad tooth, they unconsciously clench down on it throughout the day. Not sure of the reason behind that other than there may be some inflammation which causes the clenching reaction, I just know that it's a common thing for patients to tell me.

The pressure that you mention in your cheek when you bend over can indicate inflammation and/or a sinus issue. Do you have any teeth on top that are decayed or that have root canals or large fillings? Any of those things could contribute to sinus irritation/infections. Do you have any type of chronic sinus problems?

Bryanna

Well, I don't think I have any sinus problems...I had a pretty bad cold a few weeks ago, but that was after this face thing started. Funny thing though, the couple of days I was sick, I didn't feel anything weird in my face at all! My husband was like, that's because you weren't thinking about it..lol...which makes me think it may be anxiety related. But any ongoing anxiety symptom I have ever had usually clears itself up before this long. IDK, I fall asleep every night praying that it will be gone when I wake up and it is still there!! I know I need to get to the dentist whether or not it is related to this. I have done research after research and I can't find anything except the wonderful advice you all have given me here, and it is nice to know that I am not crazy...lol.

Vitamin D deficiency IMPORTANT!!
 

Vitamin D deficiencies have grown to epidemic proportions according to the latest research performed by various reputable sources. Integrative physicians and naturopathic physicians routinely check their patients for this common deficiency, but the idea is only slowly creeping into mainstream conventional medicine. It is amazing how many bodily functions, both physical and mental, are affected by vitamin D. I urge everyone reading this post to please take a minute and read about this most important nutrient.

Here is a link with oodles of information.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

Bryanna

Hi ... i might be able to help
 

Im an 19 year old female who just recently started feeling the SAME EXACT FEELING in my face. I have HORRIBLE anxiety. It is always one feeling or another i am worried about.... i have convinced myself i have had everything under the sun and that im going to die. Anyways i can crack my jaw as well it happens every time i yawn ..... i try not to do it but i still do. The right side of my face ... also the side my jaw usually cracks on, has been getting numb/ tingling feeling. The feeling is always in a different spot and has moved to the other side of my face once or twice. Sometimes it is on my eye brow then moves to my cheek .... sometimes its high on cheek bone towards my ear or on the corner of my mouth/lips, i still have full function of my face and it is not different from the other side ( of course im standing in front of the mirror in the bathrrom looking at my face winking and smiling at my self ..... even i think im nuts when my face starts tingling) .... thats what people with anxiety do. I love it outside it does make me feel better and i live in florida so there is LOTS of sun, which does help me with the whole anxiety thing. I have also started taking multi vitamins and i drink lots of milk so i know its not a vitiamin def. of any kind. I have looked up anything and everything on this tingling feeling and cant find a thing on it ... besides it is all and my head and has to do with anxiety. I have noticed that when i dont think about it, it does go away and i dont feel it anymore. I guess its just my mind play tricks on me ... i dont know but it does bother me. I have not actually went to the doctor for anxiety. I AM NOT being put on some prescription that will screw me up more than i already am ... so i have been trying passion flower and bachs rescue remedy .... they help, but only for alittle bit. I can actually laught when i use them and i feel good for a few hours but it does fade and i go back to worring about what ever i am worried about ....:o
My advice is to keep your mind off of it

Well I just wanted you to know I have the same tightening of the face as you do. I have gone through allot of testing including a cat scan of my brain and so forth. My doctor says I am healthy I know I do have anxiety and I make my muscles tighten. If i'm not thinking about it its not there. Also I was told by a ENT I have TMJ so I put warm compresses on my cheeks it helps believe it or not. I am 56 years old but everyone says I look 40 so I'm telling you relax and you will see a difference. Try the warm or hot compresses and hang in there.

I have the exact same thing I'm 15 and it's driving me up the wall.
I wanna kill myself just because It's so annoying.
What do you do for it?
Does it go away what medication or therapy do you take for it?

Honey try going to a chiropractor and they can release the muscle in your jaw (TMJ)...sounds like you probably chew on one side most of the time and if you try chewing on the other side for a few days it may go away on it's own. One dentist I went to said to stop chewing gum. I did and it stopped happening. Hope this helps.

I just wanted to add some support i have a similar problem with facial tingling and tightness although mine is related to the congenital facial paralysis i was born with. I know its really annoying and at times you want to rip your face off the only thing i find sometimes helps is to rub/massage that side of your face or to gently slap it, although sometimes that makes it worse. Over my way of dealing is to try to ignore it although it always seems to happen at the least opportune moments! I just try to tell myself that its nothing and push on. It can only interfere with your life if you let it. :)

-Rebecca

Tmj
 

Nothing to worry about. Its your muscules contracting and blocking nerves.

Hi, I am 21 years old and I'm going through the same thing I have anxiety and my jaw also snaps, sometimes it hurts and causes me headaches, I also get a weird feeling in my face and I just wait for it to twitch...sometimes it doesn't...and rarely it does..but along with that I have constant left arm discomfort starting from the back of shoulder blade down to my fingers (which sometimes hurt and they also feel electric like when you hit your funny bone...this makes me freak out I'm so stressed that I can't work or go out...when i'm in public places i feel as if something will happen to me and ill have panic attacks, I'll start sweating and hyperventilating to the point where I have to just go home......but I just think I injured my left arm somehow because i noticed it causes more discomfort when i lay on it and overuse it.....I just hate the anxiety attacks cuz they really make me feel as if I am dying...but at least I know i'm not the only one I hope you get better.:)

Pinched nerves?
 

I have been having pinprick sensations on the left side of my face for a few weeks now, and just this past week it has turned into more of a burning sensation, almost feel sunburnt. I do have TMJ, and frequently visit my chiropractor when I have numbness in my left hand. This is the first time I have experienced this sensation in the left side of my face. I know when I pop my neck it makes it go away a bit. I have a few root canals on the left side of my face, and I know that can heighten or alter sensations in the facial area from sinus pressure, or anything really.

Since you've not had visual, hearing or speech interruptions, I doubt it is a stroke type situation.

I DO AGREE! that there is a chance the cavities may be affecting you. Sometimes teeth can have no outward symptoms when in fact they have abscessed behind the tooth. THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IS GO! If there is a cost problem, try to find a low income clinic that can at least x ray you, and advise you. Then you can take any antibiotics if needed and move from there.

I will be visiting my chiropractor tomorrow for this very reason, he is going to advise me for any further medical attention.

Rlbenitz,

It might be helpful to mention to your chiropractor about those root canals that you have on the left side. If he is Integrative thinking and not just conventional minded, he may suggest to investigate them further with xrays.

All root canal teeth harbor necrotic, infected nerve tissue. So it is not unusual to have constant or fleeting pain or pressure in the area of a root canaled tooth. This is not to say that this is a healthy situation...it's actually quite taxing on the immune system. So it can't hurt to see what the radiographic pathology is on these teeth..... especially since you have what sounds to be neurological pain on the left side of your face.

Rlbenitz.... take a look at the tooth/organ chart posted a few threads down from this thread. You might find it interesting that it shows a correlation between the (L) hand and the lower (L)teeth.

Hope you feel better soon!
Bryanna

Muscle pulling in the face
 

Hi I have had muscle pulling in my face for several years. It started whilst suffering from anxiety and panic attacks . There is not a week that gos by when I am pain free. constant pain in my face - pulling muscles which leave me with chronic headaches . I was informed I had tmj and was referred to maxo facial , given a mouth gaurd . it does help and I wear the guard during the night . however , I live with pain in my face and headaches on a daily basis . I have tried all self help , heat on the face - massage - relaxation- acupuncture -medication. But I will b lying if I said I'm coping the constant pain just gets u down , changes ur mood, then the depression kicks in . Basically it's killing me , does anyone suggest any new intervention .

this might help
 

Ive been suffering from face pain, usually on the left side, across my cheeks and experiencing spasms and cramp like pains, off and on for a few months now, im waiting for a CT scan to rule out any underlying problems, but I have been told of this hospital that take the symptoms seriously, although there isn't any real cure by the looks of it, more management of the condition, they can help you manage the symptoms, for those who do not live in the UK there is an address you can write to maybe for some advice? and I agree .. the symptoms although not particularly painful are enough to drive you mad, but I also think once you have a diagnoses whether it be anxiety or another medical reason then usually you can start to work on this and almost learn to accept it, sometimes these things (unless there is a medically issue) can go away as quick as they appeared? a horrible thing to go through, especially when you are not sure who to see regarding this, ENT? Dentist? Neurologist? **

Hi same problem also
 

Hi I'm a 25 year old female and I have the same problem I've had 2 ct scans and tons of blood and according to the doctors I'm healthy as a horse. I have anxiety which makes it hard for me not to focus on it I can't focus its affecting my job and my personal life, my doctor thought it was a really bad tooth that I had but I had it pulled and it's still going on here said he really don't know what it could be (I know very comforting right) he's thinking that maybe it's my 5th cranial nerve but I've read up on it and usually there's pain that comes from that as well I have no idea what's going on. My face has it from my eye down to my mouth feels like you know when you burn your finger you got that weird numb feeling and it also feels like something is pulling on my face too. My doctor is sending me to see a nerve specialist but it could take a year or two to get in I just want some answer

same issue
 

i have been having the same issue with the muscles under my chin feeling tight and having spasms, i too have a large cavity in a back molar that is getting repaired soon so i really hope that is the issue, but i am not sure...i am really worried that it is related to a larger issue but just wanted to post on here to see what people think

ps i also still have my wisdom teeth at age 29, but they seem to not be interfering with my other teeth so i assumed they were not an issue

Just a thought...look into Trigeminal Neuralgia and Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia

I have the same thing, but I think I know what mine is. I have tmj and teeth grinding also (but only ground my teeth as an adult). I also have panicky attacks anxiety and fatigue. All of the above are symptoms of parasites. The dr oz show says over half of people in the US have them and doctors aren't well trained to identify them. Parasites release neurotoxins which cause all of the above. The lab tests only find them 30% of the time because of their egg cycle. I've just started a supplement/herb program and it's helping. It also causes nervousness/worry, which I'd never had before! This was really scaring me, and I thought I was going crazy. It also causes pounding heart and strange feelings under the skin. I think twitches in my face are either a response to the toxins or tiny parasites under the skin. candida overgrowth causes similar symptoms...I had thought I had that but the special diet didn't cure it after 8 months, and I'd read an underlying parasite problem prevents stopping a yeast overgrowth. After 4 days taking these herbs my nervousness is gone! I'm still feeling sick, but I'm relieved there's a solution. If you go to the dr, they'll give you drugs but keep in mind they aren't always careful to figure out which bug you've got...they're lazy and don't look it up. So insist they find out so you get the right drug, or get wormwood or other herbs , dr oz says use neem tea...I got hums worm which says it kills them all, and I sure hope it does!!! I'm excited to think this could cure these problems for me, but I'm still sick now...I will report back if it works!!! Fingers crossed.

Hi Gg1256,

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us! You are absolutely 100% correct in that a parasitic infection can cause ALL or some of the symptoms that you have described. In fact, this is not "new" knowledge it is just not recognized by mainstream medicine and dentistry.

Some practitioners that delve into this subject are HolisticnNurse Practitioners, Holistic Nutritionists, Integrative Physicians or those who practice Functional Medicine.

There are reputable labs who can test a person for parasitic infections. These tests are via stool samples taken at home with a specific kit and instructions. They offer very comprehensive diagnostic results. Genova Labs, Great Plains Lab, Metametrix are just a few. I would not recommend that someone treat this problem without the help of someone who is knowledgeable. Perhaps you already have a practitioner but if not you can call these labs and ask for a referral to someone in your area.

Thanks again for sharing your story... please keep us posted and all the best to you!