Hello from new member - facial numbness
 

Hello everyone.
I am a new member of this site and from reading the forums, I see that there is a lot of knowledge and support to be found here. Thank you in advance for any ideas as to what my condition can be.

I am a 33 year old female. For the last 10 days or so, I have been experiencing a feeling of numbness/tingle under my right eye, down to the middle of my cheek and the border of my nose. My eye doesn't twitch, and it doesn't burn nor hurt, but since the last few days, the numbness seems to be increasing. I can move freely my eyebrows and nose.

I saw a pharmacist who recommended me to go to the hospital. Three days ago, I went to the ER and had a electrocardiogram. As it came out OK, I was told to go to the waiting room and wait to see a doctor. After waiting for 8 hours (oh, Canada...) with no doctor available to see me, I was so tired that I went back home.

The numbness is still there and I am worried. I have no current health issues that I know of, and no allergies or sinus problems. My blood pressure is a little high (155/90) and I used to suffer from migraines, but they were linked to my use of birth control pills (I stopped 3 years ago). The doctor also said I have a heart murmur. Although I generally eat well, it is possible that I have some sort of vitamin deficiency. I do not eat meat nor fish, and rarely consume dairy products. I do take a multivitamin and Omega3 supplements. I also need to confess on two bad habits; I smoke about 8 cigarettes a day, and drink 3 to 4 coffees. Perhaps I should also mention that I do not exercice much, especially in the winter, and work on the computer all day.

I do not suffer from stress and I am generally a relaxed, happy person. I do not take any medications. Thank you for your help and ideas as to what may be causing this strange sensations of numbness.

Hi Sharin and welcome to Neuro Talk. I can't speak specifically to your symptoms because I have no clue regarding them but I can sympathize with a fear of the unknown. This is a great place to get and give support...jump in anywhere. :hug:

Welcome to Neuro Talk Sharin,:Wave-Hello:
You might find these two forum here at neuro talk helpfull
Peripheral Neuropathy-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum20.html
Trigeminal Nueralgia
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum26.html
Besides all the info, there is so many great folks here that care and share
so look around then jump right in where ever you feel like.
I am sorry for your pain but I bet youll find lots of good info that will help you and many friendly people to lend a hand . and dont hesitate to private message me if you want, I will help best I can.:)
Peace
BMW (p.s. I have a type Trigeminal Neuralgia )

Welcome to Neurotalk.
 

Burntmarshmallow certainly has directed you to two of the forums that you should check out, but there are some other possibilities that come to mind, given what you've said about migraines.

The first, of course, is atypical headache/migraine. We have a headache forum here:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum32.html

Another, given that many now consider migraine to be a form of seizure disorder, is some form of seizure (which doesn't always mean the stereotypic behaviorally-disruptive kind):

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum11.html

And, given what you wrote about diet, I wonder if any medical professional would think to check your B12 levels. You can find out a lot about possible deficiency in our Vitamin, Nutrients, Herbs and Supplements forum:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum49.html

Thank you for your answers. I have been reading many threads in the forums you suggested to me, and I decided that I will go see see a doctor this week to get my blood tested, especially for B12 levels. I also bought a B vitamin complex today (and indulged in chocolate, as it's Easter...and I heard chocolate contain magnesium, which can't hurt!)

It is indeed the fear of the unknown that is the worst thing for me right now, though I am much grateful to have no pain. My father has multiple sclerosis, and I can't help thinking about it. I'm not sure if my symptoms could be MS, but perhaps I should get tested for it too.

I will also ask the doctor about the possibility of atypical migraine. I doubt it is related, but two weeks ago, the protruding bone at the back of my head (I think occipital bone) was very sore to the touch, but the pain went away after a few days. The numbness on my cheek/under the eye started soon after.

I am not doing so well tonight... The numbness seems to be increasing, perhaps because I'm tired, and my right eye feels "cold", as if a cold wind was blowing on it. It troubles me and makes me short-tempered with my loved ones, and I feel like all I really want is a diagnosis *now*, so I could know what steps to take next... I definitely have much to learn in terms of patience :) Thanks again for your replies and links.

I would bring up neuralgia to doctor also just to at least RULE IT OUT! B vit. good for nerve growth .
Fear of unknown is no fun and I will be holding you in my thoughts .
let us know how things go Sharin :hug:
Peace
BMW

Sharin,

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Great to see you have come to be with us. You will find a great number of caring, supporting members here willing to help each other as they can.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.:hug:

Hi Sharin :Wave-Hello: Welcome to Neuro Talk

Hi Sharin! :Wave-Hello: Welcome to NeuroTalk!

My initial reaction is get thyself to a neurologist! What you are experiencing does not sound "normal" to me and if it's interfering with your daily life, it's time to get some answers. I hope you'll find them soon. :)