Does anyone have a problem using facial muscles to show emotions? For me if I smile wide or laugh it immediately increases the pain (both nerve and muscular) in my face, especially in my cheeks. I assume it’s the trigeminal nerve that’s somehow affected just not sure how facial mimic is triggering the increase in pain. Talking is increasing my facial pain as well. It’s either intense piercing burning or extreme pressure around my and in my cheeks and eyes, like a vice grip holding my face. I know it’s not a very typical symptom of ES and I haven’t yet met anyone who had pain increase from facial mimic.
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For sure laughing and talking increased my facial pain. I had less facial pain after surgery but would flare with too much socializing. Botox in temporalis and jaw muscles was helpful.
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@Leah Thank you for responding, I’ve been offered Botox before but I’m too scared of potential side effects. Do you have to repeat it every so often? What were the main symptoms that surgery relived for you? Facial pain is my worst complaint together with headaches.
@Elena - The facial nerve is responsible for our facial expressions. It’s often also irritated by ES. My guess is that at this time, your facial nerve is not happy & it’s making that known by causing the pain you’re feeling when you smile. It or the trigeminal nerve can cause the eye pain. Facial pain when talking most likely also comes from the facial nerve as it’s getting irritated w/ mouth & cheek movements required during speech.
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@Isaiah_40_31 Thank you for your feedback, as usual much appreciated. My facial nerve must be really mad at me as the pain has been absolutely horrendous lately. I’m bed bound most days anymore with a rare exception. It didn’t help that we made a 20 hour drive from NC back home to Nebraska for the holidays and it was a disaster, so I’m dreading the drive back 
My surgery with Dr. Hackman is in 11 days, I truly hope this is my answer 
Thank you for your support and valuable comments 
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I’m sorry your husband’s current job isn’t still in the NC area. I know about those long driving trips. Been on a few myself but not with terrible ES symptoms. I’m sorry you weren’t able to enjoy the trip but as you said, surgery is coming up SOON!! 
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My husband’s job is still in NC but we drove back home for Christmas and to see my oldest son who lives in Nebraska with his dad. Driving back to NC on Sunday. Hopefully drive back is better
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I wonder if you would get some benefit from a muscle relaxer for your trip home (?).
So sorry you’re bed bound (((. Hoping for relief coming soon.
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@Leah thank you for the suggestion, I have taken muscle relaxers in the past but mainly at night, they don’t really help with pain but knock me out so I can sleep. I might try though it’s a bit hard with a 3 year old in the vehicle requiring constant attention and my husband driving I’m the one who usually tends to him. We will just have to survive through this experience again
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At least you have the countdown to surgery now, thinking of you & hoping the return journey is better 
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Yes! Face pain is one of my more annoying symptoms that can at times be very debilitating. Exactly as you said, if I talk for too much, smile a lot, laugh, etc my face - cheeks especially, will hurt more and more. I also can’t chew on things like leafy greens that you need to really chew through - my face gets too angry about it. And then I have just weird face and TN type pain like tooth aches that aren’t real or sudden sensitivity to cold water in certain teeth for no reason, shock or lines of electricity. Or pain that feels like sinus pain or goes straight down one nostril. It’s a barrel of laughs I tell you. So you are most definitely not alone. hopefully these things will at least in large part resolve with surgery for us both.
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@akc I’m sorry you’re dealing with facial pain too. Our symptoms are very similar. I get pain in top back molars that at times makes me want to pull them out thinking they’re infected but then next day pain will switch and I realize it’s not the teeth 
But every time it happens it’s very tempting to have the teeth pulled, if I do though I’m afraid I’ll end up toothless. I too can’t chew anything hard as it aggravates the pain and causes weird ear popping and other “fun” symptoms. Fingers crossed surgery helps, wishing you the best of luck with yours
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@akc & @elena - it sounds like you both have irritated TN & FN which translates into OUCH!! You should both get good resolution of the facial pain & toothache symptoms once your styloids are removed.
Funny story about the nose pain: I had pain in my right nostril that came & went but was very annoying. I looked at a Google image of the TN to see if it went into the nose, & it does so I assumed that was what was causing my pain. The next time I saw my ENT I mentioned the nostril pain & said I thought my TN was causing it. He dismissed it but did follow through by scoping my nose w/ a scope w/ a light on it, & during the scoping, he said, “You’re right!” I felt very vindicated!!
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@Isaiah_40_31 Thank you for your encouraging comments, as always greatly appreciated
I forgot to mention that I used to get nostril pain too, only mine was left nostril and the burning pain that was very unpleasant and made breathing through that nostril painful. From my previous comments you might remember that I like using weird remedies as a temporary relief or distraction. I would put a cotton ball dipped in Vicks rub in my nostril and walk around like this 
I actually dug out a picture from 3 years ago that I put on Facebook that I’ll attach here. When asked what is that in my nose I replied that my brain is too big and leaking through my nose so I had to plug it
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Love the picture & your comment about why you had a cotton ball in your nose. You’re hilarious!! 
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