My intraoral surgery was in August 26th. I have intense and constant left ear pain that I did not have before. Pain is not subsiding at all. Dr says my nerves were monitored and he did not hit a nerve. Then, why I am in so much pain? Scar tissue compressing a nerve? Scar is intraoral. How to release it. I feel no pain when touching my scar.
I am really depressed and exhausted. Have been searching on this forum for someone who had ear pain post surgery but all I find are different issues (first bite sindrome, droop/ crooked lips, eyes, etc) but not constant ear pain. If you had this issue or any other constant pain because of surgery, PLEASE tell me how you are feeling.
Even if my pain is not gradually subsiding do you think it will? Somebody had this experience?
My body can not take any more meds. I have tried all sorts of them, even metadona! OMG! I have never been so desperate.
I have a glossopharyngeal nerve block scheduled for tonight and I dont know if I should do it as my surgery was less than 4 months ago. Anybody has some input?
Hi Tatianac,
Your pain sounds horrible. So sorry you are going through this. I am assuming that the ear pain is on the same side as your surgery. Did it start right away after surgery? I have not had anything as extreme as what you described, but I definitely have had inner ear pain with a brief worsening after surgery. Am not a doctor but if I were in your shoes I’d definitely be going for the nerve block and trying all of the nerve pain meds like carbamazepine and gabapentin. Has new imaging been done already? I so hope you get relief very soon.
So sorry that you’ve had more pain post surgery.
Nerves can take months to heal, so it’s posdible that things can still improve; members have found that even a year after surgery they are getting better. The best person to ask the questions about causes & whether there could be improvements would be the neurologist who’s doing the nerve block. There’s info on the Ben’s Friends Facial Pain group about nerve blocks- they’re more knowledgeable about the treatment than we are…but if you go ahead I hope that it helps you, let us know how things go
I never really got rid of ear pain after my intraoral surgery. My TMJ bite guard made by a TMJ doctor specifically to straighten my bite , not a flimsy rubber guard, or pkain bite guard for bruxism, helped to relieve the ear pain. However, I needed to ultimately getvthe intraoral surgery redone and have the rest of the styloid and stylohyoid removed 5 years later. Your nrrves can take a bit longer to heal, though so I would recommend the meds that others use for awhike longer.
In my case the styloud was very thick and had a round swelling in the center. It has been 15 months since that surgery and I still suffer a little facial pain occassionally. I may need a jaw joint replacement in the future.I am considering trying Amytrptyline if I can tolerate it, but I do not really think I need a daily medication.
Try a medication if you need somethimg and wait a bit longer. If you do not get better consider getting a new 3D Ct scam to see what is going on. If any remaining styloid looks suspicious, you may need another surgery or you may need to look at the jaw or look into trigeminal neuralgia as the culprit. May you find answers soon.
Thanks for asking. Yes, I did have the GPN block and I had 8 hours relief. Next step would be a pulsed Radiofrequency but I am afraid because I think it damages the nerves and I do not want to mess with something that is already messed. I have to better educate myself about this procedure before I decide doing it. But I must confess I am tempted of doing it, since I can be pain free for 6 months or a year.
My pain, most of the time, is a little bit calmer and so do I.
The surgeon keeps saying glossopharyngeal nerve was not damaged bc I was monitored. Then, why the hell I am in so much pain?
I am also planning getting a CT to check how my styloid is after surgery, though I dont think I would have the courage to have another surgery right now.
It s probably safer to wait longer.
I’m so glad the nerve block helped you. I guess that says a lot. You now know it’s the GPN causing the problem. I think you’re very wise to get more information about the pulsed radiofrequency therapy as you are so right - you do not want to create a bigger problem if that therapy doesn’t work the way it’s expected to. Also, not a bad idea to get the styloid rechecked. Again, if the surgeon left a sharp tip or perhaps didn’t shorten the styloid enough, your GPN could be affected.
I’m glad to read that your pain is a little better now, & you’re feeing somewhat better. I hope you are able to enjoy Christmas & the holidays.
so sorry. I like the idea pf getting a new ct scan and if you can getting or making a 3D view of it. Intraoral often leaves something that could still be putting pressure on the nerve, like part of the stylohyoid or even the styloud could be very thick and compressing the nerve. My prayers are with you that you find permanent relief.
Do you all think that a post surgery CT will tell if the remaining styloid is the cause of my pain?
My concern is that even with the CT there will be no way to tell for sure that my pain ia due to the remaining styloid. And I already did sĂł many CTs and X Rays that I am afraid of radiation.
I think it is going to be a lottery game again. I am really sad and at lost. Doctors just do not know what happened to me since it is not common to damage glossopharyngeal nerve through intraoral surgery.
Anyway, thank you all for the support.
It wouldn’t show the nerve, so you couldn’t say for definite, but it would show how much is left & if the end left is quite pointed etc.
I don’t know much about it, but have read on the Ben’s Friends Facial pain group about a new MRI called FIESTA MRI which takes more detailed images & can show any nerve compression- maybe you could search their site for any info on that? I don’t know how easily available it is though, but at least there’s no radiarion in MRIs.
If it shows that is quite pointed then that is already something. I have decided I Will do the CT, since the pain I am suffering worthies the risk. It might be the remaining styloid causing all this pain since I feel like something is scratching me. Hard to explain.
Does anybody know if dr Samji would be willing to make a post surgery review?
Have you hits seen any surgery review that had a happy end?
Dr. Samji will do a post op review. He does charge for phone consults. You will need to contact his medical assistant - lauren@caminoent.com - to get the details for cost & how to set that up.
Even if the CT doesn’t show a pointy tip on your styloid, that doesn’t mean it is smooth. The angle of the CT scan may not be able to fully provide that sort of information. What it will show is how much is left & if there is ligament calcification which can be important details for your pain.
Dr. Samji is not big on doing revision surgeries unless he really thinks he can help. Dr. Nuss in Louisianna, whom Emma saw, was willing to do a revision surgery for her after her intraoral surgery was ineffective in stopping her ES symptoms.
My styloid before surgery was just 3.8 cm and dr said he removed around 1 cm. So, I do not think the styloid remaining size is the issue. What might be the problem is that he did not smoothed it.
Since I did not have this pain before surgery I think there is a possibility that now the bone is in a angle that is touching nerves and structures around.
Definitely a possibility or the piece that is left has an angle to it that the elongated styloid didn’t have so is now tangling w/ nerves that the elongated bone didn’t bother. Just speculation on my part. It does make sense that there’s something about the remaining bit of styloid that is causing the problem.
How are you doing?
My pain is more manageable now but I am under morphine (methadone) and cymbalta. 2 strong meds.
I have received a report from the lab that says the styloid removed was in multiple pieces measuring only o.8 cm. What do you think about the fact that it was in multiple pieces? To me it seems that there was some kind of inability or difficulty and that the area could have been over manipulated.
That is a worry, maybe as you say they had trouble removing it. That is not much at all to remove, & I’d be concerned that some pieces could’ve been accidentally been left in? And also that if they had trouble removing the styloid, perhaps the end hasn’t been smoothed off properly- if it’s been left rough , it could cause symptoms too.
Have you been able to get another CT done? If not that’s a good idea to see if there’s any pieces remaining.
Yes I did another CT . The report says the styloid now measures 37 mm and before surgery it was 38mm!!! I can not believe they have removed only 1mm.
But the lab report says they received 0.8cm in multiple pieces. I think CT report is not so accurate. Probably lab report is right. They might have removed 0.8 cm and not only 1mm as CT says but still not enough.
I Will send my CT to dr Samji in a hope he can do a phone consultation.
