Well, I think things have levelled off. Not much to report. Basically feel 98% fine all of the time, with more and more days when it's barely there. No burning, no pain, just some furriness that barely bothers me.
If you're reading this and scared, take heart - I know they say it's about 2 months to recovery, but for me I've had constant (slow!) progress over two years. It gets better and better. Don't lose heart if you're still in pain at 2 months, 6 months, whatever. My experience shows that all is not lost. The main thing is stay calm, don't fixate on it and keep yourself well and rested.
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Thank you for the update. It is difficult to find information on this topic since a popular online discussion board was hacked last year. My experience is similar to yours, but it resulted from an injection of Prilocaine, and I am now 7 1/2 years post-injury. I am probably 98-99% healed, but I've been working on that last 1-2% for about six years now. The progress is slow, but the injury is bearable for the most part. Some of it is purely mental. It is a subtle persistent tingling that I manage by chewing gum and eating hard candy most of the time. From time to time it still gets intense, however, especially during times of stress or anxiety, and when I do not keep up with an exercise routine. It seems that not many people get this injury, so it is very difficult for others to understand how bothersome it can be. Anyway, thanks again for sharing your experiences, and I wish you the best of luck in your recovery.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I'm at 1 year 2 months, and all the burning and numbness have gone, But almost every other day, I have a salty or bitter mettalic taste on the left side of my tongue. Food taste normal, but its when I'm not eating anything, I have that salty or bitter taste on my tongue that is super annoying, I afto be chewing gum or drinking water all the time. : (
ReplyDeleteHi Craig,
ReplyDeleteyeah, that lingering taste/sensation is annoying. But I think one thing I've learned is that one needs to make peace with it - so if you can, I'd try to wean yourself off the gum/water because every time you eat the gum, you're reacting to the taste, masking it, then the gum loses flavour and the taste comes back. so you're in a constantly reactive state which will keep you wound up about the whole thing. I found it was better to distract myself - do exercise, work in the garden etc. If I were you, I'd just try to miss out the gum and do something very physical and distracting each day. I find that a lot of the time I no longer notice the sensation unless I think about it, then I do think about it and fixate and it gets worse and worse.
Keep your chin up.
Exercise and finding distractions are good advice. I, too, have tried to take the approach of "accepting" that the irritation is there and trying to cope with it, rather than "fighting" it or trying to counteract it by chewing gum, for instance. It is a constant battle to do this, but exercise just might be the best medicine.
DeleteWhen I am stressed or dwelling on it, it is almost always worse.
"Guest" (7 1/2 yrs post-injury)
Hey, you know whats funny, Ive been taking all types of vitamins like b vitamins, zinc, alpha lipoic acid, etc etc. for about a year straight, bearly ever miss a day, so I decided Im gonna get off them for a while. And since I did, instantly I bearly notice the metallic taste or burning etc. its basically gone (my tongue feels 99% better)....So you should try, see if it works for you too.
ReplyDeleteJust fyi, I noticed a while back that whenever I took Vitamin B12 or drank or ate something with substantial B12 in it (Propel water, many cereals, milk), I started to notice the increased tingling once it was digested. B12 is supposedly essential to nerve health, so maybe the tingling is good in that respect, but I tend to avoid B12 now except for taking supplements before bed because of the irritation it causes, or when I'm prepared to endure the tingling sensation. I figured I'd mention it since it is hard to find anyone else with a similar experience, even online.
Delete"Guest" (now 8 yrs post-injury)
Hi Imogina, heres some more good information that I found that you can share. I just found out that this is the Trauma I currently suffer from and have been recovering very well of the past year and a half.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sma.org.sg/smj/3808/3808smj5.pdf
I also found this supplement which I will try. ( Trivita Nerve Formula )
http://www.trivita.com/web/us/content/products/product-detail.aspx?id=1043
This is probably the most accurate information I found on the web in regards to our injury. Please use the link below: And Scroll down to the Post by "JustTrying2hlp" He's an Oral Surgeon
ReplyDeleteLingual paresthesia almost always resolves, but not soon enough
http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic3897_80.html
Hi Imogina, Just checking in, to see how you are doing today? Hope all is well and your still recovering or fully recovered.
ReplyDeleteHi, yes doing well. I'd say I'm at 95% all the time now. It's not exactly gone, but I barely notice it and there's no pain. but it's been 3 and a bit years now and no change in a long time, so I think this is it. How are you doing?
ReplyDeleteGood to know : ) I'm happy for you. I'm just about 95% also, only symtoms I still have left on the left side of my tongue is a dry sand paper feeling and just a slight metallic taste every once in a while. They barely bother me anymore. and Ive been slowing healing more and more every couple of months. "Hope we all heal 100%" : )
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it!
DeleteHi Imogina,
ReplyDeletefirst of all thanks for sharing your story and I'm very glad you recovered to the point this doesn't bother you anymore!
I'm suffering from roughly the same symptoms as you described after a wisdom tooth extraction 3 months ago (no pain but weird and annoying feelings).
By reading your blog, it seems to me that the actual condition of your problem didn't really improved after the first couple of months, but that you actually adapted to the "new" normal and that this has been the key to your recovery (I say this because oyu wrote even after a couple of months that you were 95%/99% there). I was wondering if this is correct or if you actually improved even in the following months (a part from the necessary adaptation, which is a necessary psychological element).
Thanks very much for you reply and again for sharing your experience.
Paul
Hey
Deleteyeah I think things reached a plateau at that point. And yes, I think from that point on it was about adaptation. Like the way if you live somewhere really noisy it drives you crazy to start then eventually you don't notice it. That's why I really think the best thing you can do is not focus on it. I notice now if I focus on it, I can bring the sensations to my attention, but if I'm busy, I don't notice.
It also gets worse if I'm tired - then I get a flare of weird sensation. I try to respond my reminding myself it will pass and not to focus. So last week I was exhausted, it got a bit annoying but then I rested and now I feel 100% fine today.
I also try to remind myself that pain would be so much worse and that I've had a lucky escape relatively speaking. Getting perspective helps me avoid getting too wound up about it, and so stops me focusing and making it worse.
I really hope things continue to improve for you.
Imogina
Thanks Imogina. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteP
Thank you for sharing your blog....I am hoping by now that you are fully recovered! I am early on in the game and the burning is pretty intense. My dentist reassures me that it is a good sign of healing....I had to have more dental work today and it was very scary to be back in the dental chair. I chose to go to new Dentist. Although I do not hold my other dentist responsible, I feel he did not make much of an effort to just focus on patient care, to really educate me on just how long this could last, what to expect and also to just check in with me from time to time just to see how I am. The new dentist I saw today was very good...He also reassured me the nerves are probably trying to really heal at this point. My injury was caused by a numbing injection so no surgery involved. 1 single injection and heading into week 7 of half of a numb tongue. It has been a difficult journey but I do remain positive that it will get better. I have to go in a couple weeks to get a root canal done on a cracked tooth. The pain in pretty bad in it but at least it is a top tooth so no worries of making the lingual nerve worse! I have enjoyed reading your updates! Judy
ReplyDeleteHi Judy, I would say I'm 99% recovered now. I have slightly altered sensation sometimes (tongue feels furry on the edge that was numb) and sometimes I have a nasty taste in my mouth, but it's rare. It comes back when I think about it, and I think that's really key - the more you focus, the worse it is. The busier I kept myself, the better I felt. My dentist was similarly uncaring. I had to just get over that because it made me mad and that kept me focused on the injury rather than on moving on from it. Stay strong, don't panic, and don't obsessively read bad stories - i did honestly just slowly slowly get better. You may well do as well. In fact, my new lovely dentist told me the other day that these injuries very often do recover, it just takes years. That is definitely my experience. Good luck!
ReplyDelete