Something for nerve pain in face

Sharon
Tell me more, is there a diagnosis? Is there swelling? Spasms? Anxiety or sleep issues due to the issue? I have a list of herbs and protocols that are good for nerve pain / neuralgia but some are better for some things and more effective for others.

Happy Healing
Heather

Comments

  • Sharon Companion
    Sharon Companion Posts: 28
    edited December 2018
    Hi Heather, thank you

    I went to emergency and the doctor told me I have an infection in my facial nerves on the left side of the head only.  He gave me pregabalin, 75mg, told me to take them for one month and then follow up with my doctor (don't have one).  So not sure what is going on.  I have no other symptoms, no swelling, no spasms, no anxiety or sleep issues (other than hot flashes at night).  I went to the dentist thinking it might be my teeth but the dentist said there is nothing wrong with my teeth (he did however offer to give me a root canal to stop the pain and offered me pain pills, twice - too funny).  The pain starts behind my left ear and extends out into my face in many directions.

    I contacted The Life Extension Foundation and they suggested ComfortMax which contains Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and Honokiol.  Are you familiar with either of these?
  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited December 2018
    so you have 2 routes to take..one to ensure you DO NOT have an ongoing infection (simply support your immune system) and 2 to eliminate the pain
    some thoughts...
    cranio sacral therapy will reduce pain
    cannabis topically or internally will also reduce nerve pain and inflammation and if there is an infection it will naturally kill it off
    st johns wort internally and or topically will also provide relief
    cayenne pepper in olive oil will work to reduce nerve pain
    boswellia topically (an oil prepared from infusing frankincense resin into oil, not the Essential oil of frankincense)
    St. John’s wort – to calm nerves and helps depression. Do not take with some anti-depressants.
    Jamaican dogwood tincture – pain, neuralgia
    Wood betony – for pain and inflammation
    California poppy is a mild pain reliever and can be good for nervous agitation. It is also a sedative for sleep. It is anti-spasmodic and for digestive spasms.
    Passion Flower is a powerful nervine (nerve restorer and calmer) for when you can’t turn off your mind. It helps on stress headaches and also muscular tension.
    Lobelia increases circulation, relaxes muscle and respiratory spasms.
    Prickly Ash bark is known as an immuno-modulator (immune balancer), for loss of sensitivity of the nerves.
    Blue Vervain as a nervine.
    Chamomile as an anti-inflammatory and digestive aid.

    there are some homeopathic remedies but id need to know more specifics..right or left side pain? does cold or hot make it worse..wet or dry make it worse? pressure make it worse or better? along those homeopathic questioning lines..but Spegelia is often a go to remedy..here is a long list of remedies..pick the one that best matches your symptoms..(I have a client with a similar issue use 6x or 30c potency's)

    Agaricus – mild form of facial twitching, numbness , tingling; feeling of muscle twitching or hot-cold needles; predominately left side; muscle contortions.

    Belladonna – mostly right-sided; dilated pupils, flushed, red or warm face; causes a facial grimace; pain comes and goes quickly; pressure, stabbing pain comes and goes in a few seconds; cycles every few seconds (use remedy Calc carb when chronic).

    Dulcamara – aching face with skin eruptions and respiratory issues. Tendency to express cold sores.; symptoms worse form slightest exposure to cold.

    Kalmia – neuralgia after diagnosed shingles; right-sided; numbness of face; sharp and tearing pains in bones of jaws and face; rheumatic remedy.

    Magnesia phos – mostly right-sided with burning and sharp shooting electric like pains, muscle cramps. Pains wander and change location quickly. Better from pressure and warmth; worse from cold.

    Mezereum – left-sided. Violent painful neuralgia about face and teeth to ear. Worse eating; better from heat.

    Spigelia – left-sided. Pains about the eyes, cheeks, teeth, and temples; also with left-sided migraines; especially for acute severe pains of the left eyeball and teeth; like wires turned off and on in the face (hot and cold electricity); grimacing. There is light sensitivity and eyelid cramps. The area is red. Worse movement.

    Thuja – mostly left-sided pain with skin problems and abnormal growths; boring pains on left malar bones; aches in face with burning heat and redness.

    Arsenicum album – tearing, ripping, needle-like pains, burning and stinging pains. Twitching of facial muscles. Worse at night or cold air; better form hot or warm applications.

    Capsicum annum – pain is piercing and burning or stabbing. may radiate to the ears or upper molars. Pains worse from eating, pressure and air drafts.

    Coffea cruda – worse at nights and when under heavy nervous stress. Mind is overactive and wont calm down. Toothache pain improved with cold water.

    Colocynthis – face distorted from the pain. Worse on the left side, tearing, shooting and swelling of face. Soreness relieved by pressure. Also the body or location feels chilly to the touch.

    Hypericum – suffering look on face. Intense itching; tension, tearing sensation on left side of cheek; facial neuralgia and toothache; mostly right-sided; shooting or eclectic pains.

    Rhus tox – mostly left side; stiffness worse from cold exposure or weather change; painful cheek bones, sensitive to touch; worse evenings.

    Homeopathic cell salt remedies
    #4 Ferr phos 6X – to help inflammation
    #6 Kali phos 6X – feeds nerves
    #8 Mag phos 6X – nerve pain, shooting pains

    avoid fatty foods, caffeine, sugar, processed food..with that said do certain foods trigger the pain and make it worse/ better?
    add foods or supplements that are high in vitamin B12 and B vitamins in general to support nerve heath
    In ayurveda we would consider this an excess vata condition and support the body with vata reducing herbs and foods
    remedies like
    ashwaganda, hakam churna, yograj guggul and boswellia curcumin are helpful in managing the condition as well

    Happy healing
    heather
  • Sharon Companion
    Sharon Companion Posts: 28
    edited December 2018
    Thank you, Heather, I have been taking some cayenne hot sauce and also consuming cannabis oil that I made.  Thank you for all the suggestions.
  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited December 2018
    try putting the cannabis oil and or the cayenne on topically as well. as an herbalist I always say what you do internally do externally as well coconut oil is also healing, good for pain and inflammation :) id mix the cannabis oil and cayenne pepper and infuse that into coconut oil together and apply topically and take internally

    also a great article about treating different kinds of neuropathic pain with amino acids (making the gut-brain connection when it comes to pain and what drives the pain) https://medium.com/update-from-your-doctor/amino-acid-therapy-to-heal-neuropathy-c12a188505f7

    as for the comfortmax, personally I am not a pre-made formula kinda gal unless its made from organic ethical sources and has minimal to zero additional ingredients..Comfort Max active ingredients are fatty acids and an herbal action that reduces nerve excitatory processes..many herbs I mentioned do that as well without the additional ingredients which are not natural..you simply have to find the right combination that works for you.

    Personally I dislike this product if I were researching it for myself and this is why...its not about the active ingredients its more about the "other ingredients" In good high quality formulations you will NOT often find many, if any "other ingredients" research them, see if the other ingredients are something you are willing to take a chance on or simply use one of the many raw individual herbs or compounds in preparation and avoid the "other" ingredients.
    Happy Healing
    Heather