Numbess in chin and lower lip, left side

jkinobay
jkinobay Member Posts: 298 Member
edited December 2022 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Calling all long-term survivors of HNC. Over the last 2 mos. or so I have developed numbness in my chin and lower lip, left of center. Coincidentally (or not?) my HPV16 positive HNC was on my left side (tonsil and lymph nodes). I am almost 4 years post treatments and doing great so I just chalked this up to another "new normal" thing. What do you guys think??

Comments

  • ljoy
    ljoy Member Posts: 94
    #2
    Numbness
    I'm five and a half years out right side tonsil and one node. Your facial nerve runs along and inside the lower jaw bone. When I had my lower right jaw teeth removed last year and bone debriedment they were concerned about poosible numbness in my face and chin area on the effected side. I would suggest you consider contacting either your radiation oncologist or an oral surgeon experienced in head and neck treatment. I'm suspicious that you may have some damage from the radiation. I had osteoradionucrosis (dying bone) from the radiation. I had limited blood supply to the teeth so they were dying. Underwent Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments and surgery to resolve the problem. One year later everything is fine.

    Hope this helps. Keep us posted on what you find out.

    congratulations on being a survivor.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #3
    I have had that since my
    I have had that since my neck dissection. If it's something new I might mention it to my doc. Did you have a neck dissection? Or just chemo or rads? If that was the radiation side, can that have done damage to a nerve or something? I seem to recall something about long term effects with the veins or something in our necks and that causing blood pressure problems. Could that be the same with nerves. Have you had any dental work recently? Just throwing stuff out there. Hoping some one has a better thought for you.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #4
    Double post
    And apparently I'm stuttering again....
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #5
    ljoy said:

    Numbness
    I'm five and a half years out right side tonsil and one node. Your facial nerve runs along and inside the lower jaw bone. When I had my lower right jaw teeth removed last year and bone debriedment they were concerned about poosible numbness in my face and chin area on the effected side. I would suggest you consider contacting either your radiation oncologist or an oral surgeon experienced in head and neck treatment. I'm suspicious that you may have some damage from the radiation. I had osteoradionucrosis (dying bone) from the radiation. I had limited blood supply to the teeth so they were dying. Underwent Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments and surgery to resolve the problem. One year later everything is fine.

    Hope this helps. Keep us posted on what you find out.

    congratulations on being a survivor.

    Hi jkinobay
    I am NPC, but I too just last year started with numbness in my lower chin and lips all on the left side of my face. It is now moved on my tongue and sometimes gives me problems eating or drinking. I went to MD Anderson and there head Neurologist said that she was not sure what I have numbness on my face. I was not trying to get smart with her but had to say, do you think it could be due to being radiation side effects on the nerves in my head. Needless to say I left after that. My local ENT has put me on some Lyrca 50mg for nerve damage and so far I got back some of my ability to eat and drink, the numbness is still there but about half of what it was. Oh yeas I am 6 years now out of treatment and just starting to have many more side affects because I was treated twice to the head for NPC.

    Enjoy yourself my friend
    Hondo
  • jkinobay
    jkinobay Member Posts: 298 Member
    #6
    sweetblood22 said:

    Double post
    And apparently I'm stuttering again....

    A huge thanks to all you fellow survivors
    Again.......thanks as always for your imput. OK..........to respond to all of you, I have talked to my Rad Onco and my Chemo Onco. Rad Onco says very unusual and wants me to have a CAT scan pronto to rule out "foul play". Have that scheduled for next week. Meanwhile, no, have not had dental work recently. I am 3 yr. 9 mo. post treatments, numbness is fairly new, less than 2 months or so.

    I did have a problem with my BP over the last year or two but my PCP upped my BP med and all is well. Amazingly, also have had problem with liver function ever since chemo (surprise, surprise) but even that has gone away. Thankful for that because I do enjoy my beer and occasional Tequila. Call it "therapy". PCP said I needed to quit the beer. I told him I needed a new PCP. HAHA

    OK..........thanks again to all and I will let you know the results of the CT as soon as I know.......probably 7/15 or so.

    JK
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #7
    jkinobay said:

    A huge thanks to all you fellow survivors
    Again.......thanks as always for your imput. OK..........to respond to all of you, I have talked to my Rad Onco and my Chemo Onco. Rad Onco says very unusual and wants me to have a CAT scan pronto to rule out "foul play". Have that scheduled for next week. Meanwhile, no, have not had dental work recently. I am 3 yr. 9 mo. post treatments, numbness is fairly new, less than 2 months or so.

    I did have a problem with my BP over the last year or two but my PCP upped my BP med and all is well. Amazingly, also have had problem with liver function ever since chemo (surprise, surprise) but even that has gone away. Thankful for that because I do enjoy my beer and occasional Tequila. Call it "therapy". PCP said I needed to quit the beer. I told him I needed a new PCP. HAHA

    OK..........thanks again to all and I will let you know the results of the CT as soon as I know.......probably 7/15 or so.

    JK

    Chin numb
    I have had the exact same thing other than my entire chin is numb. Went through tons of tests and they finally determined it was after affects from rad treatments (13 years after when it started). It is attributed to damage to my trigeminal nerve on the right side. If you go to Sweetblood's superthread and look at the "dysphagia" link you will find some interesting data - hope I spelled that right. I have other problems but that one has been there the longest. It also hit the front of my tongue which has affected my speech.

    Bottom line is that none of the doctors have any idea how to fix it. Good news is when I go to the dentist he doesn't have to inject novacaine if it is for my front teeth. :>)

    Welcome to new normal.

    Denny
  • robh
    robh Member Posts: 16 Member
    #8
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1084864#Comment_1084864

    Denny, Looks like this was posted some 12 years ago, any new info?

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