Author Topic: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?  (Read 19260 times)

arcteryx

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
I was wondering how radiation affected those experiencing facial / tongue numbness or a feeling a fullness in the ear before the procedure? What and how did it change after radiation? Did it get worse and then better? What type of radiation did you receive?

Thanks!

ppearl214

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7449
  • ANA Forum Policewoman - PBW Cursed Cruise Director
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2006, 08:49:11 am »
Hi arcteryx

Great question.  As you may know, I'm only 2-1/2 mos post CK, but I have noticed a few things since my treatment.

My facial numbness, pre-treat, was limited to the right side of my face, from forehead down temple to just below eye.  Now, experiencing from both sides of face, from cheekbones down to jaw. Has been intermittent, but noticeable.  Example, last night was eating ear of corn... didn't even feel the corn on my face (1 or 2 niblets) until my friend pointed it out to me.

Never had the ear fullness pre-treat. Post treat, well, that's been a different story. I know the tumor is in swelling mode now since radiation was recent.  So, still experiencing the fullness and have noticed that the fullness and tinnitus enhances with bad weather front moving through (we certainly have had our share of weather/rain here in New England the past month) and allergies. Antihistimines have helped a bit to curb the fullness.

Had CK at Beth Israel Boston first week of April this year.

Not sure if any of this helps, but hope it does.

Phyl
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

SuzeAN

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 78
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2006, 08:05:50 am »
Hi,
I am almost 9 mos. post-CK and had some facial numbness near the ear area and that "earfullness" feeling, after CK the fullness feeling really only seems to be noticeable when allergies are acting up. I would say there wasn't much of a change with any numbness.

Cheers,
Suzan 
2.5 cm, left side
CK-Barrows 10/05

Sue

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1934
  • Que sera, sera
    • My Blog
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2006, 11:38:07 am »
Hi
I had my GK on April 18, and the facial numbness is about the same, with it a little more pronounced around my mouth. The left side of my tongue still feels like it's been "burned" a little and the most of the inside of my mouth on the AN (left) side is affected also. I have more noticable sensations (I don't know what to call the nerve weirdness that goes on!) at the edges of the affected area...especially around my nose and mouth.  That comes and goes. And my nose gets very cold!  I have been lucky in that the "fullness" feeling which I had a roaring case of last year has subsided and not as prominent any more. The tinnitus is constant and I have a feeling it's just something I'm going to have to learn to live with. Time will tell if all the rest of it gets better. I sure hope so.  I am noticing every little change these days because I, like Phyl, am probably going into the stage that our AN's are swelling a little, and I am curious/hesitant as to what is coming next!  Last night my tinnitus changed and added a soft, ping, ping, ping, then the ping went away and it was back to it's constant hiss.   I told my husband that perhaps aliens were trying to communicate with me. And yesterday, I was shopping with my auntie, and I don't know how to explain that kind of wonky, spaced out (there are those aliens again!) walking around in a bubble kind of feeling.  It's like I am on some kind of drug, and I'm not....  I feel like I've been on some kind of psychedelic trip - whoo hoo...the return of the 60's baby. :P
Sue in Vancouver, USA
 2 cm Left side
Diagnosed 3/13/06 GK 4-18-06
Gamma Knife Center of Oregon
My Blog, where you can read my story.


http://suecollins-blog.blogspot.com/2010/02/hello.html


The only good tumor be a dead tumor. Which it's becoming. Necrosis!
Poet Lorry-ate of Goode

Windsong

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 492
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2006, 05:12:48 pm »
I had ear fullness sometimes prior to fsr. I also had some episodes after fsr, along with some numbness and  tingling on the left side of my face in my cheek,  some tingling around the mouth etc. but i haven't noticed much of that at all any more. I am going into my 8th month post-fsr and my An is stable i am told from my recent mri. Also, I didn't get any swelling, really, except for some during the 25 treatments. I had some weird noises added to my tinnitus after the fsr but they've mostly gone away too. In fact most things seem to have gone away but i do still bump into a doorway now and then and have had a few  more unbalanced moments but that also seems to be lessening. The spaced out wonky feeling was pretty weird during month 2-3-4 after fsr. I am hoping that left me too.
 What i do still get is a feeling of pressure inside now and then. I am hoping that goes too.

oh, i found this site that has all sorts of descriptions of various types of headaches but didn't save the link... it was  a place called International Headache Society or something like that and the address began with a bunch of numbers. Some of you with headaches might find yours described in there lol....maybe a google will turn it up.

I had some bad weird headaches about four months post fsr but they've settled now too. (and i hope they stay settled!)

Best wishes,
Windsong

okiesandy

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 273
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2006, 02:21:08 pm »
After Ck treatment I had numbness down my face and at the corner of my mouth. My cheek bone feld like it was dead. Balance was not better just different tinnitus less and now coming back with 3 sounds. Yea! I  always did like parties. Now I can have my own.

I parctice balance all of the time. The Wonke feeling is with me 75% of the time. I am blonde you know. Maybe I just didn't notice it before. All in all so far I am very please with my choice of treatment. I will see on the 7th of July if "Ivan the Terrible Tumor" has headed off to tumor heaven. RIP Ivan!!!
Cyberknife 1/2006
Clinton Medbery III & Mary K. Gumerlock
St Anthony's Hospital
Oklahoma City, OK
Name of Tumor: Ivan (may he rest in peace)

ppearl214

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7449
  • ANA Forum Policewoman - PBW Cursed Cruise Director
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2006, 08:37:01 pm »
After Ck treatment I had numbness down my face and at the corner of my mouth. My cheek bone feld like it was dead. Balance was not better just different tinnitus less and now coming back with 3 sounds. Yea! I  always did like parties. Now I can have my own.

I parctice balance all of the time. The Wonke feeling is with me 75% of the time. I am blonde you know. Maybe I just didn't notice it before. All in all so far I am very please with my choice of treatment. I will see on the 7th of July if "Ivan the Terrible Tumor" has headed off to tumor heaven. RIP Ivan!!!

Aye-men to that, sista! :)
xoxo
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

djameson

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 9
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2006, 01:05:16 pm »
I did not have numbness untill 6 months after 5 session FSR.  I had the tongue and lip numbness with some eye twitching then.  I am one year after treatment and all is normal except for slight tongue numbness which feels like I burned a spot with a pizza.  It is a dime sized spot on the AN side but Dr. Riggamonti at Johns Hopkins thinks it may gradually get back to normal.  I can live with that as the tumor has shrunk from 2cm to 1.5.  My hearing and the tinnitis are the same as before treatment.  The ringing does seem to change from time to time as others have noted but returns to the hissing after a while.  I guess the tissues are healing from the radiation. 
My best to you all.
David
FSR Johns Hopkins --June 2005 
 Dr. Riggamonti and Dr. Wharam
2cm Left Side

Chris

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 84
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2006, 02:37:58 am »
Hi,
I had stereotactic ratiation late last year. We don't have GK in Australia yet as far as I know. I started with facial numbness from the temple down to the mouth. My AN is still in the swelling stage but I have noticed my temple doesn't feel as numb. The loss of sensation around my mouth tends to feel worse when I am tired or if it is particularly cold. I am hoping to get more sensation around my mouth. Although no-one notices it, it just feels weird. I wish I had looked at this site when I was considering my options. There is hardly any information on radiation treatment here. I received plenty of information on surgery and the specialist left it up to me to find out anything else.
Regards
Chris
2.5cm AN diagnosed late 2005 and treated with fractionated stereotactic radiation in Sydney Australia Oct 2005

mindyandy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 678
  • Loving Life
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2008, 01:40:57 pm »
I am now 6 months post CK and feel some numbness on AN side. Probably swelling??? I do hope it goes away.
14mm dx 9/07. CK done Seattle  1 year MRI showed some shrinkage. 4 year MRI 2mm growth nothing conclusive. Trigminal nerve involvment Retrosigmoid Friedmand/Schwartz HEI March 7,2012

Jimbo

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 13
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2008, 04:22:03 pm »
Hi,
I had GK 3 weeks ago, and have not yet experienced any change in the (rather mild) right ear fullness that was experienced since my AN diagnosis in April. I did experience a few episodes of severe imbalance last week, which has been successfully treated with steroids.
Jimbo
7 x 12 mm AN diagnosed April 2008.
Leksell GK performed at Columbia-Presb July 2008

mindyandy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 678
  • Loving Life
Re: Did facial/tongue numbness or ear fullness change with radiation?
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2008, 10:21:21 am »
ARRRRGGHHH>....No more steroids for me....they didnt help me.....Numbness sensation is what I'm feeling side of face/tongue. I dont have MRI till the 18th.....No fun.....
Have others that had radiation had these problems???? I'm prime 6month post CK....
14mm dx 9/07. CK done Seattle  1 year MRI showed some shrinkage. 4 year MRI 2mm growth nothing conclusive. Trigminal nerve involvment Retrosigmoid Friedmand/Schwartz HEI March 7,2012