Awaiting diagnosis in real pain

Posted , 2 users are following.

I have joined to get some advice.

For about 3 years('Im 50), iI have had the occasional burning pain on either cheek(about 4 episodes of it). It got so bad sometimes that I had to take a lot of ibuprofen just to dull the pain. It usually went away after a couple of weeks and I noticed that the use of any type of mouthwash used to trigger it. I stopped using any and things seemed to settle down.

About six weeks ago the pain returned just on the left cheek with again excruciating pain. This time it has continued with almost constant pain. Only ibuprofen dulls it. I had a week where the pain wasn't that bad, it just felt a bit swollen. I went to the dentist last week and he said it sounded like OLP but the pattern on my cheek didn't look like it. He said that they look like Fordyce spots but they don't usually cause any pain. He is not concerned about cancer because the pattern is repeated on the opposite cheek and on the inside of the lower lip. He has referred me to the dental hospital to get a biopsy. After he had been poking around on the sore bit and drying it out to see it better, the pain for the next 24 hours was off the scale. I take 10mg Amlipodine and he said that could be causing it(although I have discovered it's not a drug related to OLP). My problems only started when I started taking this drug but not directly after it.

I am very worried about pain management until I go to the dental hospital that could take months. The pain is kind of a throbbing pain in a line just below my cheekbone and it feels swollen and a bit numb. I describe it as like having a tooth abscess, but in my cheek. Does that sound like typical OLP pain ?

Only 600mg Ibuprofen dulls the pain enough to be bearable but you can't take that many 3 times a day for any sustained period. I have bought The Flarin variety that claim to be kinder on the stomach.Any tips on how to manage the pain would be gratefully received. Things I have tried ....

Given up Alcohol coffee

Using mildest toothpaste

Soft toothbrush only

Rinse with Bicarb in tepid water

Rinse with salt in tepid water

No spicy food

No citrus fruits

All other painkillers including cocodamol

Taking Vitamin D, B12, tumeric and Folic acid supplements

Orajel and Bonjela just make it worse

Thanks in advance for any help/guidance or tips you can give.

0 likes, 0 replies

0 Replies

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.