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face, tongue and jaw pain. Please tell me your stories.

Posted , 6 users are following.

lilith-
lilith-

Okay so I'll jump right in to it. My anxiety and obsessive googling and reading of cancer stories has convinced me with no doubt at all, that I have oral cancer of some type. When I say no doubt I mean it. I can't eat, sleep, think, stop trembling, play games, nothing at all. I just think "what's the point? I'm going to die soon".

I am not stupid, I know that there could be many causes for my pains. However there is nothing that seems as close to how I feel as cancer.

My pain started a few weeks ago now. It began as a headache and burning pain in my jaw joint on the right. I went to the doctors and got antibiotics for possible gland infection. They didn't work, and I got worse. The pain is now random and infrequent, from the back of my jaw, under my tongue, on my tongue, neck and and throat. Sometimes burning and sometimes aching or shooting. I seen another doctor yesterday and she has given me a stronger antibiotic. She also said I have a few white spots on my tonsils and slight crackling in my left lung. Now everything feels infected and sore and my lungs hurt too.

I just want to get my head on straight. I need people to talk to. I need something.. I feel so alone and scared. Why am I so convinced it's cancer? Why can't I accept I may not die soon? I am freaking out so much. I won't be able to cope when they tell me. I can't. I am very close to resorting back to self harming, as I used to do. I cannot take this impending doom along with the pains. Help, someone. Please!!

3 likes, 38 replies

38 Replies

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  • emilylawless
    emilylawless lilith-

    Posted

    Did they do an oral cancer screening? They usually use a light in your mouth and wear these glasses
    • lilith-
      lilith- emilylawless

      Posted

      She used a light but just to look at my tonsils. No cancer screening, I didn't mention my concern to the doctor. But I see one again on Monday and I see the dentist tomorrow. I don't know what to ask for or how.

    • emilylawless
      emilylawless lilith-

      Posted

      Well she may have done the cancer screening but just didn't tell u... They just shine the light in your mountg

  • kezjane
    kezjane lilith-

    Posted

    Hi Lilith,

    Google is great for some information about anxiety but when you're worried about a specific health issue it can be a nightmare. A couple of weeks ago I convinced myself, with the help of Google, that I had every neurological illness under the sun, then decided I definitely had a brain tumour or an abscess...

    Turned out my symptoms were from stress and anxiety so I looked up these things on Google and every symptom I had was listed. But I had been so convinced I was dying. My gp is great, he knows my anxiety and is very reassuring and willing to test me to put my mind at rest but I usually don't need tests after some reassurance. Cancer is what most people think is the worst case scenario so if you're an anxious person it will be the thing you jump on with your symptoms, and it seems all symptoms could be fitted to be cancer symptoms!

    I'm not a medical person but it sounds like you have an infection if your gp has twice diagnosed that and if your blood work is ok....wouldn't there be some flag if you had something more serious? That's what always calms me if I'm worried I'm seriously ill, blood tests would show something.

    If you can, stop googling or if you can't Google anxiety and ways to help you relax, there is good helpful info out there too. My gp told me I had death phobia, I didn't know there was such a thing but I googled it and it's not uncommon.

    Aldo I always have jaw/face ache as I clench my jaw from stress without realising I'm doing it until it hurts then I notice I'm doing it and I grind my teeth at night, maybe you do the same?

    Hope you feel better soon.

    • lilith-
      lilith- kezjane

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply. I haven't had a look test yet but I have one on Monday. I have always had problems with my throat when I was younger, I got tonsilitis so many times I post count, and pleuricy once. However my tonsils aren't swollen. There's no swelling anywhere, only pain. I don't grind my teeth but I do clench my jaw.

      The pain in my lungs is worsening. Part of me thinks I could have brought this on myself from my anxiety over my jaw pain earlier in the week. Either that or I have a quickly spreading disease. It worries me because I was such a heavy smoker, and I've never had any feelings like this before. I just want to feel okay again but something tells me I won't. I also have a little lump inside my cheek and I banged my leg the other day and it bruised a lot worse than usual.

      Thanks for your reply. Anxiety makes me tense everything up. I have smoked weed every day for 4 years but nothing for the last 2 weeks and my anxiety has got nothing but worse. I just want to live.

    • lilith-
      lilith-

      Posted

      Blood test* not look test.
    • kezjane
      kezjane lilith-

      Posted

      Hi Lilith,

      You will feel fine again, anxiety makes you think you won't. It makes you think the worst and over analyse how your feeling....that's not to say your what your feeling isn't real but that anxious people focus more on how they feel and notice aches and pains more.

      I would see my gp again and get the reassurance I need from what ever tests I should have to get better, then work on the anxiety.

  • Actiquser
    Actiquser lilith-

    Posted

    You need a Drs appointment and you need to say outright you are concerned that you have oral cancer and get a full work out done to reasure yourself otherwise you will always worry. LET THE DR KNOW HOW ANXIOUS U ARE . Then they can help you physically and mentally
  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 lilith-

    Posted

    First if all i think you have tmj. All this began with an actual discomfort in your jaw. Go to a maxillary surgeon (anyone who pulls out wisdom teeth will know) they can make you a custom fitted soft night splint to sleep with. It will take about two weeks to calm all the nerves down. This sounds like it began as tmj but your imagination and dr google have scared the daylights out of you. Here the bonus whilst the assessing yiur jaw they very well can view your mouth so its a win win situation for you. 
    • lilith-
      lilith- lisalisa67

      Posted

      I have considered tmj. Since the pain began as a headache and burn in my jaw from leaning on it too much. However, tmj obviously isn't the cause for the white spots on my tonsils or the crackle in my lungs. I also have a small lump inside the bottom of my cheek.

      Also... any info on tongue pain? It's like.. a cramping pain.

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 lilith-

      Posted

      The white spots  in your tonsils could easily be tonsil stones and an ent would know in one minute. I suspect you have gerd as well. Gerd would make a nice mess. Including the crackling in your lung. Esoecially if it all allergy related.  The tingue pain could be a vitamin/mineral deficiency but can also be from gerd.  See the maxiallry surgeon that will knock off the tmj and to sil stine diagnoses. Then see a gastroenterolist hooefully they will give yiu an endoscopy which they look at everything miuth to stimach and take oucs with this tiny camerea. I bet all your answers will be satisfied. The tingue google deficency and painful tongue but i did have that with gerd for a while. Good luck. This doesnt sound like cancer at all.
    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67

      Posted

      the maxillary surgeon will also be able to diagnose the lump. Which could be an irritation or gland or xanthoma all which the maxiallary surgeon would know. The maxiillary surgein should be your first appointment because it will immensly help you with most of the issues you are having. The gastro will complete the thoroughness of it all. 
    • lilith-
      lilith- lisalisa67

      Posted

      Thanks a lot. That makes me feel a bit better smile would I just ask my doctor to refer me to a maxillary surgeon? I have the dentist tomorrow for the first time in 5 years (bad I know). So maybe he can shed some light on the pain

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 lilith-

      Posted

      You can see the dentist. You need a cleaning im sure haha. He might hold many answers for you as well. A maxillary surgeon is just a fantastic suppliment to the dentist in your case. He might even have one he works with as well. I think you will just fine. The lumo or gerd itself can cause the tongue pain the pain might be from swelling or inflammation effecting the tongue. Its all glands and muscles in there. 
    • lilith-
      lilith- lisalisa67

      Posted

      Thanks Lisa. It just feels like this has been going on for forever, even though it's only been 3 weeks. None of my wisdom teeth have came in yet so maybe that could be a factor in the jaw pain too. As today I feel like I've bit down on a metal pole at the back of my jaw just where the molars end. Like a constant pressure. Just got to try keep the head on until it's sorted out.

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