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Nasal cauterisation issues

Posted , 34 users are following.

roger99
roger99

Yesterday I had nasal cautery for recurrent nosebleeds. I wasn't told about the ache/pain I would get afterwards in my teeth and jawbone, nor about the continous dripping from my nostril. It's still there today over 24 hours later. I think it was the anaesthetic that has caused this by somehow affecting the nerves of the face and teeth. Does anyone know what anaesthetic they would have used? Has anyone had similar problems after cautery? How long can I expect these issues to last? Also, to top things off, I had no aftercare advice!

1 like, 71 replies

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  • maggie99
    maggie99 roger99

    Posted

    Hi roger99, I had cautery 2 weeks ago with no advice about what to expect. Same pain as you with a very blocked nose, mouth breathing is awful. It is getting a bit better but it does get you down, Thinking of going to see my GP to ask if he can give me any help. I would love to pick but it is to sore lol. do you have any advice as you are now 3 months on?
  • roger99
    roger99

    Posted

    maggie99 . . . the main issue I had was with pain that extended from the side of the nose into my upper jaw bone and teeth.  On top of this was the nasal dripping/weeping. In spite of regualr doses of painkiller, including a prescription from my GP for a stronger painkiller, the pain didn't subside for a week. After about 10 days, things more or less returned to normal, although even months on I can still feel the scar tissue when I waggle my nose! I did actually complain to the ENT department because I wasn't warned about any of these after effects. I was told by one nurse that "even babies and young children have this procedure done and she has never known of issues such as I was reporting". I explained to her that in my view, such symptoms were quite common and that there are plenty of examples of this reported on various 'medical forums'. 

    I came to the conclusion that ENT departments do not provide leaflets regarding the procedure or aftercare advice because if they did, a lot of people would refuse treatment!

    I hope I never have to go through the pain and discomfort again . . . but . . . my nosebleeds have stopped and so in fairness, this has been a big plus.

    (Whatever you do, don't  pick or try and dislodge the scab . . . let it eventually work itself out . . . this might take 10 - 14 days).

    • gewb
      gewb roger99

      Posted

      Roger, I'm so glad to have found your thread! You could have writen this as my biographer.

      I'm on day 5 of the recovery and it has been "trying" to say the least. I'll tough it out another week before going back to my physician.

    • Guest
      Guest roger99

      Posted

      I had this done 4 days ago. My upper teeth and roof of my mouth are in extreme pain. It feels like a horrible sinus infection or toothache.  I wonder if it’s not an  anesthesia reaction, as well. Tylenol does nothing to help it. How long before your pain went away?
    • roger99
      roger99 Guest

      Posted

      Sadly, it took a good five or six days for me I seem to remember! I do believe that the anaesthetic was the ultimate culprit in that it affected the nerves going into the face and upper jaw, for sure.
    • Guest
      Guest roger99

      Posted

      Thank you for the info. I think anesthetic is the culprit too.
    • sharon35990
      sharon35990 roger99

      Posted

      Hi ~~ I have had my nose cauterized three times this week...right nostril...all of a sudden by tongue, lower two teeth and one top one are very sensitive. I have had several other cauterizations in my nose but none like this one !! Brushing my teeth hurts now no matter how careful I am. I was not told about the side effects prior ....but here I am...sigh

    • roger99
      roger99 sharon35990

      Posted

      Sounds familiar! I'm convinced it's caused by the anaesthetic. Hope you're not in too much pain and also that it's the last time you need it done! The NHS ENT departments really do need to provide better patient information.

    • sharon35990
      sharon35990 roger99

      Posted

      Thank you Roger for your comments....I did not have anesthesia..I refused it. I believe that the issue of the senstivity of the teeth comes from the cauderization over a nerve or by a nerve in the nasal passage. When it hits it affects the entire right side ...right nostril...of my upper and lower gums and teeth....usually starts about 6-8 hours after the procedure and can last for 2 weeks. Hate this but better than the alternative...take care....Sharon

    • roger99
      roger99 sharon35990

      Posted

      Very brave of you! Having said that, even though I had the anaesthetic spray, it still hurt when he was doing it! Hope things improve quickly for you 😃

    • Guest
      Guest sharon35990

      Posted

      I had very similar side effects. I wish I could tell you it went away quickly, but mine did not. It took about 3 months to feel better. My doc gave me pain pills--did not help. Tylenol was better. Also, muscle relaxers helped the most. Your pain is coming from a nerve. It takes a while for the nerve to settle down. Even after a year, i still get little tingles of pain, but on the bright side NO nose bleeds. Hang in there...

    • chris91127
      chris91127 sharon35990

      Posted

      Hi Sharon. My last cauterisation was in July 2018. I get the feeling it is getting ready to be done again. My old boss used to say that they can transplant the heart but cannot stop a nosebleed. I have had 30 years of these blasted things and I have to pay every time because doctors & A & E really have more important things to do which I can understand. No-one died from a nosebleed. Take care.

  • russell158
    russell158 roger99

    Edited

    I was in admitted to hospital with severe recurrent nosebleeds and had a lot of cautery, its not a nice procedure so I feel for you. I had my right side cauterised five times and its been swollen ever since. The dripping is common, so is staining if you had silver nitrate cautery so make sure you wipe away the drips. It lasted around 2 days for me, the pain wasn't that bad, it stung quite a lot, I didn't get pain in my teeth or jaw, I didn't have any anaesthetic though could be related maybe? 

    • gewb
      gewb russell158

      Posted

      Russell - you had this done 5 times? Ouch.

      My doc said I may need several treatments if this first doesn't hold - could be in days, months or years. I'm hoping never again. I have a fairly high pain threshold but I don't want this procedure again if at all possible.

    • russell158
      russell158 gewb

      Edited

      Yeah by a medical student as well it was not pleasant, kinda pain that makes your eyes water. 

      The mixture of dissolvable packing and tranexamic acid stopped my nosebleeds, I've been referred to have surgery to have my adenoids removed, they're hoping that gives me some relief from the bleeds. 

    • gewb
      gewb russell158

      Posted

      Well, that didn't take long. Just got back from the doc - another cauterisation. I had episodes every day last week, one day had five.

      Man this trings, enough to make my eye water.

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