Numb Chin Syndrome
Posted , 56 users are following.
So I have a small spot on the tip of my chin that is numb, like feeling like how it would feel if a dentist gave you anesthesia. Just numb. I thought maybe a shaved to close and cut it making it numb. Then after taking it for maybe a month or so, I decided to see what could be done about it. I instead found out about Numb Chin Syndrome. Everything I read is this is fatal within months due to cancer. Although I have read it can also be cause by diabetes neuropathy (I'm a type 1 diabetic for about 35 years now, so I'm praying to god that's what causing it, although I don't really have much other neuropathy in my body, so that kinda seems like a stretch), and I've also read anxiety can cause it (And of course I've had anxiety most of my life). Anyways, to the point, suddenly I'm starting to get TMJ symptoms, earaches when sleeping, dull headaches that last a few seconds and then go away... Should I go to the doctor and see about getting an MRI scan, knowing if it comes back positive for cancer of any kind, I'm probably going to die soon and have most of my remaining time spent in a hospital instead of out in the world living, as well as leaving behind my wife (who does think this all in my head) and 10 & 8 year old kids, which the thought of is pushing me towards depression. I'm at a complete loss for what to do here and scared and feel so lonely. Thank you in advance for anyone who has any advice...
2 likes, 260 replies
joshuapryce1987 nate73255
Posted
I agree with your wife, you are overthinking things way too much, its a humans bad habit, i myself have done it. Sometimes i am right and most of the time i am wrong. Even cancer is treatable well unless its terminal. The point is give the scan early and put your mind at ease. If the worst comes to play then at least you will be prepared and will be able to nip it in the bud.
fiona71381 nate73255
Posted
Hi everyone, been a while since I posted, for some reason I haven't been receiving notifications?!
I ended up pushing for a further consultation with the neurologist, and tbf we had a 2 hour video call where we went though all of the symptoms I had experienced.
So my right side of my chin went numb in march last year and within a couple of weeks I started getting intermittent numbness in my right arm and leg. I was getting headaches and flashes in my vision.
After a few months my left side of my chin went numb too. And it's been like that ever since, except for the headaches and flashes, they eventually stopped.
My whole chin feels numb and tingly, its constant and today I'm still getting the intermittent numbness in my arm and leg too.
The neurologist concluded I could be suffering from Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). This is despite him admitting my symptoms don't completely fit!
He also thinks the intermittent numbness in my arm and leg, along with the headaches and flashes are just migraines.
I don't believe this because the symptoms are intermittent independently from each other plus the headaches and flashes stopped months ago but I'm still getting the numbness in my arm and leg.
Anyway, a few days ago I got that burning sensation in my face, the same one where every time I got it my chin numbness got worse. But now both my cheeks as well as my chin is numb 🙈😂 So I'm thinking I should phone my GP to ask if this is part of the forced diagnosis of FND.
Ah well, that's me to date. Nice to see familiar names and sorry to see new ones! I hope you are all doing better and definitely stay away from Dr Google 😱
2021chars nate73255
Edited
Hi everyone, just came across this thread. As I googled numb chin and not much came up apart from cancers and ms etc.
I recently started to not feel great I have pins and needles numbness pain in my feet legs arms and hands.. I am currently waiting for mri lumper puncture bloods and a nerve conductor test. My recent FBC blood test came back normal and I have other bloods today.. I have for the last 3 days experienced complete numbness in my chin and lower lip that doesnt leave. Has anyone experienced numbness elsewhere on the body similar to mine?
Thanks 😊
fiona71381 2021chars
Edited
Hi 2021chars, I have similar symptoms to yours. As well as the numb chin I also experienced numbness/ tingling and hot and cold sensations in my arms and legs as well as nerve pain in my arms and hands. Over the year I now mostly just get intermittent numbness in my right leg/ foot, sometimes my arms, but I do still get the nerve pain.
I now have one neurologist tell me it's all in my head and a stroke specialist tell me its linked to an old stroke I had nearly 10 years ago and after a meeting where my previous scans were looked at again has arranged more blood tests and another MRI. So I'm a bit confused as to what to think now.
it's been nearly a year since my chin went numb. It's been a constant numb and my lower face and nose has also now got reduced sensation. But I know it's nothing serious, if it was something bad would've happened by now and it hasn't which is a good thing. Have you had your tests yet? I hope they all go ok.
Fiona
2021chars fiona71381
Edited
Thankyou Fiona for getting back to me, I really appreciate it! My anxiety had been going crazy and I look on here most days for a reply. I really feel for you to be going through this for so long but gives me hope I will be okay, especially if the only thing I find is im going to die in less than 6 months?? I have 2 young children and only in my twenties and cant believe how ill I have felt. Im such an outgoing person and this problem has really got me down. Im the same as you but mine hasnt really passed my knees or elbows so like gloves and socks. The burning nerve pain can be so intense and the pins and needles are off and on at the minute. Im on amitriptyline for the pain, but can still feel the pain 😭 I had a Urgent MRI a few days ago and it was so scary I wasnt expecting to feel so claustrophobic, I really feel for you having to do that again ☹️ I really hope you get some answers. I hope to get some results soon.. My FBC bloods were okay but b12 was borderline when I googled that can cause nerve pain. Ive also had other bloods the neurologists requested but havent heard anything so im guessing they are fine? I really wonder what this chin thing is?? Its just so frustrating what we see on Google relating to Numb Chin. I feel so lucky to have found this link. I really hope everyone is okay and doing well xx
fiona71381 2021chars
Posted
Hi 2021chars, I know!! the MRI's are awful! I really didn't expect to find myself in such a tiny space! Definitely not looking forward to the next one. I have no idea what was discussed for them to want to repeat the scan. I think it could be to focus on the part of my brain where the old stroke was to check everything is ok.
I have 2 little toddlers too and went through all the panic and anxiety as well. Unfortunately mine started right at the beginning of the first lock down so I ended up waiting months for my urgent neurology referral. By then I realised if it was serious I probably would've felt ill and I wasn't really, just the annoying numbness, tingling and nerve pain.
Have you told your dentist? I phoned mine when it first happened and they arranged same day despite lock down for me to have x-rays and exploration to rule out dental causes.
I know it's hard but try not to worry too much. It's great you've had the MRI and blood tests, especially finding out your B12 was borderline because that can cause all sorts of strange symptoms. Are you in the UK? I was told 2 weeks for MRI results but you can always phone your GP sooner to see if they received a copy before you which was how I got my results. Hopefully it's all clear or better yet, finds something simple that is easy to fix! xx
hball nate73255
Posted
Hey there! I recently have been dealing with what everybody here has been fretting about, numb chin. Mine started with a burning, tingling and numbness in the back of my head and eventually I began to feel the tingling on the left side of my face, lower lip and chin. For the past couple of weeks I have been seeing a chiropractor and it has reduced my tingling in the back of my head. it still comes and goes but not like it did in the beginning. Now, I am left with the chin sensation which is more of a tingling than a numbness and it comes and goes as well. Google obviously f'd me up and led me here. I'm glad that I found this because it has brought me some peace of mind. I am optimistic about the situation and I think you should all be as well. With that being said I will be speaking with my Dr. to see what we can do to rule out anything bad. I promise to keep everybody updated. The more we all share the more insight we will all have on our situations. Appreciate y'all.
mandy1983 nate73255
Posted
Hi Hball! I'm terribly sorry you've found yourself here but I'm glad you found us to alleviate some of your fears.This whole numb chin and lip thing is terrifying and feels lonely when you consult Dr Google. So welcome to this forum where it will bring you some peace of mind for a little bit. It’s brought me comfort many times, as well as others. I get this thing on and off and it still scares the crap out of me every time it happens, just like the first time it happened. The reason I’m here visiting today is because it came back today on the opposite side for me for the first time in a couple of months. Nobody to this day can tell me what is causing it but I know it more than likely isn’t cancer bc I’m still here after 2 years (I think it’s been 2 years. I’ve lost count! Lol)! I have a broken tooth on the left bottom side of my mouth so maybe that has something to do with it. Not sure. But I do know how scary this all is and the unknown is terrible. Hang in there and keep coming back here when you start feeling anxious about it. It has taken my anxiety level way down several times just reading everyone else’s experience.
hball mandy1983
Edited
Hey Mandy19! Thank you so much for replying to my message. It is strange that seeing others in the same situation brings us comfort but I am very thankful for it. I have an MRI scheduled for the 17th for my head and neck. We'll see what happens! I had a CT scan and a full back MRI done about a year ago for a car accident that I was in and they didn't find anything so I don't imagine that they will find anything new. As long as it is not life threatening I am okay with it. I think I will ask for blood work as well just to cover all of my bases. Honestly it could be from your tooth. I work in dentistry and that is a very real possibility..especially with the mental nerve right there. So your numbness went away for a while? Mine comes and goes so I am hoping that is a good sign. Thanks again:)
jelly1994 nate73255
Edited
Hey guys! Hope everyone who posted on this thread is doing well. I don't know if anyone would still reply to this but I'm glad I found a support group for those suffering from this. Just posting here to vent I guess since I've been a mess since I googled "numb chin" thinking the results would be benign/not serious. Oh boy was I wrong on that one!
I felt mine this week on the right side. The feeling is kind of like anaesthesia wearing off. The numbness is kind of mild? And intermittent. Like if I don't pay much attention to it or if I'm distracted, I don't notice/feel it at all. Also whenever I force a smile on the right side it sort of twitches? I kind of spiraled after knowing about NCS and I've been having panic attacks whenever I remember it.
I have health anxiety since last year so I've been keeping a record of all my "symptoms" (I know I sound nuts please don't judge) I found out that I first recorded having numbness since October 2020. That's when I had a toothache on my right lower wisdom tooth. I also have a small, moveable, rubbery lymph node on that side of the face because of the toothache. I didn't think much of the lymph node bec it has all the signs of being normal. Now that I googled NCS I don't even know anymore bec websites also mentioned lymphoma?
I don't know if the toothache is related to that or this is just anxiety or something severe? But if it is severe shouldn't I have more symptoms since it's been happening for 7 months ? I don't know I just really need to vent because I feel like crying right now and I know my parents would just dismiss this so I don't have anyone to talk to about my worries.
david01277 nate73255
Posted
I guess I'll join the anxious party here!
Had some new, strange symptoms lately and I guess I’m just looking for anyone who can relate.
I’ve had TMJ for 4 years now. The pain isn’t constant and it’s definitely triggered by both overworking my jaw (the pleasures of being a recruiter and talking to people all day) and stress. It’s been a particularly stressful past couple months and as such, I have noticed in increase in TMJ flare-ups during that time.
About 3 weeks ago, I woke up to my entire left cheek tingling and slightly numb. Now, in the these past 4 years I’ve had the occasional numb and tingling fingers, but this was something new altogether.
Went to urgent care and they wrote it off as nothing more than a stress response and to follow-up should it not go away. A week passes and during that time, the left side of my face isn’t tingling nearly as much (I more or less get “buzzes” in a few spots during the day), but I did start to develop some numbness initially around the right corner of my lips. I started to then have a really bad flare up in my right jaw and now the numbness is mostly concentrated in the bottom right lip and some of the chin area. Of course, off to Google I go and I read these horrible stories of Numb Chin Syndrome, panicked, and went to the ER last week. Not much they could do there except blood work which showed a slightly elevated white blood cell count (11.9k) but everything else normal.
I have a follow-up with my Doc next week and still I have continued tingling and slight numbness on my left cheek and (I wouldn’t say full blown numbness, just like 30% less feeling?) on the right bottom lip/chin. Could this really all be stemming from TMJ? I’ve read plenty on numb hands as a result, but facial numbness doesn’t seem to be as documented.
jelly1994 david01277
Posted
Hey Dave! I'm so relieved someone is still here on this thread. My numb chin returned today and I checked here if someone replied after me because I got anxious again.
Like you, I also have TMJ disorder. I could also feel the numbness on my bottom lip/chin. Also not numb to the point where my lips are drooping. Just feels kinda heavy??
I keep checking my breasts for lumps and if my lymph nodes got bigger but so far everything seems normal. I'm just so anxious because everything Google says spells doom and gloom.
Hoping for the best! Hope you keep us updated!
david01277 jelly1994
Posted
Totally understand that "heavy feeling" in the lip. It's just an awkward feeling. Mine is really concentrated right there in the corner of my mouth. I've noticed too that when I bite down, it increases that "heavy" feeling. I keep finding myself taking a thumbtack and q-tip to my right lip. Sometimes I feel less, so times I feel more, but like you mentioned, never TRUE numbness.
The anxiety is the worse. I keep telling myself I do have these other symptoms going on, people here on this forum and elsewhere have had this and are doing fine, TMJ may have something to do with this, etc., but if you're anything like me (and I'm sure you are - we're here on this forum together, right?) your brain takes you back to those first Google results that pop-up and it makes you fear the worst.
I was able to snag an earlier doctor appointment for tomorrow, so hope to start to get down to answers here quick and take some control back!
jelly1994 david01277
Posted
Hey! Thanks for replying Dave! I just woke up and the moment I opened my eyes I remembered I'm going through this thing. Sure enough, the numbness started again on the right lower lip/chin with a vengeance and I had a full blown panic attack lasting minutes because of this.
As soon as the panic attack subsided the the "numbness" kinda subsided too. I tried pushing it with needle like you and I could feel the prick? I also put peppermint oil on my lower lip and still I could feel it? But the heavy feeling is still sort of there. So I don't what that even means, if this is anxiety or what.
I forgot to ask you if yours comes and goes too? I posted here last week and the numbness faded and went away. It happened again yesterday though when I bit down on an almond.
Ugh! What you said about always thinking about the Google top result and all those ominous words and seeking a doctor's help immediately blah blah. I keep telling myself that this is probably nothing but as soon as I feel it I would spiral back again.
And the authors of these articles talk about it as if this isn't rare at all whatsoever. They put it on top of the article as if this can't be caused by a number of benign things.
I'll be praying for your results! Hope you find answers!
david01277 jelly1994
Posted
Little update!
Had my doctor's appointment yesterday and went through my concerns with him (dating back to when my TMJ first started four years ago and around that time, tingling and numbness in my hands and feet). When I got to more recent times and talking about how my left cheek has been tingling and now this numb bottom right lip/chin, he didn't express hardly any concern at all. He thinks this is all just a stress and anxiety response. I told him the numbness is very much real, and he didn't doubt that, but he did say my anxiety may just be making the symptoms worse.
All that being said, he has me on Lexapro and off work this next week to just relax a bit. If by the end of next week the numbness is still there, he asked I follow back up to explore some options.
jelly1994 david01277
Posted
Hey David! Glad your check up was all good. My numbness came back today for a short while. I tried not to focus much on it and it subsided. It really does make me think that anxiety makes it much worse than it is.
I've also seen someone on this thread having neck pain accompanied with the numbness. It was like a light bulb moment because I've been having neck pain on my SCM muscle too. I've been clenching my jaw too much these days because of anxiety so that must have added to the symptoms.
I try to calm myself these days by not hyper fixating on this. Are you still experiencing the numbness?
david01277 jelly1994
Posted
Hello,
Sorry to hear the sensation came back!
Still dealing with the numbness unfortunately. I will say, however, that I really don't feel it in my chin any more. It's now just sitting in the corner of my right lower lip. As with before, not NUMB NUMB, but reduced sensation. Like if I lick that corner of my mouth, I don't feel nearly as much as the other corner. However, if I poke at it with something sharp, I can feel that alright.
In addition to my jaw popping and related TMJ issues, I have noticed some on and off pain in one of my bottom molars on the right side the past couple weeks, so I actually set a dental appointment for tomorrow to get that looked at. I've seen others say that they felt their experience was dental related, so the anxious person in me hopes that's the case. Whenever I bite down on that side, it makes my lip sensation come out even more, so who knows?
I'll be curious to see what the dentist thinks and I'll be sure to run through my symptoms with him. Either way, plan to follow-up with my doctor and let him know the numbness is still there per his directions if it doesn't get better in next couple days.
This whole experience has been so draining - I wouldn't wish it on anyone!
mandy1983 david01277
Posted
It's weird that you say that because mine lately has been happening more when i bite down on the right side. It's so scary, even though the sensation itself has been happening on and off foe over 2 years now. You would think I would be used to it by now and not panic every time it happens.
david01277 mandy1983
Posted
Hey there!
I'm now two months into this thing and can say that 99% of the time, I only notice this numb lip/chin when I eat and even then, it's much better all around now (call it like 30% numbness?). For sake of comparison, a few weeks back, I couldn't even feel that side of mouth when I wiped it with a napkin - scared me silly! Not the case anymore. When I clench my jaw, it does trigger it a bit in the lower bottom right corner of my lip. My dentist had no explanation other than TMJ could be causing it as its known to cause strange symptoms.
Soon after, I got my primary care doctor to order me a brain MRI after much nagging and I ultimately cancelled it. Yes, still have some symptoms, but I figure if this was anything that dire, those symptoms wouldn't be getting better, right? I kept a neurology appointment I have for next week for added peace of mind, but I'm sleeping much better now and I have a feeling I'll be told this is just stress, some TMJ issue, or a combo of the two and I'm fine with that!
Totally understand how the panic kicks in once a "flare up" occurs. After all, Dr. Google shows nothing but doom and gloom! But hey, you're still here, I'm still here, and so is everybody in this forum. Looking forward to my appt. next week and putting this in the past!
jelly1994 david01277
Posted
Hey David! Thought to check here again after a flare up yesterday.
I know what you mean with the panic attack that comes with the flare up. It sucks so bad. I learned to ignore the numbness this past few weeks and I seemed to be getting better. But yesterday my anxiety was at an all time high and the flare up started again. I guess the numbness seemed to be anxiety related. I just keep reminding myself that I have no other symptoms and that this has been going on for weeks and I'm still fine.
Glad to hear you are doing good! Hope my anxiety flare goes away soon so that the numbness could go away too.
jelly1994 mandy1983
Posted
hi mandy! I know the topic is numb chin but since this has been happening to you for 2 years now may I ask if there was any incident where the numbness is not on your chin area but your cheeks? My right cheek has been tingling on and off and sometimes feel numb. Like the chin numbness transferred to my cheek. And I don't which scares me more if I'm being honest.
mandy1983 jelly1994
Posted
Hi Jelly1994. I'm sorry, I'm just now seeing this. I do feel like my right side has a little less feeling than the left but I can't tell if it's in my head or really is the case. I do feel random crawling sensations all over my body at times though. The only time it freaks me out is when it happens around my lips or chin, as it does happen there more frequently.