Violent pain in ear which quickly comes and goes

[HexBramble]

I've experienced ear pain on and off for years. I'm thinking at least 15 years. I've seen different GP's about 5 times over that period and they've all said that my ear looked healthy, absolutely no infection and that's that. Each one leaving me feeling like a bit of a hypochondriac.

It can be a matter of months before I have an attack of
pain, but sometimes they can come very often. There seems to be no pattern.

The pain is violent, it takes my breath away (sometimes I notice that I hold my breathe throughout an episode). It can last a few minutes but the most recent one lasted half hour. It's deep in my right ear - that's the only way I can describe it - around my upper jaw area, and I cannot bear to have anyone touch it or the area around it because the pain gets worse. Even by clenching or moving my jaw during an attack will leave my writhing around in agony.

Then the pain fades away and then it's gone.

I could literally curl up in agony crying when it hits and paracetamol/ibuprofen doesn't touch it - if it's a quick attack, the tablets don't work quickly enough and if it's a longer attack, they simply don't touch the pain.

I don't know what to do
GP can't find anything and I feel like a time waster. I have even phoned Out of Hours in the past, in agony to the triage nurse when giving my details, but right as rain by the time the GP on call rings back. I feel embarrassed saying that the pain has gone in such a short time.

Anyone experienced this? Help!

Sorry re typos.
Fat fingers on phone

It could be an issue with your jaw not being properly aligned. Maybe seek advice from a maxillofacial surgeon or a very good dentist who specialises in orthognathic surgery? I have a slightly recessed lower jaw and that causes me ear problems.

Sorry re typos.
Fat fingers on phone

feesh - thank you for replying so quickly. I hadn't considered jaw problems. Would my next move be to contact Dentist? I'll do anything to get this resolved.

Have a look at tempero mandibular dysfunction or trigeminal neuralgia OP and see if either fits x

Have you ever investigated Trigeminal Neuralgia, OP?

I had that for about a year before someone suggested it to me, I was severely affected by the pain, it stopped me in my tracks when it came on.

Treatment was by using low dose amitryptiline (sp?) Which have side effects but it got rid of the pain

Than you barley and Jenny.
I've had a quick look at these conditions and both could explain the pain. It certainly explains why my GP doesn't see anything during a normal ear investigation (i.e. No investigation).

I think I'll go back and be a bit more explicit about the pain - it is agony. I'm a little anxious about going there when I'm feeling no pain because I don't want to be doubted and the thought of being told to 'come back' when it gets worse makes me want to sob

Jenny - is the low dose amitriptyline a
Constant medication or something you take as and when you experience an attack?

you have to take it as a course, it has to build up in your system so if you do have TN, it will wear off gradually

i had to take the ami for 6 weeks after feeling no pain, to make sure it had fixed it

i do get still get the odd twinge, but nothing like i had before

i didn't go to my GP in the middle of an attack, but i did tell him i'd researched TN.

I don't know if this is a similar thing but my DP gets very sudden onset ear pain . He finds that rinsing the ear out with warm water by dousing it with a shower head can often avert/end an attack .

Sounds like TN to me too... the pain is like a bolt of lightening hitting you?

Go back to GP and say that you think you might have Trigeminal Neuralgia.. normal pain killers don't work and the first line of treatment is Carbamazapine (Tegretol) (Amitriptyline isn't as effective and Carbamazapine is now the recommended route)

It can be fixed. The meds make you feel a bit odd at first but it's worth it. I've had TN for 5+ years now and cope well with meds.