I am researching this now but thought I'd ask you ladies if anyone has experienced this. My MIL has been sick with a bad cold for about 3 weeks. she had meds but those are done. Still sick. She's also diabetic.

Tonight she told DH that she hasn't been feeling well for the past couple of days and now her upper lip and part of her chaw right around the nose is numb, as if she got a shot at the dentist. The doc told her it was no big deal and to call him in a couple of days if she doesn't get better. This is a small town doctor who should be barred.

I told DH that isn't normal an dhe needs to get her to either an urgent care or ER now. She wants to wait and see.

Any experience? Sorry for typos. In a hurry.

By Vicki on Friday, February 15, 2008 - 07:34 pm:

Well, I don't know if those symptoms are something to be completely alarmed about or not, but with how long it has been going on and now adding new things, I think I would want to be checked out again just to be sure. I don't know that I would go to the ER, but would likely go to urgent care if my doctor wouldn't/couldn't see me.

By Mrsheidi on Friday, February 15, 2008 - 08:53 pm:

I checked out this site:
numb face

and it said that a cold is one of the causes of a numb face. Now, a cold that lasts THAT long? Dunno...
Here are the causes:
1. Acoustic neuroma
2. Benign astrocytoma
3. Broken nose
4. Common cold
5. Cranial neuralgia
6. Diabetes
7. Facial fracture
8. MN1
9. Neurofibromatosis-2
10. Paralytic shellfish poisoning

Gotta go now but this is a quick lookup.

By Mrsheidi on Friday, February 15, 2008 - 08:53 pm:

I would also look and see if there's a history of MS in your family, just in case.

By Bobbie~moderatr on Saturday, February 16, 2008 - 01:38 am:

Not sure if you will get this or not... but...

Sounds like (*)Bell's palsy, paralysis of the facial nerve resulting in inability to control facial muscles in the affected side. Bell's Palsy is defined as an idiopathic unilateral facial nerve paralysis, usually self-limiting. The trademark is rapid onset of partial or complete palsy, usually in a single day. Bell’s palsy may have "myriad neurological symptoms" including "facial tingling, moderate or severe headache/neck pain, memory problems, balance problems, ipsilateral limb paresthesias, ipsilateral limb weakness, and a sense of clumsiness" that are "unexplained by facial nerve dysfunction

(*)Taken from wikipedia...

It is common for older people to get colds and for those colds to "settle" in the nerves, which causes Bells Palsy... I have a dear friend with a grandpa that just went through this, they thought for sure he had stroked out... My DH got it when he was 33, I think...

Anyway, she needs to go to the doctors today... Do not wait it out. If it is something serious she needs treatment, if it is not something serious then you need piece of mind.. she likely needs medication no matter what the answer is and it will be a medication that is better started now than waited on for later.

No other symptoms, I say Bell's Palsy...

By Tayjar on Saturday, February 16, 2008 - 09:48 am:

Thanks, ladies. We figured it out. It was her new diabetes medicine. She's been on this for about 3 months and hates it. Her quack doctor won't change her. We have found her a new doctor to go to and will be setting up an appointment first thing Monday morning. She was pretty scared that she was getting ready to have a stroke. Of course, FIL is a total self-absorbed jerk who wouldn't do anything for her if she were in the middle of the floor dying so she has to depend on her boys. Thanks again.

By Crystal915 on Saturday, February 16, 2008 - 04:03 pm:

Glad she's ok. I didn't see this earlier, but I just got over pneumonia and sinusitis, and had numb fingers and toes (not all but a few) for about a week. Very odd, not to mention uncomfortable, but it went away!

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, February 16, 2008 - 04:49 pm:

Sounds like she needs a new doctor! Geez! I'm glad she's okay.

By Imamommyx4 on Saturday, February 16, 2008 - 06:00 pm:

Bell's Palsy was the first thing I thought of since she's had a bad cold for 3 weeks.

What is the diabetes med that she thinks is causing numbness?