left sided facial/eye/mouth pain

[shallet]

Every couple months, I get left sided facial pain.  My eye hurts, my mouth hurts (gums usually get swollen and I can't even chew food on that side), and the skin on that side hurts to even touch it--even my scalp.  It's like you could cut my head/face directly down the middle and the left side hurts extremely bad and the right side feels fine.  A few times, I've gone to the dentist (mainly because that's where it starts about 50% of the time) because my gums were so swollen.  They've even become purple sometimes.  Anyway, he says it's a virus and gives me a prescription for valtrex.  It's been happening so often (every 2 months or so) that he's given me refills on the valtrex because we've found out if I start taking it as soon as I know this is coming on, it stops the pain before it gets too bad.  Usually it takes 1-2 days before the pain gets excruciating and now at least the pain doesn't get out of control.  But, I've noticed that it is happening more often (used to be every 4-6 months and for the past year it's been happening every 2 months) and the valtrex doesn't stop it as well anymore.  I have gone to a "quick care" when the pain was more in my eye and cheek and they had no ideas for me.  Do you have any suggestions on what this is and what I should do?  Thank you!

[Diannef]

I realize the date on this is quite old but I just found it. I've been having the same problem for many years and it is getting to be more frequent and severe. I am curious what you are experiencing now. Have your symptoms gotten better, worse, stayed the same? The problem has doctors looking at me as if I am a little nuts. They have no clue but I did get tested for herpes virus and it came back negative. I'd really like to communicate with others who are going through this. It sure doesn't seem like there is an end in site.
Dianne

[Diannef]

I realize the date on this is quite old but I just found it. I've been having the same problem for many years and it is getting to be more frequent and severe. I am curious what you are experiencing now. Have your symptoms gotten better, worse, stayed the same? The problem has doctors looking at me as if I am a little nuts. They have no clue but I did get tested for herpes virus and it came back negative. I'd really like to communicate with others who are going through this. It sure doesn't seem like there is an end in site.
Dianne

[Julieismyname]

It's from the herpes virus. It happens around your menstrual cycle and related to stress.

[ADNinja]

I have the same symptoms.  I am 37 and this is the very first time this has happened.  I actually thought I was getting late wisdom teeth (I have the roots and they have never come in).  Thinking it was a tooth abscess I took the prescribed antibiotic and it did nothing.  Instead it moved from my right jaw into my right ear.  The glands on that side are visibly swollen.  This is the 3rd week this is happening.  My face is painful to touch and I've been sitting in a sweltering house because the moment the AC touches my right ear it explodes into pain.  Now I've developed a headache, continuing for the 2nd day.
Factors:
1.  I had surgery on my right ear as a child.  something the size of a cherry pit was removed from it.  Since that time I have always experienced discomfort when any strong wing or fan or AC  blows in the right ear.  If I don't cover or protect it -50% chance it turns into an ear infection.
2.  I have the roots for all 4 of my wisdom teeth and my dentist told me that while rare - they can come in until your around the age of 40.  I've had jaw and gum discomfort on and off for about a year.  Maybe 3 times lasting a day or 2.
3.  Migraines run in my family.  I haven't had them since puberty.  My mother takes medication everyday for it.  
4.  I'm in the middle of relocating out of state, starting a new job, and getting engaged -YES I am totally stressed out!
5. Its horrible worse at night.  It feels like an ear infection.  Or more specifically if feels like just after your eardrum ruptures and the pressure subsides but the ear aches.  And then the pressure returns all over again and any attempt to "pop"  my ear results in exacerbating the pain.  
I am miserable and the timing for this is awful.  I'm going to have to go back to the ER for pain meds and patch myself up until after the move.  But whatever is happening is getting worse.  This is the first time I've had all of the symptoms together at once.  It's also the first time that they have happened back to back together (ie:  jaw/gum pain, then ear pain, then headache)  ..I'm a researcher I find things that are hard to find.  But I am running out of ideas to hunt down.  Any and all ideas, thoughts, or hunches -I'll take them.  And absolutely share what I find in the hopes the information helps someone (including myself!)
Thanks

[klarky86]

Suffering pretty much all the same symptoms inflamed gum, tenderness of the scalp when blinking etc. The best solution I have found is to dip an earbud in neat Corsodyl mouthwash and rub it on my inflamed gum, I don't rinse after the application and usually after doing this one or two times usually at night and the following morning it usually clears it.
I hope this works for you fellow sufferers.

[klarky86]

Suffering pretty much all the same symptoms inflamed gum, tenderness of the scalp when blinking etc. The best solution I have found is to dip an earbud in neat Corsodyl and rub it on my inflamed gum, I don't rinse after the application and usually after doing this one or two times usually at night and the following morning it usually clears it.
I hope this works for you fellow sufferers.