Operation left me with a sneeze!

Legacy_user

Towards the end of last year, I was diagnosed bowel cancer (thankfully it turned out to be benign), and I had two major ops which I am currently recovering from.

But, ever since the first op, I have developed a sneeze. It happens about 3/4 times a day. I have had no cold symptoms whatsoever, just this wretched sneeze. I jokingly say they must have had me in a draft when they operated on me.

I wonder if anyone has an idea's about this?

tyllwyd

After your operation, did you have a nasal tube? I wonder if something inside your nose could have got irritated or scratched when they were inserting it.

Mands

islandman wrote: »

Towards the end of last year, I was diagnosed bowel cancer (thankfully it turned out to be benign), and I had two major ops which I am currently recovering from.

But, ever since the first op, I have developed a sneeze. It happens about 3/4 times a day. I have had no cold symptoms whatsoever, just this wretched sneeze. I jokingly say they must have had me in a draft when they operated on me.

I wonder if anyone has an idea's about this?

I jokingly say it's more likely that your vagus nerve is involved somehow. It controls your sneezing and it runs down into the abdomen. If it was temporarily damaged during the surgery then it might still be over-sensitive and causing your sneezing.

It'd absolutely be worth mentioning the sneezing to your surgeon if you've got a follow-up scheduled or to your GP the next time you see him or her.

If you do I'd very much like to hear what they say.
Mands

**professor~yaffle**

Are you taking any meds which could have increased your immune system? I'm just thinking if you are sneezing a lot your body may be getting rid of what it thinks are germs/antibodies?

Toothsmith

Mands wrote: »

I jokingly say it's more likely that your vagus nerve is involved somehow. It controls your sneezing and it runs down into the abdomen.

I think you're confusing it with hiccups. The Vagus doesn't do anything in the nose.

System

I have been on the same medication for almost ten yrs now following a heart attack in 2003 (aspirin,bisoprolol,simvastatin), nothing else. Will mention it to my GP who I have absolutely no faith in. I have to lead him into making a decision/diagnosis and I know darned well he will conclude with "we'll see how we go". As for any follow-up's, as the cancer was not malignant, there are no follow-up's scheduled. However, I am due to see a urologist in April and he assisted on my bowel op, so that might bring forth something of interest.

Mands

Toothsmith wrote: »

I think you're confusing it with hiccups. The Vagus doesn't do anything in the nose.

I don't think I am: the vagus nerve is involved in sneezing, burping, yawning and hiccuping.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13689061
The significance of the vagus nerve in coughing and sneezing

Toothsmith

Fair enough!

Torry_Quine

Just to say that all cancer is malignant so if your tumour was benign then it wasn't cancer.

System

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Just to say that all cancer is malignant so if your tumour was benign then it wasn't cancer.

yes, you're quite right, and they went to great lengths to explain this.

After the bowel screening, they referred to "it" several ways, one said tumour, one said mass, one said we will treat it as if it is a cancer, but once they had removed it and told me it was benign, they said "there will be no need for follow-up's because it isn't /wasn't malignant", however they did add that "if the mass had been left to grow, there is no doubt it would have become a cancer and blocked/perforated the bowel".

Torry_Quine

islandman wrote: »

yes, you're quite right, and they went to great lengths to explain this.

After the bowel screening, they referred to "it" several ways, one said tumour, one said mass, one said we will treat it as if it is a cancer, but once they had removed it and told me it was benign, they said "there will be no need for follow-up's because it isn't /wasn't malignant", however they did add that "if the mass had been left to grow, there is no doubt it would have become a cancer and blocked/perforated the bowel".

Good to see that you are aware of the difference. Tumour just means a growth and mass means something that could be a tumour or indeed a collection of fluid etc. I went off topic as I feel it important to distinguish for others.

Hope you get the sneezing sorted.:)