Tmj- what can ease this jaw pain☹️

[Keeleysnana]

Hi everyone, havn't been on here for a while, hope everyone is as well as they can be. Im at work on my nightshift, ive recently been diagnosed with tmj- it is so painful, i get phantom earache/toothache where there are no teeth and eye pain aswell as jaw pain. My gp has prescribed me ibuprofen, co-codamol and carbamazepine plus tramadol for my fm. Wondered if anyone had any advice, thankyou xx

[Hollie121]

I suffer with a typical facial pain or chronic facial pain I get the same pain in teeth gums even were there are no teeth face neck head I've had it for 11 years now bet it's been a long time since I got a flare up I'm citalpram 40mg used to be on 20mg it's the only thing that works for me

[TheAuthor]

Hi Keeleysnana

I am so genuinely sorry to read this and I sincerely hope that you can find the answers that you are looking for. I have pasted you some information and a link below from the *NHS Choices cache on TMJ:

*How is TMD treated?

If you have TMD, see your GP or dentist first for diagnosis and to discuss treatment options.

Generally, non-surgical treatments such as lifestyle changes and self-help physiotherapy-type treatments are tried first.

A small number of people with severe TMD may be referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to discuss further treatment options.

Lifestyle changes

There are a number of self-help measures that can help improve TMD, including:

resting the joint by eating soft food and avoiding chewing gum

holding a warm or cold flannel to the jaw for 10-20 minutes, several times a day

doing a few gentle jaw-stretching exercises – your healthcare professional can recommend appropriate exercises

avoiding opening the joint too wide until the pain settles

avoiding clenching the teeth for long periods of time

massaging the muscles around the joint

relaxation techniques to relieve stress

not resting your chin on your hand

Mouth guards

Mouth guards (plastic devices that fit over your teeth) may be helpful if you grind your teeth.

These cover the teeth at night to reduce jaw clenching and teeth grinding, and can be made to measure by your dentist.

Read more about treatments for teeth grinding

Medication

Painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or codeine can help relieve the pain associated with TMD.

If these aren't enough to control the pain, your doctor may prescribe stronger medication such as a muscle relaxant or antidepressant.

Steroid injections

If TMD is caused by a disease such as arthritis, a steroid injection into the jaw joint can help reduce pain and swelling in a joint or the surrounding soft tissue.

Most people report feeling less pain within the first 24 hours to one week.

You may find your pain improves for a period of a few weeks to several months and, in some cases, the injection resolves the pain completely.

Link to the *NHS Choices cache on TMJ:

nhs.uk/Conditions/temporoma...

I want to genuinely wish you all the best of luck, and please take care of yourself.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[kerranky in reply to TheAuthor]

I have had this for years and just fobbed off as arthritis, seems I was right. x

[TheAuthor in reply to kerranky]

I am so genuinely sorry to read this, and I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck. I would perosnally visit my local walk-in centre and tell them that you are in pain at a time when your surgery is closed? Good luck

[anaretta in reply to kerranky]

yeah, they pay attention to the problem only when it gets clearly visible... a bit too late :/

[Hidden in reply to TheAuthor]

I take on board your point about chewing gum Ken- I will spray more and chew less! Nurse Gladys.xx

[TheAuthor in reply to Hidden]

x

[Serenity61]

Hi

I am going through the same thing right my ears glands in my throat gums and eyes now my chest is also feeling inflamed and very weak it's baffling I have been given antibiotics in the past for my ears but there now saying it's more of an exema in the ears I also have a mouth guard for my teeth which I should use more often the dentist said zi have a condition forgotten the name she claims anxiety grinding of teeth at night.

Today I have an appointment as I am feeling quite unwell.

I hope you will find some resolution and relief also.

Hugs

[Lima6MCT in reply to Serenity61]

Bruxism?

[Babs1650]

I'm still having this trouble, I've been seen at the maxiofacial who has told me to use this gel, and put heat then cold on the joints, also cut all my food small, and no chewing using the back grinding teeth. I'm still doing this ( tho not as much the hot n cold) as I should. It has been a lot better but haven't yet been back. They said really rest those joints

[Sweetdreams]

Hi. I too suffer with tmj/myofacialnpsin and I was told that this is a symptom associated with fibro.I went to a oral surgeon and was going to make me a mouth guard for $3000 but couldn't afford that so he did some work and prescribed lyrica..short lived though because of muscle side effects.

Switched to gabapentin..still have Tmj/tmd almost once a month as a flare up which I'm experiencing now for the last 3 days feels like my left cheek is bruised inside but that's the condial muscle in the joints.it can be debilitating at times for me .heat and relaxation help .I place my tongue on the roof of my mouth and go back and forth ..massage the ear area gently and it seems to go down eventually still there now but is starting to subside a bit tonight.I also rub tiger balm on the cheek /eye and 👂 ear area be careful not to get to close to the eye just above the brow relieves some pressure for the headaches and behing the earlobe helps too.

Hope this helps ..I'm a cna but recommend you talk with your gp before using any ointments in case of allergies or something else.

PM me if you have any other questions.

Good luck.

Barb Sweetdreams

[Hidden]

I have TMJ and I'm fortunate I have an excellent young dentist who is very knowledgable about TMJ and fibro.

He recommended I try to place my tongue between my upper and lower jaw at the back to stop me clenching my teeth. I use Nurofen Tension Headache as I get awful headaches with it and I find the ot thing that helps my sore jaws is a warm wheat pack placed each side of my face.

It's a horrible thing to have and I hope it eases soon for you xx

[Lima6MCT in reply to Hidden]

I was given similar advice to place the tip of my tongue behind my top front teeth helps my lower jaw to drop slightly and stops me clenching my teeth.

[Sorebones]

I had bad problems with my TM joint after my last visit to the dentist. I'm hoping it doesn't necessarily hint at things to come! But I was given exercises for the joint. I had to clench my teeth for a few seconds then, using my fingers on top of my lower front teeth, pull my jaw down to stretch it. It wasn't pleasant but it did help. Have a word with your dentist. You just never know if they know a trick or two to help 🐸

[Hidden]

yes hi from Nurse Gladys Emanuel (open all hours) I too have these symptoms, just perservere with the meds and it should calm down, I get sore jaws coz I chew gum too often!! my eyes ache a lot optician says its a tired muscle and so I wear reactalite lens in my specs outside- you an get these as ordinary sunglasses too. Hope you feel better soon, sounds like the night shifts are a bain on you!

[Keeleysnana]

Thankyou everyone for your replies, the dentist has given me a bite gaurd to try but i find im waking up with it in my hand😀, i do some weird stuff in my sleep lol. I was told by a dentist a few years ago not to chew gum, i dont have any of my back teeth left so am having to use my other teeth when eating. The pain is always worse when i get up, it feels like ive been chewing toffee all night🙀. Sometimes i find im clenching my teeth without realising it during the day. I have tried a heated wheat pad which sometimes soothes it, thankyou again for taking the time to reply xxx

[bigpants]

Hi i also get that my doctor calls it Myeofacial pain i dont know why as its not just the face thats affected what you need to watch is the toothache i was in agony last Nov took lots pain killers morphine based plus i am on slow release morphine as i have cancer of spine plus spinal stenois so on other pain meds i was crying with the pain one night so i called dentist she told me to come in it turned out i HAD toothache i thought it was the other problem so you need to just watch if pain is not clearing up with strong painkillers then best to go to dentist she said no painkiller will help toothache so use that as a guideline hope that helps sorry cant offer any more advice hopefully you pain free just now x

[Keeleysnana]

Thanx for your reply, im in so much pain when i wake up, dentist gave me a bite gaurd and said if that doesn't help he may need to refer me to a dental hospital, don't know how long i give it before i go back to him. Dentist said the best pain relief to take is ibuprofen for it, having a bad day painwise today xx

[bigpants in reply to Keeleysnana]

Hi sorry to hear you still in pain has the dentist done any xrays ? do you have Myeloma ? if so you should be attending the dental hospital as they have specialist dentist there there is a problem with the jaw bones when you have Myeloma I get a drip every month for my bones to strengthen them hope you feeling better now take care xx

[Gr91275 in reply to Keeleysnana]

I am having similar pain. The most helpful thing I have found that had the quickest relief of the symptoms was seeing a chiropractor. She massaged the muscles and tendons in my neck, jaw, face and head. I had relief after 2-3 visits.

The other thing I found was that I have obstructive sleep apnea. That is the cause of my tmj pain. When I sleep, I try to lift my head up and my jaw to avoid my jaw shifting back. My jaw shifting back was suffocating me in my sleep. My tongue has also gotten large from the same motion, but with my tongue. To figure out if this is your issue, get a sleep study done. If you do have obstructive sleep apnea, see a dental sleep specialist as your issue is probably similar to mine. A cpap machine would help, but it won't fix the problem. Instead, the dental sleep specialist is making a mouth guard that will pull my jaw forward to actually fix the problem. It will take time to slowly adjust to move my jaw forward, but all of the research I have done is very promising.

Best of luck! I hope you get some relief. Fibro has some strange, seemingly unrelated symptoms, but keep reaching out! I find the best information from these sites.

[Keeleysnana]

Thankyou for your reply, ive been to my dr who sent me to my dentist, my dentist has made me a bite gaurd which ive been trying over the last few weeks, it hasnt given much relief if any at present. The dentist did say if this doesn't work he will refer me to a dental hospital, not sure how long i leave it before i go back though xx

[Gr91275 in reply to Keeleysnana]

If it doesn't help, maybe consider having a sleep study done to see what you are doing while you are sleeping. That might give you more information. Good luck! I hope the bite guard helps!

[Hidden]

I also have a shield made by my dental surgeon to help stop grinding all the time, it is stress related and no wonder with what we have to go thru daily! I also now take co dydramol but mines for OA not fibro.. My ears are dry and itchy I have no ear wax, my nose is dry cracking and sore I have no nasal secretion, my eye lids are dry and also crack if I rub my tongue is very dry but I have saliver, my tongue soaks up any fluid like blotting paper, I am being checked for Sjorgrens Syndrome// on my eyes I apply doublebase gel very cheap to buy and can be applied anywhere- I use Difflam mouthwash to get soreness and tongue splitting better, I also keep a spray in my bag and chew a piece of gum 4 times daily to keep moisture. I have been advised to go on caffeine free drinks.. Hope this helps some of you.. best wishes from Nurse Gladys Emanuel (open all hors)

[Ashanti1029 in reply to Hidden]

Whoa.........that way helps me! I have some of those same drying issues and I haven't been able to find anything yet. Thank you, so going out and trying those items

[Ashanti1029]

I've dealt with tmj since I was a child due to my severe anxiety. One of the things I have found that works well for me is first I always sleep with a night guard. Second I have found if it is getting really sore I go to liquid meals for a few days to give my jaw a rest. Also now this is very tender so if you don't want to do it , it is totally understandable but if you open your jaw just enough to feel where your two jaw bones meet I find massaging that helps . It is tender though so be prepared. Or I open my mouth and find the meeting point for the two bones and alternate hot and cold packs on it before bed, 2 minutes warm 4 cold, I hope maybe any of that can help you. If not I'm sorry.

[Trgeminal]

You sound like you have trigeminal neuralgia, not tmj. Trigeminal Neuralgia is often missed diagnosed as TMJ. It causes extremely bad pain in ears, along jaw and around the eye. Look it up on line. I have this and it sounds like you do too. If you have this, you can get a cat scan to see if anything is touching you trigeminal nerve and it can be fixed by surgery. The nerve goes under the teeth on lower jaw and above upper teeth and along brow and eye socket. I take Carbamzapine 400 mg extended release twice a day plus Amatriptalyne 75 mg once a day. You may have TMJ but please check this out it sounds more like this.

[ocpoolsys]

Hi. just started tramadol, medrol and carbamazepine. 1 week so far. tramadol does nothing. so far medrol seems to help a little. has only been 1 week.