I have suffered from this for years, but as I get older it seems to be worse.
It affects my sleep and I seem to be clenching my jaw on and off all day, it feels like a natural state to me. But it gives me face painting, watery eyes, rhinitis, head, neck, shoulder and back pain. Every day is a misery with it.
Foes anyone have any coping strategies?
I am going to the The London Sleep Centre in May via my dentist, it will cost me money, but I figure I wouldn't hesitate to pay for my car!
Hoping for a miracle!
Best Wishes
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Funkyfaerie
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Hi Funkyfaerie I'm sorry you suffer with TMJ I get it intermittently so i know how painful & frustrating it can be. I think the medication I take all helps, especially the amitriptyline, because they relax the muscles.
I also find that breathing excersizes help because sometimes my jaw actually goes into a spasm & it's really disturbing lol. Luckily i had to have a lot of teeth taken out but now I'm having problems with biting into my gums with teeth I've got left, which make my gums really sore sometimes. The dentist told me to keep my teeth in at night but I've tried & can't sleep with them in lol so i also quite often lay my face on hot water bottle, with a cover on of course, this helps sometimes too.
Pls do keep us informed about the sleep centre, I'm interested in that.
Sorry you are experiencing this, it's very uncomfortable. Yes I have this, mentioned it to doctor as I felt it was affecting my ear, neck, cheek, temples, head, jaw anad gums. He advised fibro cause (as usual). So, I went to the dentist, after reading a very useful post on here (thank you all :)). He advised my Jaw clicks and makes funny noises and is out of line which can cause the teeth grinding (but I never noticed the jaw out of line, or the teeth grinding problem, before this year). he did'nt call it TMJ, but was really helpful, advising I eat soft food and a mouth guard for when I'm sleeping. I have had the mouthguard for around a week now and it is really helping (although quite expensive and not available on NHS I believe).
That's why I am going to the sleep centre as the dentist says my jaw is misaligned. I think as I have got older it's got worse or should I say the effects of it have.
I will post how I get on at The London Sleep Centre, hoping for a miracle!
Hi Funkyfaerie I too have suffered with this on and off and it does seem to feature quite highly in people with fibro. The first time I had it I thought I had disclocated my jaw.
I saw the MaxilloFacial Consultant who advised that I could have Botox injections which would reduce the spasms.
So far I have resisted as I am a bit squeamish and my pain threshold is not good.
However, it may be worth asking your GP for a referral to a MaxilloFacial Consultant and try this treatment out, it would be cheaper too!
I am so genuinely sorry to read that you have been suffering in this way, and I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck and please take care of yourself my friend.
hi hun I recently had a flare up and it was hard they only thing offered to me was to make a bottom mouth guard and done jaw exercises if you want I can send the pics of the exercises sheet to you if it helps
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