Neuralgia

[Grantag]

Many years ago I suffered from tri germinal neuralgia. Way before being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. For the past 3 days I have had terrible neuralgia pains in my jaw. It's been awful. I was getting to the stage where I couldn't cope anymore. But thankfully I slept last night and I only have tenderness in my face a jaw now. Sorry rant over.

[Hidden]

Rant away! I can relate to this entirely. Have you seen a specialist maxillofacial doctor yet? If not probably best to ask dentist for an urgent referral as they are best placed to decide whether RA related or not. I see one on 3rd of June but meanwhile am living on codeine and Tramadol.

I can barely talk just now it's so bad but mine is all in my teeth too so dentist says must be phantom pain coming from elsewhere. Too general to be root canal related and my jaw doesn't click or lock so they don't think it's wear and tear arthritis.

It is a kind of hell I know. I have same neuralgic pain all the time now in my feet, ankles and knees. None the wiser yet but rheumy just calls it part of my RA.

I'm under a neurologist too who says it's all small fiber neuropathy - idiopathic. Not happy with this idiopathic as my ESR soars when it's bad so it surely has to be inflammation related. Thinking mine is either Sjogrens or some type of Vasculitis.

Will hopefully know more after appointments same morning with neuro and maxillofacial surgeon.

Going to push for MRI of jaw and surrounds rather than just jaw X-ray as I was booked for. X-rays don't show inflammation just erosion and so far my RA has been non erosive mainly affecting connective tissue and possibly organs too now.

I really advise you to get emergency dental apt or see a GP because it is unbearable pain and you need help. I had a few hours off the pain yesterday when GP gave me a morphine jab for other abdominal stuff. It was bliss I feel like begging for more now!

[Grantag in reply to Hidden]

I have had dental treatment and all top teeth removed and now wear dentures so I know it's not dental and before being diagnosed with ta it was put down to trigeminal neuralgia x and since having ra have relished it can be another symptom x hope you can get it sorted xx

[sheltielife]

Your story Grantag sounds exactly the same as mine! I went to loads of doctors at the time and eventually had all my teeth removed as I was told they were the problem and it's the worst thing I have ever done, as it didn't solve the problem and actually made things a lot worse as I could never have dentures that fitted well, as my gums used to swell sometimes. I am just the same now, I have to use fixative as they had to make the bottom set too big so that when they swelled I could still get them in. That was on the 80s and it wasn't until about 5 years ago that I was diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis.