Jaw claudication

[Poppylop]

Hi there, can someone please describe what jaw claudication feels like, I'm on 11mg pred at the moment, I had got down to 8mg but started getting a few aches and pains back so went up to 12mg for a week then started to reduce again, I've been on 11 for 2 weeks now but for the last couple of weeks I've been having a few headaches, around my temple area on both sides plus other parts of my head including behind my eyes, not bad pains just niggly ones, I contacted the doctor Friday and had blood tests to check if I was having a flare but hadn't had results yet but I'm now getting a pain in my cheek bones which make my top teeth feel wierd, I have no pain when chewing or when I open my mouth wide, I did the chewing gum test today but no jaw pain, I had a bit of earache in my right ear the other day too, none of the pains are that bad just annoying, so just wanted a bit of advice, thanks all

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Then that isn't jaw claudication - that is, by definition, pain that occurs as a result of muscle activity. But it doesn't mean it isn't associated with PMR/GCA - possibly very early stages.

Not being able to open your mouth wide sounds more TMJ-related.

webmd.com/oral-health/guide...

healthline.com/health/tmj-e...

[Poppylop in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMRpro, sorry I think I must have wrote it wrong, I have no pain when opening my mouth wide

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Poppylop]

No, I read it wrong! Sorry! But it still isn't particularly GCA-sounding.

Do painkillers help?

[Poppylop in reply to PMRpro]

Yes they seem to for a while, I take co codamol

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Poppylop]

Most GCA people will tell you that their GCA pain didn't respond to painkiller.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

It could be a flare, but also sounds as if its another unrelated jaw problem. Have a look at link - it does cover some of the things you mention -

nhs.uk/conditions/temporoma...

Jaw claudication can usually be diagnosed by the chewing gum test - but you seem to ruled that out.

See what you think, and come back if you’re not happy.

[Poppylop in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you i will have a read

[1Unknown12 in reply to DorsetLady]

Hi Dorset Lady.

You may have just answered one of my problems with TMD. Jaw problems. One can hope at least, another avenue to look at.

Thank you for all you do.

Regards

A.

[SnazzyD]

My jaw claudication only occurred when the jaw muscles were required to work as in chewing. Opening the mouth was fine. Also, pain killers made no impact at all. It’s tricky because these symptoms could also be ear or sinus infection or congestion , tooth problems or neck muscle tension to name a few.

[SusanEleven]

Do you have sinus problems or allergies? Grind your teeth?

Even on sinus and allergy meds and saline rinses my right maxillary sinus is swollen and not happy. Everything is right sided — I get pain in my top teeth, pain behind my eye, pain in my temple but also in other parts of my head. I grind my teeth from stress as well, which gives me jaw and ear pain.

Painkillers help.

I’ve had PMR for 4+ years and of course thought about GCA. But it all seems triggered by that particular sinus. A few years ago it also got this bad and was finally settled with a 10-day prednisone burst (2 days each at @30mg, 25, 20, 15 and 10), and a round of antibiotics.

The 10-day burst, by the way, did not affect my prednisone taper for my PMR. I wrote to this group at the time and was reassured. When the 10-day burst was done I went right back to my tapering dose.

[Poppylop in reply to SusanEleven]

Hi there, I don't have sinus problems, I sometimes grind my teeth when I'm stressed but that isn't very often, I get the pain on both sides that's why I was a bit worried about GCA, I've had the temple pain three times before, had temple scan each time and told everything fine, they said i was just probably having a flare but that was when I was coming down from higher doses, I didn't have the cheek pain last time though.