Jaw pain?

Hi all, have not felt well for about a wk now but in last few hrs I think I might have pain when eating, well just as I have 1st mouthful then nothing after that but it more by my ear than mouth, i had ear infection few wks ago with antibiotics, so just wondering which part is classed as jaw pain? Is it all over, just mouth, by ears, one side, both sides constant pain or come and go? Was supposed to have phone call off dr today but it got cancelled cause she had family matter was offered a different dr but declined would rather speak to same dr.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

GCA pain when eating is called claudication pain - it happens while an activity is ongoing but stops when the activity stops.

Pain with the first mouthful than then stops isn't that likey to be GCA (though I;d never say never!). That sounds a bit TMJ-ish - is it one side or both?

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Just one side seems to be where yr ear meets yr cheek/face just below

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Very TMJ-ish ...

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks

[SnazzyD]

Sounds like you do need medical opinion because your infection may be on the rise again. Sometimes ear infections can be persistent.

My experience of GCA jaw claudication was a growing stiffness in the jaw muscle as I chewed, like it was cramping up and running out of steam. The pain went when I stopped chewing like when one’s legs feel better after stopping running.

I also had temporomandibular joint problems at one point but it was more centred on the joint and around up to the ear. There was a bit of crunching in the joint as well and it sometimes was difficult to open my mouth wide or move it side to side. The joint could stiffen up between meals too.

Another thing that can cause jaw pain is tension in the sternokleidomastoid muscle that runs up the neck and ends just behind the ear. Problems with can feel quite GCA-like and I had that too.

[AncientMariner]

Another one of those issues with GCA that can be interpreted in different ways, It really can be a cuss of a condition to pin down, whilst having certain shared characteristics they may present, sequence differently for individuals and I would recommend keeping a diary. For me jaw pain starts to appear when I start to taper down Prednisolone to 20mg and below and is concentrated in the R hand far corner of the mouth/jaw just below the ear, although sometimes it can feel like the ear too. It can SEEM to me that my hearing can be duller too which I associate with inflammation. I keep a stable diet so I know excessive chewing on a new food is not responsible. This is one of a constellation of symptoms I have learnt by experience that gather, including a bizarre sensation across my scalp and temple rather akin to sunburn, itching. I am then on the alert for the final instalment which is visual blurring/disturbance that sent me off to the eye hospital last time and an IV Methylprednisolone drip. That's been my journey and why I am a firm believer that Prednisolone reduction should be done cautiously.