Could this be GCA?

[Pippah45]

Someone has written in a Thyroid forum and I am wondering if I should suggest she considers GCA although I hesitate to worry her unnecessarily - what do you lovely people think?

"I am really suffering with nerve pain in my left jaw, top and bottom. It is intermittent, when I get up in the morning I'm fine, when I sit down after lunch it starts up and then comes and goes throughout the rest of the day and is usually aching when I go to bed, although it eases off overnight."

[SheffieldJane]

The typical jaw pain of GCA is claudication - only painful when chewing - as I understood it. You could send her a link of symptoms though. Not many people know about it and she can make her own mind up. It is tempting for us to see PMR and GCA everywhere. I find myself doing it. X

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Sounds more like TMJ /TMD - maybe forward her this link - healthline.com/health/tmj-d...

[SnazzyD]

My GCA jaw pain was a problem with the muscle when chewing only. It didn’t come and go without the chewing first. This could be a nerve problem, temporomandibular joint issue amongst other things. A long shot but does she have angina or other heart issue? Sounds like a chat to a doc is an idea.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

That isn't typical of GCA - the jaw pain in GCA is mostly (not always) while using the jaw, chewing is typical, 2 to 3 minutes of chewing gum at once chew per second is suggested as a screening test for GCA that is easy to do anywhere. Even talking or singing for a while can result in the pain - but in all cases it goes away as soon as the action is stopped but returns when you start again.

As suggested - possibly a TMJ problem.

[Pippah45]

Yes thank you everyone I had forgotten about the Claudication aspect of jaw pain - it does sound more like tmj. I thought it better to check with you all. I did suggest PMR/GCA to someone a while back and she got really sick and was eventually diagnosed with both! It was quite painful watching her go through it and ignoring the links I gave her to this forum! You definitely can't win them all!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Pippah45]

You'll meet that a lot - until they get it themselves and suddenly this bizarre forum isn't so daft

[RoadTrip]

I was obviously atypical, as had extreme jaw, teeth and ear pain before headaches set in, not relate to eating. This was before GCA diagnosis. Private Rheumatologist called it ‘significant jaw claudication’.

[Pippah45]

That's very interesting RoadTrip thanks for the input.