I get this horrible jaw pain, it's in my outer ear and side of face too..is this fibro?
I can't even explain what it feels like..I hope it's not a tumor.

I have the same pains. It is most likely TMD/TMJ. Does it get worse when you chew gum or hard candies? Does you grind your teeth at night?

Most people with fibro do have jaw problems which can radiate pain to the sinus area, back of ears, inside ears, face, and neck.

My PCP just told me that he believes I have this and I need to get evaluated by a Dentist. My dentist referred me to a specialist. Unfortunatly my insurance doesn't cover this. Is the treatments for this really expensive. I don't grind my teeth, but I clench them alot.

Tmjd and fibro can go hand and hand. My battle with chronic pain started with migraines, then a terrible tmj flare up that stayed and has been here since Sept 07, and then the pain spread through my body, and then more dx came, like fibro, myofascial pain, temporal tendonitis, and osteo of the jaw. If you look at other illnesses that go with fibro, tmjd is one of them.

I would suggest going to get it checked out at your dentist asap. Make sure to get a panorex, and then maybe a mri. I have been told I need surgery a couple of times from surgeons all over New England, but our health insurance does not cover tmj. I am not seeing a oral facial pain specialist 2 hours away, and trying splint therapy. It has not helped too much.

Please get it checked out asap and good luck.

Kassandra

It just so happens that I'm currently seening an orthodontist who specializes in jaw problems. I went in purely for vanity reasons (invisalygn to straighten my teeth) and he strongly advised that I get invisalygn because my bite and arrangement of my teeth are aggrivating my jaw problems. He said his patients with TMJ see it improve when they wear Invisalygn. He said that if I start having more than 2-3 headaches a week, that I need to go see a jaw specialist (forget what he called it).

I get that too, don't know if temporal-mandibular joint problems are a typical FM thing or not. Have spent a bloody fortune on tests and mouth guards, physiotherapist - they actually thought they if they could ***stretch*** my jaw wider it would relieve the pain :eek:. I think it is most often one side of the face - complicating things when a people have, or think they have, migraines.
I think it's worth checking into to clarify what's going on, and hopefully get some relief.
Wishing you peace and comfort,
Paddy

I don't have the jaw pain per say, like on a all the time basis, but my jaw muscles do hurt on both sides when I get to talking too much or when I first start to chew food after not eating for a while. Once I get to chewing while rubbing my jaws it will finally become bareable so that I can finish eating without pain. As I noted on my other thread, I haven't been diagonosed with Fibro yet... still waiting for Oct. 1st to see a neurologist.

My orthodontist checked my tmj sensitivity by pressing on muscles in my face, head, neck and mouth. 1 area was really senstive. Open your mouth and press the muscle behind where the upper teeth end in the back (like where your wisdom teeth used to be or past them if you still have them). When the doctor pressed this area i almost came out of my chair. He said it hurt me really bad because that is the closest 'external' access you have to muscles around the jaw joint. try it and if it hurts, then you probably need to talk to someone about tmj/tmd. hope this helps.

Another person with the same problem...fibro/tmj. My jaws and ears both hurt quite a bit. Tons of my migraines start in my jaw! Lately I have been taking 500 mg of Aleve 2x a day...helps significantly.

Eat with Aleve or it will tear up your stomach!

CDS75 - Hurray for Aleve! I just came out from my "cave" ;) (headache, can't stand the light or sound of anything) to read a few threads. For couple weeks been shoving pain meds, vitamins, icing, hot packs, massaging, stretching -- you know the drill -- trying to break this headache. Then this morning I remembered I had a bottle of Aleve stashed away (we cannot buy it here in Canada, so when I go over the border I always bring some home). I took 1, (one!!!) and that burning pain finally eased. Still have that numb feeling after a migraine/headache, and the general pain, but not that burning stabbing part. CDS - I'm with you, Aleve is great!
So I'm going to try a regular amount every day, see how it goes. I take Losec (Prilosec in U.S.) as well.
Wishing you peace and comfort,
Paddy

Glad it worked for u Paddy! U don't have Aleve in Canada? Not even Naproxen (500 mg 2 times a day is prescription dose)? It REALLY HELPS my jaw pain and my joint pain too (Rheumatoid Arthritis).

CD - yes, we have naproxen in prescription strengths but obviously you can only get it with a script. Long ago, I took it as Relafen, a mixture of naproxen and a stomach protector - not sure, maybe was called mysoprostil? something like that. But, you see, I'm only supposed to have FM, NOT anything inflammatory - blah, blah blah, so they can't settle down to proper treatment for me for any another arthritis. They keep calling my "sero-negative" or "maybe lupus". :mad:
I just got back from a quickee appointment with a doc I don't usually see (I go to a teaching clinic so sometimes I get a resident trying out family practice - I don't mind, especially when it's something quick like a throat swab, or blood work). Anyway, we talked about a script for naproxen, we have another appointment on tuesday. I just had to get in for blood work today, to see what my sed rate is. I had one episode of temporal arteritis a few years ago, that was helped by prednisone, when my sed rate was 70-ish.
I'm going to see my regular doc on tuesday. My plan is to talk about treating the stuff "other than" FM. Gotta get this figured out. Do I sound frustrated or what? :rolleyes:
Wishing you peace and comfort,
Paddy