My TMJD dentist is now recommending that I take an Advil 3x/day for a few weeks. Currently, I am only taking pain meds as needed when the headaches are too bad to handle without them (lately about 2 Aleve-3x/week). So this would be, overall, more than I am currently taking. I know Advil is also an anti-inflammatory, and is supposed to be weaker than Aleve, but is this a good idea? I don't like taking medications if I can help it; I would just hate to get immune to the stuff or have problems with my stomach. Also, generally 1 Advil does nothing for my pain so I guess I have to UP IT when I do have a headache, anyway?! I'm also wondering if I keep myself all doped up, how I will know if the splint is working for the headaches or not!?!
my doctor had me start taking aleve on a daily basis for my pain, even though i explained that i don't have any luck with any OTC pain relievers. she told me that when we take anti-inflammatories on a regular basis it is supposed to relieve the pain before it starts. maybe it will help to some degree? i've been taking her advice for 2 + months now & haven't had any luck though, i don't think it's helped at all because my pain is more unbearable lately.
Thanks for the reply. I would not want to take Aleve everyday as that is my "go-to"--the one thing that USUALLY works for me. I don't want to get so used to something that it no longer works for me. If I need it for the anti-inflammatory properties for a little while that is one thing, but to keep the pain at bay--I thought that was what the splint was supposed to be for.
Thanks for your reply. I hope you are able to get some relief from your pain soon.
Wow! That's quite a bit of Advil. I'd probably get a hole in my stomach from taking it that frequently for a few weeks. I would think that if he wants you to take an anti-inflammatory, it's to reduce the inflammation. But you've raised a good question, how do you know if you're responding to the splint or to the drugs?
There seems to be so many new people on here, it makes me sad.
That's what I'm worried about too--my stomach. Yes, there are a lot of new posters, it is sad. Maybe one day we will all find the answer to our prayers. I'm going to bed now, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
[This message has been edited by totallyconfused (edited 10-28-2003).]
I'm not sure if this help, but as far as any drug that can cause problems with you stomach, make sure you eat. I have been taking motrin everyday for at least nine month and had asked the doctor about it, he said to make sure I ate after taking it and to drink a whole glass of water with it. He said that by eating and drinking with it that it would move through your system better and not just lie in your stomach causing problems. So far (cross my fingers), I'm not having any problems.
Thanks for the reply. I have been trying to take it with a meal or after I eat. Maybe I should be taking it before?! My problem is I don't want to take these OTC meds everyday. I sure hope my dentist is not expecting me to do this for an extended period of time. Also, when I feel a headache coming on I am afraid to up the dosage as I am already taking so much. Thanks for the help. I am glad that you don't seem to be having any problems with the Motrin.
[This message has been edited by totallyconfused (edited 10-28-2003).]
Since I monitor drug trials for a living, I can tell you that ibuprofen is not therapeutic as far as "anti-inflammatory" properties unless the dose is higher...say 600-800mg per dose. The side effects of long term (years in some and shorter for others) can be ulcer, bleeding ulcer and kidney enzyme elevation or renal failure so you have to be careful. Usually for a few months, it should be fine in most people but DO NOT take on an empty stomach.....if you have reflux like I do, it can flare it up after a time.
Aleve (naproxyn sodium) is just not strong enough for me.....it did nothing but since you are taking less, like twice a day it shouldn't be as hard on your stomach.
Thanks for the information. Aleve works much better for me, but I understand that it is harder on the stomach than Advil pill for pill. I don't know if he is wanting the Advil for the anti-inflammatory properties or more just to keep the headaches at bay. He recommended it when I said I don't take anything until my headaches are so bad that I absolutely had to and he said that was dumb. I know it is easier to relieve pain before it gets too bad, but I would hate to have to take OTCs as a preventative long-term. I certainly don't want to take 800mg/dose if I don't absolutely have to. I don't like taking this stuff as, like you said, it has bad long-term effects.
[This message has been edited by totallyconfused (edited 10-28-2003).]
For the past few years, whenever I was in pain I took 3 advil (600 mg) anywhere from 1-4 times a day. I especially took it a lot the past few months. I'm in college and I would take it before a test so the stress from the test wouldn't start, then right after the test, and then when studying...so basically all the time. It has stopped helping me and i think I have stomach problems now. I usually took it on an empty stomach because I never eat breakfast and I usually would take it first thing in the morning. I know it was a stupid thing to do. Now it doesn't really help me anymore. But it hasn't helped the inflammation AT ALL. or the headaches or anything. I have also been told to take it a few times a day regularly. I am not very good at keeping to a schedule like that especially since my eating patterns are very irregular, so I would just take it whenever I felt like I needed to. But there were definitely points where i was taking it every 4 hours for days and it would only help temporarily. Now I get really bad stomach pain when I take anything stronger than advil. Could I have developped an ulcer?
Thanks for the reply. I will be careful. If I am still getting headaches then it can't be doing much. I am certainly not going to let him talk me into 600mg/dose anyway. If I really need an anti-inflammatory I will take Relafen or something like that long-term.
As for the ulcer, I wouldn't know. I guess it couldn't hurt to get it checked out, though.
[This message has been edited by totallyconfused (edited 10-28-2003).]
I've been in a habit of taking 400 mg Advil (Motrin) every morning (with coffee and a rice cake). I am not even convinced it's helping me much... but I'm pretty desperate. I'm also taking a med called Neurontin, which was prescribed by my neurologist for the headaches. This is considered a pretty safe drug - quickly excreted and not harmful on the gi system. It's not an anti-inflamatory though...works more on pain impusles from nerve.
Cathleen, do you know if your doctor believes that there is a major inflammatory componenet to your pain symptoms?? It's funny, but I had a blood test done for something called C-Reactive Protein - this measures systemic acute inflammation in the body. My rheumatologist did the test - and surprisingly, it came back significantly elevated. The test was done right on the edge of a major headache episode. When the test was done again a few months later - when I wasn't bordering a major headache - it was normal. I suppose this condition does create inflammation.... but is taking the anti-inflammatory drug going to help heal tmj - or just relieve symptoms temporarily?
If the pain is stemming from muscles in spasm, I really think a muscle relaxant - ie: Flexeril or Valium would be more helpful than Advil/Motrin/Ibuprophen. Unfortunately, for me, any relief I get is only temporary.
I wish I could figure this all out --- just a little.
I'm sorry this splint isn't working as quickly and well as you'd hoped Cathleen. Are you feeling that the neuromuscular dentistry may not be your best avenue... -maybe just this particular practitioner may not be the one?? It's all so frustrating. I've got this consult coming up next Friday...and am not sure how to feel about it. It's a high pain day.
Sorry you are having a bad day. I, also, had that blood test (by my PCP). It came out fine. I know I supposedly have inflammation in the joints (as per the test where the computer "listens" to the joints). However, I am not sure which is causing the headaches.
Basically, I hope I am not messing up my stomach, kidneys, etc for no reason. I am sorry the Motrin is not working for you, but can't say I'm surprised. I do think it is a quick fix just for pain relief and won't last. I assume the splint is supposed to be more help with long-term inflammation. Who knows?!
[This message has been edited by totallyconfused (edited 10-28-2003).]
Cathleen, thanks --- you have a good trip. You are a good daughter to be helping your Mom recouperate. I did the same after my Mom had breast cancer surgery 5 years ago. It was tough for me, but I'm so glad I did it.
Yes.. I don't know what to expect from this appointment on Friday. I have no doubt my case is going to be considered more complex because of the other muscle/skeletal problems I have... and the hypermobile joints with loose ligaments. I have been having such bad back days..and the jaw seems to follow right along.
Anyway... we will miss you when you're gone...check in when you can!!
Robyn, you bring up a very good point. My joints are extremely inflammed - as my doctor put it "you have some nicely inflammed joints" - and when I get the SEVERE headaches they are accompanied by more inflammation. I don't need a test to tell me that - I can feel the throbbing, the pulse beating heavily in my joints. It feels like my whole head is being pounded. So it must be related. I only tried neurontin for a short time once and stopped it because the side effects scared me - someone on a different board said he started getting seizures from it. But it probably depends on the dose bec i have heard a lot of people and doctors talking about it. I tried advil liquid gelcaps a few hours ago and that actually seems to be helping me for once! I had blood tests dont but I haven't gotten the results yet. I had them done on a day where the headaches were the worst I have ever had - I was vomiting and having nosebleeds. I don't know what they even checked for but I really want to find out the results.
Cathleen, you mentioned scar tissue. How can you know if you have it or not and what exactlty does scar tissue do? My doctor looked at my MRI and said that I have arthritis. I can only imagine how messed up my joint is because the discs are out of place, I'm rubbing bone against bone, and in order to open my mouth I have to crack my jaw and I'm sure that makes it worse. There are horrible crackling sounds in my jaw that drive me nuts! The doctos always just look at me funny when I try to explain this to them - it sounds like rice crispies in milk. These tiny crackling sounds right in my joint. I hear them sometimes when I'm just breathing or swallowing but I also have control over them. Like I can make the cracking sound. I wonder what exaclty is causing that. Also, whenever I make these cracking sounds (which I stupidly just made now), it automatically hurts more and I can feel the joint getting immediately more inflammed. Any insight would help.
Thanks,
-Stacie
[This message has been edited by Stacie212 (edited 05-31-2003).]
Thanks for the replies. Sorry, I have to make this quick as we are literally walking out the door as I type.
Robyn,
Thanks for caring. I know you are a good daughter, too. I hope your back and TMJs feel better when I visit the board again.
Stacie,
My dentist feels I have scar tissue due to this test where the computer listens to the joints. Apparently noises at a certain frequency correlate to fibrous or scar tissue. I get a lot of clunking/rubbing sounds also, so I have no doubt this is part of the problem. Also, we think at least one of my discs is displaced w/reduction...hence more scar tissue in that joint?? Not sure on that one. I also have some inflammation in both joints that showed up. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I hope this makes sense as I don't have time to check back over it.
[This message has been edited by totallyconfused (edited 10-28-2003).]
Hi Stacie,
I know what you mean about the crackling sounds. I also get huge snaps and pops... and clunks (do you get these?). It's like a whole variety of noises... some hurt a lot more than others. Even at a moment when I am not in awful pain... if I open even slightly I can hear some abnormal noise. I haven't yet had an MRI - so I I don't know what I'm dealing with.
I do, however, have a long history of spine pain and - the scans show my disc is herniated and my bones slip out of place. My shoulder clunks... and knees pop. I know for me there is some connective tissue weakness causing all my woes...and really - ruining my life. Chronic pain is something no decent humanbeing should ever know.
Stacie,I was surprised someone said they had a seizure on Neurontin. This is really odd because the drug is actually an anti-seizure med (this is what the FDA indication is). Perhaps this person had a seizure disorder to begin with? I'd be curious. I ddo hear a lot of people feel very tired/spacey on it till they adjust. I never had this problem - really no side effects for me, except some appetitie enhancement. I'd hate to see how much pain I would encounter if I got off the drug (have been taking it now for 2 years). I'm glad the Advil Gelcaps seemed effective for you. Those are the ones I take for breakfast.
Here's a question... if you look in the mirror and open your mouth....does it seems both sides of your face are moving - or does one of the tm joints move a lot - and the other not at all?? For me the left moves in an abnormal way (deviates way out and around).. and the right is frozen still?? I am wondering what this means. The still side also is still at the neck and shoulder -- like that whole side is somehow matted down. Based on this alone - it makes sense that I'm in so much pain - since the tm joints are made to work as a team.
Anyway..hang in there - we'll surely make some progress if we keep learning and brainstorming.
Do you have a plan for a new doctor consult?
Anti-inflammatories/Advil 
Robyn
