I don't know if you read the post that I did this morning ...but, I'm sure having some strange things going on. I haven't been able to sleep either. My clock is all whacked out. I don't know why I'm having this burning. Do you think it's possible that this could be related to the complete hysterectomy I had 19 months ago? I have heard you can have hot flashes years after a surgical procedure. I never had hot flashes before. But, sometimes it feels like my body temperature is out of sync. I'm also wondering if the trigger point injections have anything to do with the burning going on. I didn't have a chance to research side effects of trigger points and no one gave me any special instructions to follow after them or anything. But, I'm wondering if there isn't some type of residual stuff that has lingered in my body and is causing the burning. I mostly get it when I sleep on that side, or talk or eat. No pain, just burning. It is very unusual. i never had that before. It gets so frustrating because the more treatment I get, the more symptoms I feel I'm getting. I probably should have just lived with the periodic flare-ups and the clicking jaw.
I read your discussion with GenDen. The burning could be exactly what you discussed. Muscles compressing or pinching nerves. If this is the cause, once some of the spasms settle down , it will stop.
I know nothing about trigger point injections. I did have accupuncture on my face a couple of times several years ago and just those tiny needles set off a period of burning. The nerves in your face are so sensitve, I would think that just the needle "could" cause irritation. The nerves should settle down in a few days if this is the cause.
Brief flashes of heat would be more consistant with hormone depletion. If the nerves are irritated and you're having hormone related flashes, too, they can sometimes be pretty bad. With the nerve damage I have from surgery, before I got on HRT, the flashes were not the normal type. They were pretty intense. I rarely have any burning now. Occasionally, with extreme stress, I have a very minor brief flare.
If during the period after your surgery, you were taking an anti-depressant or other anxiety relieving medication, these will sometimes keep you from having some of the symtoms related to hormone depletion. I know of several women who use anti-depressants, with no HRT and they don't have symtoms. If they try to stop the anti-dep., the symtoms return.
Anxiety and stong emotional responses (anger, fear,aggravation etc.) can set off a flash or burning episode, but it should subside, once you get calmed down.
It seems that from what you've described, you "may" have some irritation from the injections. I don't believe it would be caused by residual medicaton unless it was steroids. Steroids such as predisone will sometimes cause your face to 'Light Up" & burn as long as it's in your system. (I had this to happen with the Epidurals I had with my lower back problem.) In any of these instances, it should go away.
It seems also, for whatever reason, you have started to have symtoms from hormone depletion. If you decide to try the natural HRT we discussed, these symtoms should all respond in a week or so. I was told to give it a month to get my levels built back up to normal, but within a few days, I stopped having flashes and within a week or so, I was sleeping better. By the time I had taken it a month, I had almost no symtoms.
Hormone depletion can cause many strange and weird sensations. There are several sources and books that will explain these and could ease your mind about "what's" going on. Body temperature changes are very common as well as flashes, sleep problems, anxiety, etc.
I know you do have TMJD problems, but many of the symtoms you've described could be Hormonal. I think if you get that checked and see what you need, your TMJD problems will be a little easier to deal with.
One other thought. Staying in a state of anxiety, fear, worry, etc. will cause your body to release adrenalin. This is a normal response for "Fight or Flight". This is so that we have the strength and energy to run or fight for survival. If we stay in an anxious and nervous state, our body will release the adrenalin. If there is no real physical danger and we don't need this "extra" adrenalin pumping, it can cause some burning sensations in your face, arms and upper body.
Doing something "physically exerting" will help. Then trying to relax and staying calm will stop this reaction. You may not have had this happen, I have, and it's very uncomfortable and scary if you don't know it's happening.
I went through many years thinking the TMJD (and surgical damage) was responsible for everything. I finally realized, at my age, I could be having other problems. mostly minor, but problems none the less. These other problems "DID" affect the TMJD symtoms negatively. Getting these other 'things" under control, did help the TMJ symtoms and I had a better idea of what I needed to do.
By the time I got into splint therapy last year, I had a lot of other problems under control or at least, I knew what was related to the TMJD and what was not. As you know, my splint therapy worked very well and very quickly to relieve almost all of my TMJ symtoms.
I know this is long, but I hope it helps. Sometimes we have a lot of different problems bundled up into what we believe to be, one Gigantic Problem. Along with the TMJD, we can have several other problems going on and with getting help with these, I believe the TMJD will respond to the treatment or therapy much better.
I read your discussion with GenDen. The burning could be exactly what you discussed. Muscles compressing or pinching nerves. If this is the cause, once some of the spasms settle down , it will stop.
I know nothing about trigger point injections. I did have accupuncture on my face a couple of times several years ago and just those tiny needles set off a period of burning. The nerves in your face are so sensitve, I would think that just the needle "could" cause irritation. The nerves should settle down in a few days if this is the cause.
Brief flashes of heat would be more consistant with hormone depletion. If the nerves are irritated and you're having hormone related flashes, too, they can sometimes be pretty bad. With the nerve damage I have from surgery, before I got on HRT, the flashes were not the normal type. They were pretty intense. I rarely have any burning now. Occasionally, with extreme stress, I have a very minor brief flare.
If during the period after your surgery, you were taking an anti-depressant or other anxiety relieving medication, these will sometimes keep you from having some of the symtoms related to hormone depletion. I know of several women who use anti-depressants, with no HRT and they don't have symtoms. If they try to stop the anti-dep., the symtoms return.
Anxiety and stong emotional responses (anger, fear,aggravation etc.) can set off a flash or burning episode, but it should subside, once you get calmed down.
It seems that from what you've described, you "may" have some irritation from the injections. I don't believe it would be caused by residual medicaton unless it was steroids. Steroids such as predisone will sometimes cause your face to 'Light Up" & burn as long as it's in your system. (I had this to happen with the Epidurals I had with my lower back problem.) In any of these instances, it should go away.
It seems also, for whatever reason, you have started to have symtoms from hormone depletion. If you decide to try the natural HRT we discussed, these symtoms should all respond in a week or so. I was told to give it a month to get my levels built back up to normal, but within a few days, I stopped having flashes and within a week or so, I was sleeping better. By the time I had taken it a month, I had almost no symtoms.
Hormone depletion can cause many strange and weird sensations. There are several sources and books that will explain these and could ease your mind about "what's" going on. Body temperature changes are very common as well as flashes, sleep problems, anxiety, etc.
I know you do have TMJD problems, but many of the symtoms you've described could be Hormonal. I think if you get that checked and see what you need, your TMJD problems will be a little easier to deal with.
One other thought. Staying in a state of anxiety, fear, worry, etc. will cause your body to release adrenalin. This is a normal response for "Fight or Flight". This is so that we have the strength and energy to run or fight for survival. If we stay in an anxious and nervous state, our body will release the adrenalin. If there is no real physical danger and we don't need this "extra" adrenalin pumping, it can cause some burning sensations in your face, arms and upper body.
Doing something "physically exerting" will help. Then trying to relax and staying calm will stop this reaction. You may not have had this happen, I have, and it's very uncomfortable and scary if you don't know it's happening.
I went through many years thinking the TMJD (and surgical damage) was responsible for everything. I finally realized, at my age, I could be having other problems. mostly minor, but problems none the less. These other problems "DID" affect the TMJD symtoms negatively. Getting these other 'things" under control, did help the TMJ symtoms and I had a better idea of what I needed to do.
By the time I got into splint therapy last year, I had a lot of other problems under control or at least, I knew what was related to the TMJD and what was not. As you know, my splint therapy worked very well and very quickly to relieve almost all of my TMJ symtoms.
I know this is long, but I hope it helps. Sometimes we have a lot of different problems bundled up into what we believe to be, one Gigantic Problem. Along with the TMJD, we can have several other problems going on and with getting help with these, I believe the TMJD will respond to the treatment or therapy much better.
Cymy Sue
Good morning Cymy Sue,
I agree with everything you posted. There seems to be a lot of possible contributions to my symptoms.
I have appointments set up with everyone. Today I see a hypnotherapist for a consultation. My GYN is working with the compund pharmacist. Thursday I have an appointment with a Natural Hormone Therapy and pain doctor. He will be checking my hormone levels and also doing kineasiology (spelling?) and whatever else needs to be done. Friday I will probably have the session with the hypnotherapist. Saturday is massage therapist for trigger point, etc. massage. Monday I have new tomo's done to check position of condyle to reset splint. So, hopefully I'll be a new woman in a weeks time??
I'm also concerned about the splint fitting properly. From what I'm told you should not click, or crack if it's fitting properly. Supposedly if the disc is still displaced, you should hearing a little pop like cushy sound because the disc has room to move around. Mine is still doing the cracking and rubbing on the back of the condyle supposedly. I also have to ask about a night time appliance. I'm already changing my bite position, so, I want to make sure that the splint is right. I wake up sore on the left side and I'm having muscle spasms still. Maybe the Hormone compound may help that. I was told that it was all plant based. I'm asking for the one that's yam based, instead of soy. My GYN and the compound pharmacist are supposed to come up with something for me. Then I got a call from the Natural Hormone Therapy doctor who does blood tests to determine your levels. I can get the prescription soon from my GYN (he doesn't check levels or do blood tests)...or wait over a week and get the blood work done to determine exactly what I need. I really want to start taking something as soon as possible, but, I know the levels are important too. Did you have bloodwork done, or did they just give you something based on your symptoms Cymy Sue?
Gosh getting TMJ at 47 and having a complete hysterectomy with ovaries removed the same year ...sure makes a women feel off kilter to say the least. Then we have to deal with the medical community on top of everything else!
Both are overwhelming to say the least. I had my "O" Surgery 7-97 and my TMJ disc removed 11-97. Needless to say, I was in a mess.
I did have the knowledge that I had been saved from ovarian cancer and quite by accident. I did feel like in the midst of all that I was having to contend with, I had received a "Miracle" that 'too' many women don't.
I did have bloodwork done just to check levels of estrogen several times before I found out about the Natural. I was taking an injection every few weeks and it wasn't doing very much. The test always showed "NO" levels. My body was not converting and using the synthetic medication as it should.
Since, I showed no levels of any hormones, my original compound was made according to symtoms and the knowledge that the organs that make these hormones had been removed over 2 years earlier.
After I had been on the compound about 6 months, I went to a Doctor who checked by bloodwork, all three estrogens, progesterone and testosterone levels, and all were within normal range.
I don't know if we discussed the other's, but at our age, normally, our bodies would still be producing a small amount of progesterone and testosterone.
Some Doctors will disagree with this, but it is fact and hopefully the people you have working on something for you will compound exactly what you need. I feel sure they will.
That's another advantage of using this type of HRT, it can be adjusted very easily if your symtoms or levels change.
Both are overwhelming to say the least. I had my "O" Surgery 7-97 and my TMJ disc removed 11-97. Needless to say, I was in a mess.
I did have the knowledge that I had been saved from ovarian cancer and quite by accident. I did feel like in the midst of all that I was having to contend with, I had received a "Miracle" that 'too' many women don't.
I did have bloodwork done just to check levels of estrogen several times before I found out about the Natural. I was taking an injection every few weeks and it wasn't doing very much. The test always showed "NO" levels. My body was not converting and using the synthetic medication as it should.
Since, I showed no levels of any hormones, my original compound was made according to symtoms and the knowledge that the organs that make these hormones had been removed over 2 years earlier.
After I had been on the compound about 6 months, I went to a Doctor who checked by bloodwork, all three estrogens, progesterone and testosterone levels, and all were within normal range.
I don't know if we discussed the other's, but at our age, normally, our bodies would still be producing a small amount of progesterone and testosterone.
Some Doctors will disagree with this, but it is fact and hopefully the people you have working on something for you will compound exactly what you need. I feel sure they will.
That's another advantage of using this type of HRT, it can be adjusted very easily if your symtoms or levels change.
Cymy Sue
Hi Cymy Sue,
Well, you were right about convincing some of the doctors. I think some are hesitant to break away from the old school of thought. My friend said that a doctor can put his license in jeapardy if they start prescribing natural medicine. This may be why the pharmacist was being asked to recommend something ...but, the pharmacist wanted the doctor to write a prescription for regular estrogen and then he'd make something natural based on that. This went back and forth. When the compound pharmacist heard that I had an appointment with the natural MD tomorrow ...he said let him handle everything, because he also checks levels which the pharmacist said is important, especially since they have no idea what I really need based on the family history. The pharmacist said the new doctor I'm seeing is really good. Apparently some can just look at you and your symptoms and know what you need. The doctor also does muscle testing, so, I was told to bring the supplements I'm taking. This should be interesting.
Monday they are doing tomo's again and checking on the position and the amount of room I have around the condyle. It's amazing, but, I think my disc actually moved up after the trigger point injections. I displace much earlier in the opening. It sometimes aches so I am resting the joint. I'm not on any pain meds today and I only take a muscle relaxer if I absolutely need too. I am trying to stay clam and not focus on the tmj. The burning comes and goes, as do the muscle spasms. I wouldn't think this warrants surgery if my opening is 52.5. I just have to try to figure out what's causing all these symptoms exactly. I'm hoping when the doctor changes my splint position, it might change the symptoms and take the disc off of a nerve or something. Splint therapy takes awhile to get right.
Cymy Sue ...thank-you again for letting me know about the natural therapy and the compund pharmacists. Hopefully this will help.
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