TMJ and dizziness? - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

nc1323 · 12-25-2004, 09:32 PM

Hi, after hours of searching for what might be wrong with me I came across the TMJ disorder on the net. I have had constant dizziness for nearly 7 weeks now. A feeling of tilting and turning and falling whenever I lay down or sit up, and a great sense of imbalance when I walk. Its constant now but in the beginning it just came in spells. B4 the dizziness started my left ear kept popping constantly and my vioce sounded really weird when I talked. I could hear the popping especially when I opened my mouth to talk or when I was chewing gum, which I do alot. The popping continued for a while while I had the dizziness but has now slacked off. Whenever I open my jaw I hear a loud clicking sound everytime which since reading the symptoms of TMJ i have just now started to worry about. I have been to an ENT who first told me it was an inner ear inflammation but after the steriods didnt help and more weeks of dizziness they now say its not an inner ear problem and I am off to see a neurologist next week. My mri came back normal. So now I am stumped. I read vertigo and imbalance can be a symptom of TMJ but would it be a constant feeling like im having??? I havent had any jaw pain, that Ive noticed, and I do have allergies, which the doctor attributed my ear popping noises to sinus drainage, but the ent wouldnt give me an answer as to what the popping sounds were. So could I have tmj, and what kind of doctor could help me figure this out? Anyone had similar symptoms? Thanks to any possible advice!!

westin4 · 12-25-2004, 10:07 PM

nc,
I've had severe tmj problems for about 14 years. One of my worst symptoms is horrible dizziness. I would have to hold on to the wall to walk or just lay down it was so bad. I had periods where it was a constant but never for weeks on end. It does not mean that yours is not going to last for weeks. A dentist who knows alot about tmj is who you should go to. However, anyone can call themselves a tmj specialist.

Good luck and let us know what is going on.

Karen

Princessawa23 · 12-25-2004, 10:47 PM

Angel, when you said your dizziness was sort of an "unreal" feeling, what did you mean by that? Can you describe it better? When I get dizzy, it's more like a spacey feeling. I am feeling it right now. I WAS feeling good, but not for the last 3 days. I have only had this splint for about a month. This should not be happening. It is Christmas day and I am having one big anxiety attack or as they call it, Generalized Anxiety, over this. My heart is racing, and i feel weak and shakey and worried and have sweaty palms. It feels sort of like I have eaten a lot of turkey. I feel sluggish, and tired and spaced out as if I've been drugged and light seems brighter than normal. This feeling feels more severe in dimmer lighting. Is it like that for you? Curious-Sarah in VA

westin4 · 12-26-2004, 10:06 AM

Sarah,

I also suffer from anxiety/panic. Having a tmj flare up always triggers an anxiety attack and if I feel that dizzy feeling start I always get an anxiety attack with it.

The unreal feeling is kind of a spacey, anxiety feeling, I get the sweaty palms, racing heart, the lighting is a sign of a panic attack coming on. It is all very hard and very frustrating and very scary. I understand all of it. I am sorry you are going through this. I think it is just such a vicious cycle.....the anxiety causes tmj....the tmj causes anxiety and so on and so forth.....it just escalates all the symptoms for both.

Do you take meds for anxiety? They have helped me TREMENDOUSLY, I don't know if I would have survived the anxiety without them.....I was just crippled with it.

Let me know how you are doing and if I can help you in anyway with answers or advice from my experience with both, I'd be glad to.

Karen

nc1323 · 12-26-2004, 07:46 PM

Hi Karen,

Sorry to hear that you have been having terrible dizziness. I am supposed to talk with my ENT tommorow and I am going to mention the TMJ thing to them since they have no suggestions as to what this might be. Aside from dizziness what were your other symptoms? How do you handle the dizziness? do you take med. for it? Is there no way to cure your dizziness and TMJ?? Im really concerned that I may have tmj now bc of the ear popping thing, and I cannot open my jaw very wide without it hurting badly and making a clicking grinding sound, also for the past two years I have been a chronic gum chewer, and I read chewing gum a lot can cause TMJ, and then of course theres the unexplainable dizziness, I hope my ENT will consider getting me tested for this instead of just passing me off to the neurologist. Anyway hope you get to feeling better.

NC