antidepressants for TMJD patients - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

saaraah · 03-09-2005, 09:11 AM

i have a bunch of questions. :) for those who have been diagnosed with depression, what antidepressants do you take, since SSRIs may cause clenching and grinding? do SNRIs also cause increased muscular activity? are the older tricyclic antidepressants the only option for TMJD patients with depression?

thanks :)

- saaraah.

Katie G · 03-09-2005, 12:14 PM

Hi saaraah - how have you been?! I haven't seen your posts in awhile, but don't get on as often as I'd like, so I may have missed some.

Anyway, I've been taking Elavil for over 15 years due to my diagnosis of fibromyalgia and it helps me achieve deeper sleep. In the past 6 months, my OB/GYN diagnosed me with PMDD (severe PMS) and put me on Prozac. It did nothing to relieve my PMS, so now he's got me on 150 mg Effexor XR daily.

I don't know if the meds are related to my bruxism, because I've been a chronic grinder at night for 15+ years, and have just sought ortho treatment for my TMD in the last year and a half. I'm not sure if the Effexor has made my bruxism worse or not - I know I'm still grinding at night in my sleep because my husband wakes me up every time I do it. Funny how he can sleep through his own snoring that can be heard throughout the house, but my grinding wakes him up - go figure!

But, I've read the drug info that does claim that bruxism can be a side effect of anti-depressants. However, I feel so much better emotionally since being on the Effexor; I guess it's a double-edged sword. So I'm not sure whether to try to go off it or not. My husband says I'm much easier to deal with every month now.

Take care,
Katie G

rubato · 03-11-2005, 08:36 AM

Hi Saraah. I was diagnosed with depression (which I know was caused by being in PAIN). I was prescribed Zoloft which I took for quite a few months. It did wonders, but then my tmj specialist told me about the bruxism with zoloft. He prescribed Elavil. I am taking it now and am doing great on it. But, I have had my surgery and my pain is so greatly improved, I don't know if I'm depressed anymore. It has the added benefit of helping me sleep. I think it's worth a shot. You can always go back if it's not working. I hope you get a solution for your problem. It seems a lot of us are on antidepressants, so there should be lots of advice for you. Good luck,
Tandy

Jackie284 · 03-12-2005, 02:41 AM

Hi everyone,
with regard to antidepressants making TMJ worse, would this happen with herbal anti-depressants, e.g st.johns wort, 5-HTP etc ?

any advice greaty appreciated,

Jackie x