Need help with POSSIBLE TMJ/Differentiating from OTHER problems?! - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

PlaDrv4Me · 07-08-2005, 06:21 PM

Hello There friends of the TMJ Board...

This is a board I havent ever posted on but it might as well be as my problems have been as wide and varying as the day is long!

I have recently been diagnosed with Lupus which seems to account for a majority of my problems, however fearing the worst about some oral symptoms (have been having recurrent mild sore throats, occasional hoarseness, very large tonsils etc) I recently visited an ENT who looked in my mouth and throat and found nothing of concern.

However something has now been going on for at least a couple of months that is very disturbing to me and only brings up my oral concerns again.

One symptom Ive had for ALONG time, as long as I can remember, are headaches at the right side back of my head, at the base of the skull. Now in addition to this, I have the following (please stay with me).

Occasional dull aching in the muscles from the base of my jaw just underneath my ear, all the way down into my upper chest on the right side, sometimes into my shoulder. Sometimes its a "radiating" pain. You want to touch it but it feels like its inside your jaw muscles.

Feeling like there is something along the right "wall" of my throat sometimes if I force it to stretch and then swallow.

Ringing in BOTH my ears but a couple of times I woke up with actual pain in the right ear and now the ringing in that ear is getting worse, and when I "clench" my jaw on the right side I can make it ring when I do that, not quite sure how to explain it, its almost like a pressure noise or a white noise when I force my jaw shut. I also feel like my ear is sort of plugged up or watery or something, but the ENT found nothing in there when he looked.

The back of my neck is stressed and sometimes gets sore.

If I press on the muscles underneath my chin on the right side they are more sore to the touch then the ones on the left side. The reason Ive been pressing them so much is Ive been frantically worried about swollen gland enlargements.

I get a little nauseous sometimes and this is getting me a little fatigued as well.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Thanks.

Searching:S · 07-10-2005, 05:21 PM

I don't know if you've found your answer...but my dr. told me that they were some symptoms of either TMJ or migraines ( I have both). Hope that helps.

GoodThings · 07-10-2005, 08:12 PM

Hello,
Your symptoms sound very much like "tmj." Has this been going on for a while now? Did you have any extensive work done on your teeth? especially the back molars? Back molars are the ones that will support your tm joints. People usually have short back molars which do not adequately support the joints and therefore cause muscles to go into spasm. The best advice i can give you right now is go to a dentist you can TRUST. One that has wroked with tmj patients for a long time. Have him/her examine you. You can then go from there. It's very important that you find a HONEST dentist.

take care,
GT

PlaDrv4Me · 07-10-2005, 08:38 PM

Well... this is very embarrasing but... I actually had at least one upper molar pulled when I was little, and Im missing one on both sides of my mouth at the bottom (the one just ahead of the last one).

Miss L · 07-11-2005, 03:38 AM

Hi there i have had all the symptoms you discribe at some point over the last year i was diagnosed with TMJD in feb this year im now waiting to get some dental work finnished before i see my oral surgeon again, as he will not do anything until i get my detal work finished i have some teeth missing and need dentures im waiting to have 3 root canal treatments 1 crown and another 2 fillings ive alkready had 3 fillings then i get the dentures my tongue throat and teeth hurt all the time. i even asked about a swelling on the floor of my mouth last time i was at the hospital and the surgeon said what i was feeling was inflamed muscle tissue i was convinced i had oral cancer!

Miss L