Iron Jaw

JellyB,

I was pregnant when I found out I needed TMJ Surgery in 1983, I had to hold off the Surgery until after the baby was born,
As for medication I was allowed to take tylenol and tylenol3. It is very safe to take as long as you don't over do it with the meds.
Try and stay stress free. easy said then done, Moist heating pad,
the best ones to use is the Thermafor for tmj. no wetting down the sponge, it has velcrow to wrap around your jaw and head, you need to hold down the handle but velcrow works to keep it down. Stay on a soft diet as much as you can so you don't trigger the jaw pain from chewing. At times you might need to use an ice pack on the jaw as well as the moist heat.
Are you wearing a night splint? If not aske your Dr to see if you might need one, this will help the clinching and grinding at night and take the pressure off the tmj joint. Or you could just go to the sports section at walmarts and get a football guard and fellow the instrustion to mold it to fit you. this might help at night as well. but ask your Dr and see what he thinks ok.

My Daughter has tmj and never had surgery, right now she is about 14 weeks along, and for her headach and mirgrans they are sending her to PT 3 times a week. she is taking the tylenol as well.
Just take it easy and don't worrie so much, you will be fine, take it one day at a time. just rest as much as possiable don't over do it. listen to your body and rest when you feel a headach coming on. See if your hubby can do some nice neck massages for you as well.
One more thing, I have found this to be true and it has happen to me several times. Do you have a dentenst that treats tmj? If so go to him and ask him to check to see if all your teeth are even. I was in so much pain one time I was in tears, I could not get to my oral surgen so i went to my dentest who is specailzes in tmj. he put a pices of blue paper in my mouth had me bite down on it. this is to check to see if your teeth are even, i had tmj surgery about 3 weeks before. and my jaw had shifted and my one back molar was off. so he filed it down and to my amazment the pain was gone! It might be worth checking in to. My aunt who wears denturs called me one night and she was in tears. her jaw was hurting so bad and she thought she had tmj. I asked her what she did that was different, she had droped her lower dentur int he sink, and chip one tooth. she then took a nail file and filed it down so it was even and when she put her denturs back in. one half hour later she called me and her pain was gone. Anything is worth checking out to see if that is the cause of your flar up as well. It could be something that small to really put anyone in so much pain.
Best of luck for you and your baby!

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Iron Jaw