new to tmj and am horrified to see this doc - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

ginadie · 08-06-2006, 09:39 PM

Hello,
I was diagnosed with tmj 2 weeks ago by my primary care doctor. I spent 8 days rolling around on my bed in pain while having every kind of pain pill shoved in my face. I have had all the symptoms from head to neck to jaw to ears and face. And may i say i am scared as hell to go back to that kind of pain. I have an appt. tomarrow with a tmj dentist at a tmj clinic here in town. I called this guy durring my cycle of pain to see if there was anything that i could do short of shooting myself to releave my pain until my appt. He told me i needed to go to the ER and get a shot to break the cycle of pain but to also check for possible other problems as "tmj alone would not cause my level of discomfort." Ok after all i have read on here i wonder if this guy is on crack!? I went to the ER. They gave me a shot and sent me home. I felt alittle relief for about 2 hours. My joint has finally calmed some and i am able to function on a low dose of pain meds. Since i have felt better i have researched this like crazy. I want to be prepared for this appt. I am nervous as hell to now see this guy if he is a specialist yet does not believe this disorder can be totally dabilitating, because it can and im no expert. So if i had a question, or two, it would be this: 1) should i give this doc a shot? 2)is the jist of this tmj that i am to doc hop while being called crazy ( i have obbsessive complusive disorder so doctors love to dismiss me) in search of a therapy that doesn't exsist? Peace. G

imaworrier · 08-07-2006, 10:27 AM

"is the jist of this tmj that i am to doc hop while being called crazy ( i have obbsessive complusive disorder so doctors love to dismiss me) in search of a therapy that doesn't exsist? Peace. G"

The answer to this, at least for me, has been YES. I don't have ocd, but I do have Panic disorder, so yes, docs dismiss me. I have pain that is typical to people who suffer from anxiety. The ENT I saw said, "I don't know what to tell you" to me over and over in a very cocky way, and was a total jerk, and told me he saw in my chart that I have anxiety and i should get help for that. Then, when I went back to my primary doc, I saw on my medical chart that he wrote I was "tearful and anxious". WHAT! I told my doc I was ticked of because the guy was being a jerk to me and making me mad.

BTW, yes, it can be VERY painful. I would give the TMJ doc a shot, but also see if you can see an oral surgeon or an ENT (hopefully not the one I saw). Also, try a soft food diet for awhile. There is a thread on here with examples of soft foods you can eat. I'm doint that right now, until I can get proper diagnosis and treatment. It's been almost 3 months for me.

ginadie · 08-07-2006, 12:56 PM

Thanks for the response. I just got back from seeing the tmj dentist. I sat down, he asked of my symptoms, i give him a list. pain in ear,fullness in ears,ringing in ears,temple head pain,headache,jaw feels tierd,mild face tingling/numbness,sensation that my throat is tight at times as if something is stuck,neck pain,shoulder pain, upper back pain,face pain,popping jaw,muscle twitches all over body,eye pressure,tongue hurts and feels swollen,dizzness,upper and lower teeth feel tingly,jaw locks occasionally,headache,headache,headache! His nurse measured my opening and read him the results. Then she felt around in my mouth and reported moderate muscle tightening. She then felt the sides of my face while i opened and closed my mouth and reported to him the popping. He asked if i clench my teeth at night. I said i did not think so but found myself clenching throughout the day exspecially when the pain was severe. He said go get an athletic mouth gaurd for at night. See a nueologist that some of my symptoms did not seem tmj related. He wrote up an order for physical therapy and put tmj with a ? next to it on the order and told me to go to the ER when i began sobbing at the prospect of the severe pain returning. From all i have read on here a nueologist is a big waste of time. I do have an appt with one however in 4 days. Is this happening to everyone!!?? Does this appt i have discribed with the dentist sound typical? Wil the pain return!!!!!|??????I am in a constant state of fear. Im a mom for christ sake. How am i gonna function!?? G

luvtocamp · 08-07-2006, 01:43 PM

I would go to the neurologists and at least have a brain mri done to rule out other things. Your tmj dentist didn't sound very nice at all and didn't even do the physical testing himself-gees. Ask the neuro for some pain meds so if the pain returns you have something instead of going to the er. P.T. might help some too if since you have neck and back pain. Try warm moist presses and a soft diet.
My tmj dentist today is sending me to osteopathic therapy now for my head and neck as he feels something else maybe going on that I should have responded better to treatmeant. Who knows. It is comon to be referred to a neuro and Pt so thats not unusual.

imaworrier · 08-07-2006, 03:09 PM

I'm a mom too, and sometimes I feel like I can't function. I've been owing two couples dinner at my house for months, and I keep putting it off, and making up excuses. I don't want people to know that I'm in constant pain from TMJ. There's an embarassing stigma to it, if you know what I mean. And the doctors all act like it's psychological.

I'm getting a massage at a Chronic Pain center tomorrow. They even massage the jaw for TMJ. It's supposed to feel better after two days if it is TMJ (still not diagnosed). I'll let you know if it helps.