I am in so much pain - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

tatumtatum · 05-22-2009, 12:13 PM

I can hardly sit her and type this (actually I'm laying on my bed propped up) I am in so much pain. This is my life now. I wake up sometimes feeling normal, but by late morning the pain starts and gets worse and worse throughout the day. I'm not clenching during the day, I know I'm not. I think just normal talking, eating, smiling is what causes the pain. I took 3 ibuprofen an hour ago and it has not touched the pain I'm experiencing now. Sometimes it does help... it just depends on how bad the pain is I guess. I feel like I'm living in a fog. I have 6 children and I can't keep up with my life when I'm feeling this way. I feel horrible about that. Their memories will be of their mother rubbing above the ears with a distraught look on her face. I hate that. I am going to another oral surgeon in a couple weeks and I hope he takes me seriously. The other one I went to told me it was just stress and there was nothing wrong with my joints. I just want to cry. And vent. Thank you.

Thelma-Louise · 05-22-2009, 08:43 PM

And there may be nothing wrong with your joints - this could be a bite or occlusion problem so please don't just see an OS as all they know is surgical means of correcting tmj - but tmj symptoms do not necessarily mean you have a joint problem. You may want to look for a neuromuscular dentist or a dentist that treats tmj - even an orthodontist - someone familiar with msucular tmj, occlusion, orthopedics of the jaw and functional jaw orthotics. Please don't give up hope - I know it must be rough with 6 kids - I can barely manage myself and 2 dogs most days - but you owe it to yourself and them to try and find the right dr to determine what the problem is and how to treat it.

Have you tried warm moist compresses around the jaw,neck and temples? How about taking Aleve - naproxen builds up in the system over a few days of taking it and can be very helpful with this type of pain. How is your neck - any stiffness or cracking? Can you turn your head fully both ways?

sunshine123 · 05-22-2009, 11:54 PM

Have you tried muscle relaxers? I take Flexeril before bed and it helps a lot. I also went through splint therapy several times and had to wear braces b/c my bite was so screwed up. I used to have headaches everyday for 30 years til I knew TMJ was causing them.

mrsfilups · 05-29-2009, 07:49 AM

X Rays will not always show if something is wrong with the disc. I would suggest you request an MRI if you feel it it TMJ related. I will tell you, I lived in NC and had a dentist that would tell me to take ibuprofen and use a warm compress- in a case like this it is a joke! All that did for me was upset my stomach becuase I had to take so many. Chiropractor and accupuncture has helped deal with the pain, as well as prescription meds. However, they will not fix the problem so good luck finding the cause!