Anyone Else Suffer With Tmj? Or The Like?

[The Furry Godmother]

For about 7 years now (Twas 14), I've suffered with a 'deformed' so to speak jaw, that likes to lock/cramp/give me headaches/give me earaches.

It's awful.

5 years ago, I was seeing consultants at Queen Mary's in sidcup - woo! They gave me some mouth guard, that for over 1.5 years I kept telling them that it made matters worse. Some days I couldn't even fit my thumb in my mouth let alone eat. They finally decided to do an operation whereby they flushed out all the dead and obstructive tissue and realigned my jaw. Due to all this the other side 'popped out' so to speak. And within 6 months, the operation side was back to how it was.

I went to Kings College in London and they basically said I was lying? Because on that day, my jaw wasn't too bad - typical.

After that they sent a letter to QM saying I needed a different mouthguard - didn't want it anyway, but never ever got an appointment. So, since then nothing has been done.

I saw a dentist in Swansea who then told me I should ever have been given the operation and to basically 'live with it'.

Today I'm particularly suffering with it and it's given me an awful migraine. Life.

I've found it's worse in times of stress and emotional distress, and if I eat something chewy - and they basically tell me I should live on a soft diet (baby food? Yes one actually suggested I blend my food up - blurk! Never!) but it's not that easy and they never gave me any real guidelines other than baby food.

So just wondered if anyone had anything similar ?

 

[Flutterby]

I don't have TMJ but I suffer with Fibrolyalgia, Join Hypermobility and psioritic athritis! No fun any of them!

 

[The Furry Godmother]

I don't have TMJ but I suffer with Fibrolyalgia, Join Hypermobility and psioritic athritis! No fun any of them!

Poor you
Do you have methods of dealing with it?

For my jaw, they never even gave me something like Naproxen to deal with the pain and inflammation. -.-

Bloody awful, I have issues with my hands as well, sometimes they're just dead, achey and painful with no strength, but that's what RSI will do to you if you don't stop sitting at a computer! So that's probably my fault!

 

[Galaxy&nibbles]

Yes I do! Since I was 12 (ish) I have suffered terribly! Before I had my braces as a teen my jaw would constantly get stuck and hurt and scare the life out of me! I still get it occasionally but just put up with it. My jaw always cracks every time I move my mouth! And I too have started to notice the other side doing it.. Hopefully it won't get as bad as this side as then I'd be screwed! I can't help as I am just putting up with it, but just letting you know that you're not alone

 

[Flutterby]

Poor you
Do you have methods of dealing with it?

For my jaw, they never even gave me something like Naproxen to deal with the pain and inflammation. -.-

Bloody awful, I have issues with my hands as well, sometimes they're just dead, achey and painful with no strength, but that's what RSI will do to you if you don't stop sitting at a computer! So that's probably my fault!

4 different types of perscription medication! Sleep when that's not working!
I also have knee problems and am currently going through the process of sorting that!
I am a very upbeet person though and trudge through it!

 

[The Furry Godmother]

Yes I do! Since I was 12 (ish) I have suffered terribly! Before I had my braces as a teen my jaw would constantly get stuck and hurt and scare the life out of me! I still get it occasionally but just put up with it. My jaw always cracks every time I move my mouth! And I too have started to notice the other side doing it.. Hopefully it won't get as bad as this side as then I'd be screwed! I can't help as I am just putting up with it, but just letting you know that you're not alone

Awwh! Poor us! Haha, yeah I just deal with it as well now, was sick of being thrown from one place to another, and then told I should never of been operated on. Like geez.! I hope your other side doesn't get bad, I found that the other side goes in phases, if you can keep the main side at bay, then the other side should calm down! That's how I'm trying to deal with it haha!

4 different types of perscription medication! Sleep when that's not working!
I also have knee problems and am currently going through the process of sorting that!
I am a very upbeet person though and trudge through it!

You are indeed, bless you! I hope you get that sorted, poor you. There's me fussing about my Jaw and you have all these other horrible things xx

 

[Flutterby]

Everyone has their own thing to Get through Heather, so don't ever think that your problem isn't as great as someone else. I'd hate to have any kind of problem with my mouth or jaw, I couldn't do with being in pain eating for a start! I didn't get this wasp like figure starving you know!

 

[The Furry Godmother]

Everyone has their own thing to Get through Heather, so don't ever think that your problem isn't as great as someone else. I'd hate to have any kind of problem with my mouth or jaw, I couldn't do with being in pain eating for a start! I didn't get this wasp like figure starving you know!

Wasp like, how is a wasp like figure like? pahaha! Never heard that before! :'D

Bless you!

After my operation, I lived on custard and banana, weetabix and seafood sticks for a long whilse. YUM. I never want weetabix again. hahaha

 

[Flutterby]

It's a saying in our area for 'carrying a bit of weight' lol!

 

[The Furry Godmother]

It's a saying in our area for 'carrying a bit of weight' lol!

I like it haha!

 

[Flutterby]

it's better than saying 'I didn't get fat overnight you know!'

 

[Katherine]

I have got tmj, but nothing like your problems, and reading what you have to put up with has made me realise I'm very lucky! I have much less problems with it than I used to, nowadays mainly it is just a feeling of tension / strain on the left side of my face, which is most noticeable if I'm very tired or stressed - and I have got fine lines (not wrinkles quite yet!) there that aren't on the other side of my face. Also I get lots of headaches, which may or may not be tmj related.

My dentist advised me not to have an operation if I thought I could just live with it, as she said it would be so awful. I got a mouthguard, but hardly ever used it, as it seemed to make the problem worse. Annoying that I had to pay for it!

Maybe you'll find your jaw gets better over time.

 

[Flutterby]

I clench and grind my teeth when I'm stressed so I know where your coming from with the jaw aching and tightness!

 

[Cookie16]

TMJ pain is one of my ME/fibro symptoms. I dont get it as bad as you sound, but it is painful so I understand! I don't get headaches, I get the jaw pain and neck and shoulder pain.

 

[The Furry Godmother]

it's better than saying 'I didn't get fat overnight you know!'

Oh exactly! haha, although imagine if that could happen... D:

I have got tmj, but nothing like your problems, and reading what you have to put up with has made me realise I'm very lucky! I have much less problems with it than I used to, nowadays mainly it is just a feeling of tension / strain on the left side of my face, which is most noticeable if I'm very tired or stressed - and I have got fine lines (not wrinkles quite yet!) there that aren't on the other side of my face. Also I get lots of headaches, which may or may not be tmj related.

My dentist advised me not to have an operation if I thought I could just live with it, as she said it would be so awful. I got a mouthguard, but hardly ever used it, as it seemed to make the problem worse. Annoying that I had to pay for it!

Maybe you'll find your jaw gets better over time.

Thus far I've been coping, not sure how long you've had yours, but if it was when you were younger too, did your wisdom teeth come through quickly? Mine are pathetically ridiculous and they make my jaw bad as well. The first one took 3 years, then a year and half into the first one the other top one started and has only just stopped (another 3 years). Over the past year, now the bottom ones have started, one more so than the other, but hardly anything and that's been just over a year for the first bottom one.

Sorry to bore you with that ^

My mum saw the headache and jaw pain thing, and that's when she realised I wasn't whinging about nothing, and then brought it up with the dentist ha. So it could be, although I do often get headaches not linked to that, so I would saw it depends, if your jaws playing up I think it's something to do with a nerve ? Causes the headaches (I could be wrong!)

Glad your symptoms have reduced, mine are in bowts, so I could be fine for a while, and then be struck down with it for a while. Boo.

That's weird about the fine lines being there, maybe its something to do with the pulling of the skin around the jaw, I dunno, poor you! D:

It was, and seems the operation didn't help anyway, haha, when I woke up after I was flailing about making some odd whingey/moany noise (how embarrassing) and couldn't see... and when I could I had loads of nurses surrounding me hahaha! Then I thought I was dead because I pulled the pulse thing off my thumb and I was trying to float away from my body (oh dear) - found out I wasn't when the nurse came trekking over to put it back on - phew!
All in all, was a horrible needless expereince and the pain was shocking - although I purposely kept talking so they'd let me go home! haha!

Basically, glad you didn't have to go through that, as that particular operation was pointless.

I know, the mouthguard things make it worse. Why an earth do they give them out! 'you grind your teeth' no mate, I don't. All I did was keep biting it and make it worse! aha

Hopefully, thank you for sharing your experience and apologies for my mass reply!

 

[The Furry Godmother]

TMJ pain is one of my ME/fibro symptoms. I dont get it as bad as you sound, but it is painful so I understand! I don't get headaches, I get the jaw pain and neck and shoulder pain.

Oh bless you, glad you don't get the headaches, but the neck and shoulder pain is crap
Ah, is that why when it's flared my neck and shoulder hurt? I never knew this could be apart of that, I just assumed it was there sometimes... is it worse if you sneeze? Like do you get some god awful sharp pain down your neck and shoulder - or am I just weird and dying :O haha.

 

[Cookie16]

Yes that will be why your neck and shoulder hurt! Try putting something warm on it! Can't say I've noticed the sneezing thing!

 

[The Furry Godmother]

Yes that will be why your neck and shoulder hurt! Try putting something warm on it! Can't say I've noticed the sneezing thing!

Oh thank you I'll try that next time.
Oh good, sneezing thing is awful, I'm probably just dodgy! Hahaha

 

[Katherine]

@TheFurryGodmother My goodness, your operation sounds as though it was an experience and a half!

I was in my teens when I first got jaw problems, can't remember exactly when, but I'm 37 now, so it's got to be at least 20 years ago. I don't think I had any particular problem with my wisdom teeth, I've only got the top ones, and they only ever came partially through. I remember when I was maybe about 14, seeing a dentist, who without any word of explanation, started trying to pull my jaw around - I was absolutely terrified, not surprisingly! Later I told another dentist about it, who joked "Didn't you bite her? I would have"!

I think the fine lines are just to do with the strain over the years! Quite often, I feel as though I don't know how to "hold" my jaw, if that makes any sense - there doesn't seem to be an easy relaxed position for it - because it's wonky, I suppose! I don't mean it's obviously wonky to anyone, only to dentists who can see my very weird bite when I clench my teeth!

I definitely used to have a lot more discomfort or pain than I do now. It's strange how you can sort of grow out of problems, to some extent anyway.

 

[AbiS]

I am with you there on the TMJ. They suggested an operation to me but said it might not work so I decided it wasn't worth it. They gave me jaw exercises to do that help release the tension when it is bad and I massage my jaw joint whenever I think about it just to keep it loose. Mine is worse in times of stress because I clench my teeth when I am asleep making the muscles seize up. I also had a mouth guard that made things worse and meant I could not open my mouth more than a finger width - really annoying when we were having a big family BBQ!

Mine has improved as I got older though - it doesn't crack or lock up like it used to.

 

[Chief Guinea Pig]

Thankfully I do not have that. But sometimes when I eat and sleep my jaw pops out of line, which can be annoying.
I don't have my braces yet though! And the orthodontist said I have to control that jaw thing before I can have them.

 

[helen105281]

My OH had it, I think it was treated with Diazepam as it turned out he was grinding his teeth in his sleep. Unfortunately he was misdiagnosed first of all though and put on antibiotics which put him into a huge Ulcerative Colitis flare and he ended up in hospital for 2 weeks. That was a few years ago now but we did think he had it again at one point but it was neuralgia instead.

 

[The Furry Godmother]

@TheFurryGodmother My goodness, your operation sounds as though it was an experience and a half!

I was in my teens when I first got jaw problems, can't remember exactly when, but I'm 37 now, so it's got to be at least 20 years ago. I don't think I had any particular problem with my wisdom teeth, I've only got the top ones, and they only ever came partially through. I remember when I was maybe about 14, seeing a dentist, who without any word of explanation, started trying to pull my jaw around - I was absolutely terrified, not surprisingly! Later I told another dentist about it, who joked "Didn't you bite her? I would have"!

I think the fine lines are just to do with the strain over the years! Quite often, I feel as though I don't know how to "hold" my jaw, if that makes any sense - there doesn't seem to be an easy relaxed position for it - because it's wonky, I suppose! I don't mean it's obviously wonky to anyone, only to dentists who can see my very weird bite when I clench my teeth!

I definitely used to have a lot more discomfort or pain than I do now. It's strange how you can sort of grow out of problems, to some extent anyway.

The holding the jaw bit does make sense to me, I often feel mine out of alignment and it feels like it doesn't fit properly, it's weird D: but yes, it's not easily seen by anyone other than dentists haha! so that's a positive!
Apparently, I have a good bite, my jaw muscles are stronger than they should be though haha and I'm highly/easily stressed.
Hopefully as the years progress mine will improve and I'll grow out of that too!

I am with you there on the TMJ. They suggested an operation to me but said it might not work so I decided it wasn't worth it. They gave me jaw exercises to do that help release the tension when it is bad and I massage my jaw joint whenever I think about it just to keep it loose. Mine is worse in times of stress because I clench my teeth when I am asleep making the muscles seize up. I also had a mouth guard that made things worse and meant I could not open my mouth more than a finger width - really annoying when we were having a big family BBQ!

Mine has improved as I got older though - it doesn't crack or lock up like it used to.

I had jaw exercises - 3 lots, didn't help, I find the best thing to do is warm up hand warmers and put them on my jaw to try and ease it up and massage as you said.

Apparently, according to this one student dentist, I clench and grind my teeth - I've never noticed this, but apparently it's highly common in stressful times. So maybe this is why it gets worse.

Oh noooo, not at a bbq. That sucks, one they measured the width I was able to open my mouth and it was something stupid like 5mm, I think that was after the operation as well. They kept trying to get me to open it wider, and I was like no, it's stuck.

Thankfully I do not have that. But sometimes when I eat and sleep my jaw pops out of line, which can be annoying.
I don't have my braces yet though! And the orthodontist said I have to control that jaw thing before I can have them.

I hope it doesn't get any worse, that's how mine started. Boo. In hindsight, atleast you don't have to wedge your thumb in your mouth and try and force the unlock/pop haha! Painful as hell.

My OH had it, I think it was treated with Diazepam as it turned out he was grinding his teeth in his sleep. Unfortunately he was misdiagnosed first of all though and put on antibiotics which put him into a huge Ulcerative Colitis flare and he ended up in hospital for 2 weeks. That was a few years ago now but we did think he had it again at one point but it was neuralgia instead.

Oh no, poor him, that sounds awful

Yes apparently, they treat it with anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds, but never offered any of this to me, however I think the dentist will only deal with the issue and it's the doctors that should then deal with the pain side. I could be wrong?

He seems like he's been put through the mill a bit

Glad it all ended up being sorted in the end! x

 

[helen105281]

Yes it is the doctor who should be looking into what medication you need.

He has a bit, the colitis is something he will have for life, it's just a matter of keeping him out of flare as best we can.

 

[The Furry Godmother]

Yes it is the doctor who should be looking into what medication you need.

He has a bit, the colitis is something he will have for life, it's just a matter of keeping him out of flare as best we can.

Bless you both, what is collitis? It sounded to me like awful ulcers and stuff but I'm not too sure. :'/

Apparently, they sent a letter to my GP, well would have been 5 years ago now, but they never bothered with anything. I need to go to the doctors here next week as my eczema is appalling and my eyes are just hideous with it. I need to get a top up on some other tablets, so I may see what they can give me for my jaw as well

 

[helen105281]

Sounds like a good plan.

It is basically ulcers in the colon.

 

[The Furry Godmother]

Sounds like a good plan.

It is basically ulcers in the colon.

Oh dear god, that sounds absolutely awful and so, so painful. Poor soul.

 

[Cookie16]

@TheFurryGodmother the antidepressant that is used for pain is (usually) Amitriptyline. It's a much smaller dose for pain than when used as a antidepressant. I've been on it for years, my daughter and I both have it for our fibromyalgia. It can make you feel really spaced out for the first week or 2, but it's worth sticking with it because it should settle down! It's also prescribed to help with sleep problems, so you'll get a good nights sleep as well!

Sometimes it helps with at a GP appointment if you know the name of something! Doesn't mean they will prescribe it of course!

 

[The Furry Godmother]

@TheFurryGodmother the antidepressant that is used for pain is (usually) Amitriptyline. It's a much smaller dose for pain than when used as a antidepressant. I've been on it for years, my daughter and I both have it for our fibromyalgia. It can make you feel really spaced out for the first week or 2, but it's worth sticking with it because it should settle down! It's also prescribed to help with sleep problems, so you'll get a good nights sleep as well!

Sometimes it helps with at a GP appointment if you know the name of something! Doesn't mean they will prescribe it of course!

Oh, thank you! That's handy to know

 

[Davey-cavy]

Have you have been given any other type of ortho appliance to alter your jaw relationship when you sleep @TheFurryGodmother? We give out loads of night gaurds or BRAs at work. They are just a cheap item that only help a hand full of people with your condition if its caused by bruxism. For the rest it can make the condition worse as your jaw is propped open and you spend all night trying to close your jaw to its normal position.