I'm miserable and I'm in pain, help!

[AmericanLemonade]

Hi, I'm not really sure what I'm looking for here, just a bit of a ramble probably.

I have TMJ (had had it for 9/10ish years) and I've spent the last 4 weeks in agony, it just hurts so bad I can hardly cope. I've got an acupuncture clip, a special pillow and a ton of painkillers. I also have some ibuleve gel which was recommended when I called the hospital, unfortunately its burnt the skin on my chin.

I'm just so miserable, I'm barely sleeping each night.

If anyone has any tips on alleviating it then please help, if not then I guess sympathy will do.

Thanks

I'm sure you've seen and tried these but they helped me, to my great surprise
www.kch.nhs.uk/Doc/pl%20-%20868.1%20-%20temporomandibular%20joint%20(tmj)%20exercises.pdf

It probably won't help at this stage but just in case. I'm so sorry, it must be torture

Shirtyllama I have tried them but unfortunately they dont make a difference for me. Thank you though, it matters to me and helped even that you cared

Get some diazepam from gp or dentist just to last a few days to get you out of pain it helps relax the muscles.

You need a fitted mouth guard. Dentists are going to be able to do some work soon. Do some googling and see if any are opening in your area.
I sympathise. I have this problem and the mouthguard sorted it.

Letsbegin thank you, I'm also on antidepressants and didnt think you were allowed to take the two together.

Endofthelinefinally I had a tooth removed and a mouth guard fitted to help it, at the minute I'm just in constant agony. Thank you though

My DS had it a few years ago - I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy... so you have my full sympathy.

He had a mouth guard fitted by a maxilio facial doctor which he wore at night, was given Amytriptelene (sp?) to take daily and there was quite a big discussion around Botox injections into his jaw. He also went for one to one counselling. He was very concientious at school which was stressing him out.

Is there something thats deeply troubling you - apart from TMJ of course. A bit of help from a different angle might help?

No wise or useful words, just a gentle hug and a hand for you to hold on tight to while you get through it.

Byebye thank you for your reply, I hope your DS is doing better now. I have hypothyroidism which I have had since I was 10, recently I'm losing enormous handfuls of hair and I'm not sure if it's due to that or stress.

I am very anxious about the current situation right now but also my TMJ is caused by a different health issue which means my jaw isnt 'straight' I have developed a dimple in my chin from my jaw moving place, the whole shape of my face has changed.

I am on antidepressants for depression, have had counselling in the past but didnt get on with it.

MrsMozart thank you so much, it helps

You can usually take AD's and diazepam, but they dont like prescribing it and so you may have been fobbed off.
You can get Valerian tablets online. Start with a small dose and see how you get on; they may make you drowsy and you might not be able to drive on a higher dose.

TheInebriati I dont drive so I'll see if I can get my hands on some, I'm desperate to try anything now.

Try the sugar coated tablets not the tea as it tastes disgusting! Its very bitter and smells earthy, like mushrooms.

Thank you I'll try

I've had TMJ due to a combination of stress and excessive wear of my upper teeth due to a poorly aligned bite. I tried acupuncture, mouth guard, chiropractor etc for years. Without perscription the only painkillers that have helped have been codeine based. Combined codeine and ibuprofen tablets over the counter from any pharmacy in particular lifted the pain fog and enabled sleep.

Longer term I have had dental work done to preserve and rebuild my extremely worn down upper teeth using composite. This has rebuilt and realigned my bite, face shape and smile. I had this done to preserve what was left of my teeth and for cosmetic reasons however both myself and the dentist were delighted withbthecresult. He's done such a good job with the bite realignment that it has completely stopped the TMJ and the pain. Not sure if this an option for but thought it was worth sharing, best money I ever spent. Hope you are out of pain soon and get some sleep.

MrsWeather I probably should have mentioned I'm allergic to codeine!

I would love some work doing to my teeth as the bottom ones are super gappy. I also have a condition i cant remember what its called which means I still have a fair few baby teeth with no adult teeth behind them. I've lost one of them but my teeth have grown into place so I don't have a gap but it does mean my (adult) upper pointy tooth is right beside the front two teeth.

@Americanlemonade that's a real nightmare if opiates are a no-no! It's not popular these days but I do find soluble aspirin eg. Alkaseltzer to be more effective than paracetomol. Warm bean bag thingy from microwave over your jaw when you go to bed to help the muscles release could help too.

Ive had terrible experiences with dentists, and nhs orthodontic consultants with God complexes in the 1990's. I have however found private practice to be very different. What I wanted and my fears and anxieties were listened to and taken into account in my treatment plan. The fact I was a paying customer, rather than NHS somehow made it easier to advocate for myself as well. Think my restoration work was £1500 to £2000 and whilst I was warned it wouldn't last forever I've not needed a repair yet in four years. If going private is an option and it could help you be pain free I really recommend it from a self care point of view. I've probably saved more than that now in painkillers and acupuncture etc!

I know that massage has already been mentioned but have you tried pressing down with your index finger on the hinge point where your lower jaw meets your upper jaw. You will probably be able to feel the knotted muscle and if you press down hard enough you can release the tension and relieve the pain even if only temporarily. Also keep your neck straight in bed by using onev pillow only as flat as you can tolerate. Hope that helps

MrsWeather and Puppy thank you for your comments, sorry I didnt reply last night I got myself in a dark place and didnt feel up to it. Sounds dramatic and embarrassing...

Thank you everyone for all your help

Hi OP.

TMJ is a disorder where the muscles of mastication go into spasm. It happens because the muscles are overworked, normally this is caused by habits like clenching/grinding, but can also be things like nail biting/pen chewing/gum chewing.

In order to ease the pain longterm you need to ease the spasm. You need to completely rest your jaw, have a completely soft diet for 2 weeks. A short dose of a muscle relaxant like diazepam can help.

Lomgterm people can benefit from being on amitriptyline.

Pain killer wise ibuprofen is best. Hot compresses held on your jaws can help (ideally ibuprofen gel but this isnt an option for you)

You need to break the habit that is overworking your muscles. Relaisitcally it is a condition often caused by stress, and its worth discussing this with your GP. Stress management is quite key

Can you bring your jaw back to its original position? Your jaw moving positions and causing a dimple on your chin is unusual, could you be posturing? If you are posturing this will be overworking tbe muscles.

It sounds lile you are in an awful lot of pain