TMJD grinding my jaw with stress!

[sweetkitty]

Anyone else do this? It’s not grinding my teeth but I bite down hard on my jaw, I must do at night and I also do it during them day subconsciously until I remind myself not to. I wake in the morning in agony (I have fibromyalgia so it’s one of my usual aches) have to take painkillers.

It’s stress I can trace it from my jaw, head, back of head, neck, shoulders, shoulder blades and upper back. Whole body is tensed up. I have a mouth guard from the dentist it doesn’t help I just bite down on it instead. I saw a private consultant during covid who said there’s no underlying health conditions it’s TMJD. I can’t eat certain foods like hard crusty bread or I eat tiny pieces as chewing hurts. I’ve been told to limit chewing.

[007DoubleOSeven]

Unless your dentist tells you that's its personally not a good idea for you, I'd look at botox into the masseter muscle. Dentists offer it.

[sweetkitty]

The consultant said no funnily enough when I asked 🙁 when I touch my cheek I think it the masseter muscle it’s very sore both sides.

[Mars27]

Ask your dentist for a mouth guard. I grind my teeth badly and if I sleep without mine I wake up with a massive headache. It's not good for your jawbone either as teeth grinding wears the jawbone

[007DoubleOSeven]

Try block booking some massages with a good, trained, masseuse, including a head a massage. Really helps.

[sweetkitty]

@Mars27 i have a mouthguard!! I just chomp down on it and it’s actually worse. I don’t do much as grind but I bite down and clench my jaw.

[MonsterRehab23]

Could you ask dentist for a referral to your nearest dental hospital? You could also ask your dentist to make you a harder mouth guard although they seem to be more expensive.

I have the same issue. Clench my teeth constantly to the point where it’s affecting my jaw muscles quite badly. The mouth guard did nothing for me and I ended up chewing it, couldn’t afford the harder one 🙁. Now been referred to the dental hospital for further investigation.

You have my sympathy OP.

[NowYouListenToMeFella]

Following with interest. Same issue here. The inside of my cheeks are always bitten, have bitten through a mouth guard and the odd occasion I wake up and my tongue is in between the clenched teeth. Sympathising with all. It's horrible.

[ForTheSakeOfThePenguin]

Are you taking any ADs? This is a very usual secondary effect in people who use Prozac. Changing to another medication will sort it.

[comfyshoes2022]

Some things that have helped me:
-massage therapist who specializes in TMJD
-physiotherapist with specialty of TMJ (taught me self massage and exercises to strengthen my jaw)
-this device that I lie down and rest my head/neck on that I bought on Amazon that releases tension when I’m in between massages - am having trouble finding the exact one but if you search there for TMJ there are lots of products you might consider

[sweetkitty]

@MonsterRehab23 When I spoke to my dentist during covid he said there was a years wait at least for the dental hospital that’s why I went private. The private consultant recommended upping my citalopram to the maximum dose and the mouthguard. If I wear the mouthguard it makes the pain worse as I just chimp the mouthguard.

I think massage might be the way to go then I’ve tried osteopaths/chiropractors for the tight muscles in my head and neck before with limited success.

[Madamecastafiore]

I'd try Botox. Go to a proper medical practitioner though and not an aesthetician.

[FantasticElasticBand]

https://www.pearldentalclinic.co.uk/nti-device.html

you need an NTI brace, rather than a trad guard. you can’t bite down whilst wearing it.

& Botox to reduce the size of the masseter muscle.

I found beta blockers surprisingly effective.

[bestbu]

I do this, I wake up with a tight jaw in the morning. I found face yoga helps, plus massaging my face with oil - if it goes red, put cold water on and it dampens any inflammation. When you massage tight muscles and you get a red flush, it's the release of the waste products (lactic acid) from your muscles causing a brief histamine reaction. Imagining my muscles relaxing before bed helps, like a brief body scan meditation. I literally "sleep tight" otherwise. Yours sounds like mine where it's linked to tight muscles in my neck, back, arms.

[bestbu]

I find meditation helps - I do guided ones as I have no attention span, esp the body scan ones where you are relaxing your muscles. Massage with an LCSP therapist has helped with muscle/back issues and might help with fibromyalgia if muscular issues are the cause of the problem https://lcsp.uk.com/remedial-massage/. What I have found from over 20 years of issues is that there isn't one answer to anything, each small thing is like a piece of a puzzle and always having to search for the next bit that will make things a little better.

[Shadeelane]

I find a hypnosis recording helps. I haven't stuck with it long enough to be sure it makes a massive difference but it seems to help when I do use it. I can't remember where I got it from. It was pretty cheap. It's called stop teeth grinding by Rachael Eccles. I put it on to my phone and listen to it before I go to sleep. I rarely make it to the end to be honest(not sure if I fall asleep or go 'under'). I don't suffer severely with pain though. Just a bit of jaw ache now and then.

[Wishmelucknow]

I’m having similar problems- I’ve upped my amitriptyline as I’ve had a flare up of trigeminal neuralgia. Can’t work out if nerves, teeth or TMJ. Let’s just say I cannot open my jaw very wide on the right hand side. Can’t chew on it either

[sweetkitty]

Saw the GP recently she’s given me Naproxen a low dose NSAID to help with the inflammation oh and gabapentin I’ve to start it very slowly to try and reduce side-effects as pregabalin gave me double vision.