TMJ disorder - vicious circle

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I’ve suffered with a crunchy, clicky horrible jaw ever since I had my braces off when I was 15.. about 15 years ago now 🤣 however the last few months it’s really started playing up, I’m getting pain in my jaw, around my head, temple area, eye. It’s all around the jaw muscle and where it’s hurting all up my head I’m subconsciously clenching, and clenching in my sleep - it’s making me anxious, which is just making me clench more.

would I be unreasonable to ask the GP if I can use something like diazepam short term just to help my muscles relax so I dont constantly have all this tension in my face?

I think it would be better to go to your dentist - they are used to dealing with TMJ

Poor you. Its a fucker.

Have you got a mouth guard? Also practice relating your jaw every ten minutes on a timer in the day. Learn how to massage the muscles on your check/jaw and neck.
Try acupuncture.
Diazepam is horribly addictive and having worked with addicts worse to come off than heroin in some ways.

Unlikely they'll prescribe diazepam. First port of call should be dentist for a night time mouth guard if you don't have one.

Your dentist can also refer (if ongoing pain issues) for further hospital based treatment, but criteria is usually having tried physio/pain relief for 6 months prior, then a lengthy wait still.

You can get private masseter botox (dentists best for this)

I have TMJ and am under the local dental hospital for it. If you're grinding your teeth at night you need to get a mouth guard made by your dentist, which should help. They'll also suggest some mouth exercises that can help (or you can Google these). I have masseter Botox on the NHS but they are very reluctant to give this, I'm also on daily medication which has been beneficial. Diazepam isn't the answer!

I suffered with this for years too. I had a mouth guard which didn't really help. I had 2 procedures where they flushed the joint or something, helped a little but only temporarily. Then I had an operation where they replaced a disc that had slipped with a metal one. Best thing ever. No more clicky jaw, no more pain. I think the dentist referred me to the Maxillofacial dept at the hospital, this was about 25 years ago now though. Good luck OP.

Just to say I had it for over a year, a mouth guard didn't help, but it did clear up spontaneously without any intervention.

Ive had awful bruxism (teeth grinding due to stress) and TMJ pain for years. So much so my teeth are crumbling from the grinding. I have tried every type of guard - dentist ones, thin ones from Amazon - nothing helps. Seen dentists, private maxfax and NHS maxfax consultants.

I paid for masseter botox myself- it helped significantly so I now qualify for it on the NHS. I am trialling amitriptyline at the suggestion of an NHS maxfax consultant- seems to be making me sleep deeper and therefore grind less and I am waking up without TMJ, head and neck pain more often than not… thank god!