subisbad

Hi all well have been in and out of e.r. and been diagnosed with t.m.j. Having sever headaches. I asked for a pain med, but didn't want Vicodin or percocet as they used to make me feel "good" and want to clean my house, etc. So I HAVE TO take morphine, as it makes me drowsy and lay down like I'm supposed to. Is day 34 and my mind is clean! I can't believe I'm going thru all this. I was wondering when I was EVER gonna feel better. Due to this tmj, I now have to see a specialist for it! I am taking this med as prescribed, period! There's nothing else I can do at this point. If anyone out there has ever had tmj, please share with me what happened. I can in no way live with this pain. Will it maybe subside, do they have to do something to help it go away, etc??? My mind is in a good way about these pain meds I HAVE TO take. And from what I learned in na, I'll be ok and I'm still at day 34! Yay! Help! In a bad way...physically! Hope y'all are doing good. I will not take this med for longer than 10 days as not to have such bad withdrawals again. My God I still can't believe I'm having to go thru all this. Almost have to laugh or I'll cry and get very depressed. Am not letting that happen. I have issues with that anyway and do take anti depressants. Thanks all! Love~http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...s/reaction.gif

michelle01

I have T.M.J. pain at the moment following a dental procedure a few weeks ago. I guess I had some kind of trauma to the muscles, now I have pain from the ear canal to the jaw/throat. It is gradually getting better by being careful eating, analgesics, getting proper rest (I know difficult sometimes if you are in pain), etc. But it was pretty terrible at one point.

I probably had slight T.M.J. trouble previously however because I've had tinnitus and other symptoms for a few years, a lot of it probably stems from an old tooth grinding habit.

That's just my experience... I think it's best that you receive medical attention.

subisbad

Thank you very much Michelleo1!! I had a root canal almost 2 weeks ago. I too used to grind my teeth. Is there anything a specialist can do or do you think I may be wasting time and money??

subisbad

Is tinnitus ringing of the ears? I've had that for years!

subisbad

Am also doing heat and ice packs. Am trying very hard to stay positive. Stress can make it worse too. So.....no stress for me m' lady! lol!

Anna

You could try googling tmj, but I know that specialists can make a mouth-piece for you to wear that will help to relax your jaw.

scared1

I have had TMJ for quite a few years. Stress brings it on real bad for me. I am always stressed so I try to stay focused on not gritting my teeth, hardening my jaw (like when you are mad) I have to constantly remind myself to relax my jaw. If not than I am in pain and discomfort for days. I use to use a night guard in my mouth at nigght to relieve some of the staining I was doing to my jaw. I bite down hard in my sleep and it messed up my jaw.

nandm

I also fight with TMJ. I have found that meditation and exercise for stress reduction, ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation, using a cyclobenzaprine for the muscle spasms, using a mouth guard at night to reduce the pressure from grinding my teeth, etc... have been very helpful in controlling the pain. I rarely have to take the prescription muscle relaxer let alone anything more than over the counter anti-inflammatory meds to control the TMJ.

I would suggest googling TMJ on the internet, there is a lot of good information out there on the treatment of TMJ. Here is one site I found helpful: Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - How are patients evaluated and diagnosed when TMJ problems are suspected on MedicineNet

michelle01

Thanks for the information, I think I am getting better, however I will be discussing this in more detail with my dentist the next time I see him. I notice the pain seems worse if I am tired/stressed.

My tooth grinding habit really started with a substance abuse problem years ago. Since then I've had the ringing in the ears, a few tics/spasms, I can't seem to open my mouth very far, but this is the first time I've had this pain. At first I thought it was because the filling didn't work. Anyone else out there with a tooth grinding problem, it's a good idea to get it addressed, it can cause a number of complications.