TMJ- help me cope, I am going bonkers!

[lorelei]

My TMJ is KILLING me.

I've tried heating pads, a warm shower, orajel, tylenol- nothing is good for more than about 15 minutes maybe. I'm staying away from hard/crunchy/chewy food, I don't chew gum or ice.

I got an hour total of sleep last night, broken up in about 5-10 min intervals. I actually went to the ER this morning because I was in so much pain I was afraid I had some sort of infection. And, since I'm 21 weeks pg, the doc said there isn't much in the way of meds I can take for pain except Tylenol, which I have been using, and it is completely worthless.

I did manage to make a Dentist appt for tomorrow morning at 10am.
But until that time, I am miserable. If anyone has btdt, I would really, really appreciate your advice on ways to cope with TMJD- I am in soo much pain with this. And I generally have a pretty high pain threshold, but this is just kicking my butt.

TIA,
Shai

[ammamomma]

do you have a chiropractor or an acupuncturist? that may really help you. good luck!

[Gilby]

I go to the chiropractor.

So sorry you're feeling bad!

[speck]

Do you wear a nightguard for grinding your teeth? If not, that has made a huge difference for DH and me. Ask your dentist tomorrow about having one made.

I have found that ice helps me more than heat, even though heat is not bad. Also, I go to a massage therapist who specializes in structural body work and TMD issues. She has taught me things to do between sessions that I'll try to explain.

First, the skin above your forehead should be loose. If it feels like it is glued down, then give it a good finger massage (even if it hurts!). Gently pull your ears in different directions (this is where my pain usually settles, so this has helped me a great deal). Push the skin on your forehead from left to right while turning your eyes to the other direction. Then go the other way. Gently massage your TMJ. She also suggested massaging the sinus areas. There are other massages to do, but I'm not sure how to explain them.

I had a bad TMD flare-up while I was pg with ds (probably 15-16 weeks), and the "experts" thought I had shingles. Now that I know what was really happening, I think that part of it was the stress on my body from the weight of the baby, etc. pulling on my neck, and causing me to grind and clinch my teeth at night and during the day. Also, I was not very good about wearing my nightguard at that time. Anyway, it might be helpful to find a massage therapist who can give you a good neck/back massage in a pregnancy chair (?) to relieve some of the pressure and pulling.

I hope you can find relief soon!

[PreggieUBA2C]

And relaxing your jaw/mouth, then exhaling and sputtering like a horse is quite effective as well. I'm not joking. This is what my massage therapist recommended and it helped then and I still do it occasionally when I'm sore. Facial massage is key for me as is having a neck roll for sleeping that I tuck under my neck to keep it curved properly. Long trips in the van are terrible if I don't have that support.

Hugs, mama; I know that pain well. It sucks.

I read that TMJ can be caused by dirty dental work. Mine began after having 5 wisdom teeth extracted, so I am suspicious, but haven't anywhere close to the $$$ needed to investigate and repair such a thing. Apparently, bacteria from this sort of procedure can live in the bone for decades and not cause any obvious symptoms like fever or even direct pain. I'd have to look that up to give you a source, but you could look too, if this pertains to you. As it is for me, I just live with it (and do the sputtering, of course )

[MarineWife]

This is kind of late but I 2nd the nightgaurd/splint. Hopefully, your dentist will suggest that, though you'll probably be referred to an orthodontist for it. If not, ask for the referral or go on your own. If you have to wait or can't afford that, I've read that some people use those pliable sports mouthgaurds.

[speck]

I thought of a couple of other things since last night.

First, they CAN give you more than tylenol during pregnancy, but it may not help. When I was pg and had my flare-up that they thought was shingles, they gave me something stronger than vicodin (the kind of thing you have to submit a triplicate form at the pharmacist with one copy going to the DEA). I hated it. It made me loopy, and did nothing for the pain.

Second, be aware of your jaw during the day. I know this sounds silly, but I was not aware of mine during the day, and once I realized that I clinch my jaw during the day I could learn to relax it better.

Third, my massage therapist is on a low dose of Wellbutrin for mild depression, and noticed that her TMD (which is pretty bad) got MUCH better. I talked to my doc about something like this, but more natural since I am TTC. She recommended taking flax oil and magnesium. I won't give my dosage since I don't know what would be safe for you.

Let us know how you're doing! As someone who has btdt, I know how excruciating and debilitating the pain can be.

Stacy

[mzfern]

Originally Posted by Gilby

I go to the chiropractor.

So sorry you're feeling bad!

: Chiropractic is the answer for many people.

[lorelei]

I went to the dentist this morning, and he said I would need to see an oral surgeon about the TMD. Um... ack!

So I'm going to see if I can get in to a good Chiro first, I so do not want to have to get surgery!

The dentist did do an extraction of my last molar on the bottom left, so at least having novocaine in my jaw there most of the day has kept the TMD issues bearable. At least now that it's wearing off, the extraction site doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the TMD has the last several days.

[oneotamama]

Acupuncture!

[the2amigos]

I 3rd or 4th the suggestion of a splint, usually a dentist that has training in TMJ has to make one (likely the oral surgeon). I truly understand how horrible the pain can be! After being nearly incapcitated because of the pain years ago I had bilateral TMJ repair...it's still not perfect but much, much better!

The thing that helps me the most is to close my lips and place my tongue just behind my top teeth and let my jaw drop (so my mouth is open, but lips are closed). It feels ackward at first but this is how your jaw is suppose to relax with no muscle involvement. I also love(d) to stand in the shower with hot water running and fill my mouth with the warm water - heated it from inside out!

I don't know, I saw a few massage therapists that had TMJ training, and both killed me it hurt so bad! Though my joints were really out of whack inside, I don't think any massage could've helped.

Good luck! And truly if the pain is getting out of hand, think about trying something stronger for the pain. I don't advocate taking unnecessary meds, especially while pg, but dang, that TMJ pain can lead to excruciating migraines that cause vomitting, etc....not cool.

[BeingMe]

MAGNESIUM....I take "natural calm" every night before bed and it really keeps my pain away. I also recently read that a zinc deficiency can cause clinching. Just make sure you oare taking your magnesium seperate from your calcium as it interferes with absorbtion.

[mk12]

Originally Posted by the2amigos

I 3rd or 4th the suggestion of a splint...

The thing that helps me the most is to close my lips and place my tongue just behind my top teeth and let my jaw drop (so my mouth is open, but lips are closed). It feels ackward at first but this is how your jaw is suppose to relax with no muscle involvement.

I do that too, especially at night when I noticing I'm clenching my jaw when I'm trying to fall asleep. And many years back I went to a fantastic chiropractor who helped my TMJ problem tremendously, and I also had a splint made by my dentist. My chiro would muscle test after the splint was adjusted to make sure my jaw was correctly aligned while wearing it.

Many people are difficient in magnesium, so that may help. Also, whole Kava root is terrific. It reduces overall tension and anxiety without the negative effects you get from prescription meds. I don't know if it is suitable for someone who is pregnant though.

You might also want to find some self-hypnosis or meditation recordings for relaxation. You could probably even borrow a few from your local library.

Or you could have a session with a hypno-therapist. She could give you positive suggestions for an easy birth experience also... which may lessen your jaw tension.

[funkygranolamama]

another vote for chiro, and I second the natural calm magnesium powder

[lorelei]

I don't actually grind, I just clench. I need to work on not letting things stress me out so much, and figure out some good relaxation techniques to employ when I notice I'm clenching my jaw. I've been doing the exhaling horse lips thing since reading Ina May Gaskin's book.

It helps if I remember to do it as soon as I start getting tense, but sometimes I'm already so far gone that it's not gonna help. Are there any acupressure points that work for TMD?

I'm going to see if I can get a Chiro appt next week, dd will be on spring break but dh will be home to take care of kiddos. Heck, just a couple hours "off duty" should help with the stress. lol