I have developed TMJ issues over the years and it seems like I ge most issues in the right side of my jaw. It spasms and it really hurts. I do have a mouth guard and i am trying to wear it every night. I feel that meds sometimes trigger this spasm but I think I need to be on meds. This is my predicament. I am just interested in knowing what TMJ symptoms people get and what do you do to relieve them. Mine are:

- muscle in back of mouth pain (ptyeragoid?)
- neck pain
- stuffy nose
- ear pain

Mood - feel miserable from it.

Also does anyone know of any meds that do not tense the jaw?

This post has been edited by theguy: Nov 23 2008, 03:10 PM

i have gotten tmj for almost 2 years... i never had it till my car accident and i got smacked in the head with an air bag - i think it was worse because i am short and sit closer to the stearing wheel , any ways sometimes muscle relaxing help mostly flexeral , but i can only take it at night , ibuprofen 800 helps the aching and other then that i have found no magic poition except sticking a cork between my teeth so i can relax my jaw and not clench....i heard that meds can make muscles tense , but i was in instant pain before this so i m not really sure

Just wanted to let you know I too have it. Newly discovered for me so I don't have a lot of answers yet. I did find a neat web page that explains a lot about the condition itself. We can't post links here, but google these words and you'll find it: tmj disorder Dr. Steven R. Pohlhaus ( I don't know the dentist, but I love his info) Your symptoms look like they're on that page. I personally managed to break two molars due to this - so do wear your guard - don't be like me.

Princess had a topic here recently about this. I was formerly of the opinion that I had to get a mouthguard only through my dentist - but I now know that over the counter ones might work too. My doc (not dentist) gave me the greenlight to try one. From what I understand, if nights are when you do most of your damage you'll need to wear it everynight at least temporarily. My dentist claims you can teach yourself to stop doing it - I have no first hand experience of that yet.

When you mention looking for meds related to your jaw - do you mean anti-depressants without the side effect of clenching/grinding? Or are you asking something else?

PS: Chel, you intrigue me with the connection to your accident. I've had two rear end car accidents - one quite severe. Also had one probable concussion when I was young and a crazy drunk girl decided I should be removed as competition when she wanted my then b/f. I wonder if any of that relates to the teeth things - probably ties into a lot of my health stuff really. Memories. *sigh*

i think a trama can do so much to a person, a car accident changes ones world and i never had jaw pain, i remember geting hit in the face and feeling so much pain and asking paramedics why did my face hurt so much.. i definately think it all goes together and mine gets worse when my upper back gets bad . i also read it all will efect ones sinuses , i feel like now when ever my alergies are going or i have a cold i have more facial pain then ever ..i dont i try to muddle through . oh i did try having a massage therapist work on my tmj , wow that was a mistake !!!!

thanks for your post. I am wondering if there are any antidepressants that do not cause jaw tension or spasms. I think there are certain foods that are causing me tmj pain (chemical sensitive) and there are chemicals in so much food but then again I am not sure anymore. All I know is the my jaw hurts tonight and my neck a bit too. I am going to see if eating some melon helps ... I don't know why I would think that but anyway.

A word of advice. I spent two years looking into TMJ issues, when I became depressed. I kept having these spams in my middle ear, and I was perceiving very abnormal sounds. I finally got an X-Ray and my jaw was fine. Turns out it was a condition called palatal myoclonus. Google it, wikipedia, just look it up. Its actually caused from a serotonin problem. I figured I'd mention that because it made my diagnosis that much more difficult, and left me in pain and depressed for years before I got help. Its usually caused by a neuro-degenerative disease, medication, or a traumatic brain injury.

I've also had a slight bit of TMJ disorder over the years, but I found it to be easily controllable. Stress really shouldn't cause a big problem with the joint, especially if your being treated for a mental disease.

This post has been edited by blackcompe: Nov 24 2008, 07:00 AM

Thanks, i will check it out. If it is a serotonin problem then will antidepressants help? What medication are you talking about that causes palatal myoclonus? Because are not antidepressants medication and would they cause this issue?

Another word about the TMJ disorder. I had many dentist appts for TMJ. At first the weird sounds in my ears, sounded to me as a 'popping' noise. I know you read that description in all the internet literature and even at the dentists office. Haha. They couldn't find anything wrong and suggested a mouth guard. I didn't grind my teeth at all. Only on occasion.

I had a 500 dollar mouth gaurd made, which I never even got to use, because they are worthless. I would never sleep with that thing in my mouth either, even after having the mold made it didn't feel dummy proofed. If your teeth are wearing away, thats one thing, but medical professionals will do anything to sell a product. Just my two cents.

After a while, when my depression had been affecting me, unknowingly, for a year or two, I started grinding my teeth, and sometimes my TMJ Joint popped out its socket. Let me tell you. Thats hurts like hell! But, it stopped happening entirely. It was definitely from anxiety! Since I'm in a more secure environment, my anxiety isn't as bad as before.

I also have knowledge on TMJ issues. Basically, major improvements to Temporal mandibular joints involve surgery. Umm, I think thats enough said. Youtube search a video on TMJ surgery! Christ ..... Mouth guards are prevent further damage to teeth enamel. But, there are jaw repositioners. They look like mouth guards, but they are tilted and made in a special way. They help to maintain the correct position of the ball into the socket. You can find pictures on the internet or you can go talk to a Maxo-Facial surgeon.

I been through it all! I've been to every type of doctor, trying to figure out what was causing my ear issues and headaches. It's amazing what you can find out, when your fighting your health....

I went on a tantrum in this post, and I didn't even realize you were the member asking about TMJ. Sorry for the long post, but if your interested, read on. I spent a long time researching myoclonus. To my knowledge myoclonus is not related to TMJ issues. But, originally I wanted to make sure your weren't mistaking TMJ disorder for myoclonus. If your jaw hurts it hurts.


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Myoclonus
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There are tons of medicines that may cause myolconus, maybe not palatal though. There are six different subtypes.
Check it out:

[]://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myoclonus

For the type of myoclonus that is caused by a serotonin deficiency, treating the deficiency should make the myoclonus disappear along with the depression.

I created a thread about it because I know there are people that have experienced it, maybe unknowingly. It seems that its a topic for the future of psychiatry/neurology because I can't find any information on highly effective treatments. Especially, since there are various types, each caused by 1 or more possibilities.

A couple days after I suffered a concussion, I came down with this terrible tension headache and felt as if I had an ear infection. Better yet, try this: hold your nose and blow. That's called the V-maneuver. You see how there is a pressure build up in your ears (behind your eardrum) ? That's what I live with constantly and is the cause of my headaches. It always feels as if I need to pop my ears to release the pressure buildup.

Anyways, so that causes a 'clicking', 'snapping', or 'cracking' sound when I try to relieve the pressure and it never gives.

So, after two years of pleading with ear, nose, and throat specialists who claimed they couldn't find a single thing wrong with my ears or that I didn't have an inner ear infection, I finally met a doctor who told me about palatal myoclonus. He said nothing about what caused it or how to fix it, but only that it was what I was experiencing. He also said I suffered from major depressive disorder.

After a while, I decided to take effexor for the first time and bam the next day I woke up, the pressure buildup kind of crept out of my ear, out of the blue, and all my other symptoms of depression immediately subsided. I swear to you I felt as if I lost 10 lbs (thats the leaden paralysis of atypical depression fading away), I grew 2 inches, and my vision became clearer all within 3 secs. I just sat down and laughed and giggled at Everybody loves Raymond taking in what I've been missing for three years. It was wonderful. For some reason, all the problems came right back when I went outside to celebrate about 30 minutes later. Hahaha.

So, its obviously, I have a major problems with my serotonin and noradrenaline levels. So that's why my story of relief sounds astonishing, and it is, although 99% of people would never experience such relief because their depression cause isn't purely chemical like mine is. They have failed to eliminate situational and environmental stressors from their life or can't get over a bad experience. Until we can learn to erase parts of our memory, they will have to learn to cope and stay strong. Most of them really aren't experiencing chronic pain.

Im guessing my head injury caused a severe spike in MAO levels, and they are destroying 99% of my serotonin and noradrenaline, putting me into a deep black depression with pain. Most treatments for chronic headaches are antidepressants to balance serotonin levels. Immetrex, a common medication, is a calcium channel blocker, which works to alter your serotonin levels as well. These are too weak for me. I am actually going to request a script for parnate next week, so I can actually get my life back. SSRI's are like peasants to the King MAOI. They try to treat depression by putting a few more molecules of a substance in between your nerve cells, while MAOI's solely increase the substance throughout your entire body.

Anyways, back to the myoclonus. I researched the issue after having tried the effexor once again with no relief (and numerous other antidepressants), and I learned that scientists think its paralleled with abnormalities in serotonin receptors. So, with that being said, myoclonus goes hand and hand with depression. Studies have shown improvements in patients being treated with 5-HT, the precursor to Serotonin. This further points to depression. 5-HT supplementation is not a very effective treatment because myoclonus would disappear after eating red meats and eggs, if it were.

What exactly causes this pressure build up inside behind the ear drum? The smooth muscles attached to the roof your mouth and the Eustachian tube are very abnormal somehow. I think they are very tense or enlarged in someway, as a result of this serotonin/noradrenaline problem. Don't believe me? Wikipedia search for neurotransmitters. They are involved in blood vessel dialation/constriction, muscle tone, etc. That explains why people flush and get red when their nervous and suffer from anxiety disorders. Their serotonin/noradrenaline levels are low. Anyways, when those smooth muscles enlarge they cut the airways leading up to your eardrum from the back of your nose, causing a pressure buildup. Its a unique feeling, unlike a sinus problem, and more like flying at a high altitude or swimming at deep depths.
Its so very tricky, because you would never depression could cause such a thing. Rather I should say chemical imbalance (which the cause of depression anyways).

In your case, id be concerned if my ears were making VERY irritating noises every time I swallow, or well I get really nervous. Its something you would have brought up to your doctor by now, trust me. Its really abnormal, but an actual medical condition.

I expect the average reader to say what the hell is this kid talking about. But, if you do the research its all there for you to see. Also, I know concussions happen everyday. People fall, fight, and get into accidents everyday and may not be lucky enough to have a doctor to point them in the right direction. I guess it really doesn't matter as long as they try any and all medicines until they find relief, with myoclonus or not.

and, flexerol is good medication for jaw problems, but it will make you really tired. I was given a script by my maxofacial specialist. its a muscle relaxant.

I've had TMJ pain on and off. The last time it got very bad, the dentist made a night guard for me. This is a hard-guard, formed to my teeth.

The dentist told me that the softer guards that you get at the store, like sport-types can actually cause the jaw to get worse or not improve. I can attest to the fact that I used a soft one for a long time and it never did any good. My jaw used to actually freeze up, where I couldn't force my teeth together, or open my mouth very wide.

Anyhow, after getting the hard guard and wearing it every night for 4 months or so, my TMJ pain and stiffness went away. Since mine is caused by tension, it could return again, so of course I still have the guard.

I never made any connection between the TMJ problems and medications.... but it could be that since I've been taking the anti-anxiety Klonopin the last few months, perhaps I am less tense when I'm sleeping.

I have had TMJ for years. My jaw clicks/pops about 20 times a day. I have had periods where I can not fully close my mouth or fully open it. for hours at a time. It is very painful. I have found acupuncture to be a big help. I go once a month and have decreased pain in the jaw. My maxofacial specialist wants me to get surgery but I have heard of people who it didn't work for. Their problems got worse. I am the queen of complications so that isn't for me. I also do warm compresses and ice it.

Angel

What about tightness in the back of the mouth? I have that and I have been trying to pinpoint where exactly it is in order to release it but I just can't find it. The again when I press on my massater I do get some relief.

my jaw pops when i chew gum, and i hate it. needless to say, i do a lot of gum chewing when people aren't around.