HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Does it ever stop?

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/13/2011 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
Went to ENT today! He said I have TMJ which I've been having nothing but problems with my ears and pain and headaches. Interesting enough I just read that TMJ goes along with everything we go through. Plus, apparently I have Silent Refllux which is causing me problems with swallowing! Does my list EVER stop? I'm so aggravated today! UGH! Does anyone else have any issues with TMJ?
Posted 10/13/2011 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
My TMJ was diagnosed about twenty years before the fibro diagnosis. Small mouth coupled with intensive articulation voice work equals TMJ.

Hot washcloths on the jaw joint help relax the muscles. Working on vocal techniques to relax the jaw also helped me, as well as focused breathing. Anti-inflammatories can relieve some of the tension, unless you also have tummy issues.
Posted 10/14/2011 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
Many of us here have TMJ... and mine also came years and years before the fibro. It's not much fun, is it, but the suggestion about the warm washclothes is a good one.
Posted 10/14/2011 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
I have tmj. Not fun at all. I have suffered so much since 2000. I would suggest you get an orthodontist that

specializes in tmd. Also try massages. For me nothing has worked and i have tried it all.

Hope you can get some relief soon.

Take care

Suzane

Posted 10/14/2011 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
When I was young I had TMJ real bad. The xray showed one side of jaw longer then other. I stayed away from crunchy things, gum and chewy things as carmal. It made a huge difference. I also would find myself in bed with my jaws clamp down very tight for no reason. I heard about bio feedback and it worked. I still follow these rules today.
Posted 10/14/2011 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the insight! I'm just trying to wrap my head around all this. What makes me even more nervous is the reflux. I've had several issues with that through the years and apparently has gotten worse. Now I'll have to wait to talk to the doctor about any problems this might cause me. I guess a GI is in my future! UGH! I will definitely try the washcloth thing for the TMJ and get Prilosec for the Reflux! I want all this to stop!
Posted 10/14/2011 8:09 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, count me in too. I wear a splint/mouthguard at night because the clenching causes headaches and neck pain too. Muscle relaxants do help.
Posted 10/14/2011 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed with it too. Is a mouth guard worn during sleep suppose to help?
Posted 10/14/2011 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, the mouthguard does help. My jaw is much less sore the next day. It prevents you from clamping your teeth or grinding them together. A $200-300 investment that saves you from cracked teeth and TMJ pain. Worth it.
Posted 10/15/2011 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
The ENT thinks I could have TMJ to explain my ringing ears. Yes. Sigh. I don't even feel like investigating it further. I am tired of so many doctor appointments & tired of the constant battle. Just tired.
Posted 10/15/2011 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
The tinnitus or ringing in the ears is also a low estrogen/menopause symptoms. FYI. I went to an ENT dr about this and was told all about it being related to menopause and low estrogen.
Posted 10/16/2011 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
I hope you get things straightened out very soon. Sometimes it really doesn't feel like it'll ever stop but you'll learn to cope and move on. Hang in there!

luv2ride-You might have answered one of my current burning questions! My ears have been ringing badly for over a week and that might explain things.
Posted 10/16/2011 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
Another reason to invest in a mouthguard is if you're grinding your teeth during the night it does harm to your teeth. We all know how expensive dentists can be.

Hope you're doing better.
Posted 10/16/2011 11:58 PM (GMT 0)
Yup, I've cracked 4 teeth before my nightguard... it's expensive initially ($200-400) but the cracked teeth repair, crowns, root canals, etc are way worse!

If you get a mouth guard, one word of warning. I had 3 made. The first 2 had plastic/resin that I developed horrible blisters from inside my mouth/some sort of chemical sensitivity. I had to get the most expensive one (flexible) before I didn't react to the material. You might want to talk to the lab your dentist uses and request the most non-allergenic material up front rather than have to pay for more than one.
Posted 10/18/2011 3:51 AM (GMT 0)
Hey guys,

I'm a Dental Assistant and I know all too well the problems associated with the TMJ. I too suffer from issues and have to wear a nightguard, and try to wear my dayguard too *root canaled one tooth, and now another has been up and down:s*.

The only advice I can offer is to please spare your wallet the burden of future dental work by never wearing your day/nightguard even though you have one. They make expensive paper-weights that don't work well. I have one, and now when I don't sleep with it, I notice the next day:s Over time you get used to it. Oh and if you're having trouble adjusting, try a lower day/nightguard. I have one in right now and it feels wonderful:D

Good luck fellow Fibromites:D
Posted 10/20/2011 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
Geez, ringing in the ears due to menopause. I'm Perimenopausal so I wonder if that could be it. I doubt it though! I've read many places that TMJ is one of the underlying symptoms of Fibro. I guess it would have to deal with the muscles. I'm just so annoyed about going to dr's to figure it if this or that is related to FM or something else! It looks like a lot of us go through this. And...the problem with all this is money. Who the hell has all the monies to pay for all this! Cause I sure don't! UGH!
Posted 12/1/2011 11:08 PM (GMT 0)
Too funny I read this and my jaws are killin me...I forgot to mention it to the rheumy on Monday.
Posted 12/2/2011 5:01 AM (GMT 0)
Ringing ears could be estrogen related for me. Periods are pretty light & only 4 days now.
Posted 12/2/2011 12:48 PM (GMT 0)
I have gerd and I was taking medication for it but I heard it can deplete the calcium in our bones. Years after taking the med I came down with osteopenia.

I haven't taken meds for gerd in years. I control it with my diet.

Good luck to you.
Posted 12/3/2011 5:17 AM (GMT 0)
Night guards did little to help me. I'd wake up with the thing next to me on the pillow. What works for me is spreading my tongue across my molars before going to sleep. It was uncomfortable at first, and took a few nights to get used to it. Now if I clench my teeth, I bite my tongue and wake up, which stops the clenching.
Posted 12/11/2011 3:20 AM (GMT 0)

TMJ was a precursor (by several years) to my Fibromyalgia diagnosis as well.

 

Heat (preferably moist), accupressure massage and chiropractic are all helpful, with the latter often being a necessity if you have C1 & C2 subluxations, which seems to be common as well.

 

I'm sworn off all meds except aspirn and Motrin.  Find Malic Acid, Magnesium, Calcium Lactate, Methyl B-12, B-6, Ginko Biloba, CoQ10, stretching, chiro, massage & HORSES go a long way to making life more productive and joyful.

 

Of course, my next step is getting rid of a 26.5 year relationship where the Narcissist I live with claims Fibromyalgia is an excuse and I'm just lazy because I can no longer sit at a desk for hours at a time, etc.  I find keeping your environment free of parasites such as that will go a long way to minimizing many of the painful and limiting affects of Fibromyalgia.

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply