you are gonna have to do the best you can to manage your pain--use heat and ice on and off. take ibuphropen with food and water if pain gets too bad.

do you have an appt? if so when?----I hope that you will let us know h ow you are doing.

hi there, I'm cindy ,I hope you feel better!!!! we all know how bad it hurts, please HANG in there!! it will get better eventually. Love cindy

Victoria,
Please try and relax as much as possible. Is there anyway your parents would let you have massage therapy from a cranial-sacral MT (or any well trained therapeutic & TMJ MT) once or even twice a week for the next few weeks? Moist heat and ice are a must as Dyan suggested. If I remember correctly you said you were taking some strong painkillers. Have you tried Vicoprofen (has ibuprofen in it)? What about Zanax, a muscle relaxant? Victoria dear, you will be in my prayers (and prayers do work)! You can do this.

God bless you,
Carol

Im also praying for you ---I pray daily for all my tmj buddies

I started taking all my meds. again. It hasnt really seemed to work to well. My mom is taking me to see a message therapist tommorow...I hope it helps.
Ill post the names of my medications later. I would like to know if anyone else is taking them and having some luck. Thank you 4 caring evryone.

Im so sorry---you can do this. I hope that the massage therapy works. keep us updated as you have been---we are praying for you---and if you need me you know where to find me.

I can truly relate to what you are going through. You can get through it. I have begun using my biofeedback tricks again on top of everything the doctors are trying to do. Pick out an extremely pleasant memory. Use that memory anytime you are feeling extremely horrible. I know it's gotten me out of bed quite a few times.

Just to give you a background. I have had tmj for 34 years. I had external displacement of the condyl and meniscus for several years. (Dislocating jaw). They removed the meniscus and put in an implant. To make the long story short. I had two implants. both implants were the ones recalled and defective and did a tremendous amount of damage to the bones in my right TM. Another surgery to clean up the mess a few years later and then my final surgery in 89 to try to place a total joint replacement. The total joint replacement was not done and they just cleaned up all the damage and closed up the joint. It is 18 years later and I am finally at a place in the tmj cycle where I am scheduling the total joint replacement again.

There are days my pain is at a 10 and no amount of pain pills, muscle relaxants or ibuprofen helps. (Use feedback & relaxation) There is not a day my pain level goes below a 6 and it usually is at a 7 or 8 I am on a pureed, liquid, no chew diet. I can open my mouth 13 mm. I have 1mm lateral movement. I go to a non-surgical dentist and they are trying the iontopheresis, trigger point injections and perhaps a splint. I also have a oral surgeon who will be doing my total joint. We are just holding off to January in the hopes that I can budget this into my flexible spending rather it be a huge drain on the pocket book. Drugs list. Hydrocodone 10/325 4 x a day, Tramadol 50 6 x a day, Soma 4 x a day, flexeril 3 x a day, ibuprofen 6-800 mg 4 x a day. Tylenol 3 x a day. I use a tens unit as well.

The waiting game is so hard. I just think of my 1 year old daughter and all the joy she is bringing to our lives and it helps me get through the day. I have never missed a day of work because of my TMJ pain.

Good luck and I will think positive thoughts for you.
Karen

there is a program for low income through the hospital for those with out insurance. I got a 60% discount. you may want to look into this. just ask about financial aid programs.

Karen, I am so sorry to read that you have fought this battle for such a long time. I'm also amazed at how strong you must be. A one-year-old daughter - you are superwoman (and blessed).

It is truly a tragedy that the teflon disks did not work and caused even more damage. Is that guy, the maker, still hiding in Europe somewhere?

I hope and pray that everything will go smoothly in preparation for the total jaw replacement(s) and that the surgery will help relieve the pain and open your mouth a little further. Please keep us updated.

God bless...
Carol

I have TMJ too, and it has never really went away! It creeps back. I use a mouth guard at night because I think mine is from my clenching. I have even chipped tiny bits of teeth and woke up with chips and tooth dust in my mouth. I also use muscle relaxants and that seems to help. I have not yet found a solution. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Jess

I have hear the if you have Botox injected into the muscle area where you have TMJ pain it releaves the tension and gives you immediate releaf! Look into it, I think I am gonna have it done!

Jess

botox is not a cure---it merely releives pain for 3 -5 months and it is very expensive.