Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 27 Location: California
Please Help Me With Some Advice I Don't Know What to Do Posted: 09-04-07 14:34pm
I've been suffering from TMJ for at least
a year and I think longer as I can think
back to having had some of the symptoms
for a while. My parents have been helping
me with the treatment up to this point as
I'm a college student but now that I got
braces which is supposed to help but has
made it 10x worse things have gone really
wrong.
My dad, who actually is a doctor although
an ER doctor so he knows nothing about
this problem, and mom keep repeatedly
demanding that I go to a psychiatrist and
basically telling me that my problems
aren't real. This is literally making me
insane and I feel as if I've completely
lost my support in life, I'm wondering if
there is any way I can find groups of
other TMJ sufferers or organizations that
can educate them about my problems so
they will actually believe me.
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niceguydesign
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Corona, CA
Posted: 09-04-07 14:54pm
californiaguy1,
It's not important that anyone believes
you. I swear that nobody believes me!!!
Not my doctor, not my wife... (parents?...
ugh), but ultimately they do believe I am
experiencing something. Whether they think
it's "in my head" or a true physical
problem, sometimes our doctors and loved
ones will feel just as (if not more so)
helpless as we do.
What is important is that you help
yourself and seek answers and remedies for
your particular situation. Take the time
to log down your symptoms daily and keep a
journal. Make every effort to understand
when the severity of your symptoms worsens
or is relieved. Share this with a
doctor/specialist and don't take "oh, it's
stress... it's in your head.." etc... for
an answer. Yes, stress does play a part,
but there can be physical problems that
can be addressed in order to make dealing
with all the other stuff easier. I am no
doctor and I am simply speaking from the
last two years of suffering. If I would
have taken my initial doc's advice I would
have been taking meds and killing my
kidneys for the next 50 years.
Not sure about your braces.. Wish I was
more experienced to tell you something
useful... There are others in your
situation on this forum. You may want to
read a few of their posts and see what
might best apply to you.
Hang in there and don't give up looking.
You will eventually find something that
will help. Remember, that it may take some
time for something to work or for you to
discover...
Later
Carl
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californiaguy1
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 27 Location: California
Posted: 09-04-07 15:07pm
Thanks for the response, well at least I
think if I can get the braces off I can
get back to being fairly normal and get a
job so I won't have to rely on my parents
anymore. I had to wear a splint full time
for a few months which made it impossible
to talk so I wasn't able to work, this is
one of the most frustrating problems since
it directly involves your ability to
interact with others. I guess I can take
something away from this if I ever get
over it which is to have more sympathy for
others than I probably would have ever had
before and hopefully do something positive
to help other people.
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niceguydesign
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Corona, CA
Posted: 09-04-07 18:35pm
I have also had to wear a splint during
the day... I interact with others and
excuse my speech and even made fun of it
during meetings when appropriate... It's
how you deal with it that matters. If
others notice that you are sensitive to it
or that you are self-conscious of it, they
will key in on it too. If you act like it
doesn't exist, so will they.
Removing the braces might be an option...
there are some people here that have had
them with no relief...
Part of why I started posting on this
forum was to get my "story" out here with
the symptoms detailed so others searching
might find it. I have posted my issues
here: http://ehealthfo
rum.com/health/topic105021.html - and
I am feeling good at the moment though it
may change... The fact is that if it does
change I can keep posting what new issue
may come up and repost when I find a
solution. Hopefully it will help others
and at the same time help myself. I
certainly hope you do the same.
Good luck with your parents...
Carl
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californiaguy1
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 27 Location: California
Posted: 09-05-07 00:32am
I called the orthodontist's office today
and found out that he is away for a week
and they were actually kind of rude about
the whole thing and made some comment
about how there's always pain with braces.
At this point I was really unhappy about
the whole thing and I feel like the pain
has been getting worse everyday, it was to
the point where I think the pain had just
about surpassed the pain I had before I
ever even started wearing the splint so I
just got a thumbtack and removed the
rubber bands that held the brace wire in
place and took the wire out.
I'm already feeling a lot better, it had
been feeling as if my right upper cheek
bone / joint was about to pop out of place
from the pressure of the braces and now
I'm feeling somewhat normal again. I'm
going to go to another orthodontist and
just have them remove the metal pieces
glued to my teeth and make me a retainer
to keep my bite the way it is. In the
short time I had the braces on my bite
actually seems to have stabilized, what
really annoys me is that this orthodontist
wasn't taking into consideration my TMJ
and seemed to be treating this as just a
cosmetic procedure, telling me I would ned
the braces for a year. The only reason I
got the braces was to fix my bite just
enough to where the TMJ symptoms won't
re-occur. I already have a fully developed
adult jaw and from what I have read it is
much harder to move teeth as an adult than
a kid because the jaw has hardened, I
guess this guy didn't take that into
consideration, he never once mentioned to
me that the braces could cause pain and
the way he put it was like I had no choice
but to get them if I wanted to fix the
problem permanently.
Well I'm definitely starting to understand
how some of the people on this board feel
with frustration about having to go to
doctor after doctor but at least I seem to
be progressing in the right direction, I
hope everyone else on here can get the
help they need, I'm lucky to have caught
this at a fairly young age so I can
hopefully make a full recovery. Well I've
vented enough, sorry to anyone who had to
read this.. lol
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catswold
Supporter
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 404 Location: Flint, Michigan
Posted: 09-05-07 14:42pm
Good for you! Well, kindof. I would have
been too nervous (I was at one time).
Braces definitely should always first and
foremost be thought of as a means to
correct and balance a bite, NOT for looks.
Looks, secondary but not if it's going to
throw the bite balance off. If you feel
like your bite is stable now, having the
braces removed and getting retainers might
be a good idea. I truly hope and pray
that this will work out for the best.
God bless...
Carol
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niceguydesign
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Corona, CA
Posted: 09-05-07 15:51pm
And don't worry about what your parents
think... it's okay. I spent a lot on a
couple visits to a specialist that my wife
was REAL apprehensive about. The therapy
didn't really work and my wife was upset
to say the least. The fact is that it
wasn't working and didn't work. Stopping
the pain so I could be with my family (and
not just lay in bed all day), go to work
and feel normal is/was my only goal.
Don't feel obligated to your parents. You
didn't MAKE them pay for your braces did
you? If you still feel guilty just offer
to make payments when you go back to
work.
