Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 27 Location: California
Antidepressants For Tmj? Posted: 09-09-07 16:04pm
I've heard that antidepressants can help
with TMJ, I would say my TMJ is in
remission at this point but I'd like to
try this as I've had some really low
points over the past couple of years and I
think part of it was definitely related to
TMj. I'm wondering what antidepressants
people have used for TMJ, just so I have
an idea going in as I don't even know if
the person who would be prescribing them
would have much knowledge of TMJ. Thanks
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4349 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Hey Posted: 09-10-07 13:45pm
if you are getting them from a tmj doctor
then you should be ok. however if you go
to a general practitioner they more than
likely wont have knowlege of tmd---my gp
conviently lost the info i gave him so he
woulnt have to deal with it. you dont
want to be on anti depressants if you
arent depressed.
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grassy
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 116 Location: northeast
Antidepressants? Posted: 09-11-07 12:50pm
Hi its cindy. i can tell you my experience
with them. HORRIBLE, they gave me one
called amitriptyline, and i had awful side
effects. they made me nervous, more
depressed, all kinds of eye symptoms, you
name it.they prescribed it for pain.
anyway , after years of staying on a low
dose, i assummed that i could get off the
junk. I went into severe withdrawal, and
ended up SICK, and i was only on 2o mgs
once a day. antidepressants have been
labeled BLACK BOX. that is a warning to
all doctors who prescribe them. be
careful!!!!! i know that they help some
people, but that is my experience. cindy
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catswold
Supporter
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 404 Location: Flint, Michigan
Posted: 09-11-07 19:20pm
I have been helped a lot by taking Prozac.
It started out for depression but
strangely and wonderfully, it made a huge
difference with my TMJ. The pain was
practically controlled with only minor
flare-ups. Later on when my TMJ flared-up
really bad because of big-time stress, it
seemed to stop working but whenever I
would wean off of it, the pain would be
even worse. I then read that SSRI
anti-depressants (Prozac is one) can cause
night-time clenching. The solution was to
change to a different type of anti-d or to
add a small dose of Buspar to the Prozac.
I opted for that and take 7.5 mg per day
with the Prozac. It wasn't too long
afterwards that my TMJ did settle down and
has been since. I also made many other
changes, but I do think this helped.
There are many different classifications
of anti-depressants. Some have shown to
help relieve pain, but not all. Zoloft
and Prozac are both SSRIs but Zoloft did
nothing for me. It can be quite difficult
to find the "right" one from the "right"
classification. I know I can't take
Wellbutrin as it makes me irritable and
hyper (not good for the jaw).
Do a lot of research before deciding on
which kind(s) to try. The type that Cindy
mentioned is a Tricyclic, then there are
SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, NDRIs, the list goes
on. Here is a good website to start your
research - http://
www.mayoclinic.com/health/antidepressants/
HQ01069
I will say it can be quite difficult to
find the perfect anti-d. We are all so
different and so alike all at the same
time, but if you think they will help -
try it (with lots of patience).
