Tmj Or Something Else?

A couple of years ago I started occasionally experiencing this extreme pain deep in my right ear. When I would turn my head to the side the pain would shoot down the side of my face. My ear would be overly sensitive to touch during these episodes which would last from 15 minutes to a couple of hours. I noticed that if I removed my earring from that ear the pain would subside much more quickly. As time has passed, these episodes are coming much more frequently and the pain is stronger and lasts longer. If I put in earring in my ear the pain will begin in about 15 minutes and even upon removing the earring the pain will last for a couple of days. This pain is extreme and unbearable. After a brief ear exam, my doctor informed me that I have TMJ and a little bit of fluid in my ear. I am not convinced that I have TMJ because none of the other symptoms I have read are even close to what I am experiencing. I am not sure if this is related, but I have also recently started experiencing a throbbing in the same ear. The throbbing does not coincide with my heartbeat and I am not finding that anything I do causes the throbbing to be better or worse. It is interfering with my sleep and daily activities. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.