I found that my body was magnesium deficient. Taking magnesium allieviated my tmjd. The following (which I found on a great website) explains why my tjmd was linked to my menses.

"magnesium lost through the process of menstruation would explain why the above conditions (including tmjd) are less common in men, as well as pre- and and post menopausal women. We know women are more at risk of iron deficiency anemia due to menstruation, but perhaps there are more minerals than iron that are lost during the process of menstruation. I suspect his is true for magnesium. If menstruation is a risk factor for magnesium loss, then this would also provide a logical explanation as to why the above conditions occur more often in women of menstrual age and are often noted to be worse just prior to menstruation. "

magnesium deficiency also is linked to menstrual migranes which I get each and every month. I'm hoping they will be gone too, now that i'm on magnesium supplements.

I have had the same thing, throughout mylife. TMJ, mirgraines, good for awhile, and learned to accept that flair ups will occur during pre-menses. Any ailment i havae surfaces just before my period, and if there is a deficiency currently, then it stays around-the pain in my jaw, neck, or places that I have arthritis, etc.
I have switched to as much organic stuff as possible, and eat a banana every day, if i can. good job.

Ive talked to multiple doctors ab out this. its not the tmj that is efecting this. it could be nutrition but it could also be stress which effects both. I know that for over a year( this is why i talked to the doctors) i either skipped, or came 3 to 5 weeks late. It did seem that when i started and the first day was over things seemed to mellow out.

there is a link with estrogen and pain receptors. Don't recall where I read it, but it's in medical literature.

progesteron cream is helpful as well as kombucha---pain im sure can effect it just like being sick---in that way i think that it could be linked---but more than likely not

There was research done to determine possible mechanism why do women suffer from trigeminal neuralgia more than men do. They concluded that is it due to estrogen. Here is one of the research papers explain the suffering (additional suffering of women with particular genetic predisposition):


[Association of estrogen receptor gene polymorphisms and primary trigeminal neuralgia]
[Article in Chinese]
Hua Xi Kou Qiang Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2005 Dec;23(6):495-7.
Huang CJ, Wang H, Wu MY, Zhang JJ, Meng QR, Fu CH, Deng JZ, Yi P.

Dept of Radiology, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of estrogen receptor (ER) gene polymorphism and primary trigeminal neuralgia. METHODS: By polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), ER gene polymorphism was analyzed in 20 trigeminal neuralgia (TR) patients and 20 control individuals, and the distribution of ER genotype was compared in TR group and control group. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in frequencies of allele and genotype in XbaI or PvuII polymorphism or XbaI with PvuII polymorphisms together between TR group and control group (P > 0.05). The genotypic distribution of Xx or PpXx in TR group was higher than control group, and it was contary to xx, ppxx or Ppxx in TR group and control group. CONCLUSION: XbaI or PvuII polymorphism may be related to TR. Women with PpXx genotype may be a dangerous factor to primary trigeminal neuralgia.

It has been researched that women are more susceptible to TMD/trigeminal neuralgia due to estrogen, which somehow effects pain receptors and is also involved in the pain signals sent by neurons.

To moderator:
I wish above medical abstract would be posted, it is a public domain, is there a rule that I am not aware of? I am assured that medical literature citations are not only necessary for sound and supported claims, but listing a link or abstract would benefit many by providing the information commonly not found online.

this should be handled by pm--most info online is false.