Hi there,
I think im self diagnosing my tmj. I have anxiety which is the worst part..The last week or so i have had a headache over my right eye, and also in my right jaw area. I know i clench my jaw alot, which i got at bite tray for. Im really starting to stress out about the headaches though. I automatically think brain tumor. So the only thing keeping me from freaking out is that my jaw hurts, and my teeth at times feel mis-aligned.
So, it would be nice to talk with someone who also has the same symptoms...

Hi and welcome. After dealing with headaches and jaw pain I sought treatment for TMJ. I had an NTI also which worked briefly until I decided it was a nice biting device! In my case I have learned in the last month that although my bite is off, the real problem is anxiety. My TMj dentist brought in a Trigger Point Massage Therapist, who I have been seeing, she has found seriously at least 20 places in my neck jaw and back that are causing debilitating pain. When she touches them they hurt. They are mostly caused by tightening the muscles with tension and anxiety. She is working to get them out. I cant even tell you how much pain these knots cause. I also went to my doctor and got started on an anti-depressant, Cymbalta, which is suposed to help with pain, too. I just couldn't manage anxiety on my own. I am still getting my bite treated with bite splints, and continuing with the massage therapist. At least now I understand what the problems are.
I also tend to express my anxiety as hypochondria, so, Durangobluz, I am pretty sure you don't have a brain tumor, and its the anxiety talking.

Thank you so much for your comforting reply..it really is nice to know someone else who has this too....Did you get heeadaches daily though>?

Headaches, jaw aches, neck and back aches, every single day. I take pain meds pretty much every day. The headaches were the first symptom of my problems. Im hoping as I get everything treated, the pain will diminsih, thats always the goal, isnt it? But anxiety is a huge problem for me, and the root of it all, I think!

I have had tmd all my life. All that you say is too familiar. BUt dont worry--most of the time cancer is not involved. SOmetimes yes but I highly doubt that any of you have it. Any of you if you need help finding a doctor dont hesitate to pm me or email me. Im more than happy to help. Im sure that I can hook you up so that you dont have to live like this anymore.

remember that most tmd patients are consisered by a majority of people to be hypocondriacs. I know how it feels all to well. Ive been going through it too. my boss didnt beleive me till I showed him the surgery date and the diagnoses(dont worry you more than likely wont need surgery. I just had other things as well like my jaw as too big:) ) I dont have much tmd pain anymore. so there is hope just hang in there. and like I said you need anything you know where to find me.

for anxiety and depression try kombucha. ive got info on that too if you want it.

What is Kumbacha?

its a yeast and a bacteria living together. the tea that it makes is very beneficial. I drink it all the time. You can either buy it at a healthfood store or you can make it yourself.

Meta crystal? hi i'm cindy.I have something for anxiety that i really think is working. i didnt think it was at first. it took about Three months tho it is vitamin b's . its called b12-6-folic rx sublingual. they dissolve under the tongue. 8$ for a month supply. i got them on ebay.Anyway i got them because i have terrible panic. all i have to do is think of my messed up face and woosh panic big time. i started taking these b vitamins, which people told me at the panic group. and for me anyway ,i think it has reduced it like in half. now i'm trying the magnesium thing!!! cindy

Thanks Cindy, I will look into that. Th magnesium didnt do anything for me. My anxiety is pretty bad so I think the anti-depressant route is good for me. I can pretty much cut off panic with cognitive behavior tools I have learned, but nothing has worked for this underlying anxiety. Once you know what the panic attack really is, it is easier to deal with, isnt it?

I currently take zoloft, and it definatly helps. i was pretty bad before, but i do feel better. I do have my days though..like my tumor thoughts the last few days..

You know whats funny, when I was a child my very first anxiety attacks were about brain tumors. I must have seen it on tv or something. Of course now that Im an adult I can imagine lots of other diseases! Now I know its the GAD. I know lots of people that take Zoloft. I have only been on the Cymbalta a week. Today I did feel beter tho. It hasnt touched my TMJ pain, however. As we all know, that is some serious bad pain. Kind of ironic, isnt it, worrying about my health has made it worse!

Its a vicious cycle! Im just hoping that the tmj stuff eases and i can go back to normal. For a while i was having no problems at all. I was even thinking of getting off of the zoloft..no way now! I even had to take a xanax yesterday cuz the kids were home and i didnt want to freak out in front of them. It also dosent help that i have a friend without anxiety so when i told her about the headache in the same spot for a week she was like "u need to go get that checked now" So of course that just freaked me out!! I have had a ct scan before, and also another brain wave test cuz i was too scared to do an mri..both were normal..ive also had every blood test in the world..also all normal...so as i see myself typing this out i think i am just crazy LOL

I have this book abut tmj and it shows how the pain can refer from the jaw and neck muscles right into your head. I think if you look at it you will probably recognize yourself. YOu can probably find pictures on the internet if you Google Trigger Points, Tmj.

i am so glad you suggested that...here's what ive found so far:

THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS ARE:
Headaches
Earaches
Tenderness in the jaws
A clicking or popping sound in the jaws
Neck or shoulder pain
Dizziness and lightheartedness
Ringing in the ears
Fullness in the sinuses
Limited jaw movement
Pain in the eyes or the back of the eyes

I have most of these!!! U have really put my mind at ease! Thank you!!

Duranbluz - Hi.
That's a pretty good list of TMJ symptoms. Sadly, more can be added but that's enough if you ask me. As you are finding, stress and anxiety are the worst when it comes to TMJ. Anti-d's are definitely a big help. One point tho - SSRI's (Zoloft is one) have been known to cause clenching. I have taken Prozac for years. At first, great, but years later as my stress grew, the clenching came back. My doctor and I added a very small dose of Buspar (7.5 mg) and this has completely resolved the problem (Buspar is also very cheap). Many doctors will be fearful to add Buspar to an anti-d, but a small dose won't hurt and will help. I've been taking both together for over a year now and I have had no problems with clenching.

Grassy - also Hi. Yes, I have also found Vitamin B sublinguals most helpful. I try and take as much Vitamin B12 Super Complex as possible. Magnesium also helps me.

Highwaycc - Hi to you too. I was very interested in reading what your jaw surgeon said about holding your mouth and your breathing problems. I agree 100% with what you wrote here. Proper holding the mouth (and general good upper posture) is very important. I have been taught to keeps lips together (or slightly apart relaxed), teeth apart never to touch and tongue resting on roof of mouth. It took me years to get there. I believe concentrating on my posture (neck and shoulders) finally helped the most. But, if you can't breathe thru your nose - problems. I myself use a nose spray when necessary. I have also read where the obstructed nose breathing "causes" TMJ because it forces us to use/hold our mouths differently than we're supposed to. Please let us know the follow-up of your doctors' visits. I am most interested.

Hi Crystal - that massage therapist sounds great! Hope you continue to do better.

God bless...
Carol

HI Carol, she is great but it HURTS! Its not like relaxing masage at all. Hey have you heard anything yourself about Cymbalta? I amhaving minimal side effects which is great, but my dose is low right now. Crystal

Crystal - I have not taken Cymbalta myself and haven't really heard enough about it from other TMJers to know what to think. I do know some sufferers who are taking it, but they still seem to have pain. But I wouldn't expect it to just take away the pain anyway.

It is best to start at a lower dose for a good month and then increase it if needed. That's about how long it takes for any anti-d to start working. It's funny now but when I first started taking Prozac 10 so years ago, I didn't care about anything. And I mean anything. I told my doctor that and he said we need to lower the dose. I was taking too high of a dose every day. In some ways, it felt good not to care but it also bothered me not to "feel."

Give it more time. If after a month you don't notice very much, slowly increase the dose for another month. By then you should know if it's going to help or not. It may or may not take the pain away immediately. For me, it calms my body. What can I say? I used to be an up-tight person I guess.

I hope you aren't hurting by the time you leave the massage therapist? I know it always hurts me, but at the end, I am in heaven.

Take care and God bless...
Carol

I actually do feel more relaxed, so thats good. The massage is painful because of those painful knots, or trigger points, and I guess it hurts to press on them ,and thats how she gets rid of them. She says as one layer gets smooth, there are others underneath, the muscles have so many layers. This has been building for years, I dont expect it to be gone immediately. I am taking some time right now to just get better and let the doctors help me. I do feel that the pain in general is not quite as bad, and my dizziness is gone, too. I do expect to be feeling much better say, 6 months from now! I am fortunate that I dont have small kids at home, and I dont have to work any more.