I have not had a history of TMJ but for the past day I"ve had a sharp pain in my neck and a terrible aching sharp pain in my jaw..Has anyone had jaw issues?
I do not get jaw pain really. My jaw gets stiff and tight and sore so I don't even like to eat or talk but I do not get sharp pains in it. It happens when I have a flare (like now!) and I also get very sore "Frankenstein bumps". They are little knobs directly under my ears beside my jaw. I don't know what else to call them so "Frankenstein knobs" seems to work! I use heat and put Salonpas on them. It seems to mirror the stiffness and soreness I get with flares. I get fewer and lighter flares since being on Remicade but I still get them. They almost always start with chills like I am coming down with something. Good luck with it, I hope this helps.
My jaw joints have been getting inflamed on and off since I was dx. I need to use soft heat packs (like rice packs in the microwave) on my jaw when it get particularly painful.
I've had some dental problems because of the inflammation of my jaw joints. Sometimes my teeth won't line up, and I have chipped a few teeth in the past few years. Sometimes it's too painful on my jaw to brush or floss, and I need to use a rinse instead. Chewing can be painful at times, so I have to eat soft foods.
Treating my overall disease is most helpful for my jaw.
If my jaw inflammation lasts for over a week, I start to get painful muscle clenching in my face / neck. My dentist recommended (and I got) a small mouth guard type thing called an NTI Device. It prevents teeth from clenching in a way that forces jaw muscles to relax. It definitely helps my jaw pain.
I have been diagnosis end with trigeminal neuralgia. It presented first as a sharp pain that I thought was a toothache. It progressed to the most horrible, sharp stabbing pain. I would much rather haven given birth to a spiky elephant than have that pain. Have had it a couple of times. CT and MRI have been done. Neurologist seems to think it may be from the arthritis Rheumy says its not. All I know is when an attack hits I drug myself as it hurts so much I can not even think, hurts to breath, a breeze on my cheek hurts etc. I have been trying to research it further. I have been cleared by several dentists and a dental surgeon that is definitely not teeth related. I use ice and heat and drugs. The pain is beyond but thankfully it is not a constant. I figure the inflammation is irritating the nerve.
I would get your pain checked out. It could be many things. When mine started my worst fear was an infection. Turns out it was not but with this disease and our meds you o not want to guess and be wrong.
OMG...you had me hysterical at the metaphor of the "spiky elephant" I may have to borrow that expression sometime.
Kirsten said:
I have been diagnosis end with trigeminal neuralgia. It presented first as a sharp pain that I thought was a toothache. It progressed to the most horrible, sharp stabbing pain. I would much rather haven given birth to a spiky elephant than have that pain. Have had it a couple of times. CT and MRI have been done. Neurologist seems to think it may be from the arthritis Rheumy says its not. All I know is when an attack hits I drug myself as it hurts so much I can not even think, hurts to breath, a breeze on my cheek hurts etc. I have been trying to research it further. I have been cleared by several dentists and a dental surgeon that is definitely not teeth related. I use ice and heat and drugs. The pain is beyond but thankfully it is not a constant. I figure the inflammation is irritating the nerve.
I would get your pain checked out. It could be many things. When mine started my worst fear was an infection. Turns out it was not but with this disease and our meds you o not want to guess and be wrong.
I'm sure that I have PsA in my jaw joints. Usually a couple of times a week I can open my mouth as wide as I can and hear "stuff" popping in there........
I just tried that.....opening my mouth wide.
Yes I heard the Rice Krispies there ....and I also discovered that my mouth does not open wide at all. Ensure with a Straw anyone/???
Sherm said:
I'm sure that I have PsA in my jaw joints. Usually a couple of times a week I can open my mouth as wide as I can and hear "stuff" popping in there........
Kirsten, I had trigeminal pain ONCE and it was horrible. I actually went to the ER thinking the odd face pain had something to do with a stroke or something. I'm so sorry you have to deal with that in addition to the PsA!
Kirsten said:
I have been diagnosis end with trigeminal neuralgia. It presented first as a sharp pain that I thought was a toothache. It progressed to the most horrible, sharp stabbing pain. I would much rather haven given birth to a spiky elephant than have that pain. Have had it a couple of times.
LOL!!
I'd much prefer ANYTHING other than Ensure. That stuff is NASTY.
Today my jaw is REALLY inflamed (storms coming through the area) and I spent half an hour slowly nibbling through a Clif bar. A banana is in my future...nibbling at it sideways in little bits (it makes me feel like a hamster doing tiny nibbles at my food!).
Qadosh2him said:
I just tried that.....opening my mouth wide.
Yes I heard the Rice Krispies there ....and I also discovered that my mouth does not open wide at all. Ensure with a Straw anyone/???
I've had nasty TMJ problems for 25 years. Two surgeries on one joint, one on the other, splints, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, you name it, I tried it. My newest doctor thinks it's highly likely that was an early manifestation of PsA, even though it was at least 5 years before any skin problems and 20 years before the other joint stuff started getting out of control.
Jaw dysfunction can mess up lots of other things. The muscles that control the jaws are the strongest in the human body, fiber for fiber. If they decide to go into spasm, they do a fine job of it. Also, I've been told that we humans, with our silly insistence on walking upright, use the jaw to help balance our too-heavy heads. Any jaw dysfunction then translates into problems with the muscles in the neck and upper back.
The technical name for the Rice Krispies is crepitus, and it's not a good sign. You might want to check with your dentist to ensure that Ensure isn't in your future!
Louise I'm so sorry you've had to deal with this fro 25 years!! I can't imagine it.' Thanks for the info and for your advice. I hope you get some kind of relief soon.
Louise said:
I've had nasty TMJ problems for 25 years. Two surgeries on one joint, one on the other, splints, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, you name it, I tried it. My newest doctor thinks it's highly likely that was an early manifestation of PsA, even though it was at least 5 years before any skin problems and 20 years before the other joint stuff started getting out of control.
Jaw dysfunction can mess up lots of other things. The muscles that control the jaws are the strongest in the human body, fiber for fiber. If they decide to go into spasm, they do a fine job of it. Also, I've been told that we humans, with our silly insistence on walking upright, use the jaw to help balance our too-heavy heads. Any jaw dysfunction then translates into problems with the muscles in the neck and upper back.
The technical name for the Rice Krispies is crepitus, and it's not a good sign. You might want to check with your dentist to ensure that Ensure isn't in your future!
I loved that too! I had to chuckle at that vivid description!
Qadosh2him said:
OMG…you had me hysterical at the metaphor of the “spiky elephant” I may have to borrow that expression sometime.
Kirsten said:I have been diagnosis end with trigeminal neuralgia. It presented first as a sharp pain that I thought was a toothache. It progressed to the most horrible, sharp stabbing pain. I would much rather haven given birth to a spiky elephant than have that pain. Have had it a couple of times. CT and MRI have been done. Neurologist seems to think it may be from the arthritis Rheumy says its not. All I know is when an attack hits I drug myself as it hurts so much I can not even think, hurts to breath, a breeze on my cheek hurts etc. I have been trying to research it further. I have been cleared by several dentists and a dental surgeon that is definitely not teeth related. I use ice and heat and drugs. The pain is beyond but thankfully it is not a constant. I figure the inflammation is irritating the nerve.
I would get your pain checked out. It could be many things. When mine started my worst fear was an infection. Turns out it was not but with this disease and our meds you o not want to guess and be wrong.
I have nothing to add, except that you ladies are too funny. This post has me cracking up! Thanks for that!
Yes, symptoms of TMJ that totally resolved in 24 hours after a kenalog shot. Inflammation related!
My dentist treats his daughter who suffers from horrible TMJ where she has a huge knot on her jaw. He uses Botox to paralyze the muscle and it works. Also massaging the muscle may help relax the jaw. I do this when I feel it getting tight.
Marietta said:
My jaw joints have been getting inflamed on and off since I was dx. I need to use soft heat packs (like rice packs in the microwave) on my jaw when it get particularly painful.
I've had some dental problems because of the inflammation of my jaw joints. Sometimes my teeth won't line up, and I have chipped a few teeth in the past few years. Sometimes it's too painful on my jaw to brush or floss, and I need to use a rinse instead. Chewing can be painful at times, so I have to eat soft foods.
Treating my overall disease is most helpful for my jaw.
If my jaw inflammation lasts for over a week, I start to get painful muscle clenching in my face / neck. My dentist recommended (and I got) a small mouth guard type thing called an NTI Device. It prevents teeth from clenching in a way that forces jaw muscles to relax. It definitely helps my jaw pain.
Something in me feels the need to say it could be a cardiac symptom, and to ask your doctor about it. Saw something similar in a patient this week, so I guess I am free associating!
Yes, I have had jaw pain for about 2 months now. It's much better than it was, but it's still tender. For 4 weeks, I couldn't open my mouth to eat, talk, yawn....I lost 7 pounds though! (Gotta take the positives, right?).
1 Like