apols if you thought it was wolefs
it was merely a hooowl of pain
have had temporomandibular joint disorder since a butcher some fucker in a dentist's coat removed one of my wisdom teef- a smidge at a time over the spoace of more than an hour- about 9 years ago
most of the time I am ok, but then BANG- I get a dull ache in my jaw joint- which spreads to my ear, cheek and teeth- which can knock me out for a week or more. It's like the worst toothache in the world. Times a thousand
ho no! I am not exaggerating. How very dare you.
because it's not really fixable, dentists don't treat it seriously (well, none of the twelvety thousand I've seen have- they've given me guards and all sorts but the best they can come up with now is the Rueful Shrug)- doctors do the pain relief bit but can't help with the condition itself cos it's perceived as a dental prob)
just wondered if anyone on here had it ever and fancies popping in for a whine every now and then. My nearest and dearest are sick of it
I shall pop back periodically and bump just in case
meantime am off to bed, parking kids in front of telly while ripped to the tits on diazepam, amitriptylene, paracetamol and with hot bag on cheek.
(that's me, not them, of course)
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oowwwwwwooooooOOOOooo! any one else with TMJ disorder?(sorry-long WHINGE)
SpringHeeledJack · 21/05/2012 18:12
Hello.
About 23 years ago (gosh that makes me feel OLD :( !!!) I used to wake up in the morning unable to open my mouth. I literally felt like tin man and needed to move my mouth slowly until the joint loosened up enough to open it. It used to be really painful and when I went to the gP he said I had trimandibular joint syndrome, but it was a long time ago so it could have been tempero mandibular. He said mine was because I chewed like a cow 
and that the joint was worn. He said the only thing they could do was to inject the joint to relieve the pain but that it would always come back. I'm not sure if this option would still be available but it might be an option.
I think mine was maybe stress related. It seemed to slowly resolve itself but now I occasionally get a locked jaw which I think is related. This is only momentary but feels horrible as it happens if I yawn or laugh out loudly. Like I said it's only for a few seconds but it hurts loads when it unsticks. The funny thing is my sister also gets this so it must be something in the family.
Anyway, just wanted to say hello and that I hope you can find someone who can help you.
take care
I had surgery for mine, and it was a total success. I had bilateral TMJ arthroplasty; the surgeon cut down both sides; the same incision as a facelift, starting in my hair to the top of my ears, then down the side of my ears, he un-hooked my jaw, smoothed everything down, hooked my jaw back up, and sewed everything up nice and tidy. After several years of pain it was like a miracle. I can pretty much eat anything now, though I'm still a bit careful, e.g. if I want to eat an apple, I'll cut it into quarters first, rather than biting straight into a whole one.
(The lovely NHS surgeon 
)
Oooh I feel for you. I have it but can usually control it - no chewing things like gum or toffees, trying to eat on both sides etc.
I was diagnosed when I woke up one morning unable to open my mouth. It lasted over a month and was a great way to lose weight . Mine was caused by grinding my teeth when stressed. But the lock occured when my dog head butted my cheek.
Worst bit was the very young doctor umming and ahhing before suggesting that I was careful when ummm aaaah kissing passionately no more BJs for DH 
Have you tried rubbing something like Ibuleve onto the affected joint? I also used to alternate hot and cold packs.
aww, thanks all
I didn't expect anyone to post on here and was just going to keep bumping it daily!
will reply proply later when I've grimaced my way through school run
(there's no emoticon for grimace so this 'un will have to do )
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
sorry I haven't replied
have spent most of week just doing the things I really have to do, and the rest of the time mostly groaning...tbh if it keeps me off Twitter/mn, it must really hurt 
mad thanks for that- I was seeing a consultant at big London teaching hosp, but after the mouthguard they gave me didn't work, they've got fed up of me, I think-I don't really think they can do any more, tbh
mumat39 helpful to know that it can just bugger off of its own accord. Dental consultant told me it would sooner or later- mind you that was about 7 years ago so have Lost Faith a bit
he also told me it was stress related and that I probably grind my teeth, and just focused on that- but noone, including dp, has ever noticed me grinding, which is weird. I mean, I've shared a bed with a tooth grinder in the past, and it's not the sort of thing you can ignore, iykwim. Also it doesn't really seem to come at stressful times- it appears to be a bit more random than that
mince glad your op was a success-how fabulous. Consultant told me surgery was a possibility, but that because my jaw/teeth were so misaligned, it would involve filing down this and building up that with no guarantee that it would make things better- in fact, that it coud get worse, so I quickly shelved that option
MrsZ after a saucy deputy dental consultant (or whatever they're called) expressed amaaazement at the general tininess of my mouth, and advised me not to open it too far, That Sort Of Thing has been way off the menu for dp as well
he's delighted
star good idea- I am going to try a memory pillow. While I'm at it am going to try hypnotherapy and acupuncture, too. I'm desperate enough to have a go at just about anything
and shitmagnet god you have my sincere sympathy. And to not really notice the pain any more- you're a stronger woman than me. I can (and have) cope with pain just about anywhere else, but facial pain has me quivering and gibbering like a baby
god blue2- poor ds
it's shit enough for an adult, let alone a child 
I should make a bit of a fuss and try and get UNsigned-off the consultants list, reading some of these posts
interesting that yours coincided with twins, silverangel. The consultant, on hearing I had baby twins, sort of went "bingo!" and decided there and then that it was down to stress (cos twins=stress, natch )- he's never been interested in my shit dentist tales, dental history etc etc. I've never had anything beyond an x ray, either
today have bottled decided against alt therapies for the time being, and have ordered a memory foam pillow, a small massage thingy and some magnesium spray
also
[desperate]
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after sitting up most of the fucking night watching telly and trying not to groooan too loudly, I am now serving notice on myself to sort this out forever
BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
over the next year- first I am going to do massage, meditation, heat, pillows and shit, and carry on with splint, amitriptylene and over the counter pain meds (am trying to cut down on these a bit, tho)
if that doesn't work- and I have to say I strongly expect it won't - am going for the alt therapies
if, by this time next year, I haven't seen it off completely I will go down Specialist Dentist route as suggested by Grumpy- that should give me a bit of time to save up for the treatment as well
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