Re: TMJ yes

[Guest guest]

Elf <sheadley@...> wrote:

Hi

Yes TMJ is a real bad deal. I have had it most of my life, but when it flares,

it is terrible. It is very difficult to concentrate, talk, eat, or much of

anything else until it has stopped hurting. That can be anywhere from three to

five days.

What helps me is; hot showers with the massage shower head pointed to the jaw,

hot pads and a sleeping with a dental splint. I am temporarily low on funds due

to RA and job loss so I use a flat lighter between my upper and lower back

molars to support my jaw and hold it open for an hour or so. It helps. Don't

bite thru the lighter just use it as a support.

I have talked with few people that have had the surgery and still have the

problem. I have opted not to put myself thru that.

Hope you find some relief,

Sharon in Seattle.

Sue I do. Before I found out, I use to go to Dentist thinking I had a

terrible tooth abcess or something, and he would say, NO.

So for last couple of years had bouts of this off and on. Probably every

month or so, at least once in that time period.

Well, the last time was in Sept., when I had some other problems and

ended up in hospital. After I got out, anouther round with the TMJ. But

still I thought, MAYBE it is a tooth ache? So my daughter said that just

in case it was a bad tooth, to get some RED CROSS (drug store...tiny

bottle with applicator cottons & tweesers), it is for tooth aches, until

I could get through Weekend and get to my Dentist.... I did. Well, pain

stopped completely (but returned and kept reapplying until over with). I

litierally rubbed it over ALL my jaw/gum area (BOTH sides, Ha! I nuked

it!) I was dying. I even thought my make believe " abcess " had abcessed

into ears and sinus! (as my ears always do what you describe when the

TMJ happens.)

It stopped the gnawing pain. BUT...again I went to Dentist...he said, NO

abcess or tooth problem. It was the TMJ, and I was just " lucky " the RED

CROSS *seemed* to quiet it until it passed.

I am lucky in one respect I guess...I can NOT *SMELL or TASTE* NOTHING,

and therefore, the awful taste my daughter described the RED CROSS as

having, just did not even phase me! It did however " burn " my lip area

when I accidently got some on it. So be careful of that, and follow

directions well, if you try this.

Mine is nerve related somehow to something else I believe, but don't

think to the RA. But not sure! It is a toss up between the 2 ills I

guess!

But the Red Cross, does tend to " releive " it to point I can function.

Mine is so bad I can not function. I have to " hang down my head LIKE Tom

Dooley... " when mine hits me!

Susie (Elf)

Sue Plaster2 wrote:

> As Frost said, " Nothing gold can stay. " It looks as if my

> pain-free

> days are over for a while. I think I might have TMJ. I read that it

> can be

> caused by RA, and the correct way to treat it seems to be

> controversial.

>

> Anyway, my left jaw throbs, and the pain radiates out to my ear and

> eye and

> head. I have to chew on only the right side, and if I forget and chew

> on the

> left in a certain way, I get a very sharp pain. My ear feels as if

> it's full

> of water, and I've had a headache for days. It's tolerable during the

> daytime when I can focus on something else, but at night it's robbing

> me of

> my beauty sleep.

>

> For months now my ears have felt as if bugs might be crawling around

> in

> them, and I have been drooling in my sleep. I don't know if these are

> related or not.

>

> Has anyone on the list had TMJ? Does it sound as if I might have it?

> If I

> ignore it, will it go away? What do I do until I see my rheumy in

> about

> three weeks? Thanks for any help.

>

> Sue in NC

>

>

>