Hi everyone,

this is really wearing me down, and I know this is still NEW, I'm only a number of months into all these symptoms ,and yet, I'm wearing down! OK, the LEFT SIDE of my head is still "weird", what that means is that, even on "good" days, it feels as though it kind of "stings" somewhat, continually, .... it also can feel like there's this sense of pressure, not DIRECT or hard, just "there" , .....remember, that 's on GOOD days! On BAD days, like today, it stinks! I had worse temple pressure earlier today, NO SQUEEZING thank God, but the joint outsidde the LEFT ear (Icall it the TMJ joint) started to hurt, and ache! But, that wasn't good enough either, so now, since this afternoon, the LEFT temple, left ear, the "TMJ" joint, kind of going into my cheek a little, and the top of my head ON THE LEFT side (of course!), feels like it's STINGING! I just keep taking Benedryl. I don't know what else to do. I try not to, I try to give it time in between doses, and ususaly I can, usually I can wait up to 9 - 10 hr.s before taking another dose, sometimes longer. But since yesterday, forget it! Yesterday, I had to take 3 doses, and today, well, it looks like it might be the same. I make sure I drink lots of water, to not dehydrate. The Benedryl does help, sometimes more, and sometimes less.....now, I also feel as though my throat on the LEFT side is getting scratchy!!!!! UGH! What the heck is this???/!!!!

I've researched this, and it seems to come up either sinus or an allergy. It almost does seem like an allergy, what with the burning and STINGING on the skins surface ON THE LEFT SIDE! Plus, if hte Benedryl is helping somewhat, I'm wondering if it IS maybe an allergy. The actual real SINUS pressure doesn't seem as bad, but that stinging and burning sensation, (on the ear and top of my head as well) and that ache in the TMJ joint,....almost seems like an allergic response to something.

The thing of it is.....I realized today, that this never really goes away! I"ve had it now since Feb. 16th, which at that time, started out with that awaful templre pressure, like someone was pressing their thumb into my temple. But, then it morphed in to bad sinus, and then, into this now! Benedryl, and xanax, has basically been my back up team....they have helped.
Here again though, I keep wondering if this still might be a sinus infection, a dry one. Just now, as I'm typing this, my LEFT temple area, feels stinging and burning, and like a weird sort of pain in there....not bad, just annoying! (and very distracting, you feel like you can't do anything else, because the stinging is to annoying).....I took a cold bag of Brussel Sprouts out of my freezer today, and laid on my couch, and held the bag against the LEFT side of my face, my cheek, my temple, and the top of my head on the left.
It helped a little. For pete sake, I can't go on like this! I'm DUE TO GET MY PERIOD IN ABOUT 5 days now, or less. DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS? (UGH!..now thatTMJ joint is pressing!!!!)

well, sorry to whine, I don't mean to, just need some help, and some info......thanks everyone! Sincerely, MyDarling

it doesn't sound like the ben. is working very well. Does your jaw make any noise on that side when opening your mouth wide? Does it jump or bump when opening? TMJ can cause all the pain and feelings you are describing believe it or not and on 1 side. I had a mout gaurd fitted after spending several mo. in pain on my L. side. From my ear, temple, teeth, jaw, and neck. I don't mean mild pain either I wuld sit with heat on my face to ease it, it was the only thing that worked. You sound very tense like me and we hold some tension in our jaws. A dentist can check this for you. Mikki

hi md I have a little different symptoms that drive me crazy, i really think it all is allergies my happens right before period its a congested ear that drains down my throat makes me dizzy and short of breathe i hate it sometimes i think i can't swallow. and that freaks me out. It does go away for a few weeks so i think there is a connection of this and my period, maybe hormones allergies lol. I wouldn'y worry too much i think its peri-meno allergy. Good luck

Dear Mikki....

oh thank you for your reply! YES YES YES I do have TMJ,,,,,and yes, my jaw "clicks" when I open it, and when I chew! I've had that for a long time now, but I never had any REAL problem with it, TILL NOW! I mean, sure, it's been slightly bothersome, and would annoy me from time to time, and yes, I do clentch my teeth terribly and then suddenly, I REALIZE i'm doing that, and then I try to relax! I KNOW i do it in my sleep too, because I'll wake up, and again, suddenly REALIZE my teeth are clentched together!
I'm aware of this, and a I try to relax my mouth as much as possible,....but obviously, this has become nearly subconscious now.
I tried a mouth guard once before, about 8 yrs. ago, and I couldn't sleep at all with it! So, I gave it up. It made me feel like choking. UP TILL NOW, this hasn't been THAT MUCH OF A PROBLEM .. like I said, sure, it's "bothered" me from time to time, but this is INCREDIBLE! Let me ask you this, why is this doing this NOW? Is this due to PERI? In other words, perhaps due to the hormonal fluctuations of peri, the jaw muscle, or joint (or whatever) is feeling it worse rightn now? does that make sense?
I remember someone on here said once, that during peri, EVERYTHING YOU ALREADY HAD, GETS WORSE! OK, so, could that be the reason taht NOW this is happening? All my crazy bazaar symptoms only started a number of months ago, and if you remember, I was the "VARICOSE LADY"here .... in Jan. my legs went banannas, and the veins on my legs kind of looked varicose, and they hurt so badly, OUT OF NOWHERE, I've never ONCE had a problem like that!
So, what I'm pointing out is, I wonder if what happened in my legs, went to my head.....and is due to fluctuating hormones, of peri? Because, again, just like this weirdo sinus pressure on the top of my head, IT'S ONLY BEEN SINCE THE ONSET OF PERI, (well, or at least since the OBVIOUS symptoms starting ravaging my body..lol) that all this has happened......so, I'm putting two and two togehter, and wondering if the TMJ thingy suddenly became worse NOW, due to peri ......


ok, thank you once again, you have made me feel a lot better....i had NO idea that TMJ can actually cause stinging and burning sensations on your ear and temple (and the top of the head!) ...... thank you! Sincerely, MyDarling

I was diagnosed by an ENT three years ago w/TMJ. This is the list of symptoms that he gave me after my diagnosis:
Clicking & popping of the joint
Grinding sounds
Headaches and migraine headache
Temple pain.
Dizziness
Ringing in the ears
Excessive wear on teeth
Tooth pain
Severe pain all over head
Pain in neck
Earache

These are the MAIN symptoms, and the list really does go on. I get all of the above
symptoms and take ibuprofen to help. Sometimes it does help? Sometimes it doesn't.
TMJ is really annoying and LOTS of people suffer with it. I would make sure I had a good,
strong diagnosis from a professional before I assumed that it is TMJ.