Does anyone else suffer from a TMJ disorder? I grind my teeth frantically at night thus leaving me with this TMJ nonsense which in turn starts the headache/migraine process. Any luck with drugstore variety mouthguards? Right now I am using a moist hot pad to relieve the muscle inflammation but the root cause is still the damned teeth grinding and gnashing. I also find myself gritting my teeth in the daytime as well. I do not have dental ins at this time so having a dentist look at this is gonna cost HUGE $$$$.

I tried a mouthguard once from the drugstore but I couldn't get it to fit right. I ended up having my dentist make one for me. I wore it every night for a while and it helped so much! Now I don't clench at all and I don't wear the mouthguard.

You could try a store bought one and see if you can get it to work for you. It can't hurt to try. I highly recommend getting some sort of guard though. They really do work. You'll feel so much better! It was worth the money.

Hope that helps!

JBW

Thanks - I am def. going to try the drugstore variety first and see what happens. We have a patient who is a dentist - perhaps I can make a deal with him if the drugstore guard doesn't work out.

That's interesting!

I am a teeth grinder too....particularly during periods of high stress, and my life is just a mass of stress. My jaw actually is clicking now when I eat. Very disturbing. I have no pain, but often wake up with my jaw feeling really tense. Also this teeth grinding is cracking my teeth!! Yikes!

I will definitely go and try and find a mouth guard at the drug store!

My chiro told me that TMJ can bring on occular migraines.....I was having tons of them at the time....I am more inclined to think is was from wacky hormones though.

I have the ocular migraines as well - not so much now as I was last year. I work for a chiro and he's adjusted my neck as far as I can go with it and he said it is TMJ disorder.

I have grinded my teeth at night for quite some time now - in the last 13 years or so. Hmmmm, right around the time that I had my first child. And especially lately, with the perimeno stuff, my grinding has caused clicking in my jaw, a lump in my throat, and migraines. I have crowns on almost all of my back teeth because they were cracking. I do wear a custom made nightguard at night, which isn't meant for much of anything else other than protecting the teeth. It doesn't make you stop grinding. That is purely caused by stress. I also have a line on the inside of my cheeks from I guess biting my cheeks at night as well.

Man, will the list if weird menopausal symptoms ever cease??!!

How about swollen gums? Anyone have THAT weird one? My dental hygenist the other day told me my toothpaste was too harsh and causing gum sensitivity because they were bleeding alot of swollen. I threw out that toothpaste, but the gum problem still stayed. Then I read that another strange perimeno symptom is gum disease.

It took me 2 years to find a dentist who could tell me why my teeth were cracking. I had absolutely no idea I was grinding! I had the most horrible headaches you can imagine! ALWAYS felt like my head was ready to explode!! Was eating painkillers like candy. Had numerous root canals, but not a single dentist told me why til this last one.

He wanted $1000.00 for a nightguard. I had already spent $8000.00 out of pocket for all the dental work and I could not afford another $1000.00 for a piece of rubber to go into my mouth.

He also warned me that he has seen patients who had to have surgery because they used a drugstore nightguard. So, I did the next best thing and found a company who could custom make one for me at a fraction of the cost.

I have had no more cracked teeth since then and now I cannot sleep if the thing is not in my mouth. Got use to it very quickly.

I still have sore joints in my jaw, but the constant headaches are GONE!!!

And no more cracked teeth!!

I have TMJ problems, and lots of head and neck pain that goes along with it, as well as headaches and jaw pain. If you read the box on the drug store night guards, they say not for people with TMJ. Strangely, my dental hygienist suggested I try one to see if I could tolerate sleeping with it before having one made for me. It really flared my TMJ. I got my night guard from my dentist for about $350, which included several sessions to have it adjusted. It is worth the money. You really need to research and find a dentist experienced with TMJ.

i started grinding my teeth a couple years after the insomnia started. i got a mouthguard made - it was very expensive but has saved my teeth - so it is priceless. i haven't had tmj issues yet, remarkably. but this discussion reminded me that i had bad tmj during my late teens & early 20s. it went away on its own. i had late menarche & had alot of various hormonal problems during that teen-20s time span. i have to wonder if the tmj was part of that...

ellen

My dentist told me I had tmj also. Betweeen that and sinusitis, it can be rough. My ear herts, jamw gts tingly, pain into my neck and my head. I can't eat bagels or anything too chewy, it really hurs then. It seems to come and go. My dentist suggested the mouthguard too. She feels I must be tensing up alot. I tried to be conscience of it and even when I concentrate on doing things I enjoy, I tense my mouth without knowing it. She said ibuprofen and hot compresses helps. I've tried heating up a thing I made out of peas and a pillow. I heat in in the micro for about three minutes ans rest it on any tense muscles. It feels wonderful and really does help. Good luck!

I did the moist heat as well and much relief!!!

I really need help with this tmj. I see the dr. on Dec. 27. Meanwhile I found out that I clench my teeth while sleeping. I am dealing with headache, facial pain, toothache, dizzy, neck pain & anxiety. When I lean my head forward I become dizzy & nauseated. This has been going on for weeks. Anyone dealing with or dealt with tmj symptoms 24/7 for weeks ? Please give me some positive reports because I really need some right now. Thanks ladies.

Mine seems to be not as severe as it was a few weeks ago when I posted. Or maybe I'm just used to it.

Can anyone else provide any helpful information or treatment? I'm beginning to think the anxiety that I've been dealing with for over a month stems from this tmj. Anyone else experiencing this daily anxiety (in various degrees) and dizziness? Does meclizine help with this? I really would like some helpful ideas on things that I can do myself to help with these symptoms until I see the dr. on Dec. 27th.

More than likely your TMJD is the result of stress and anxiety. Dizziness can be a symptom of either one. You should speak with your doctor about meds. For me, the only thing that helps my TMJ pain is Vicodin as needed or nightly doses of amitriptyline, and the only thing that helps my TMJD headaches is Fioricet or nightly doses of amitriptyline.

Can anyone explain what the headaches from TMJ are like, where do they occur, etc? My jaw pops a lot, but I am not aware of teeth grinding. I have been having daily headaches and just wonder if mine might be TMJ. I am just searching for reasons for my headache!

Mine are usually in my temple and the back of my head. Do a search on the internet and you'll find a long list of symptoms. Some ailments that I have been experiencing I had no idea that it was linked to TMJ. I hope you are headache free by the time that you read this post .

I am happy to have found this thread, as I am in the middle of a TMJ headache. I have had TMJ for years (and I mean YEARS - I first noticed TMJ issues when i was about 12!). At its worst, my jaw would lock closed. I could not open my mouth fully without shifting my jaw. I did have a mouthguard made, but was really bad about wearing it - my problem arises mostly from clenching, and I found I would clench on the mouthguard in my sleep.

Lately things have gotten better. My bite has changed and my jaw no longer locks or clicks. However, I still get TMJ headaches. For me, they are usually one-sided, located in the temple and eye area; they last a long time, like a week or so, however the pain is more dull than intense. They are definitely brought on by stress and anxiety. I found the post about the connection between TMJ and ocular migraines fascinating, as I have had both all my life.

Recently I found a resource discussing TMJ being a muscular issue, and not a joint one. Apparently this is a big issue of debate in the TMJ community. This school of thought is that the neck and upper back muscles spasm and/or develop trigger points, which manifest in TMJ symptoms, like the TMJ headache.

Anyhow, glad to read this thread. Thanks to those who've contributed!

I need to know if you ever experience a pins needles feeling in your ears . About 3 weeks ago I had an issue with my teeth not lining up and a sharp pain right at the joint and up into my ear when I would open my mouth wide or chew. I no longer have the pain but now I have this weird sensation going on and am wondering if it could be from the pain I was having earlier.
Diane

Hello Mom2Rudy. I recently read a book with the same belief and in my situation I really believe this is a contributing factor.

According to my doctor I have tmj disorder because my muscles & joints are involved. He even referred me to his massage therapist because I was complaining about the pains in my neck and shoulders. I've had issues with my neck and shoulders since a car accident back in the 1980's. I recently tiggered this whole tmj episode by poor posture while using the computer for hourssssssss.

I recently realized that I do clench my teeth while sleeping and during the day when I'm doing something strenuous; but which came first the muscle spasms and pain in my shoulders and neck which triggered the teeth clenching while sleeping or visa versa?????????? The book that I'm reading also suggested some daily exercises to alleviate the muscle spasms in the trigger points and relay areas.

I have been able to find relief by using the splint, exercises and continuing on this soft food diet.

Anyone else found relief by using the splint?

I hurt my left shoulder the other day which then lead to my neck also hurting. My jaw is also acting up again and I'm having that weird headache just in the very back of my head.

Does anyone else having neck and shoulder pain along with tmj? I'm wondering if I'm dealing with two different things here and if I need to see my dr. about my neck and shoulder pain.

Yes, I have tmj and the back of my head has been feeling weird for a few days. I even had a massage and it doesn't feel better. I feel like I need to creack it or something, It seems like pressure not pain though. My neck and shoulder do hurt and the jaw, well, that always hurts from clenching. I was told to take flexeril, but am nervous, so I just try to stay calm and keep my jaw as relaxed as possible. Acupuncture helped too but at $50 a visit, I can't afford it.

Have to second what JBW said. Found out from my dentist that I have been grinding my teeth and causing damage. He made me a night guard and as long as I use it, my jaw and tooth pain are almost non-existent. They are pretty expensive, and of course my insurance wouldn't pay, but my jaw is too small for the drugstore kind. It is worth every penny, however. I don't mind wearing it and it really does help.

I clench my teeth when sleeping so my dentist had a mouth splint made which has helped tremendously. I only use the splint when I'm going to sleep, but maybe I need to wear it throughout the day. I'm still having arm, shoulder, neck and head pains when I wake up in the morning; which I believe might be from my pillow. I'm learning to sleep on my back after years of sleeping on my stomach and I just can not find a comfortable position in which to sleep. All of this have me wondering if my discomfort might stem from my neck.

Wow, MyFaith, I could have written your post! I have been waking up with headaches and eye pain ever since I had an extremely stressful 3 days with my ailing parents about 3 weeks ago. I have always been a teeth clencher, and suffered for years with TMJ, and teeth clenching is how I react to stress. I ended up going to the dentist for a new mouthguard, which will be ready next week. Are mouthguards the same as splints? Anyhow, I definitely think neck and shoulder muscles affect the head. My husband just gave me a neck and shoulder rub and said my shoulder was like "a rock." Have you tried trigger point release for your shoulder and neck? That may help.

Mom2rudy what is trigger point release? A massage does help the pain in my neck and back. It would be nice to have this done daily .

Trigger points are very tender spots in your muscles that refer pain to other areas of your body. For example, my husband was rubbing my shoulder and I started getting pain in my temple. Once these points are "released," or, essentially, rubbed away, the referred pain goes as well. There is an excellent book available, "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook," that shows you pain referral patterns and how to locate and release your own trigger points. It also shows how many muscles work in conjunction with each other - especially the neck and shoulders.

This morning I woke up headache free! And no hot flashes. What a great feeling!

Thanks Mom2Rudy!

Anyone using the mouth splints for their tmj and still having occassional aches, pains, and headaches? What else can I do to rid myself of the occasional facial pain, teeth ache, headache, neck and shoulder pains?

The headaches have been almost eliminated, but I still have pain in the joint when I've had a particularly stressful night.