Fibro & TMJ

Hi Clair,

I am really glad the treatment is working well, I rang my GP today and he was supposed to be ringing me back, as they have a list of alternative therapist, so have not done anything today. But feeling a little better as is has been really warm here and it was nice to feel the sun on my face. I have a little dog and I took him for a walk. As I have got older I don't have the fatigue as much, but the pain has made up for it, but at least I can go out for walks, which is good for your spirit.

Keep in touch let me know how you go on

Joyce xx

Hi I was wondering if anybody takes this combination of medication, I have fibro but also TMJ pain. I had a message from my consultant today and he said it was alright to take up to 20mg of Amitriptyline along with the 60mg of Duloxetine, to help relax the jaw muscles,and reduce tension, has anybody else tried this. Look forward to any replies. Hope you are still feeling well Claire.

Joyce xx

Hi Joyce, yes thanks, now working on re-alining my jaw with the chiropractor, as it isn't straight, which probably doesn't help the TMJ. Apart from that all good. I have to say I don't know anything about fibro at all, have you decided to go to a chiropractor as well to see how that goes? It may improve both??

Hiya Clair,

I have just had my medication altered a little bit, my Dr. has increased the dose of my tablets, as TMJ, is very common with people who have fibro, it is more the muscle surrounding the joint, rather than the joint itself. I am feeling a bit today, so I will just see how things go,but I am definately considering seeing a chiropractor if things don't keep improving. I have a soft splint that I wear in my mouth at night, and that helped re-aline my jaw.

Will keep in touch Joyce x

Hi All,

I am new to this site. I have suffered with FM for MANY years & have reached the point of acceptance I suppose, although always hoping for a cure.I am able to manage my symptoms reasonably well after years of treatments, some helpful, most not!

Several years ago I suffered terribly with TMJ & was in agony a lot of the time & could barely open my my mouth & certainly couldn't eat an apple normally. I went through all the usual performance of seeing the

dentist, getting the mouth guard for night time, then scans, x rays etc which concluded I had Arthritis. Eventually the pain went.

This is the pattern of events that usually occurs when I get a severe pain somewhere in my body which will not go away. After loads of investigations & various treatments, including drugs, physiotherapy, Osteopathy the pain persists but then disappears or just pops up occasionally but in a less severe manner. Then I get a 'new pain'!

Don't suppose that's much help or comfort but I get less upset these days when a new pain strikes. Always get things get checked out though as knowledge is power as they say & you may find a bit of one treatment may help a bit.

Annie C

Hi Annie,

I am a bit like you I have suffered with M.E. for thirty years, then about three years ago started with awful jaw pain, I went along the same path as you, now it is very manageable, then I had pain in my ribs, then breastbone,have had everything checked out with my GP, who reassures me that it is fibro. I have recently been prescribed Duloxetine, and I am starting to feel so much better.I feel like I have been waiting all this time for this medication to come along.it was prescribed to me from the Fibro clinic at our local hospital. I think this site is good, as, as you say a bit of extra knowledge is power.

Joyce x

Hi Joyce,

that's good news about the Duloxetine. I've been on Venlaflaxine for years for depression & take a small dose of Amytripteline every night to help keep headaches at bay. I will look into the Duloxetine as it seems to be used specifically for FM according to my rather quick google just now.

Yes...every little helps!

Hi Annie,

I too take 10-20 ml of Amitriptyline at night too,as is stops my clenching my jaw,as I mentioned before, I have not looked back since I started Duloxetine, I take mine in the morning, as it kept me awake when I took it in the evening

x

Dr suspects TMJ but wants me to visit a dental surgeon to confirm. On a soft diet, and told to rest joint as much as possible. Any other ideas of treatments that can help.

Hi, Yes a dentist will confirm, or even a chiropractor, I am going to one every 3 weeks now. The improvement I've seen to my tmj is amazing. I'm trying harder foods now, after avoiding for 10 years!! My dentist never told me how to manage my tmj even though he diagnosed it!! I would recommend a chiropractor over any drugs any day if you can manage it. I still haven't taken a paracetamol since I went to the chiropractor several weeks ago, before the chiropractor I was living on them to keep me going.

Good luck with your treatment, hope you find something that suits.

C

Thanks 4 advise will try to find a reputable chiropractor. C

Hi, I am new to the forum - still trying to get used to the format. I seem to be suffering from a mixture of TMJD and trigeminal neuralgia - the chiropractor is working on both, but I can alter the TMJ, up to a point, myself. I had to do something last night as everything was very nasty. I have had jaw problems previously but this seems to be a side/after effect of radiotherapy which I had to have for tongue cancer. My doctor is in full agreement that these things can affect people for years afterwards and certainly on the mouth cancer forum there are people suffering this 16 - 18 years on. I have tried Gabapentine but it made my mouth even drier than usual - this is another effect of radiotherapy: it kills most of the salivary glands making eating anything that is not soaked in gravy very difficult. So, Gabapentine was rather defeating the object of taking Pilocarpine, which does help moisten the mouth a little bit. So I went on to Carbamazapine (I think it is) which hasn't made any difference so far, but I am now gradually increasing the dose in the hopes that it will eventually help. Otherwise it is the chiropractor - he has been keeping me sane (whatever that is!) since 1979. We will get there eventually... Both my doctor and dentist are fully aware that I use chiropractics - some 'medics' are very sceptical - especially my ENT Consultant.

Cold and wind: my goodness one wants to keep that off ones face! I do a nice line in trappers' hats which nicely cover the ear and the face when the pain goes from the ear into the masseter muscle, into the jaw and neck. I really don't care much what I look like - I dress for comfort, not for style.

Good to be here and I hope not too late to join in the discussion.

Hi and welcome, not seen much discussion for a while on here, maybe your comments will start us off again.

Oh yes the cold, the weather recently has certainly tested that!! I always cover my jaw and left ear(it's just the left side of my jaw affected) Can't stand it otherwise.

I'm still seeing the chiropractor, but now every 6 weeks and to be honest I'd now say I've plateaued out. I learnt how to massage the different areas of my face which effect the jaw and surrounding areas and most of the time, as long as I do this the pain and discomfort go away eventually without the need for paracetamol. I will be asking him next time I go to make the appointments further apart again, as I'm not seeing any significant improvement now. I am so happy I went though, saved me from popping the pills and not sleeping for 10 years!! :-))

Keep in touch and let us know how you get on.

Clair :-))

Thank you for your welcome - have just spent a little time trying to find my way back in! Ah, painkillers. I do hate taking them and always reckon I'll wait until things get really bad before taking anything - then wonder just how bad things can get! Just had a chum on the phone from New York, but couldn't carry on talking for more than half an hour - even that was too much - as the back left hand side of my mouth hurts too much with searing pains. Eating certain foods also sets off the searing pains, but I am restricted in what I can cope with due to the lack of saliva. Too much going on.

Hi I've just found out I have tmj, after believing for the last 2 years I had reoccuring ear infections that just totally wiped me out, yours and other people's comments have helped me understand a little more about it, I take anti sickness tablets, solpodol and naproxen, there only give me light relief, lasting about an hour when it works, I've tried a deep sports massage and reflexology but they don't seem to be working either, I'm waiting for a referral to the maxi facial unit now to see what, if anything, can be done, is there anything I could be saying or doing to help myself? Any advice would be appreciated.