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Perimenopause anxiety, palpitations, TMJ flare up

Posted , 14 users are following.

ampat1
ampat1

Hello wonderful ladies, so glad I've found this forum. I'm 39, perimenopause symptoms started about 6months ago, it all started out of blue, anxiety, panic attacks, tinnitus and now my TMJ pain is back. I'm on low dose birth control which helps my anxiety but I don't feel my normal self. My worst symptom is TMJ.. Is anyone else having TMJ issues? Is it part of perimenopause symptoms ??

3 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • Guest
    Guest ampat1

    Posted

    Hi dramisha,  Do you clench your jaw at night.  I was for a bit and didn’t realize it.  My temples would hurt and I woke up with headaches and aching jaw.  Stress and anxiety while sleeping... I guess.  It went away.  I am on an AD now.  Can I ask which BCP you are on?  I think I am going to go back on myself.  (Was on them for years). I’m  41, bad symptoms started last year when I stopped taking them.  
    • ampat1
      ampat1 Guest

      Posted

      I'm on Loloestrin 1/10, it's the lowest dose of birth control. It helps but I think need a higher dose to curb the anxiety and all other symptoms.

    • Guest
      Guest ampat1

      Posted

      THanks!  I tried lutera 6 months ago...low dose too.  But, the formula did not agree with me. I am going to try and get back on orthotricyclen...higher dose and the one I was on for 20 years.  My gyno left the practice right after I met with her. Going in a couple weeks to see a new one.  Good luck, I hope it brings you some sanity! 
    • ampat1
      ampat1 Guest

      Posted

      Thanks Lou, good luck to you as well. Hopefully it will pass soon and we'll be our normal selves once again.

  • lisa68384
    lisa68384 ampat1

    Edited

    Dramisha, yes ma'am! Inconsistant tinnitus and tmj have been two of my many strange symptoms. I noticed my jaw and neck/shoulders muscles would get tense after my period. Tinnitus as well. It comes and goes. A few times I have even had lock jaw in the morning upon waking. I was told it had to do with fluctuating estrogen levels. Anxiety, depression, and a ton of other symptoms I experience as well. Been at this almost 2 years. I'm a young one too. 38.

    • ampat1
      ampat1 lisa68384

      Posted

      Hi Lisa It's annoying we have to put up with all this, I had complicated pregnancies and I thought that was painful, this peri monster is even worse. But I'm glad I found this forum, listening to others stories and symptoms helps me cope with it better.

  • evi75119
    evi75119 ampat1

    Posted

    Hello poor fellow sufferer, I am the youngest of all in the forum I think...only 32 years..in awful peri for the last 2 years...extreme PMDD symptoms the last 6 years

    Since 2016, I have everything on the list of estrogen deficiency symptoms...

    I am not a doctor but I have read that birth control pill lowers even more our low estradiol levels and may worsens the symptoms...maybe I am wrong...

    Are you still having regular cycles?

    In my case, I am still having period every month but my flow is weird... brown discharges two days before period starts, then 1 and 2 days normal sometimes heavy flow and then very light for day 3 ... day 4 more flow ….day 5 gradually stop....

    what is TMJ?

    I feel lucky that  this forum has been created! All the ladies visited the forum are wonderful!

    Thank all for their support all this time!!!

     

    • ampat1
      ampat1 evi75119

      Posted

      I'm sorry to hear Evi75119 you're experiencing peri hell at a very young age. My periods are very very light now ( I wish it would just end already). I didn't get a period for 6 months then it came in March of this year which started all the peri symptoms. It's been a nightmare since then, I was starting to feel little better as far as anxiety but then my ear started to feel plugged which creates pressure in head, makes me dizzy so the anxiety is creeping back up... I don't know if it's hormone imbalance or allergies causing the ear symptoms. I'm trying Flonase and Zyrtec, hopefully it'll resolve soon... I never knew about perimenopause until 6 months ago. Why aren't doctors/obgyn educating us about these issues?

    • ampat1
      ampat1 evi75119

      Posted

      TMJ tempero mandibular joint syndrome... I guess because of anxiety started I must be grinding my teeth at night.

    • evi75119
      evi75119 ampat1

      Posted

      Me neither I knew anything  about perimenopause …

      Indeed, it is a nightmare! You are also considered young for this!

      Allergies is caused by hormonal imbalance. I became allergic to pollen since it started..

      I am grinding my teeth at night, especially when I am having vivid  dreams! Have you noticed during perimenopause vivid and weird dreams?

       

  • teri76755
    teri76755 ampat1

    Posted

    You’re symptoms sound like mine. Anxiety has been the worst symptom of meno for me and I’m sure it’s the cause of my TMJ pain. I catch myself clenching my jaw all the time and I know I’m grinding my teeth at night. Causes me tons of ear pressure and sinus pain. My neck and head ache, I get dizzy. I’ve gone to urgent care 3 times in the last year, convinced I had an ear infection. Then I realized my pain was centered at my jaw. I started doing TMJ stretches I found online and it helps. As for the anxiety, it’s much improved now that my daughters graduation and start of college are successfully behind! Anxiety is a brand new thing for me. Never had this in my life. I’m 48 and 2 years post meno. Panic attacks started about a year ago. Ihaven’t had one in 6 weeks though. Hoping I turned a corner. I’d get them about once a month. My doctor prescribed Lexapro which I have not started. I can deal with a once a month panic attack. I try to do yoga to help with the daily elevated anxiety. Good luck!!
  • noauntflo
    noauntflo ampat1

    Posted

    This is a late post, but I too am 38 and have been experiencing symptoms, I now attribute to perimenopause. It all started at 35, a year after my son's birth. Recently, I thought my attacks were at bay, until I began having neck pains and left scapula/shoulder pain that radiated to my left arm and tender lower abdomen pain. The worst part is that I had a panic attack while out surfing (racing heart beat, lightheadedness, disoriented) and insomnia. I am now tracking the days of when these symptoms occur along with when "aunt flo" visits, and my symptoms tend to correlate close to ovulation or when "aunt flo" visits. Good luck and God bless ladies. We can get through this and glad to have found this message board.

    • morenike64361
      morenike64361 noauntflo

      Posted

      I am 40,I have been experiencing tightness in the chest,dizziness,fainting anxiety and even palpitation for the past one month,it has been a nightmare and cant wait to see all these symptoms gone.i was told I had hormonal imbalance and need someone to tell me natural things I can take to help balance my hormones. Thank you and goodluck to us all

  • oonagh87502
    oonagh87502 ampat1

    Edited

    Anyone still suffering with the above issues?

    Im 41 this year and have been suffering with what i thought was extreemly sore ear ace/ infections causing head aces over last 2 + years . But after being refered to a ear nose and mouth specialist consultant after a CT & MRI he dignosed it as TMJ. When i asked where to go from here? i was perscribed antiflamtories and advised to manage my stress.

    Since then i have had 2 more MRIs - One on my Paturity Gland and another my shoulder /spine.

    But no one seems to be in a rush to get answers to me on how to manage my pain.

    I have been also suffering from slight depression which is very unlike me so i thought id get a blood test done about 7 mths ago to see if i was low in VitB12 but no , that came back that i was fine..

    But i know im not fine- So i have been researching my symptoms and i really think i am in perimenapaws... Hormones are all over the place and estrogen is low so pain in jaw is getting stronger...

    Can anyone tell me am i right? Anyone suffering simularly?

    I just cant continue like this.

    • nikki58270
      nikki58270 oonagh87502

      Edited

      Hi Oonagh -

      Just saw your message and had to reply. I started having strange menstrual cycles last year (I'm 45 now). Then started having acid reflux and really bad depression & anxiety during the pandemic. My doctor put me on lexipro but i started grinding my teeth really bad & woke up with plugged ear sensation and tinnitus. Now I continue to clench at night and have TMJ - pain in jaw but mostly my scalp around my ears and back of head and neck/ shoulders.

      I also have severe sleep disturbances & wake up at 4am. No hot flashes but I started having panic attacks and severe depression a couple months ago. Im taking klonipin for that (don't like to but not much choice) and just started on trazadone at night for sleep/anxiety. I guess it's supposed to be good for TMD and perimenopause.

      Dentists have been really useless and negative about everything and added to my panic. I contacted my friend who is a naturopath and she and my primary care doctor tested my hormones. I'm practically in menopausal range. Estrogen is low, FSH is 59, and im waiting on other tests. She is going to help me with bioidentical hormone therapy. Ladies...look into it. Most conventional doctors don't offer it, but my primary doctor said his mom uses it with great success. My naturopath prescribed oral progesterone troches 50mg and I've just been taking them for 7 days. Tomorrow i start on estradiol. I will let you know how it goes. Right now the panic and depression is so terrible ...I find myself obsessing about my jaw and ears and tinnitus. I was told hormone imbalances make women feel much more discomfort, causes muscle/ joint discomfort, and causes hypervigilance so it makes everything seem much worse. Hang in there. It helps not to feel so alone. Sending hugs & wishes to feel better soon.

    • vicky19700
      vicky19700 oonagh87502

      Posted

      I have been suffering with TMD since Feb of this year and I am in perimenopause. Same advice given: manage my stress and eat a soft diet, have a biteguard etc... I do think it gets worse with stress and I have found ibuprofen helps, I am trying everything that I find on the internet in the hope that I will eventually find some way of making it go away. I am glad I have found this forum and it is not just me!

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