I have very bad tmj. I was admitted to the hospital this past week and was on iv morphine and that didn't even help. It seems no one can help me.
I've used a mouth guard and that doesn't help. I am popping so many pain killers I cant function. I don't know where to go next. Ive been to
dentists, doctors, etc. Can anyone refer a specialist in the central nj area please. any advice will be helpful. thank you.
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need help please
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 lisas |
need help please |
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Posts: 2 (11/11/08 22:39:23) |
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Michelle Denise |
More information please..... | ||
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Posts: 6580 (11/12/08 04:11:47) Senior Member
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Dear lisas,
First we would like to welcome you to the board. I am sorry you had to find us. We do have a search feature if you would like to look a older information. Did they put you in the hospital for pain control of your tmj or another reason such as inability to eat? Were you evaluated by anyone in the hospital? Did they have any suggestions? I didn't know if you had tried a soft diet for any period of time, massage therapy, physical therapy or pain managment. A bit more background of your history would be helpful such as how long have you had tmj or did you have an acciden? What type of splints have you tired or anything else tmj related? Have you had any surgery or braces? Knowing what you have tried would give us a baseline of what not to tell you what to do. I hope with a bit more information we might be able to help you with some suggestions. Thank you and Best wishes, Michelle |
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lu jones |
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Posts: 3153 (11/12/08 06:53:37) Senior Member |
Lisas, Sorry to hear about your pain. Could you tell us where you live? There may be some on here close to you and they could send you to the right DR. That is
most important. We all care and want to help. Keep in touchLu
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tackley |
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Posts: 112 (11/12/08 06:54:31) Member I |
Have you tried Dr Ira Klemons in South Amboy NJ, he his very knowledgeable in this area. In addition to this I would try to contact a local Myofascial Release
Therapist. This is the best massage type treatment I have had, better that acupuncture, physio, chiropractic, osteopathy etc.etc.etc.
Good luck Kevin |
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lisas |
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Member
Posts: 2 (11/12/08 22:31:40) |
Hi everyone - thank you for your replies. I live in the Flemington area. I did not have an accident or any other significant reason for the TMJ. About 1 1/2
years ago, I had a root canal and had to keep my mouth open for about 2 hours. That was the beginning. Since then I have been under unbelievable stress. A
divorce, moving twice with three kids, going to school full time and starting a real estate career all within the last year. I also clench my teeth constantly.
It has gotten progressively worse. I was in the hospital for pain control. I am tired of being dismissed by every doctor I go to. "Oh - it's only
TMJ". Today I took four percosets and three vicodens - all worked for about 1 hour each. I am also taking anti inflamatories. My stomach is shot. I am
trying to function on these pills and it's not working so well (DUH!). As I said - I am wearing a night guard that does nothing. I cant bear the thought
that this pain will continue like it is. I had three kids naturally with no drugs and this is ten times worse. No one can understand the pain unless they have
had it. Massage and that kind of therapy is out of the question as i can't even touch that side of my face without excruitiating pain. What are the
splints? As I said - I cannot get any medical personnel to help me at all over here - they are useless. Please tell me this is something that will go away.
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feelines |
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Posts: 1878 (11/12/08 23:08:18) Senior Member |
Listen to tackley (Kevin). My treatment has been similar to his. Do some research on root canal toxicity. Toxicteeth.org is one place to start. There are other
websites. You have to decide for yourself whether or not this for you or not and what to do about it. I have made quite a few rounds of biological dentists and
would not recommend all of them. For myself, I would look at iabdm.org. for a practitioner....
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ginnic |
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Posts: 460 (11/13/08 02:31:41) Member I |
Dear Lisa S.
So sorry you are so miserable, and yet hope you know we DO understand your pain and frustration. We have "been there'! in some similar way! You indicate you have been treated for severe pain (I know many of us can appreciate that too).......have they tried any muscle relaxing drugs? Not that I am saying you should or will be on these long term, but you sound like you have an acute case of what may likely be at least some muscular involvement - you mentioned your high stress levels and say you clench your teeth a lot - right there is a clue. Sometimes the clenching induces the TMJ, sometimes the pain induces the clenching - it can be a vicious cycle! But it sounds to me you need to get those muscles calmed down. As to not wanting to consider massage therapy for your are so exquisetly painful to touch - I can understand that. You feel as if anyone even comes near your face you want to slap their hands away. But I do think the person who suggested a GOOD physical therapist and or massage therapist is on the right path.........if you have ever had any type of athletic injury to muscles you know they can hurt so badly initially - maybe try some ice immediately afterwards to calm the spasms down.........but I would give it a try for sure and don't give up right away on that route. Sounds like you may need a splint 24/7 for awhile to keep your jaw in a position to allow those muscles to relax initially. They can be awkward to wear, and uncomfortable esp at first, but for many people they are the right answer for their TMJ problems. Try looking up dentists etc who work with American Academy of Orofacial Pain in your area...........even, if desperate the American Academy of Temporomandibular Surgeons - you do not need to worry about surgery at this point (some say never go to a surgeon as all they want is to do surgery!) because you can just ASK them to recommend someone for initial TMJ treatment and they should be glad to give you referrals - and a respected responsible surgeon is never going to suggest surgery as the first point. I know there are people who would disagree with me here :>) on that, but I truly believe it - note I used the word RESPONSIBLE. I do think if you can go the route of some muscle relaxants and ice to calm your muscles down, good massage therapy and looking into a splint it may truly bring you some relief. I hope your personal stress levels get better as we all know that is never helpful............and being in pain just aggravates the stress more. Hope some of this helps you and you can find the right people fast! Ginni in Wisconsin |
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We are a peer support group. We hope you find this Group helpful in learning about this disorder and sharing your experiences.
Disclaimer: We cannot replace a Professional Diagnosis by a Doctor or Dentist, nor can we suggest appropriate treatment. We strongly encourage everyone to see a Professional for diagnosis and treatment regarding Temporomandibular Joint Problems.
Disclaimer: We cannot replace a Professional Diagnosis by a Doctor or Dentist, nor can we suggest appropriate treatment. We strongly encourage everyone to see a Professional for diagnosis and treatment regarding Temporomandibular Joint Problems.
