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Hello,
I'm sorry to hear you're having such a hard time. It's not uncommon to have doubts about your treatment.....or your doctor.

How do i know if taking antidepressants is the right thing to stop my tmj

Nobody knows for sure.....there are as many opinions on this subject as there are patients. I can give you some links to sites with information that might help you understand more of what's going on.

I can also give you many years of experience due to talking to all kinds of doctors and specialists. Also, trying every kind of available treatment for years including disastrous surgeries. This includes trying all kinds of medications including antidepressants. I've also been connected (online) with numerous other patients on this subject for a long time.
There are others here who have been down this same road and have just as much experience with doctors and trying everything.

We know that a lot of doctors prescribe antidepressants for different types of pain. We also know now that some of these actually can cause grinding, clenching and facial muscle tightness or spasms. (Usually the SSRI's) These side effects are listed in the drug information packet.
It's no secret. Some antidepressants are not the best choice for TMJ problems.

I'm not a doctor, but I've been a patient with this problem for many years and many doctors who treat TMJ problems are not qualified. It takes a lot of training, experience and a unique knowledge of the problem to be able to treat effectively and every single person is different. Assembly line treatment and using the same medications for everyone does not work .

Which one are you taking and is it only for the problems associated with TMJ?

Did you have diagnostic tests or did an experienced dental proffesional make the diagnosis?

Did they tell you that your problem is muscular , that your bite is off or that there could be some damage?

Did anyone suggest a simple muscle relaxing splint? (they don't work for everyone, but mine worked after an incredible amount of surgical damage and years of trauma)

You're doing about all you can as far as home treatment other than possibly changing your eating habits. Many people try a soft, non chewy diet for a while to let the muscles rest.


Stress does have an impact on TMJ and so does any strong emotion such as anger. I completely understand. I've been angry, frustrated, depressed, hopeless and the list goes on.
No one ever tried to cure me of these emotions . They tried to help them with medications while they treated the real problem which was TMJD and iatrogenic damage.

If you have muscular problems, they can be stubborn to treat. However, they can be treated. I suffered years of muscles in terrific constant spasm , muscle and nerve damage and finally, I got them relaxed and got better.
After many surgeries which failed, I was left with no functional joints. It took a while and several types of treatment, but I live now with relaxed muscles which allow me to talk and eat normally and I have almost no pain related to TMJD. A tension-stress headache now and then that causes some pressure in my face .

Physical Therapy, Massage Therapy, Relaxation Techniques, reducing stress, anxiety and other negative emotions are all good and absolutely can and will help. Sometimes muscle relaxants and pain medications used for a short time can help you get through until you're better. They won't cure the problem. It's a physical problem and you need physical treatment.

Splints are used effectively for many people. Great results can be produced by very simple passive muscle relaxing
splints or biteplates. Many are just worn at night. This is what keeps me out of pain and the muscles relaxed and working. I've been wearing one at night for about 6 years and will most likely have to for the rest of my life due to the damage I have. Most people can see results in the short term.
If you were to go this route at any time, beware. You need a doctor who has the experience to design the proper splint for you.

(I was treated with braces and splints when I was first diagnosed in 19 77, so I have many years of experience with this type of treatment, too.)

Back to your original question. I think you answered it. You got angry after the TMJ problems began and we all have some degree of stress in our lives.

Maybe someone else finding out the physical extent of the problem would be a good idea if that has not been done.

I hope I've helped. This is a complicated issue, but there are answers and there are good doctors to help you.

For the record, antidepressants did not help me at all as far as getting better and I went through every emotional stress there is for many years. Stress aggravates the problem, but anger is not listed anywhere as a cause.

I would like to hear back from you. I hope you check back.
If you have a minute, check out some of the reading in these links. There's info & opinions about antidepressants and TMJ.

Cymy Sue

Reuters quoted a Mayo Clinic statement noting that SSRIs are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. Speaking of the bruxism and headaches apparently brought on by SSRIs, Dr. Bostwick observed, "We don't know how common this problem is, but we suspect that if physicians begin to ask about it, they will find it to be quite common."

JADA

Earlier this year, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist described four patients who experienced jaw clenching, headaches, tooth grinding and broken teeth after starting Zoloft for relief of depression and anxiety. Three other recent reports in the literature describe similar side effects in patients taking Paxil and Prozac.

So if you grind your teeth, you might want to avoid an SSRI.

Mayo Clinic

Jaw-Clenching Linked to Anti-Depressants

Anti-anxiety drug can help, says psychiatrist

By Nancy A. Melville
HealthScout Reporter

SUNDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthScout) -- While anti-depressants have helped millions overcome mood and anxiety disorders, a psychiatrist says some patients' smiles may be covering up jaws clenched tight enough to cause broken teeth and serious headaches.

The combination of the jaw clenching, called bruxism, and headaches may be a significant side-effect of some popular anti-depressants, such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and other drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Healthscout


There's also a good article here -

Dental Health