a new symptom of fibro - jaw pain!

[vickythecat]

I haven't been 'surprised' by weird aches and pains in a long time. Lately my right and left hips have given in (after 2 years of no pain), my plantar fasciitis is back (after 8 years), all combined with the 'usual' aches and pain. And now this....

This morning I woke up with pain in my jaw, thought not much of it, but now hours later, I can barely eat, the pain is going all the way to my ear, neck, forehead and it is really unpleasant.

And yes, a google search says what I should've know; just another problem caused by fibro.

Anyone any tips on what to do? I am trying to massage it but it is very painful, I am scared it will make the pain worse.

 

[medicmurphy]

Yes. Couple years ago I developed such pain that inflamed facial nerves. I ended up in the ER twice along with a visit to the dentist. Ended up being a face migraine connected to Fibro. This event lasted five days. Apply ice. It was the only relief I got!

 

[diamond]

i have this pain just as you describe ..like for you it started out of the blue in the right side of my jaw and face back in 2010. Then after a few weeks of a soft food diet and not too much speaking it went off. I was aware of weakness in that side of my jaw and when i got tired or stressed it would get worse and my tongue would get trapped in my teeth as the space in my mouth on one side became much smaller..i guess where the joint and surrounding muscles tendons etc get so tight.

For several years it was manageable and sometimes not noticeable until 2014/2015 and hey presto now im stuck with it both sides to varying degrees all the time.

The only thing that works for me is resting the jaw and ice pack when its really bad...im so sorry you have also been hit by another horrible fibro symptom....if you can relax it will help...tension is often held in our jaw and my flare up coincided with a big stress...and the pain radiates to the surrounding areas including the eye sockets ears cheeks temples and forehead.

So soft food and least chewing/speaking possible and see if that helps..plus the ice..and lots of cuddles and relaxation with your cats is my recipe!

 

[medicmurphy]

@willow, do you think you may have TMJ? This condition is a part of Fibro.

 

[vickythecat]

Day 2 with jaw pain - I applied ice last night, which did help with the discomfort. I also noticed as the day went by that my right side was much better than the left side, which is a relief I suppose. I am focusing on eating soft foods, not speaking much, no yawning, and lots of relaxing...thanks a lot for the tips.

I just want to shove a needle in there to relax the muscles there, get the pressure out....beyond pain, it is this unpleasant annoying feeling that is really getting to me. Same feeling with the tendinitis & bursitis in my shoulders. Do you also feel this way?

@medicmurphy - I wish you all the best with your pains as well. Going to the ER for the pain, twice, must've been a horrible experience.
@willow - yes, the cats help a lot. I now have 10 day old kittens in the garden of our apartment. Little tiny angels = best distraction

 

[diamond]

HI both MM and Vicky..yes i think its TMJ but radiates all over my face and head to varying degrees...i dont think there is a magic answer except the things i do already....it does rob me of more pleasures...the speaking freely being the main one..as it makes being in company , chatting to a friend on the phone sometimes is so painful and afterwards i go lay down with my ice bags i keep in the fridge and add ice cubes to as needed.

This illness is so deceptive as i push myself to talk to stay connected to the outside world as much as possible...so i put on my happy voice so my friends and family still like speaking to me..... gradually the pain and weakness builds until im almost slurring and start to loose my diction...then when the call is over i go lay in the dark with my icebags...sometimes it bring me to tears as with many of us at the same time my whole body hurts too....but we have to keep fighting for even the smallest pleasures.

Its a funny sight..think of me in my pjs several ho twater bottles strategically placed...1 or 2 ice bags and bright green ear defenders!!! LOL

Only joking i dont wear ear defenders in bed!

Oh how lovely Vicky a knew Kitty..give it a little cuddle from me!

Yes Vicky I too have same feeling in other parts of my body..its like it all seizes up with activity...it may not stay in your jaw though..take extra care of yourself now and it may well go off. I hope so.

I understand your pain MM, sounds horrible...at my worst my trigeminal nerve got trapped on and off for a few weeks and I had to keep my head still as even the slightest movement set the nerve off.

Sorry this has turned into a bit of a vent...hope you understand guys as i do keep this mostly to myself except the forum or else i would have no friends or family who want to be near me or speak to me!

Joys of fibro...Gentle Hugs to you all.

 

[Cajuncamaro96]

That's a common symptom

 

[Forgetmenot]

Fibromyalgia can hurt your in every part of your body,and I mean every part.

 

[vickythecat]

My jaw pain lasted about 10 days - cold packs, rest and doing everything I can to relax helped.

It is yet another thing I am so not looking forward to waking up to in the morning. Thank you fibro for making mornings so joyous!

 

[Hope4all]

Hi! Sorry you are dealing with this!!! My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Yes, I have jaw pain. And clicking. They treated it like tmj at first. Later sent me to a jaw surgeon, who sent me to physical therapy for my neck! I was surprised but it does help if I do it regularly. Also a dental bite plate fitted for you by a professional may help, as well as controlling the pain early in any part of the body, at least for me I clench my teeth in my sleep more if my other pain isn't under control. Not a retainer- I ground right through that thing. Also, the trigrmenal-sorry if I spelled that wrong-nerve goes through that area and plays a big role also in migraines. Take a look at the anatomy. In recent years scienctists have learned more about what happens during a migraine which might also explain our jaw pain. There are YouTube videos explaining cortical spreading depression. It also explains why the pain gets worse if not treated successfully early. It is complex and technical, but gives hope for several possible treatments that may interrupt the chemical and nerve changes occurring around this flare. If the periferal pain isn't stopped soon enough it leads to greater central sensitization, making it more painful to be touched normally, etc. I don't know how hard it is to concentrate if you are in pain right now, but when you can please learn about this. It has helped me some and I really hope it will help you know what kind of treatments may help. Also, braces helped me once they were done, so my teeth fit together better, but they were really painful during and expensive.

 

[Dom333]

So weird that the two are related. I have had TMJ for 15 years.

 

[GlennBlume]

My jaw pain lasted for 20 days, I had used cold packs, used many home remedies but I can not get rid with these jaw pain.

Then later on my neighbor had recommended me to consult with an experienced dentist for tooth pain in Los Angeles.

Then I had visited at dental clinic where the dentist had provided me with some pain relievers after taking some medicine it make me feel relief.

** link removed, no advertising! **

 

[GlennBlume]

My jaw pain lasted for 20 days, I had used cold packs, used many home remedies but I can not get rid of these jaw pain. Then later on my neighbor had recommended me to consult with an experienced dentist for tooth pain in Los Angeles. Then I had visited at dental clinic where the dentist had provided me with some pain relievers after taking some medicine it makes me feel relief.

 

[Althea913]

I have experienced this as well. I go to a massage therapists who does Cranial Sacral therapy and mouth work. This is one of the only things that seems to help me. Try and do a search for a therapists in your area who practices this. You might also try acupuncture. I have not tried that yet but my Rhuematologist suggested that for me. Feel better.

 

[vickythecat]

Cranial Sacral therapy and mouth work.

That does sound interesting, had never heard of it before. Sadly I live in a country with basic health care, so I doubt I can find a therapist here. For now, I have to stick to basic treatment methods - cold pack and hot packs are my life savers