posted on January 8, 2007 02:35:33 PM
FIRST: I apologize to all for being a whiney wuss, wallowing in self-pity, etc, etc...
I'm sure many here suffer worse afflictions than my sore face... I'm sure some are sick and bored by my tale...
My only explanation is that "this" (whatever the heck THIS is) has been going on since around 11/30 and I've just about had it -- I'm about ready to follow Carol Ann "into the light" and start throwing slimey tennis balls at Craig T. Nelson...
OTOH: so many here have been EXTREMELY KIND & GENEROUS to me, and many have expressed an interest in my "progress," so, until somebody tells me to get a life or to GET LOST, I will continue with the UPDATES...
TODAY was day SIX (and the FINAL DAY, THANK goodness) of the MEDROL (1 pill total today) and I'm SO happy to get rid of that stuff as it has made me extraordinarily sick...
The TOOTH that the ENDODONTIST re-treated has finally settled down, and THAT'S the GOOD NEWS:
OTOH: the "bad" news is:
1) THE ORIGINAL PAIN i started with on 11/30 & went to DrDentalDoom on 12/5 for (aching pain in the MOLAR lower left back jaw) is just as BAD NOW as it was when he did the RC on the tooth in front of it on 12/5... I'm convinced that THAT RC was un-necessary...AND, i wouldn't be surprised if the X-RAY of the tooth pre-RC magically disappears at some point...
/PLUS/
2) TMJ PAIN ever since about 24hrs after the RC...As long as I don't eat, the pain is only a 1-2, but, if I eat ANYTHING, within the hour, the pain in my EAR+JAW+TEMPLE+CLICKING-in-my-EAR starts in &, by 8pm is SEVERE...At 11pm, I take an AMBIEN &, thankfully, pass out, and the next morning, the pain is again back to a 1-2 UNLESS I EAT SUMPTIN...Have lost 12pounds over past month -- if I could totally give up eating, I would!
I had always been under the immense MIS-CONCEPTION that "TMJ" was one of those "not-very-serious" or vague diagnoses that MD's employed when they couldn't come up with a concise diagnosis...BUT, if this is TMJ Syndrome, then, I can attest that it is a TRUE NIGHTMARE...
FRIDAY I go to UF/SHANDS for a TMJ w/u with a MAXILO-FACIAL SURGEON...I have to go to a MF SURGEON because of my HMO insurance, which will cover treatment thru a MD, but NOT thru a DENTIST...
Before this, (hopefully on WED), I'm seeing my PHARMACIST's SIL , who will X-RAY & examine both upper & lower LEFT jaws just to make sure none of the fangs are rotting & causing the pain...
My PHARMACIST (and his FAMILY) are really NICE folks -- he's been a PHARM for over 50 years and both his daughters are also! One of his SIL's is my PAIN DOCTOR -- this is an extraordinary family that has been VERY kind to me over the past 4.5 years, since I've moved to FL. True, I do spend an average of $350/month there on my meds, but I don't think that's all important to them -- they truly are just plain GOOD folks!
So...
THAT'S where things stand now...
I feel like I'm screaming in the wilderness...SCREAMING for this pain in my face to end...WISH ME LUCK, and, as always:
posted on January 8, 2007 05:04:30 PM
I do wish you luck that this will be over soon.
Instead of actually eating and using your jaw, how about using a blender and to make milkshakes. Fruit, vegetables,yogurt, etc. and a big straw. I hope you feel better soon, Tom
posted on January 8, 2007 05:11:01 PM
Tom, you certainly have my sympathy! Let me talk a little about TMJ. In the mid-70s, I went through a very stressful time. As it was coming to a close, TMJ started. I didn't know what it was at first--jaw clicking, AWFUL headaches, etc. My doctor suggested I go to a certain dentist, who examined me and did what was the protocol at that time--he gave me a plastic "splint" to wear all the time, including at night, for I think a month; he also filed down very slightly some of my molars because he said my bite wasn't right. And he sent me to physical therapy.
(The splint just covered my bottom teeth.)
After a month of the splint all the time, I graduated to just wearing it at night, and I did wear it at night for a couple of years.
All of this work (plus fiorinal for the pain) finally took effect, and I haven't had one of those headaches since.
BUT I have to tell you during the therapy and treatment, the headaches continued so bad for a while that for the one and only time in my life I was suicidal. I would drive down the street and say to myself, well, I could just drive into that brick wall and stop this pain. I was afraid to drive on a freeway so took back roads. What stopped me was that my husband and little kids would need me, and I knew that deep down.
Those headaches were the worst.
My dentist also taught me how to relax my jaw. He pointed out that some of us, when we're stressed, clench our teeth (that was partly why he gave me that splint to wear--it separated the jaw joints and relieved pressure in my skull.) I've learned since to either stick my tongue between my molars on one side or another, when stressed, or simply to consciously relax the jaw.
Whatever the drs. do for you, do work on the jaw relaxation as you can.
--------------
You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,
'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'
- Dave Barry
[ edited by roadsmith on Jan 8, 2007 05:13 PM ]
posted on January 8, 2007 05:31:13 PM
So sorry, Tom but you've GOT to eat! Take your peanut butter on toast, put it in the blender with a little chocolate milk- pulverize it, then pour it in an old-fashioned mustard-type dispenser that you can squirt in you mouth and let slither down your throat. Food was my first love but now it's just a hassle. I'm without pain but dropped 40 pounds before deciding the last thing I need is a compromised defense system. I force feed myself every half hour and my weight has stabilized.
posted on January 8, 2007 06:01:54 PM
not sure about TMJ but DH says I grind my teeth unbearably every night. He's pleaded with me to wear some kind of a mouth guard. I tried the kind you can buy in Wally world that the football players wear but it's just too uncomfortable.
I broke down and bought a Sleep Right from Amazon and although I hate wearing it - it does kind of retrain you to sleep with your mouth open a little. I can fall asleep wearing it but will usually wake up during the night and take it out.
posted on January 8, 2007 07:42:48 PM
Awww Tom I was sure hoping your next post would say your feeling at least 50% better. Keep the faith ! One of these doctors will bring the help you need ,lets just hope its soon .
posted on January 9, 2007 05:46:40 AM
Tom, sorry to hear you are still in pain.
How about soup? You should be able to drink it and I would think that with juice and maybe some energy shakes it could keep you going till this problem is solved. Let us know how you are doing. As you can see there are a lot of people who care about you and Ralphie.
-----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
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posted on January 9, 2007 07:50:25 AM
It's 10:42am...I have NOT eaten anything this morning...BUT, the pain in my JAW+EAR+TEMPLE+click-click has already begun...
I have 800mg MOTRINS, & I'll try one of those now... I take just about the strongest Percocet normally (10/325), but they (surprisingly) don't even touch this pain...
I bought a re-useable ice-pack the other day, but, if I keep it against my ear (over that throbbing blood vessel), I start to feel "weird" so I mainly use it way above my ear...There are tender "knots" all over the place under my scalp...
At least me-&-Ralphie are both now slim, svelte and sexy (??!!) -- he wants me to write a NEW diet book: "The I-Wanna-Put-My-Head-Thru-A-Wall Diet" Say! You too can lose 13 lbs in 30 days & yell at yer roomie/bestest bud!
posted on January 9, 2007 12:59:14 PM
Tom: Look up TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) on the internet. "TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) is a pain that is described as among the most acute known to mankind. TN produces excruciating, lightning strikes of facial pain, typically near the nose, lips, eyes or ears."
I don't know much about TMJ, but a close friend of ours had TN, and she was a afraid to eat, talk or smile, because it increased the pain. She ended up having surgery, it was not major, just clipping the cranial nerve in the back of her neck that was causing the pain. I may be way off base, but I thought I would mention it, I saw her go through such awful pain, and then released from it.
posted on January 9, 2007 02:17:05 PM
I agree with Amber--TN is a possibility. Both TMJ and TN have similar symptoms, but TN usually has even more severe pain. Hope the docs get to the bottom of this real soon. You need some relief!
posted on January 9, 2007 02:48:30 PM
STONECOLD, you are very rude, heartless and obnoxious (meaning highly offensive, in case you don't know what it means) and I wish you wouldn't say anything, you should just pass by this thread and don't come in to even read it and most of all you need to learn how to show compassion for others which from all your posts I can tell you are a self centered person. YOUR name fits YOUR personality.
I apologize to you Tom and everyone for being outspoken with my feelings but I just about had all I could stand from stonecold,
posted on January 9, 2007 03:53:53 PM
Please look into the TN possibility. I had your symptoms back in the 1980s. The pain on the right side of my face, ear, jaw and eye would get so unbearable I can't even begin to describe it. It would come and go at first but then got more and more consistent to where it was almost constant. Thru it all I was sent from one specialist to another, had test after test, and no results. Not my teeth, not TMJ, not this, not that.
I worked in the radiology dept. of a hospital at the time and had access to the best but still no diagnosis or relief. By pure coincidence one day a neurosurgeon from a nearby hospital was in our dept. to check on xrays we'd done on a patient he was now taking care of. Low and behold, I had one of my "pain attacks" while talking to him. I grabbed my face and held on for dear life as I always did when it hit. He immediately said "that's a classic trigeminal neuralgia episode". He didn't know me and had no knowledge that I'd been having problems.
I had the test done to confirm his diagnosis, sure enough there was that loop in the blood vessels that was causing my pain. Had it taken care of, woke up with no more pain and haven't had a minute of pain in my face since. That Dr. changed my life. I really didn't know how much more I could tolerate.
I hope and pray you are able to find the relief you deserve. I'm certainly proof of the pudding that with the right diagnosis it can be done. I hope you'll have a chance to investigate the TN info thru Google.
The very best of luck to you. I really and truly can relate to how you feel. I'll be thinking good thoughts for you and remembering you in my prayers. Take care.
posted on January 9, 2007 06:10:58 PM
Stone, lay back, others - lay off Stone, another valuable contributing member whom I happen to disagree with on this issue.
posted on January 9, 2007 08:38:15 PM
Tom/Ralphie .. I was so hoping you would be getting back on track faster. However it looks like you are still having a very ruff time.
Hopefully you will soon get to feeling less pain.
I am glad you are getting your sense of humor back.
There are still lots of folks here who really care. Most likely,all of us do---just some are awkward expressing it.
Anyway ,keep on,keeping on ..... there is still lots of scales to sell. (grin)
posted on January 9, 2007 08:54:59 PM
Sorry to hear the pain is still there. There are some good things to look into here. The one about shingles Mrs irked can atest to she had them on her left cheek 2 times and the pain was intolerable in the ear but it didn't hurt on eating. But different locations of shingles can cause different pains so her Dr. said.
If you get more pain when eating is it due to chewing or just the temperature of foods or can you swallow liquids and it not hurt weather cold or hot?? Chewing on opposite side? or only chewing on side affected? All are good questions to pin point down especially before going to Dr. Anyway I do hope he can find the cause and treat it.
I's say chin up but that might hurt so keep the faith-- ok?
************** I married my wife for her looks, but Not the one she gives me lately!
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posted on January 10, 2007 04:30:25 AM
Tom ... I'm so sorry to hear that you are still suffering. There is nothing worse than chronic pain. I wish I had some advice for you. I have TMJ but it doesn't hurt unless I go to the dentist and have to have my mouth open for a long time. Mine is just annoying because it clicks all the time and sometimes my mouth will get stuck open. LOL ... That's interesting in a restaurant!
Hopefully you'll get the help you need soon and get some relief. On the bright side (if there is one), once you are well again, you and Ralphie will have to go out for a night on the town to show off your new svelte figures.
posted on January 10, 2007 08:34:12 AM
Bizzy: Slightly off topic, but about the TMJ--I used to suffer at the dentist's until I discovered putting some sort of padding or a neck pillow behind my neck helped immensely. Now my dentist has one available for use. Give it a try.
posted on January 10, 2007 03:15:17 PM
Roady ... Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it a try. I have so much dental work to get done and have been putting it off because it aggravates the TMJ. It's definitely worth a try!
posted on January 10, 2007 05:25:44 PM
Diane: I'm sure you've seen these neck pillows advertised--some are filled with filler, some are air pillows, and they just fit around the neck from the back. Bring a small pillow next time you go to the dentist, or even a rolled towel--and ask them, if they don't have a neck pillow, to consider getting one for their patients. It can make a huge difference in your level of pain.
Someone on eBay is probably selling them right now!
posted on January 11, 2007 04:17:09 AM
Ha ha ha Classic ... I was wondering when you would jump on that one! Jeez ... You sure are getting slow in your old age. <snicker>
posted on January 11, 2007 07:29:05 AM
Tom I feel for you and wish there was something someone could do!!! Maybe tomorrow's appointment will be the real beginning of the end of your pain.
I married my wife for her looks, but Not the one she gives me lately! 
