Kinda long message - please read along and bear with me I really need to put my mind at rest.
IÂ’ve been suffering with TMJ since July 2021. It comes and goes. 90% of the time itÂ’s on my left side, and usually a flare up will last for around a week and IÂ’ll be able to get through the pain with paracetamol and ibuprofen -
May 2023, I thought IÂ’d developed an ear infection due to pain in my left ear, muffled hearing, and then three days later the tinnitus started, and never went awayÂ…
Several weeks later at attempts to seeing the ENT I managed to get seen at the hospital and was told my ears are completely fine and clear of wax and no signs of perforation or infection meaning that my symptoms are more than likely
Dental related.
I contacted my dentist who suggest an x ray, and after viewing the result of the x ray i was informed that my jaw is severely misaligned and that i am suffering with TMJ.
The dentist offered me a splint to treat the problem however at a cost of £200. Im on benefits, I didn’t have the money then and don’t have the money now.
By the time IÂ’d seen the dentist, IÂ’d already experienced and recovered from the extreme health anxiety and depression the tinnitus had caused, and through a brilliant hypnotherapist I was able to truly move on for the most part regarding all my forms of anxiety - IÂ’ve had several health issues since that usually wouldÂ’ve been catastrophic for me and each one cause a mental meltdown, but since July IÂ’ve been managing it all brilliantly and feel so much more laid back a even though the tinnitus and occasional ear pain has never gone away. IÂ’ve mastered the ringing, and will be making another post in here on the tinnitus section for those suffering with what I did for those first few months.
Just before Christmas, my TMJ flared up really bad and kept alternating between sides of my jaw and I spent 2 weeks with my jaw pretty much locked, it got better, and I had a really call holiday Period, but IÂ’d keep getting this throbbing pain beneath my jaw on the left side every now and then.
ItÂ’d happen every couple of days sometimes a week without it, and usually only last anywhere from 2 minutes to two hours.
IÂ’ve noticed the cold and my overthinking causes me to clench hard quite a lot without noticing, and that I do clench and grind a lot in my sleep as the dentist explained to me.
Today IÂ’ve been in pain all throughout the day while out working in the cold.
Just an inch from my chin on the left side beneath my jaw, has been throbbing all day.
No pain when swallowing only when forcing it hard on purpose, no pain when coughing or yawing or when applying pressure to my jaw or glands, just a constant deep heavy ache at the very bottom of my jaw line.
My left ear seems fuller than usual, and I have been having more shooting pains in that ear than often.
The pain seems to subside a bit when I remember to keep my mouth open - but I also have a horrible awful taste in my mouth, that taste specially strong when I drink a glass of water, that wonÂ’t go away no matter how hard I brush.
The back of my head at the bottom is aching and so is then left side of my face around my cheek and ear.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen usually take away all my pain and I use them regular for my sciatica - however theyÂ’re doing absolutely nothing for the pain IÂ’m feeling now.
IÂ’ve worked so hard to get free from my HA and donÂ’t want to undo all the therapy IÂ’ve had.
IÂ’m already so disappointed in myself and feel like IÂ’m going to snowball.
Has anyone had a similar experience to mine or could someone please break
Things down and help me rationalise them?
IÂ’m so so scarred that IÂ’ve got some form of cancer thatÂ’s spread to my lymph nodes or something just as as sinister like lymphoma.
IÂ’m sorry for the long message I just had to get everything off my chest - please someone stop me in my tracks I really donÂ’t want to ruin the start of a new year again.
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