Facial Pain/TMJ now fearing tumor.

[MandySlade]

A little over 2 years ago I started to get this random pain in the upper right side of my teeth/jaw. I really thought it was a tooth problem. Went to the dentist, had a bunch of dental work I needed done. She said she didn't think it had anything to do with my teeth and that it could be from my sinus or TMJ. She also said there was a small chance it was an impacted wisdom tooth on that side. Went to a jaw surgeon earlier this year who took that wisdom tooth out. He also said he didn't think it was related and that it was probably muscular/TMJ. Let me explain the pain in case anyone else has had a similar experience (I hope). It is ALWAYS only on my right side. It feels like a dull stabbing pain that lasts a few seconds at a time and then goes away to come back a few minutes or hours later. The pain is always located in the upper part of my jaw towards my back teeth and sometimes I have a hard time not thinking it's a tooth. It will act up on and off all day, sometimes for a day at a time, sometimes (like right now) for days or weeks in a row. Then I will go days without it sometimes. When I read about TMJ most pain people say they have pain in the ear or they get headaches or they feel like their jaw is tight. I have none of those common symptoms. My jaw -does- click on that side, but only very lightly. Because it's been so bad this week I'm starting to get really scared that it's a tumor or some form of cancer that I've been blowing off for 2 years now.. and that now it's so advanced I will surely die of it. I would go to an ENT, but I don't have insurance and my husband is starting to get really tired of my spending hundreds of dollars every few months on what he calls "random" doctor appointments. Not just for this, but all sorts of things. Please let me know what you think. I'm trying, but I'm really scared.

[kirstynic]

I have the exact same thing it so annoying, waiting for a dental opg scan to see if my teeth are impacted or if it's tmj. In August I had this as well as an infection called periochronitis and I thought I had a brain tumour as I had such a bad headache with it and my jaw ached so much. I had an MRI and all was clear. Tmj can cause exactly what you are saying and I am experiencing much the same

[charmcc123]

i have the same hun right side of head i cant chew chewy bread cause it will start an attack and at the mo i have eye spasm that side, ive had docs say its muscle spasms im scared, went to opticians to have a look he said all is ok, im just dont know, but my started when i took miritzapine and stopped taking it, ive been better from head pain 3 weeks so far but fear is still there, i think if we had a tumor it would be constant constant and u would have more symptons, im no doc but been to docs every month with this and all say im muscle or nerve pain, so im trying to get through it, thought i woud say your not alone

[MandySlade]

I think the thing that worries me the most is the lack of other more common TMJ symptoms. Everyone I know personally who has TMJ feels it right in front of their ear or right in the jaw. : /

[kirstynic]

My pain is primarily right at the back of my jaw where my back teeth are.

[charmcc123]

well im guessing that tmj rued out for me cause i dont get jaw probems, but when i chew i get a musce spasm above my ear where muscle is ahhhhhhhhhh now in panic as looked at dr google why why do this to myself surely doctors was worried ill be seen by nuero i dont know if i can cope with this, horrid isnt it surely if it was muscles spasm it would not take 6 months to heal and not be on off

[shanlynn1012]

OMG i had the same thing for over 2 yrs, it has let up now i cant breath. it is muscular from tmj. google round earth publishing or refered pain from tmj. Stop urself now i spent over 10k on speciliasts. best thing that helped me was ignoring it, it still comes every now and then but trust me!!!! i went to every dr all thought i was crazy. message me if u want. it is a trigger point!

[lelespears]

My TMJ is killing me just now!! Terrified it's actually a brain tumour or something, it's all righsided, the jaw, ear neck & headache it's hidious. And I get a pulling pain/feeling down my neck...

Lele x

[MarioKartGirl]

Hi everyone,

I have posted about this before - I used to have terrible TMJ pains on my right side. I had no idea what it was, and when I found out and got medical advice, guess what there wasn't much they could do aside from rearrange my face, which I would rather not have, thanks. I got acupuncture for my TMJ in 2009, and I was sceptical about it as the pain was so severe but, four sessions later, I am pretty much completely cured, bar the odd twinge very now and then (which is only a stab of minute pain when I am really stressed). I would really recommend this for anyone suffering with TMJ. Acupuncture helps with anxiety too :)

[shanlynn1012]

So strange it seems to be on everyones right side. I think it is becasue we use that side more. Computer, phone, holding children or anything. Has to be all connected.

---------- Post added at 14:07 ---------- Previous post was at 14:05 ----------

HAHA just talking about this is making it act up for me.

[swgrl09]

I have pain similar to what you describe only on the right side and it is my maxillary sinus. It gets worse from time to time and then better. I never had it until I had a bad sinus infection for a month and now it is easily irritated. Using a neti-pot and steam has helped me if that is what your pain ends up being from instead of TMJ.

[Anxious_gal]

I've had tmj for years . Wisdom teeth did make it so much worse.
Um I would assume a tumour would show up the dental X-rays no ?