Symptoms of Tmj /questions

Hello, I have tmj had it for years, however the only real discomfort has been cracking jaw, when I chew food sometimes it is embarrassing and my hubby would tease me as he could here it.... I've also suffered with headaches off and on throughout most of my live, the odd popping in my ear and ringing most likely tmj related, but really I have always lived with this and no real "serious" problems

but just recently( 2weeks ago) I ended up in emerg as I had basiclly no mobility in my neck I could not turn my neck to the left or right hardly at all, and an unbareable ear ache, I could not lay on either my right or left side of head in bed as I was getting pain that felt like "electrical wire pain" shootting from the back of my neck up the back of my head, I could not swallow a drink of water or food with out crying as the pain in my throat to swallow was unbareable, and I could not open my mouth very wide , if I sneezed the pain sent me to my knees and I would cry I really believed that the doctor on call at emerg would say "oh you have a serious ear infection and strep throat"
as the symptom really felt like a severe infection or flue of some sort, I also have some swelling just in front of my right ear that has not gone away yet


the doc at er could not find anything in my right ear or my throat, so they took a couple of x-rays of my neck (they were fine) and blood cultures to check my white blood cell count ( seems the blood work was fine)

finally the er doc said she beleived it was "shingles" and that a rash would come out on my body but that I needed to do a follow up apt with my reg doc

yesterday I got in to see my fam doc and we did 6 x rays of my neck (this time for bone) not muscle type x ray, he has ruled out "shingles" as the culprit

although he did notice I had severe tmj, but he did not coment on tmj being the cause, or did he rule it out he thinks it may be some nerve condtion and severe arthritis, in my neck as my neck bones to make noises and I have had mild to moderate pain for a couple of years,

however what I am wondering is can tmj cause you to get these electric type shooting pains in your neck and back of head,?
This pain I am trying to describe is not like a headache or if your were hit or punched, but it is a different type of pain and the best to describe it is like " lightening" or electrical, in the back of my head and to lay on it was compl;etely out of the question it just got worse

i am taking an anti inflamitory medication (non steroidal), and now my doc has prescribed and anti depresent called "amitrypltaline" to be taken at bed time as this drug is suppose to help relax the nerves (or something)


has anyone here had the type of "electrical head pain" with their tmj?
Also looking for good acurate information on tmj as I never really did research this



thankyou for your help and support, and any insight would be much appreciated