I've been suffering with a problem for
several months, and have seen a doctor and
had a brain CT scan to rule out tumor, and
now I'm wondering if it could be TMJ.
When I wake up in the morning, the upper
region of my earlobe hurts, and I will
often develop in the early part of the day
pain in the mastoid region behind the ear,
and the pain will often spread around to
the back of my head. There's a place also
near the top of my head that hurts. In
the morning I also usually have a stiff
neck.
I've been massaging my neck, shoulder and
face, and oftentimes the area around my
jaw has tender areas, and if I massage my
lower jaw I get a popping sound in my
ear.
I do not have headaches, jaw pain, jaw
popping, or any of the other typical
symptoms of TMJ.
All the symptoms go away at some point in
the late afternoon or early evening, every
single day, and the process begins again
the morning.
I appreciate any help or thoughts you may
have!
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catswold
Supporter
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 404 Location: Flint, Michigan
Posted: 06-04-07 19:47pm
Hi bpete,
It sounds like you might be grinding
and/or clenching your teeth while sleeping
which is why you wake up tight and with
some tenderness. You might want to added
Magnesium to your daily diet (chelated mag
is the best from what I read).
Also, are you on an SSRI anti-depressant
of any kind? Check it out and see if you
are. These can cause bruxism. If you
think this might be the problem, consider
adding a very small dose of Buspar (7.5
mg) to your medication. Buspar is not
usually recommended with an SSRI, but a
very small dose has been found to work
well to stop grinding issues. Or, you
might want to consider changing the Anti-D
from another class.
My last suggestion would be to consider
wearing a night-time bite splint. Your
dentist should be able to make you one,
but sometimes it can be difficult to find
a really good bite splint.
I hope and pray that you find something
that will help you. Take care and...
God bless...
Carol
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bpete
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Jun 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Florida
Posted: 06-04-07 19:56pm
Thanks Carol for your reply and great
suggestions. I'm not on any meds, and I'm
already taking a good magnesium supplement
before bed, in addition to what's in my
multiple. I guess the next step is to try
the mouth guard or bite splint for a while
and see if it helps. Do those things need
to be done custom by a dentist, or will
the premade things work? What is
recommended?
Also, have you ever heard of TMJ causing
earlobe pain? I have no other ear
symptoms (no ringing, popping, hearing
loss, pain, etc.), just the weird ache in
my earlobe, usually the top of my earlobe.
Massaging the trigger points/muscles in
the face, jaw and around the ear does not
seem to help.
Thanks again!
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catswold
Supporter
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 404 Location: Flint, Michigan
Posted: 06-06-07 22:23pm
Yes, they should be custom made. A good
splint maker and adjuster is soooooo
important. They are usually dentists and
some orthodontists.
How is your posture? Especially in front
of the computer? If you can relax your
shoulders and hold your head and chin
properly, some of the pain might lessen.
Check out nismat.org Physical Therapy TMJ
page for some pictures, exercises and
basic info.
I have no heard of anyone with earlobe
pain (except when I sleep too hard on my
side), but it doesn't surprise me. I have
had a lot of problems with my ears in the
past, tho.
God bless...
Carol
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bpete
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Jun 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Florida
Posted: 06-07-07 08:24am
Thanks Carol for your kind advice. I'll
go check out that link.
