Tight jaw

[sharjen]

Hi everyone - I've had abit of a tooth problem - my crown fell out but it's been put back now but for the last few days my jaws been playing up feeling really tight- like it's swelling and then dies off and flares back up again is this an anxiety do u think?

[jessy]

Hi , yep I get tooth ache because my jaw is tight & I clench a lot , mainly in my sleep but I catch myself doing it throughout the day .

I went to my dentist & I'm due to have a fitting for a mouth guard in 2 weeks time . You put it in before you go to bed & it stops the clenching .

I know it's very uncomfortable , I do not know why we do it ?

[sharjen]

Hi jessy thanks for your response - it seems the more I'm trying to relax the more tighter it's getting is that usual??

[jessy]

Know what you mean , the more I think about trying to keep my jaw relaxed the more I focus on it & realise its tight , I also get tightness in my neck & shoulders

[sharjen]

This seems to be going across my nose too- it feels horrible

[raggamuffin]

I get jaw aches and pains as well. I find my jaw clenched more than it is relaxed. It's a hard habit to break.

Ed

[sharjen]

Does nothing releave it??

[raggamuffin]

I'm really not sure what to suggest. I've actively avoided using pain killers. More often than not they did nothing which then led to more anxiety and worry etc. But my aches and pains seem to change every few days. Chest, arms, shoulders, jaw, ribs, stomach, head etc etc. I tend to fixate on it and make it worse. Distraction helps a lot and often if i'm really immersed in something then I feel very little or no pain at all. On a waiting list for CBT so hopefully that'll help. Also been researching a bit with regards to supplements. Thus far the most re-ocurring suggestions are as follows:

Royal Jelly
St John’s Wort
Magnesium
Valerian
Passion Flower
Hops
Hemp Oil
Starflower Oil
GreenTea
Virgin Olive Oil
Cayenne Extract
Hawthorn
5-HTP


Whether or not they work is another matter. I imagine it's much like medication for anxiety, some people will have amazing results whereas other people won't have any. But I think a healthy diet and avoiding processed sugary and fatty foods would help no end. Sorry I couldn't be of more help = /

Ed

[sharjen]

Thank you ed- that's been really helpful- I know it's not just me that's the main thing- I don't want to take medication- it will make me more anxiety as I'm scared of taking medication - just the fact that I'm not on my own is enough

[raggamuffin]

No worries, glad I could be of some help. It's certainly a relief seeing that you're not alone with your symptoms. Annoyingly, even having visited hopstial and nearly 10 doctors I sometimes struggle to think it's just anxiety even though they've all said it was. Plus doctor's methods are almost certianly going to be through the use of drugs which only really mask symptoms. Also, as you state there's always worry, especially with anxious people as to possible side effects and such like.

I tried an SSRI for 3 months and it didn't help at all. Also tried beta blockers for the same length of time to no avail and a short course of tranquilizers which again didn't work. I'm a bit reluctant to start taking lots of supplements too. But, asides from 5-HTP these are all naturally occuring and with any luck it might help. But for me distraction is certainly the most helpful by far, whenever you feel anxious just throw yourself into something that needs your undivided attention and it's surprising how quickly aches and pains disappear.

Ed