I am in quite a bind and need immediate help! I understand everyone here has their own problems and need your help as well but I would apprecaite a timely response because I have a dr appt with my PCP this week. Here is my situation......I have TMJ and have had it for years and years and years (I am 29 years old). When I was in my teens, my dentist advised my parents to look into getting my "jaw broken" at that time. He explained the importance of it. My parents opted NOT to have it done. They felt it was inhumane and too rough of a surgery to recover from. (No, they are not doctors...) In any event, here I am, 29 years old, with severe TMJ. I have constant, non-stop pain in my jaw/joints/mouth. On May 7th I had a baby. About a month ago, I was "found" at my mom's house passed out in her bushes/yard with my infant son on the ground next to me. I was face down. My son was face up, screaming. At that time, my mom and step dad found me I had no idea what happened to me or who they were. Within minutes, I knew who they were...but, to this day, still have no idea what happened to me. I assume I passed out (I *think* I have low blood sugar because I get dizzy alot when I stand up and do not each much during the day/night....plus, I was really, really, really watching what I was eating as I was trying to loose the "baby weight"). I went to my PCP whom I have an excellent relationship with. He did bloodwork and had me wear a heart monitor for 24 hours. I never heard back the result. After calling them 3 times, they FINALLY called me back last week, left me a voice mail stating I need to make an apt to "go over the findings"...That story told.............Along with my TMJ pain, I am having horrible, dramatic, terrible pain in between my shoulder blades in my upper back. To describe it better: I have constant, horrible pain all thru my back. When I inhale, I feel like I have broken ribs. Then, in b/tween my shoulder blades, I have this HORRIBLE burning sensation of pain. Neither of those pains EVER go away. The pain located in between my blades will be pretty steady, but, about every 3 hours I get a jolt of even worse pain through out for about 10 minutes. I went to my PCP about the TMJ. He referred me to a TMJ doc. He put me on Vicodin ES, Elavil and Tramadol. Every Dr he referred me to doesnt take my insurance. Then, the docs I found thru my insurance co do not break jaws-which, at this point, I dont care. I do not want it broken now I do not think after reading whore stories online. I also went to a pain mgmt dr who, granted, didnt have my med records (yet) or xrays....but, he literally prescribed me LESS than the PCP and he is about an hour away. I don't think I will go back ONLY because I can get the same neds from my PCP who is five minutes away...plus, I know him and he knows me. Okaaaaaaaaaay--question time! Well, a couple questions....I am going back to my PCP doc this week. I need to get a referral from him to go see a pain mgmt doc as he has been cool about giving me vicodin es....but, he can't continue because he isnt pain mgmt. My first question is: What type of pain relievers and other meds should I be on for my TMJ? Second question is: Is it possible the back pain I have is from my TMJ? If not, I think it is possible I hurt it when I passed out...or whatever happened to me. Is there meds I can take to address that pain and/or fix it?

I am sorry this is so long! It was lengthy in explanation!

Thank you in advance!

Answer from doctor:
Jenn, The most important thing you can do is get an accurate diagnosis of what the problem is that is causing these symptoms. Medications should be only used as an adjunct to proper therapy of these types of disorders. Surgery for jaw joint problems is rarely necessary. It is always better to use the most Conservative therapies possible. You may want to go to the website of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain for information and referrals in your area. Good luck.

Steven Bender DDS


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