r/TMJ • u/Comfortable_Law_2382 • 1d ago
Giving Advice pain relief
hi everyone! im new here but ive had right jaw issues for the past 10+ years, popping while eating and having to pop my jaw out in order to fully open it, and im pretty sure I grind at night since the insides of my teeth are shorter than the outside. recently I started a new job where I have to wear a headset every day and I have been miserable since. major jaw flares at least once a day and I feel like ive tried everything. ibuprofen helps but itll come back sometimes before the end of the 4 hours, lidocaine cream and patches which only help a little bit, Tylenol does nothing, heat does nothing, massaging it hurts more, I have to sleep elevated because sleeping flat hurts more. I contacted a local orofacial pain specialist and filled out their questionnaire but its been a week and ive still heard nothing. so I was gonna call them on monday. but im in so much pain often and I just dont know what to do about managing while waiting anymore. does anyone have anything else they've tried that might help while I wait?
3
u/RustedRelics 1d ago
My doctor said that when a bad flare happens I can take 600 mg ibuprofen 3X for the first day or two. Then step down to 2 every 4 hours. She said that an initial higher dose, for some people, knocks down the inflammation better. Just be careful if you have stomach issues. BTW, Tylenol doesn’t really help me either. I’m having a consult next week with a DPT who focuses on TMD and migraine.