Constant pain under right jaw

Posted by Isabelle @isabee, Feb 16, 2020

Hey there! This is going to be a long read so I'm sorry in advance. Details about the jaw pain is in the last paragraph!

I'm actually going to get an MRI for this in a month but I was thinking I could also get other people's perspectives and ideas on what my issue could be before then since it's been going on for so long already with no answers yet. I'm also asking here since I'm now starting to believe it has something to do with the nerves, maybe (which the MRI should hopefully reveal).

Here's the story: in March of last year I began having mild aching pain under my right jaw (not where the jawbone is, a little closer to the neck in the soft area). I initially thought it was just another symptom of my anxiety due to school so I ignored it, but after two weeks it suddenly got worse to the point where I couldn't bend down at all or else the pain would grow so intense it felt like whatever was in pain there was gonna explode. I visited the local walk-in clinic that day which started my journey to trying to find the cause. Got a bunch of blood tests which all turned up normal. Then got a neck ultrasound which actually revealed that I had thyroiditis!

By this point the pain was still a constant but definitely not bad, and I could bend down again without a reaction. I went to see an endocrinologist and in 3 months my thyroid got better (it's still enlarged to this day but it's stable), and the pain was completely gone. Cut to October and the pain under my jaw suddenly comes back again. I thought it was my thyroid again so I got another neck ultrasound but I sat down with my endocrinologist when we got the results and he told me that my thyroid is still where it was before and that he had no idea what the pain I was feeling was, but that it definitely didn't have anything to do with my thyroid.

So I went back to the walk-in clinic and got a jaw x-ray, which came back normal too. I also asked my dentist about it but they don't have any idea what it could be. My doctor tried to refer me to an orthodontist to try and maybe see if it's caused by TMD (Temporomandibular disorder), but when we tried to book an appointment with them they told me the earliest one would be in 2021, so that's a no-go (I'm done school in April and going back home which is too far).

At this point my pain disappeared again after being present for about 2-3 weeks. I thought it was maybe over with, but come December and the pain came back yet again, this time I'd developed constant head pains as well. The jaw pain went away after another 2 weeks but my head pains were constant and relentless for a solid 2 months. It first felt like a pinch in the back right side of my skull, at the base, then would develop into something like an ache in the connection between the skull's plates that would get worse when I lied down. It felt like I had to crack the back of my skull real bad but I couldn't no matter what I did. The pain would also move depending on which side I would rest my head. It kept me up for countless nights and just made my life for those 2 months absolutely miserable, and when it was at its worse so too was the pain under my jaw. I started seeing a Chiropractor around a month ago thinking maybe it had something to do with my neck and spine, and then both went away in late January/early February. Then a little under two weeks ago I had a migrane which lasted a few days; it was a dull/sharp pain located right above and slightly forward from my right ear (it's also present at the exact same place on my left side, but not as intensely). The pain intensifies whenever I lay my head down, especially on it's sides. Ibuprofen/Advil didn't work at all.

Now both the jaw pain and the migraine have recently come back AGAIN a couple of days ago and it looks like it's gonna last another couple of weeks if the pattern is anything to go by. They both sometimes pulsate pain when it's really bad. Throughout the day the pain comes and goes and lasts for about a minute or a bit more, but around nighttime it becomes a constant and prevents me from sleeping, often keeping me up until 5 or 6am. I was referred to a neurologist last month but they haven't called me back yet, so I'll call them in a couple of days after family day.

The details of the jaw pain now is that during the 2-3 weeks that it's present, it comes and goes with no obvious triggers. The pain is usually either a sharp, pulsating pain that lasts for a second, or a dull aching pain that can last for over an hour. During the whole year it had gotten as bad as to wake me up three times from deep sleep. It has never gotten as bad as the initial incident with not being able to bend down, but it still remains a consistent pain that disrupts my daily life, and pain medication such as ibuprofen/advil or aleve don't have any effect on it. I'm a 25 yo female with no allergies or past medical history besides an oral surgery I underwent about 10 years ago to remove a cyst (which turned out to be a false alarm). I have not been officially diagnosed, but I am 100% sure I have misophonia, and with that, I'm somewhat sure that I have some form of anxiety (I will be seeking official help with a counselor soon). If you have any further questions please feel free to ask!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Support Group.

Hi, @isabee. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. That would be disconcerting to me if I had pain coming and going in my jaw with no obvious triggers. Dull aching or sharp pulsating pain lasting an hour or so sounds painful, especially if it's intense enough to awaken you. pain medication such as ibuprofen/advil or aleve don’t have any effect on it.

I'd like to offer some information on misophonia published in the Aug. 18, 2015 Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4547634/.

Also, I'd like to introduce you to some others who may be familiar with misophonia or jaw pain, such as @lioness @brightwings @dsteede @kdmorris @johnbishop @hjh444. Hoping they can provide some support and some input as you try and get some answers as to why this jaw pain and what to do about it.

You mentioned possible roots of this pain in anxiety. Are you currently taking any antidepressants or antianxiety medications?

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@lisalucier

Hi, @isabee. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. That would be disconcerting to me if I had pain coming and going in my jaw with no obvious triggers. Dull aching or sharp pulsating pain lasting an hour or so sounds painful, especially if it's intense enough to awaken you. pain medication such as ibuprofen/advil or aleve don’t have any effect on it.

I'd like to offer some information on misophonia published in the Aug. 18, 2015 Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4547634/.

Also, I'd like to introduce you to some others who may be familiar with misophonia or jaw pain, such as @lioness @brightwings @dsteede @kdmorris @johnbishop @hjh444. Hoping they can provide some support and some input as you try and get some answers as to why this jaw pain and what to do about it.

You mentioned possible roots of this pain in anxiety. Are you currently taking any antidepressants or antianxiety medications?

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Suddenly, so many folks are reporting problems with teeth. The cause??? Limes disease.

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@lisalucier

Hi, @isabee. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. That would be disconcerting to me if I had pain coming and going in my jaw with no obvious triggers. Dull aching or sharp pulsating pain lasting an hour or so sounds painful, especially if it's intense enough to awaken you. pain medication such as ibuprofen/advil or aleve don’t have any effect on it.

I'd like to offer some information on misophonia published in the Aug. 18, 2015 Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4547634/.

Also, I'd like to introduce you to some others who may be familiar with misophonia or jaw pain, such as @lioness @brightwings @dsteede @kdmorris @johnbishop @hjh444. Hoping they can provide some support and some input as you try and get some answers as to why this jaw pain and what to do about it.

You mentioned possible roots of this pain in anxiety. Are you currently taking any antidepressants or antianxiety medications?

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@isabee Hi thanks Lisa .Welcome to connect we care ,we try to help.Im sorry for the pain your in I can only think of TMJ have you seen your dentist?that would be my first suggestion Have you seen your own Dr? My friend had TMJ and doesn't have it anymore I,LL contact her to see what helped her.The other thing is stress from something in your life

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Hi, @isabee. I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @lisalucier and other members. It's great that you are learning as much as you can about your health condition and seeking information. I know it can be frustrating at times when you can't find the answers for your questions. From what I have read there can many causes for jaw pain. Here is a recent article that may provide some helpful information.

Medical News Today Jan 2020 -- Everything you need to know about jaw pain
-- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317184

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@lioness

@isabee Hi thanks Lisa .Welcome to connect we care ,we try to help.Im sorry for the pain your in I can only think of TMJ have you seen your dentist?that would be my first suggestion Have you seen your own Dr? My friend had TMJ and doesn't have it anymore I,LL contact her to see what helped her.The other thing is stress from something in your life

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@isabee Hi My friend got back to me about TMJ as it turns out she has damaged nerves and is on gabapentin and Elivile

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@lioness

@isabee Hi My friend got back to me about TMJ as it turns out she has damaged nerves and is on gabapentin and Elivile

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Hey there! It's been a year, but I'm back to update this thread incase this could help another person. It turns out you and your friend were right lioness, it was indeed due to a damaged nerve in the back of my neck!

My posture at my work desk for the past 3 years had been horrible (screen to the left, so head always looking to the left), so I ended up fixing my computer set up, have incorporated a schedule of getting up and stretching and massaging certain areas throughout the day, and occasionally go to a massage therapist, and I'm at a point now where the headaches and jaw pain have been a thing of the past since autumn last year!

I still get the occasional small sharp pains in the right side of my head, but it's mostly just a warning that tells me whenever I haven't been massaging enough, and it goes away with enough care.

Thank you so much for the tip, lioness!

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#isabee Your welcome glad I could help

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@isabee

Hey there! It's been a year, but I'm back to update this thread incase this could help another person. It turns out you and your friend were right lioness, it was indeed due to a damaged nerve in the back of my neck!

My posture at my work desk for the past 3 years had been horrible (screen to the left, so head always looking to the left), so I ended up fixing my computer set up, have incorporated a schedule of getting up and stretching and massaging certain areas throughout the day, and occasionally go to a massage therapist, and I'm at a point now where the headaches and jaw pain have been a thing of the past since autumn last year!

I still get the occasional small sharp pains in the right side of my head, but it's mostly just a warning that tells me whenever I haven't been massaging enough, and it goes away with enough care.

Thank you so much for the tip, lioness!

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hello!!!! I know for you this has been a while ago so hopefully youre able to respond but- who was able to diagnose you with your nerve issue???

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@esperanza03

hello!!!! I know for you this has been a while ago so hopefully youre able to respond but- who was able to diagnose you with your nerve issue???

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Hi @esperanza03, welcome. That's a good question. I, too, wonder who was observant to notice the nerve issue was largely caused by posture. It could've been the ENT who suggested a referral to PT.
Esperanza, Are you experiencing a similar issue with jaw pain?

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