Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

Posted by Kelsey Mohring @kelseydm, Apr 27, 2016

Welcome to the new Chronic Pain group.

I’m Kelsey and I’m the moderator of the group. I look forwarding to welcoming you and introducing you to other members. Feel free to browse the topics or start a new one.

Why not take a minute and introduce yourself.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.

@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

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@marield65 Marie, I'm glad you had a nice birthday dinner, but sorry that afterwards you were hit with so many aches, pains, etc. I hope tomorrow will be a better day for you.
Is your pool an outdoor pool? Thankfully the one I go to is indoors. They do have an outdoor one also but you have to pay extra to be a "premier member" which is not worth it to me. I hope you manage to go to your pool this week, it is so helpful, especially if you have a good group people in the classes also.
JK

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@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

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@hazelblumberg, you have a few options for getting the testing done. I'm not positive that all Mayo locations do the testing, but you can check. Often times, PGx tests performed in the clinical setting are more expensive, and sometimes insurance doesn't cover the costs. (My first sets of tests done onsite at Mayo Rochester cost ~$2,900 for 9 tests and insurance refused to cover them.) With that said... my second set of tests (22 tests for $249) done via mail order by OneOme.com. OneOme is a Mayo Clinic company located in Minneapolis. Your doctor just needs to go to the site, do some reading, and get their contact info. S/he contacts them, and then they call you to confirm your mailing info and to get a credit card payment. They then ship the test kit to you, you swab your gums, and you send it back to them via the FedEx shipping container that that provided to you. After they process your sample, they contact your doctor and you can also download a copy of your report from their web site. The only thing missing if you do it this way is a little bit of counseling where someone explains how your system processes meds, what the tests find, etc.

To prep your doctors to learn more, ask them to google "cytochrome P450". (All doctors learn about this in college, but not in enough detail to use in practice. Based my experience, internal medicine PCPs and cardiologists seem to be more familiar. Pharmacists, especially younger ones, seem to know the most.) The cytochrome P450 liver enzyme system is how our bodies metabolize most drugs, many of the toxins that enter our bodies, and some of our hormones (especially steroids). This is the liver enzyme system where many polymorphisms are found.

(Basically, we all have this system in us, and it is packed full of enzymes. Each enzyme is like a gene that has two alleles... one from your mom and one from your dad. Sometimes, these alleles have genetic mutations, also known as polymorphisms. These polymorphisms prevent us from metabolizing some medications as intended.

Some good info to read / videos to watch:
http://individualizedmedicineblog.mayoclinic.org/2016/12/06/pharmacogenomics-the-rx-for-success/
http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/center-for-individualized-medicine/pharmacogenomics.asp

The reports I received from Mayo and OneOme are essentially the same. The cover page lists medications that I need to avoid and also use with caution. The next page lists medications that should be okay for me to take. The subsequent pages explain each polymorphism or if I tested okay for the gene.

For the total of 23 genes I've had tested, I have 13 polymorphisms, but most people probably just a few. I am probably very rare, but having these polymorphisms is not a rarity, so this is very valuable information to have as an individual that can also help your family. With the knowledge was gained from my tests, we now know that my daughters absolutely need to be tested eventually. I was ill for 12 years due to prescription meds that I don't properly metabolize, drugs like Nexium, Cymbalta, Metoprolol, cold medicines that contain DM, and more, but because of what we know now, we can prevent this from happening to my daughters.

My Mayo pharmacist said he wishes everyone would be able to get this testing done, and I agree. There are some hospitals in the Virginia area that now offer this as newborn testing.

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@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

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@marield65, please see my post to @hazelblumberg as well regarding pharmacogenomic testing.

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@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

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Thanks so much for all the information! My primary care is a DNP, and she's interested in holistic treatment. She does traditional and nontraditional medicine, and I love her. This is probably something she's familiar with. I'll talk to her about it. The great thing for me is that my psych meds--for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder--work really well. I've been on the same combination of meds for over seven years now, and I'm delighted with how good I feel. And weirdly enough, the TMJ pain has left me in peace for about a week now. I have no idea why. I think that, as soon as I sent away for a TENS unit, the pain quit! 🙂 I'm sure it'll be back, but I'm enjoying the vacation from the pain.

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@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

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Hi @contentandwell, this could happen for a few reasons... the enzyme system in your body that metabolizes PPIs is housed in your liver (called cytochrome P450). Some people, like me, have genetic polymorphisms that prevent me from properly-metabolizing medications, and I don't properly-metabolize any PPIs because the same enzyme is used to metabolize all of them. With that said, even if you don't have polymorphisms of this enzyme, you could experience issues for other reasons. For example, all PPIs actually inhibit the very enzyme the drug needs to be metabolized. (Inhibit means they slow the enzyme's productivity down; it makes you metabolize it more slowly.) On top of that, some PPIs are worse inhibitors than others. For example, you may have felt worse when taking omeprazole than the other PPIs. Plus if you were taking any other drug that inhibits that enzyme, it will further slow down the metabolizing. Then if you were to have a polymorphism like I do, it makes it even worse. Due to my polymorphism, long-term use of PPIs (12 years) made me gain weight and also incredibly sicker over a long period of time. Unfortunately, most doctors are not knowledgeable of the nitty-gritty of this enzyme system, so when this is happening to their patients, they don't know why.

REPLY
@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

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@hazelblumberg, I'm glad your working with a professional who is open-minded; sometimes these people are hard to find! Enjoy your pain-cation!

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@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

Jump to this post

I love my nurse practitioner! She's always got a new goal, and she's always learning. The last big goal was to get her doctorate in nurse practitionership, and now that she's achieved that, I wonder what she'll be up to next. She's about my vintage (I'm 64), and I just hope she doesn't retire any time soon! She is wonderful! So, if anyone's in the Tallahassee, Florida, area and looking for a primary care, just let me know, and I'll be happy to give you her name. She's excellent.

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@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

Jump to this post

@hazelblumberg, "my vintage" <-- I love that! You just make a western New Yorker smile!

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@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

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kELLy, Hazel Blumberg, this is Marie from Marield65. Do mean that the second test was exactly like the first one but more testing, and the price was that much cheaper? That would be great. I have had some awful experiences with medications, one of which I was in a Delirium state for 4 days in the hospital from the pain med after my knee replacement for them giving me DiLaudid. Marie

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@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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Hi @boourbonman, so it sounds like you do not live in Florida. Is that correct? How does it work do you have to get a doctor there first before you can get it? Please let us know if it works. If you don't mind me asking what where you taking before as far as your mess? And where do you live now?

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