Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Hi! To the old, I've been gone a while, and to new....Been here quite a while ago but....
As we all know (if we experienced *some* relief from ra), we seem to disappear when ra is no longer consuming every aspect of our lives every second of every day, as I did. Alas. Ra never disappears completely for the majority of us.
So yup. Gotta question.
I had a very strange string of symptoms occur recently. The pertinent question will come with !!** beforehand...to better clarify my question.
-------------------------
Wednesday, October 1, appx 5 pm. Headache in temples.
Continue, 6-8 pm. Drank 2 glasses wine in restaurant I don't normally drink. Special day and all....
During the sleep from 12-5 am, I woke with a headache periodically. I played it off on the new wine I had on my anniversary.
Headache gone until....
Fasted water and food (except for taking meds, I drank water) from Friday sundown til Saturday sundown., and no caffeine which I should mention that I normally during 2-3, glasses a day...and THEN...
!!!***
Saturday night I had THE WORST HEADACHE EVER. Came on strong, fast, and relentless. I blew it off as caffeine.
-originated base of skull.
-on movement, pain at base of skull that wrapped to temples.
-feared aneurysm was so severe on pain....
-feared meningitis, and encephalitis based on the amount of pain and location.o
- swishing in right ear, only, of heartbeat. The swishing heartbeat was in unison with the swish.
All these were gone Sunday!!!!!
!!!**now, my left jaw is shifting/locking/weird. Happened once this far. It feels like "tmj", or the definitions of "tmj" online. Why tmj on top of the rest???
So
#1, do any of my issues sound familiar with the swishing eat suddenly or the severe head and neck pain?!!?!???!
#2 tmj and ra, do you flare your jaw on one side like I currently am...........
or both sides and I need a doc because the jaw *may* be related to the severe head and neck pain.
Tia!!!
As we all know (if we experienced *some* relief from ra), we seem to disappear when ra is no longer consuming every aspect of our lives every second of every day, as I did. Alas. Ra never disappears completely for the majority of us.
So yup. Gotta question.
I had a very strange string of symptoms occur recently. The pertinent question will come with !!** beforehand...to better clarify my question.
-------------------------
Wednesday, October 1, appx 5 pm. Headache in temples.
Continue, 6-8 pm. Drank 2 glasses wine in restaurant I don't normally drink. Special day and all....
During the sleep from 12-5 am, I woke with a headache periodically. I played it off on the new wine I had on my anniversary.
Headache gone until....
Fasted water and food (except for taking meds, I drank water) from Friday sundown til Saturday sundown., and no caffeine which I should mention that I normally during 2-3, glasses a day...and THEN...
!!!***
Saturday night I had THE WORST HEADACHE EVER. Came on strong, fast, and relentless. I blew it off as caffeine.
-originated base of skull.
-on movement, pain at base of skull that wrapped to temples.
-feared aneurysm was so severe on pain....
-feared meningitis, and encephalitis based on the amount of pain and location.o
- swishing in right ear, only, of heartbeat. The swishing heartbeat was in unison with the swish.
All these were gone Sunday!!!!!
!!!**now, my left jaw is shifting/locking/weird. Happened once this far. It feels like "tmj", or the definitions of "tmj" online. Why tmj on top of the rest???
So
#1, do any of my issues sound familiar with the swishing eat suddenly or the severe head and neck pain?!!?!???!
#2 tmj and ra, do you flare your jaw on one side like I currently am...........
or both sides and I need a doc because the jaw *may* be related to the severe head and neck pain.
Tia!!!
no correcting on the site here. Such a hastle, especially on a phone!!
The swishing, I'm not sure about. The rest of it, oooh yeah.
TMJ problems can cause some of the worst headaches out there. Supposedly, the muscles that work the jaw are the strongest, fiber for fiber, in the body. If they decide to go into spasm they'll do a damn fine job of it.
Spasm is usually in either the sternocleidomastoid, which runs from just behind the ear down to the collarbone, or the trapezius, going from the base of your skull and fanning out across the upper back. Problems in either can cause referred pain- pain somewhere other than where the muscle is knotted. That could be temples, sides of your head, face.
Yes, it can definitely start one just one side. You may notice the use of the word "start". The jaw joints have no choice but to work together. If one side is messed up it takes the other along with it, real quick.
Can RA do this? Why yes, with great pleasure and efficiency. They're joints- why should the TMJs stay home from this party?
You need to find good medical help with this. Be careful who you see, as at least at one point there were more quacks and charlatans in the TMJ business than you could believe. It's often treated by dentists or oral surgeons. Ask your dentist or rheumy for a referral. Better yet, ask both and don't go anywhere they don't both recommend.
The alcohol shouldn't have been a factor in this. In fact, when I was at my worst, alcohol was one thing that actually helped. (Good thing I don't have a propensity for alcoholism.) The lack of caffeine, though, could give you a whopper of a headache.
The ear thing stopped, whew! the jaw hurts this morning still, and it's remained on the left side only. It did pop out yesterday while eating lunch, which is something I've never had occur before. It's sore probably from that, but it's swollen on touching and comparing, and it's quite painful to open my mouth still. I don't know what happened.
My ra was in a pseudo remission. All the meds I was on suppressed the symptoms, though I felt pain it was very inconsistent. Went off all meds because I was losing my hair. Had surgery to repair the injured wrist that started all this, and slowly the ra is back, and I'm back on Plaquenil. So I wasn't sure if this was part of it seeing as it's only one side.
Thx again!
My dentist couldn't do anything but shrug.
^^^
I know this shrug. I hate it -.-
sorry about all this stuff
can you see a doctor (versus a dentist) that covers what do they call it maxio facial stuff if your primary care doesn't have any ideas or an ER doc the next time (sounded scary for you)
Depot
For me TMJ can cause terrible headaches. Hope you find some relief soon.
I missed everyone. I have been super busy, picked up a new hobby (making cold processed soaps) and the school yr started for the kiddos. I may not check in often, but I'm never far!
That's not to say they may not try to worm out of it . . .
First thought that came to me-because I recently had it happen-except in reverse-bad headache encircling head and then the mouth and side of face started from teeth
Yes TMJ, jaw does cause whopping headaches.
DXed by dentist, doctor & PT. I'm a grinder big time.
The headache can appear with no real jaw symptoms at times which can be misleading.
Looking at the teeth & feeling or palpating the jaw can help determine if or how nasty the TMJ is helping to determine if it's a cause. X rays to.
Went to cranial sacral therapy just to try another form of PT for my cervical & shoulder. They treat the body as a whole. One look at my jaw & she was stunned. That's years of grinding. There was exercises she gave with a band & yes mouth guards can really help a lot of people. I tend to end up with them out of my mouth.
They did have a comfortable soft one out called the "aqua pillow". My sisters dentist gave her one & in return she got me one. After accidentally loosing my super expensive one made by the dentist.
I preferred the aqua pillow.
Moist heat helped a lot. I'll massage the area also. I'll catch myself when I'm stressed or upset. Although most of my problem is while sleeping. Muscle relaxer helps some.
It should be a medical issue, especially with existing RA. The one pain I cannot work through is a headache so I do feel for you.
Did give up eating hard foods when it was bad. Mine will click when acting up. It can also cause ear & eye pain, something like migraine pattern.
Read that RA does indeed go after the jaw.
Hope you find an answer & it's good to hear from you.
Glad you had/ have some relief.
Take care.
Sammy