posted
The other day, I woke up and my ENTIRE jaw was hurting like no other. It was so sensetive to touch on the outside. It hurt to even smile. I had no idea what to do. It was like that for a day and half. It hurt to even push down on it. I just couldnt put pressure on my jaw. I had pain behind my ears as well.
Has this happen to anyone? Thanks! Would this be caused by lyme or the coinfections?
-------------------- Stephanie, University Student.
Ehrlichia [POSITIVE] IGG/IGM AB [H] 1.49 indexLyme AB interp. EIA [A] POSITIVE IGG P93 AB [PRESENT] IGG P41 AB [PRESENT] IGM P41 AB [PRESENT] IGM P23 AB [PRESENT] Lyme IGM WB interp. [A] [PRESENT] Posts: 145 | From Idaho | Registered: Feb 2010
| IP: Logged |
Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
Chronic necrosis of the jaw has been reported many times in
the medical literature caused by Borrelia. You
might try a heat pad which works on my arms. Be
careful and touch it to several different places on your body, as
in Lyme the nerves may not perceive it to be as hot
as it really is so you don't get burned.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
| IP: Logged |
My daughter has Lyme and Bartonella and she has had the jaw pain a few times. Once she had it while we were in an airplane flying...on the descent down she was in horrible pain. She said it felt like a thousand pound weight was resting on her jaw. I thought it was just from the descent, but then it happend again a few weeks later.
She just woke up one morning and her jaw was killing her. Same thing as you she couldn't touch it...it hurt to smile, eat, pretty much just hurt all the time. It took about two days and it finally went away and she hasn't felt pain like it since.
I would just make sure you tell your LLMD the next time you go or if it keeps persisting give them a call. If not I would just chalk it up to another symptom unfortunately.
Feel better!
Posts: 107 | From New Jersey | Registered: Nov 2009
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
Borrelia burgdorferi - A potentially aetiological factor in TMJ disorders� (2007)
Hubert Wanyura1, , , Teresa Wagner2 and Danuta Samolczyk-Wanyura1
1Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery and Centre of TMJ Arthroscopy (Head: Prof. Hubert Wanyura), Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
Excerpts:
Aim of the study
To establish the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochaetes in the histopathological material obtained from the intra-articular space by arthroscopy from patients with advanced TMJ disorders. . . .
Conclusion
This paper is the first to indicate that in borreliosis the infective agent may localize itself to the temporomandibular joint. This observation cannot be ignored when analyzing the pathogenesis of TMJ degeneration especially that tick-borne infections with spirochaetes are definitely more common than it is generally believed.
Borreliosis patients are usually low in iodine, have allergies, dead infected bone (osteonecrosis) in the jaw, have neurotransmitter deficiencies, . . .
===============
Stephanie,
From past posts, I recall that you are considering finding a LLMD after your upcoming honeymoon the end of April. Still, be sure to tell your ID doctor about this as soon as possible.
You might ask to have the dose of doxy brought up to ILADS levels. Since you also have ehrlichia, that could also be part of the cause here, too.
You are taking Probiotics and Liver support (like Milk Thistle), I hope. Probiotics are very important to help prevent systemic candida/yeast infections. That can affect your mouth and jaw, too.
Milk Thistle can help to keep your toxic load down. If this is inflammation of cranial nerves, it is important to decrease the toxic loads - as lyme creates lots of toxins.
Magnesium can help, too - not directly to address the infection but to reduce the pain and inflammation. In addition to actual jaw or TMJ, this could be cranial nerve involvement which is common with lyme.
Do you grind your teeth at night (called Bruxism)? If so, magnesium is the number one supplement to help relax your muscles and reduce grinding.
When you rest try to keep your teeth from touching. A night mouth guard can be of help but, sometimes, we tend to just chew on those. If you can use one and not chew on it, that may help - at least to help retrain your mouth to keep teeth apart at all times other then chewing - which you probably won't be doing for a while.
Pureed soups are probably best for now. I hope this eases up soon.
I know you have a wedding coming up at the end of April. If you are planning to fly somewhere, you might want to have some alternative plans, or "trip insurance" - just in case.
I know how much a wedding means and that you don't want to change any plans but flying could be very difficult right now. The pressure on the inner ear can be enormous - that also affects the area that you've described as being very inflamed.
I hope, at least, your ID doctor can offer you a change in treatment to address this. Even if this feels a bit better in a day or two, this is very important information.
[ 03-22-2010, 07:31 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- In addition to Borrelia's ability to damage bone, lyme can also damage nerves. Cranial Nerve VII (facial nerve) and Cranial Nerve VIII are often greatly affected by lyme.
Actually, any nerve system can be affected and lyme often causes thinning or even absence of the protective nerve wrappings, called the myelin sheath.
It would be hard to know exactly what is going on in your case. An experienced ILADS-educated LLMD or LL ND would be able to tell you more.
However, after getting a picture of bone and nerve anatomy, you can then at least google "TMJ relief" for gentle exercises you might do regarding your posture, and biofeedback relaxation methods.
posted
In my case the jaw hurt on one side and the submandibular lymph gland got larger before the pain started. Because Bartonella resides in lymphatic tissue I surmised it was the cause. Also bactrim and azithro combined shrunk the gland rather quickly and that combo is very good for Bartonella I think. I have not been tested for Bart but I did look at my stained blood smear under a microscope and I did see stubby microbes suggestive of BLO.
Beachinit
-------------------- Ideas not advice. Posts: 448 | From Downeast Maine | Registered: Jul 2009
| IP: Logged |
karenl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17753
posted
Yes, I had the jaw and the nerve problem.My nerve VIII is dead. It can get worse to a point where you have to sip liquids with a straw. The x-ray and MRI did not show it. Do you also have headaches or ear pain on this side? Tinnitus?
I hope it will get better after some weeks of treatment.But it takes time.
Posts: 1834 | From US | Registered: Oct 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yeah. I do. Sometimes on my left or my right.
-------------------- Stephanie, University Student.
Ehrlichia [POSITIVE] IGG/IGM AB [H] 1.49 indexLyme AB interp. EIA [A] POSITIVE IGG P93 AB [PRESENT] IGG P41 AB [PRESENT] IGM P41 AB [PRESENT] IGM P23 AB [PRESENT] Lyme IGM WB interp. [A] [PRESENT] Posts: 145 | From Idaho | Registered: Feb 2010
| IP: Logged |
lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
Because you said you also had pain behine your ears, I'm passing this on because it may be the real cause of your jaw pain:
Take your knuckle and poke around at the back of your head at the base of your skull. Find any sore spots? If you do, then what you are feeling in your jaw (or across your ear, or over the top of your skull and through your eye) is REFERRED PAIN from these spots which are muscle spazms.
I too suffered through this type of pain, and it was UNBEARABLE!!! It seemed that almost any movement at all would trigger awful pain that would shoot up over the top of my skull, jaw, eyes. At one point the top of my skull felt like someone bashed it in with a hammer.
Muscle spazms do NOT go away on their own. Regardless of how much abx you are on, it will not fix this.
FOR SOME SHORT TERM RELIEF: Take your knuckle (or have a strong loved one do this)and jam it into the sore spot. No, I am not a masochist.
Press as hard and as long as you can stand it. If you're hitting the right spot, the 'referred pain' through your jaw (or down your neck even into your shoulder or up the back of your head) will subside.
My LLMD put it this way to me: It's like a thumb war - sooner or later, something's going to give.
Once you've done this enough so the only places that are sore are actually the spots where the knots are, apply any type of lotion with muscle relaxant (such as arnica) on it. If you don't have any lotion, no biggie. I then suggest you spend your evening on a heating pad. If you have any Flexeril (a godsend to all Lymies) and are already taking, take an extra half to really give those muscles a chance to stretch.
The cause of the spazms is magnesium depletion. Have you had your magnesium levels checked? If you are low, this could very well be the culprit
Of course, the cause of your jaw pain may be different, but thought this might be useful
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm new here so maybe I missed it but dose anyone know anything that helps the pain? I'm layed off right now and it's a good thing because I don't think I could do my job.
Posts: 1 | From Phillips | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- tentate,
Welcome. You can start your own thread - and also be sure to see threads at the top, and the Lymebrary -
As Julie just wrote: "The cause of the spazms is MAGNESIUM depletion."
First, of course TREAT THE INFECTION.
Along with that, Magnesium deficiency is the number one reason for pain in many lyme patients. A good magnesium glycinate or citrate should help. Do not get magnesium oxide as it's not well absorbed. It's okay if that is just a small part of an overall mixture but best to steer to other types for the most part.
The top three supplements in my book are: Magnesium, fish oil, turmeric. A gluten-free diet, too, is essential for pain reduction.
You can take a look at some of the basic introductory threads and then post a thread with specific questions.
I hope you have a LLMD as treating the infection is top priority. For support measures, here's just one thread to get you started:
If you also have TMJ problems, there are also posture and gentle exercise things you can do, get a good pillow, sleep only on your back, etc. Good self-care techniques for TMJ management can be found easily by searching Google.
POSTURE. Many of us walk with our head too far forward, sit that way, too. Not a good thing.
Gentle, "Restorative" style YOGA, Tai Chi or Qi Gong can also be helpful to line up better body mechanics and release stress from tight muscles.
I am a university student as well, and I have jaw pain as well as pain behind my ears.
It isn't a bad idea to check out TMJ- it can cause symptoms really similar to this. However, my dentist doesn't think it's TMJ for me.
I have had days where I feel like someone beat me up.
This is interesting, because my bartonella symtpoms can be stronger than my Lyme symptoms. Also, my doctor just took me off my bartonella treatment (hoping I had got rid of it), and my jaw pain has been back and worse than every since then....I was hoping I was just having a die-off reaction from changing medication, but maybe not!
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic