disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
Some mornings I'll wake up and my jaw will crack/pop first thing (usually only once real big). Sometimes it's painful, sometimes not. Sometimes it's not a huge pop, sometimes it is and loud (husband says he can hear it).
Is this TMJ... or what could it be?
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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Clarissa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4715
posted
Most likely a herx. I had this "tmj/jaw popping" all through my Lyme treatment 4 years ago.
Do you have a mouthguard for teeth grinding? I had one made up by my dentist (per his recommendation) and that alleviated those morning cracks a lot!!
Now that I'm treating Bart, I do not experience this popping anymore so I attribute it to LYME herxing.
posted
I have jaw popping since I've had lyme and even being in remission.. so Its not necessarily a "herx" its just something people get from the disease.. and yes its TMJ
My friends/family can hear it when I'm chewing my food. lol
-------------------- ~*In remission for 3 years!! There is a light at the end of the tunnel, just keep holding on!*~ Koryn Posts: 8 | From Poke-A-Nose, PA | Registered: Nov 2007
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
I had really bad TMJ problems. Lyme seemed to aggravate them and make them painful, but I also had a really bad bite and bone damage from the TMJ dysfunction.
I used orthodontics to have it fixed. I wore a splint 24/7 for months to move my jaw, then I am wearing braces (get them off 2/7/08!) to keep my jaw in position. It was 100% covered by medical insurance (not dental).
My jaw was painful and cracked every time I moved my mouth. Now it never cracks and no longer hurts.
I think some TMJ pain might clear with Lyme treatment and might be a herx, but I also think some is really a TMJ problem and Lyme takes advantage of it making it worse, which was the case for me.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
quote:Originally posted by sixgoofykids: [Q]I think some TMJ pain might clear with Lyme treatment and might be a herx, but I also think some is really a TMJ problem and Lyme takes advantage of it making it worse, which was the case for me. [/Q]
Thanks! I didn't have TMJ or jaw problems before this started, so I think it's the Lyme that decided to do this.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
Mine pops everytime I open my mouth. I pop all the time. When I went to a chiro he said I took all the fun out of his job because I popped just moving into position.
The popping in my joints got a little less with treatment but still happens. My jaw will pop (with no pain) every time I open my mouth wide.
My LLMD suggested I ask my dentist for a mouth guard but I haven't. I should remember to do that.
-------------------- Lucy Posts: 342 | From Hawaii | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Well I've had jaw cracking since I first contracted Lyme. It's not painful just annoying. Especially when kissing my boyfriend.
Posts: 370 | From NJ | Registered: Dec 2007
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tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
I'm the opposite. I had this problem before my diagnosis.
I've been on treatment a little over a year now and it isn't happening anymore, so I am thinking that it is one of the symptoms that will reverse along the way.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
quote:Originally posted by disturbedme: Thanks! I didn't have TMJ or jaw problems before this started, so I think it's the Lyme that decided to do this.
I didn't either .... but I've had Lyme for 35 years. So, for me it will always be the classic, which came first, the chicken or the egg ... the Lyme or the TMJ. In my case, I think my tendency for TMJ problems and the Lyme Disease took advantage of each other ....
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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