Hi everyone ... I have TN2 that seems to be okay with meds but also TN1 that isn't very well controlled at the moment. I also have TMJ to some degree ... I have noticed that when my TN1 is playing up I catch myself jaw clenching subconsciously, maybe from the pain. Anyone also do this and did you somehow stop doing this? It's really not helping and making my pain worse by tensing muscles :(
Hi, I also clench my jaw and my husband wakes me in the night because I am grinding my teeth!! This all started when I got TN…
So you are not alone. 
Hi I have TN 1 and was originally checked by a TMJ specialist before I got the real diagnosis. He said I didn’t have TMJ but I will wake up at times with a clenched jaw. I have often wondered if that could be for the anticipation of the pain? Don’t know if that is any help but hope so.
I open my mouth and let my jaw muscles relax whenever I feel any sign of shocks, etc. It helps to keep the pain at bay.
You described me to a T! I have also broke several teeth doing so. It hurts very much clenching and I don't notice doing it at all. I think its a defensive mechanism. My Doctor put me on Elavil to relax my jaw while sleeping. I notice a big difference when I am off of it, you may wantg to try this if you haven't already.
Becky
You are certainly not alone here!
I’m on Amitriptyline for type 2 which is also used to treat TMJ, it doesn’t relieve it completely but I’ve found some levels of relief since taking it. Also, I do regular jaw excercises to help lessen the tension in my jaw. You can find these excercises online, they are safe and specifically designed to target the effects of jaw clenching and teeth grinding. They have personally been a huge help for me and they only take a minute or two.
Get a night guard ! That’s exactly what was happening to me. I was clenching my jaw so hard in anticipation to the pain that it became a “habit” I guess and when I was sleeping was the worse time it was happening. I rapked to my dr about it and he told me about TMJ. It made so much sense! I was putting extra pressure on my left side which is where I have TN and chronic migraines. I went to see the dentist and he made a mouth guard for me that I wear at night. I also try to sleep on the side opposite of my pain. It helps so much! I am lucky because my insurance paid for it (400$) but it is so worth it!
Prior to and shortly after my MVD I have this same issue. I tried a night guard from the dentist but it was too hard, it almost felt like a retainer. So I purchased a youth mouth guard that they used for football. It seemed a little large at first to sleep with but it did not allow me to clinch my teeth. I also took a small does of Melatonin to relax more at night. Long story short after a short while I was able to relax again while sleeping and I stopped clinching my jaw. No more mouth guard or Melatonin. I think a lot of it has to do with being in obvious pain but also not being able to relax. Try and stay positive and calm.
I was diagnosed with TMJ in 1992. I clench my jaw at night, but do not grind my teeth. I've worn a night/bite guard ever since. When my TN started in Jan. 2012, my dentist made me a new one about 2 visits before he finally diagnosed my TN. The new one is wonderful! I had an MVD in Dec. and the TN seems to be gone, but I still wear the bite guard at night for the TMJ.
Hi folks,
I recently (15 months ago) had my second operation for TN. It has been fully successful. I had suffered for a total of 21 years both with medication and after my first unsuccessful surgery. I thank God I am now pain free.
I want to suggest that the clenching, which I also suffered, was part of the pain response and left after my final surgery. But it is so damaging to our teeth and thus our facial nerves that it surely contributes to the ongoing torture of TN. I wonder if botox in the muscles of the jaw could lesson the tension or alleviate some of the reaction to the pain. Perhaps that, in league with the medicine, could reduce the number of spasms. The spasms and the pain seemed to set up their own rhythm for me.
Decompression was finally the solution for me. I would recommend it even if it is for a second attempt at success.
Throughout all my years of suffering, I would have never made it without the peace that prayer afforded me.
Sometimes the muscles in my face tighten and it feels as though I am clenching my jaw but I'm really not.
I was diagnosed with TMJ before I found out I had TN. I quit wearing my night guard thinking that I didn't need it due to TN. I am going to start wearing my night guard again after reading everyone's response to this article. I am in the early stages of seeing a Neurosurgeon/neurologist this April. I see a neurologist here in Pinehurst who has just prescribed Lyrica, and Percocet. I am going throught the percocets quite a bit due to my pain. I was put on Tegretol but became allergic to it after a month of taking it. I saw a neurosurgeon up in Winston Salem who wanted to do the Gamma Knife procedure but I read that if I had to gamma knife first it would ruin a succeful MVD if I ended up needing that. On Tuesday I am going in for Sinus Surgery in hopes that this might be thr reason i have TN. Does anyone out there have any advice. I am a new TN patient. Thank you in advance.
Can I ask if you had MVD with the same doctors both times?
Lawrence Rae said:
Hi folks,
I recently (15 months ago) had my second operation for TN. It has been fully successful. I had suffered for a total of 21 years both with medication and after my first unsuccessful surgery. I thank God I am now pain free.
I want to suggest that the clenching, which I also suffered, was part of the pain response and left after my final surgery. But it is so damaging to our teeth and thus our facial nerves that it surely contributes to the ongoing torture of TN. I wonder if botox in the muscles of the jaw could lesson the tension or alleviate some of the reaction to the pain. Perhaps that, in league with the medicine, could reduce the number of spasms. The spasms and the pain seemed to set up their own rhythm for me.
Decompression was finally the solution for me. I would recommend it even if it is for a second attempt at success.
Throughout all my years of suffering, I would have never made it without the peace that prayer afforded me.
I am new here and new to this diagnoses. But I have had the same problems. I use a mouth guard. I tried to tell myself to keep my mouth slightly open but that didn't really help. I found a SleepRight mouth guard that works very well. There are two small pieces of stuff you place between your teeth and then a small band that goes under your lower teeth. If I use a larger more of a regular sized guard the size alone increases the pain during a flare.
I experience this also. I feel as though I purposely do this to insure that i don’t bite my tongue during my episodes of extreme dizziness. I have tn1 in the right side, mid branch. I always have gravitational pull of my body during this episode - I clinch my teeth to prevent my jaw from pulling to the left
I don't have a definitive diagnosis of TN....yet....am still going through the process of trying to get to the source of the problem (root canal x 2) which began after the first root canal in Feb 2013. The only symptoms I have are constant and continuous burning in my gums and tongue and jaw pain; nothing like the electrical shocks and stabbing facial pain I seen described on this message. That's why I'm not sure I even have TN. Several years ago, my dentist brought to my attention how much I was grinding my teeth because he could see how worn down they were becoming. He advised me that I was probably grinding both day and night (due to stress). He made a bite splint for me to use at night, which I have worn faithfully and has alleviated the problem at night. Daytime stress lessened when I left a job 2 years ago that had me under intense stress. I had endured that stress for 6 years (such a bad mistake (health-wise in retrospect). Having said all of that, I would strongly encourage you to investigate a bite splint. As for daytime grinding, I have tried to make myself become aware of it when stress gets intense so that I can make a conscious effort to relax my jaw and unclench my teeth. I also use meditation, relaxation breathing exercises, Xanax, and constant prayer. Wish I could add "glass of wine" to that list, but my other meds don't allow for it. Sorry to have rambled on so. Hope this helps a little and that you get relief soon, kindred spirit.
SuzyQ said:
I don't have a definitive diagnosis of TN....yet....am still going through the process of trying to get to the source of the problem (root canal x 2) which began after the first root canal in Feb 2013. The only symptoms I have are constant and continuous burning in my gums and tongue and jaw pain; nothing like the electrical shocks and stabbing facial pain I seen described on this message. That's why I'm not sure I even have TN. Several years ago, my dentist brought to my attention how much I was grinding my teeth because he could see how worn down they were becoming. He advised me that I was probably grinding both day and night (due to stress). He made a bite splint for me to use at night, which I have worn faithfully and has alleviated the problem at night. Daytime stress lessened when I left a job 2 years ago that had me under intense stress. I had endured that stress for 6 years (such a bad mistake (health-wise in retrospect). Having said all of that, I would strongly encourage you to investigate a bite splint. As for daytime grinding, I have tried to make myself become aware of it when stress gets intense so that I can make a conscious effort to relax my jaw and unclench my teeth. I also use meditation, relaxation breathing exercises, Xanax, and constant prayer. Wish I could add "glass of wine" to that list, but my other meds don't allow for it. Sorry to have rambled on so. Hope this helps a little and that you get relief soon, kindred spirit.
I understand what you mean, I too have all 3. I've had the TMJ since 1989 from a wisdom tooth extraction while I was put out. I will always have a flair up from stress and talking too much,lol. It has gotten much worse since the TN came on board!
Now if my jaw acts up my first response is to stop everything (if I can) and concentrate on relaxing my shoulders and neck and jaw! Then if still needed some meds. Because I also know that if the TMJ flares up and is not controlled it will always trigger the TN.
I just had it happen this morning after talking with my daughter on the phone for an hour. Also if you can it's best to have complete quiet, I live alone so this is more possible for me. I just recently realized that I have the T.V. on a lot and I have found that even just turning that off does help to relax. It's the stimuli that seems to trigger my flare ups.
All the best to you,
Cheryl
Hi,
One dentist explained to me that where there is pain anywhere in the body the muscles react to it by going into spasm. I didn't have TMJ disorder before ATN, my guess is I developed it from my muscles being constantly tense during daytime (I have daytime pain, at night I experience no pain and usually my TMJ feels sort of okay until about lunchtime from there on it just goes downhill and between 4 p.m. and bedtime I have the worst ATN and TMJ pain). Sometimes I catch myself subconsciously opening my mouth and thus relaxing facial muscles, I remember also higher doses of magnesium did me well in the past. On some days the only help is to take muscle relaxant but I try not to do it too frequently.
I also clenched my jaw furiously, I have atn, tmj, and temporal tendonitis. The trifecta of e" my face REALLY hurts". I take baclofen daily. I was taking 50mg a day at one point! But am down to 20 maybe 30 if it really flares up. I take the baclofen with two naproxen. One 10 in the morning and one at night. The pain can still be there but doesn’t completely seize up like it did in the past. Doesn’t seem very fair that we have one condition (TN) but then also the cruelty of nasty jaw and tendons issues too :(.