Since I'm in the middle of that tooth pain, I feel your pain. OUCH.

Have you tried Sensodyne? It really works for me when my teeth became sensitive a couple of years ago.

Also try swishing around salt water in your mouth. I'm supposed to do that but not sure why. :)

Sounds like your nerves are going haywire.

Today the dentist put me on a stronger oxycontin, and just one pill knocks out the pain for all of three hours, then an Ibuprophen after that.

I lucked out and didn't have any menopause symptoms, so I hope someone can help you.

OH! What about a muscle relaxer?

Just be sure it isnâÂÂt heart-related pain. People can exhibit jaw pain with heart blockages,though the article I read said that if jaw and tooth pain are the only symptoms, it is more likely TMJ than heart, or trigeminal neuralgia:

Overview
Trigeminal neuralgia is very painful swelling (inflammation) of the nerve (trigeminal nerve) that delivers feeling to the face and "surface" of the eye.
Symptoms
Very painful, sharp electric-like spasms that last a few seconds or minutes
Pain is usually only on one side of the face, often around the eye, cheek, and lower part of the face
Pain may be triggered by touch or sounds
Pain occurs while:
Brushing teeth
Chewing
Drinking
Eating
Shaving
Treatment
Certain medicines can help reduce pain and the rate of attacks. These may include:
Anti-epilepsy drugs (carbamazepine, gabapentin, phenytoin)
Migraine medicines (sumatriptan)
Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, nortriptyline, or carbamazepine)
Some patients may need surgery.
Causes
Trigeminal neuralgia causes severe, short-lasting (only a few seconds) facial pain on the side of the affected nerve. The condition usually affects older adults.
Often, no cause can be found. However, areas of brain swelling or abnormal blood vessels (arteriovenous malformations) can cause it.
Painful trigeminal neuralgia attacks may occur after lightly touching areas of the face that are along the fifth skull (cranial) nerve.
Tests & diagnosis
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood tests may help rule out other conditions.

I hope you get this resolved soon, Flyleft. I hate tooth and mouth pain, and yours sounds just horrible. Please accept a hug, and wishes that it all goes away as quickly as it came.

I had a somewhat, though not quite the same, experience earlier this year. I woke up one morning with pain in my lower back left-side teeth. I couldn't quite tell which tooth it was, but I really thought it was a tooth problem. Went to the dentist -- a few times actually, long story, and ended up seeing other doctors as well -- finally was diagnosed with TMJ. I ended up having muscle spasms in my jaw several times a day that just about had me incapacitated. I'd have to go up to my room and hide and cry just to keep from scaring my kids -- the pain was unbearable. This went on for several weeks and during that time, I saw an oral surgeon and got a mouth guard to prevent me from grinding my teeth at night (which I had done on-and-off for years, but I guess not as bad as I did prior to this episode). But the best thing I did was to find a massage therapist who specialized in TMJ. She was a miracle worker! After 2 or 3 massages, the muscle spasms disappeared. I'm not saying this is what you have, but you might try a massage therapist who specializes in jaw issues -- who knows, it could help. I never thought anything like that could help me. Turned out my whole neck and shoulders were just a mess. I saw her weekly for several weeks, and now I see her about once a month. This started in January/February, and my jaw still doesn't feel quite right, and gets achy sometimes, but I haven't had a muscle spasm again.

Before I went to massage therapist, I also considered acupuncture. Possibly another option for you?

I have a lot of sympathy for you. Mouth/jaw pain is just awful. I hope you feel better soon!

I had this & even went to see a dentist friend at our dental school here. This was probably when I was in my late 30's or early 40's. It involved the right side of my face/jaw & came on suddenly and then would subside, only to rear it's ugly head again. I am conviced now it was the trigeminal nerve. It is hard to describe how badly it hurts when it happens...it's all you can think about.

I had just started a new job as an office nurse, and felt like a total neurotic because no one could diagnose it. I honestly don't remember if I took anything except OTC pain meds, but it went away & has not recurred.

I so feel for you, though, because it is awful!!

Try googling or talking to your dentist about the trigeminal nerve like Les mentioned. Best of luck!

oakley, I was reading your thread and feel for you -- my father had a dry socket and he was not one to express pain...so he went around in utter silence, looking like a headstone, pretty much, for about a month...I hope you get faster resolution than that...the advil is the muscle relaxer, and the dentist said to take 600 mg every 6 hours for the next 5 days...it isn't really making a difference, though.

les, you are such a dear--I will always accept a hug from you :). I was kind of hoping it was 'just' a root canal, or even a filling needed, although I take really good care of my teeth. The fact that it's spreading out to other teeth really tells me it's not about a tooth, but rather about a nerve, IMO. I'd seen trigeminal neuralgia online too -- and it sounds like a road I really don't want to go down -- but I also don't think that's what I have, because this isn't like electric shock, it's more like an exposed nerve in a tooth being touched with cold or hot, or someone pushing the tooth or filing it hard, so much the root hurts. It's a shivery pain in addition to having the 'about to explode' feeling...

Sue & Lizzie, your experiences help me a lot too. I can at least hope this won't be forever. Lizzie, would you mind if I were to ask you a question: do you remember if this coincided with any hormonal changes? Since it seems to hit women going through menopause...just wondering if it related for you.

Thank you for not treating me like I'm nuts...

Of course your not nuts! I don't have any experience with this, but I, too wondered about tmj.

Hope you get some answers soon.

tina

No hormonal changes precipitating the episodes I had. I do know that TMJ can be really painful, too. Maybe acupuncture would help.

Thanks, tina :). Pain with no easily identifiable source can make you feel like you're going crazy. I find it odd that my dentist didn't mention the trigeminal possibility, esp. since he knows how old I am, and that it was on the right side, etc...I may ask him about it tomorrow.

And thanks for your reply, lizzie. O.K., so it's not *necessarily* tied to hormones. I'm just so glad yours went away.

Advil helps to reduce swelling. Are you taking an OTC Advil or is it prescribed with something else in it?

I get a crick in my neck a couple of times a year, it makes my head and jaw hurt at times, and I take a low dose muscle relaxer which actually stops spasms. But if it's the nerve, not sure if a muscle relaxer would help. It's worth a try though!

I have nothing to offer, but I'm glad Les mentioned the possibility of it being a heart-related matter. That's the first thing that came to my mind. Hang in there, it sounds just awful.

Hi oakley--I'm taking otc advil, but 600 mg every 6 hours So far this morning it's not had a severe episode, just ache. Who knows...maybe it's over? Although now that I think about it, I didn't really start in yesterday for about an hour, so the true situation is yet to be seen.

And graywings, thank you for your post -- having had an MI back in 2008, at least for that one, there was no pain like this. And given the progression of events on that day, I'd be dead by now, so that would be a major tipoff :). If it continues, though, I may call my cardiologist just to rule out any low-level heart involvement.

Thank you all so much!

The mention of the possibility of heart related issues reminded me -- at the beginning of my TMJ saga, I mentioned to one dentist that my left arm was also feeling weird (it was -- it was related to the mess in my neck and shoulders which wasn't discovered til later) and he told me to go THAT DAY to either the ER or my primary doctor. I just about burst into tears when he said that; he scared me! I ended up having a stress test and EKG, which of course were fine, but if you have had an MI before, I think you should at least call your primary care doctor and mention what's going on.

Flyleft, Trigeminal Neuralgia, type 1, is the electric-shock type pain. There is also TN, type 2, which is a steady, pulling, aching, burning pain. It comes on suddenly for no reason, with no warning. The pain definitely feels like nerve pain and can be quite severe. The meds to treat it are the same as TN 1.

I hope you are much better soon, and that you do not have TN! If you continue to have pain, check out http://www.fpa-support.org/, which is the Facial Pain Association. If you have TN, you need a neurologist.

Pat (TN 2 for about 8 years)

PS You aren't taking Fosomax or other med for osteoporosis, are you? They can cause jaw pain.

I had bouts of painful teeth for about 5 years, sometimes really bad. Sometimes it was my jaw, sometimes just a few teeth. It was misdiagnosed as a sinus infection several times. Dentists couldn't find anything, as the pain wasn't focused on any one tooth.

Turned out to be an abscess in my jaw, where my wisdom tooth used to be, 25 years ago. How that caused pain in both jaws and both sides of my mouth, no one has ever explained to me.

I don't know if an abscess would show up on the x-rays your dentist took, but it's another possibility to explore.

flyleft,

So sorry to hear of your intense pain :-( I did want to clarify something; in your post of Oct 12 @ 22:30 you mentioned that "the advil is the muscle relaxer". Advil is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug", but not a muscle relaxer. It addresses pain and swelling. I don't know if a muscle relaxer would help, but since the Advil doesn't seem to be doing much/enough, it would certainly be worth a call to your dentist or even your dr. to see if they would be willing to prescribe even a mild dosage of a muscle relaxer (for ex., Flexeril is available in a 5mg amt). It may be able to be used in conjunction w/ Advil. Also, given that those high doses of Advil can tear your stomach up, plus they're not really helping, maybe they would prescribe a stronger pain reliever, as well. I know Tramadol (Rx pain reliever)can be used in combo w/ Flexeril (Rx muscle relaxer), for example. You do have to be careful when combining those two types of drugs, but your pharmacist could assist you w/ that. Also, Tramadol can be combined w/ Advil or Tylenol--don't know if you can do all 3, though (Tramadol + Advil/Tylenol + Flexeril)---but again, your pharmacist could tell you.

P.S. Disclaimer: I'm not a dr., nor have I ever played one on TV :-) Obviously, I don't advocate that you take ANY meds w/out consulting your dr.!!!

THank you all so much for writing...it's been a roller-coaster of a day...I called the dentist back and said that it was worse than ever, not subsiding, just growing -- he folded and referred me to an endodontist, but I couldn't call them until after 5, so I won't know if I can be seen until tomorrow morning. By around 5:30 as I was driving DD to orchestra, it finally HIT so bad I was ready to go to an ER. I was sweating, panting from the pain, and felt faint...oh my gosh it was bad and just getting worse...luckily DH met me at the orchestra place and he drove me at first to a dental ER, but I REFUSED to let them see me because it seemed so shady (weirdly, I got definite vibes not to let them near me, and the weirdness was confirmed by the completely inappropriate behavior of the people behind the desk and the questions on the registration sheet -- how many medical offices make you write the name of your "Financial Institution" and warn you about the fee if you don't call within 24 hours of your next appointment before even handing you the *long* registration form??! but I digress)...by then I had given in and taken an extra half tramadol, just because I was going completely insane with the pain. I would categorize it as the second worst pain I've ever felt--first being childbirth. But I think the tramadol what did the trick because in about 45 minutes I was living again, doing errands with DH while we waited for DD. I can feel it's coming back again now, but I know now how to control it until tomorrow morning.

jbrig, thank you for the clarification -- you're right, I was being too broad-brush and ended up just being wrong -- I think I was thinking of the prostaglandin-inhibiting and the anti-inflammatory effects of ibuprofen (or at least that's what I had been told). Thanks for correcting me. Funny that you should mention the tramadol/flexeril, because those are what I take -- the tramadol in the daytime for fibro and the flexeril at night (low dose, as a muscle relaxer as you mention).

camlan, WOW...that's scary...how did they end up finding it? Do you have complete resolution now and you're pain-free?

And Pat, I'm sorry to hear you've had that situation for years...I can only imagine what it must be like for that long. Could TN2 include the feeling that teeth are about to explode? INTENSE ache? I'll bring it up with the endodontist tomorrow. I can feel a tooth throbbing now, starting the wind-up.

I really appreciate your all's understanding, help and good wishes so much. I'll post back about the endodontist. THANK YOU!

Yes, TN pain can feel as if your teeth will explode. Sometimes it feels as if an elephant is sitting on your face. Sometimes it feels as if someone has attached the jaws of life to your cheekbone and is pulling. It's not unusual to have one tooth or a group of teeth to hurt for a week or more. The pain can bring you to your knees; it's intense.

Be very careful with dentists, etc. Most of them don't know a lot about TN; although, they think they do.

Just in case, I'm quoting from the FPA patient support page:
"If you need treatment, discuss with your dentist the type of anesthetic to be used. Ask your dentist to use Mepivacaine 3% or Carbocaine 3%, neither of which contains preservatives or a vasoconstrictor."

"Epinephrine is a vasoconstrictor; itâÂÂs sometimes added to local anesthetics to prolong their numbing effect. Epinephrine can trigger nerve pain, especially in cases of trauma-induced TN. In these cases, ask your dentist not to inject a vasoconstrictor with local anesthetics in the area of nerve damage."

My thoughts are with you!
Pat

Any news yet?

tina

tina, thank you so much for thinking of me...
And yes, there is a definite diagnosis, by a wonderful endodontist (those are two words I really never thought would go together, but for this young man I make an exception :) -- he went to my university, although about a decade later LOL). With more advanced technology than my dentist had, he was able to see two rather advanced *fractures* in my farthest back tooth! One going straight up a canal, which is the one that's causing the pain, and one going *around* the tooth as if to break it off right at the girdle. They are so far gone as to be irreparable, unfortunately.

So YUCK--I'm going to have to have the darn thing pulled. It was very clear that this is what the problem was all along, despite the fact that I felt pain all over, because of the non-specificity of the nerves there (probably the trigeminal?).

It seems this is another wonderful effect of my type-A personality. I've clenched my teeth for years and this is the payoff. The tooth next to it has fractures too, but can be crowned and if I get a bite guard for night, can probably be saved before the fracture gets way up.

I just never took it seriously before...and never wanted to wear one of those things. I feel like such a dope. I've always taken very good care of my teeth otherwise; never thought *this* kind of thing would or could happen. ugh.

I will have it taken out next Friday; I just have to take antibiotics and ibuprofen until then. So in a way it's good news, since he could figure it out and address it. It's just silly and avoidable and now I can tell people that you'd really better not clench your teeth or grind them or you really will have an outcome you won't like. : (

Fly - so happy you got an answer! You are a good example of why I advocate seeing a specialist when it warrants - nothing against a general dentist or physician, they are just not equipped for everything, and many times don't have the equipment a specialist has.

Good news is - you should be all over this well before Thanksgiving (it won't interfere with the eating LOL!!).

tina

I do have to say it was like being in a dental toy shop :)

Well, never thought I'd be telling someone, "Oh, it's great to hear you have a fractured tooth!" but the situation warrants it in this case :-)

As a long-time wearer of a bite guard for clenching (16+ yrs), just wanted to tell you that my newest mouth guard (about 3 yrs old) is less bulky than my older one, and it has a soft/gel-type substance on the interior that is quite comfortable. I make sure I take it w/ me on all overnight trips. In fact, it's near the top of the list on my Hurricane Evacuation Packing Checklist that I made for myself after Hurricane Rita in '05!

Did the endo say whether you would experience immediate relief after your tooth is pulled?

Well, you're smart to have worn one, jbrig. With any luck you won't have the end result I have now. I'm definitely getting one after the changes are made. Smart idea to put it on the hurricane list, too, since I bet that would be a rather tense time.

And yes, I'll supposedly experience immediate relief. barring any unforeseen circumstances, of course...I do wonder what the effects of all this ibuprofen will be on my clotting ability--maybe they'll make me stop it a day or two before the procedure? I should probably call them.

What the endo did yesterday did help a lot, it seems. He took out the filling, cleaned out the canal and filled it with antibiotics/anaesthetic, and put a temporary filling in it. So the visit wasn't just diagnostic.