Facial tics, jaw, tongue muscle tension and pain, bruxism, teeth clenching, TMJ

[buxy2222]

 

See this post regarding mouthguard issues - cleanliness

 

________________________________________________

 

 

Hi there, all through my withdrawal my right ear has felt blocked,although is actually isnt so my doc says, but since last October i feel like my ears have both become a lot worse, constant pressure/pain in both. Today it is driving me insane as the pain is in my ears, head,jaw and gums.

 

Ok so iv had allergies all my life ie hay fever and cat allergies but can never remember it affecting my ears like this so im not sure if seasonal allergies are to blame, but then again it was snowing this winter and they were bad then too. This comes and goes but seems to be pretty persistent for the last 9 months now and it isn't shifting.

 

Does anyone else suffer badly with their ears? i know the blocked feeling is common in withdrawal but not sure if many have the pressure?

 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by ChessieCat
clarified topic purpose

[Punarbhava]

Hi Bux.........

 

I very much have many ear problems which I KNOW are WD induced.

 

 

Blocked ears, tinnitus, pressure, jabbing pains and at one point in WD could even feel the fluid moving in my middle ear (both ears)

 

Also have a lot of tooth pain (even in teeth that have been root-canaled (sp?), jaw pain, gum pain, throbbing and sentivtities.

 

 

All have showed improvement and most symptoms are now intermittent however, I can get some days when one or more will become intense.

 

In regard to seasons........these symptoms (at least for me) are unrelated to the time of year. I have no doubt that WD creates all of these strange pains, sensitivities since, there are nerves in our teeth and whatever affects our teeth can radiate pain into our ears, jaws etc.

 

Ears, nose and throat are all interconnected.

 

Many times a WD symptom can become chronic in nature only to spontaneously remit .......never to return again. Other times, symptoms will gradually decrease in frequency and intensity and/or become intermittent in nature before permanently disappearing.

 

Hope I'm articulating my thoughts clearly. (cog fog today BTW)

 

 

Really hope you can obtain some significant relief real soon since, it sounds like this symptom is causing you much distress.

 

Much More Healing to You!

 

 

Punar

[bronxboy8]

I also get alot of pressure but its mostly in the head,hope you feel better soon. Bronx

[squirrel]

i have same, blocked ear ( but nothing wrong) tinnitus, gum teeth and mouth pain all of which I never had before.

[Altostrata]

I had bad jaw tension, causing me to clench my teeth while sleeping. In early withdrawal, destroyed a couple of fillings this way. Jaw tension can cause a lot of problems outside of the jaw. There is a condition called Temporal Mandibular Joint Syndrome.

 

From https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Temporomandibular_joint_disorder

".... Symptoms associated with TMJ disorders may be:

• Biting or chewing difficulty or discomfort
• Clicking, popping, or grating sound when opening or closing the mouth
• Dull, aching pain in the face
• Earache (particularly in the morning)
• Headache (particularly in the morning)
• Hearing loss
• Migraine (particularly in the morning) Jaw pain or tenderness of the jaw
• Reduced ability to open or close the mouth
• Tinnitus
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Dizziness ...."

 

 

Two things helped me: 1) a rubbery night guard to wear in my mouth and cushion clenching; 2) acupuncture. The Wikipedia article -- link above -- has other suggestions for treatment.

[buxy2222]

Hi Bux.........

 

I very much have many ear problems which I KNOW are WD induced.

 

 

Blocked ears, tinnitus, pressure, jabbing pains and at one point in WD could even feel the fluid moving in my middle ear (both ears)

 

Also have a lot of tooth pain (even in teeth that have been root-canaled (sp?), jaw pain, gum pain, throbbing and sentivtities.

 

 

All have showed improvement and most symptoms are now intermittent however, I can get some days when one or more will become intense.

 

In regard to seasons........these symptoms (at least for me) are unrelated to the time of year. I have no doubt that WD creates all of these strange pains, sensitivities since, there are nerves in our teeth and whatever affects our teeth can radiate pain into our ears, jaws etc.

 

Ears, nose and throat are all interconnected.

 

Many times a WD symptom can become chronic in nature only to spontaneously remit .......never to return again. Other times, symptoms will gradually decrease in frequency and intensity and/or become intermittent in nature before permanently disappearing.

 

Hope I'm articulating my thoughts clearly. (cog fog today BTW)

 

 

Really hope you can obtain some significant relief real soon since, it sounds like this symptom is causing you much distress.

 

Much More Healing to You!

 

 

Punar

 

 

Thanks Punar, you are right i know this is WD but you know sometimes when i symptom gets really bad again u just need that reassurance that its not just you ?. I know this winter i had so many colds ect i wonder if its my sinuses as iv been pretty clogged up too, my nose never runs i just get the clogging which i suppose in itself can cause pain and pressure, and funny enough i was sneezing an awful lot with my hayfever yesterday.

 

You are not kidding about the teeth and gums either, whilst on seroxat i had recurring abscesses above my front 4 teeth needless to say those teeth fell out i had only had so much as a back tooth out and the odd filling prior to taking the poison.

 

Last night i felt a big hard lump at the back of my upper pallet so of course i ran my tongue round it...as you do lol ...it burst and now i have a massive blood wheel there so what thats about i have no idea also started with the trots so maybe im just really run down at the mo as i really dont feel great anywhere this morning.

 

Thanks for the good wishes, and wishing you healing too

[buxy2222]

I also get alot of pressure but its mostly in the head,hope you feel better soon. Bronx

 

 

Thanks Bronx, it is all sent to try us i suppose...you think you would get used to this weird and wonderful stuff but i really dont think you ever do , tyvm for the feel better wishes

[buxy2222]

I had bad jaw tension, causing me to clench my teeth while sleeping. In early withdrawal, destroyed a couple of fillings this way.

 

Jaw tension can cause a lot of problems outside of the jaw. There is a condition called Temporal Mandibular Joint Syndrome. From https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Temporomandibular_joint_disorder

 

"....

Symptoms associated with TMJ disorders may be:

 

Biting or chewing difficulty or discomfort

Clicking, popping, or grating sound when opening or closing the mouth

Dull, aching pain in the face

Earache (particularly in the morning)

Headache (particularly in the morning)

Hearing loss

Migraine (particularly in the morning)

Jaw pain or tenderness of the jaw

Reduced ability to open or close the mouth

Tinnitus

Neck and shoulder pain

Dizziness

...."

 

 

Two things helped me: 1) a rubbery night guard to wear in my mouth and cushion clenching; 2) acupuncture.

 

The Wikipedia article -- link above -- has other suggestions for treatment.

 

 

I am not sure this is what i have Alto, although i know in early days i did i lost 10 teeth and was always at the dentist with sores. Touch wood the tooth loss has abated along with abscesses, well up to now, as my nose is soooo stuffy right now too do you think thsi could be more sinus related?, have started with a real bad tummy now too and just generally feel ill

[buxy2222]

i have same, blocked ear ( but nothing wrong) tinnitus, gum teeth and mouth pain all of which I never had before.

 

 

OOOOOooo dont u just love all this lovely stuff we never had prior to taking the poison ? yeah have had really bad tinnitus since October too

[Altostrata]

Teeth clenching apparently affects gum health and tooth roots, too.

 

Why not get a night guard to chew on at night, it doesn't hurt except for the cost if you get one custom-made?

[Punarbhava]

Thanks Punar, you are right i know this is WD but you know sometimes when i symptom gets really bad again u just need that reassurance that its not just you ?.

 

Yes, I completely understand. Been there myself.

 

 

I know this winter i had so many colds ect i wonder if its my sinuses as iv been pretty clogged up too, my nose never runs i just get the clogging which i suppose in itself can cause pain and pressure, and funny enough i was sneezing an awful lot with my hayfever yesterday.

 

there is another thread about sutffed up feeling, in the symptoms category. If you haven't viewed it .........do so since, there may be a few tips that could help you in way of stuffiness, allergies etc.

 

 

You are not kidding about the teeth and gums either, whilst on seroxat i had recurring abscesses above my front 4 teeth needless to say those teeth fell out i had only had so much as a back tooth out and the odd filling prior to taking the poison.

 

Oh my gosh..........so sorry to hear this. It's devastating to have to contend with such health matters at a time when our CNS is fried.

 

Last night i felt a big hard lump at the back of my upper pallet so of course i ran my tongue round it...as you do lol ...it burst and now i have a massive blood wheel there so what thats about i have no idea also started with the trots so maybe im just really run down at the mo as i really dont feel great anywhere this morning.

 

 

Again, so very sorry Buxy. That sounds painful. Have you tried salt dissolved in warm water? I rinse with this very simple home remedy solution and I find that it helps keep my gums, roof of mouth etc. in better shape. I stay away from commercial mouth rinses due to the alcohol content, not to mention the other chemicals which only irritate.

 

 

Thanks for the good wishes, and wishing you healing too

 

 

Thank your Buxy! We will make it out of this horrendous journey and I hope it someday soon!

 

 

Take good care of yourself.

 

 

Punar

[buxy2222]

aw thanks Punar, yes the warm salt water is a life saver iv used it heaps,, as ...like your good self.... i wont touch any mouth wash either for the very same reason...the chemicals and alcohol . Will take a look at the thread u mentioned there may be some good ideas ....Hope you are doing ok

[serotonin]

After getting off of prozac for 6 month i recently for the past 2 weeks noticed eye spasm on the right eye, this freaked me out because some expert believe it is an early sign o parkinson disease. Ok after two weeks it is getting better and the frequency is less an less.

 

I have two theory as to why i might have eye spasm,

 

1) prozac! :off course: but then why did it show up after 6 weeks? And since i am not on any other drug my whole life how can it not be the culperate?

 

2) intense dreams and fatigue whih pushed my body over the limit and as a result eye spasm?

 

Tell me what u think

[Altostrata]

A lot of us get twitches in withdrawal. They do go away.

 

It's a very good sign yours is getting better. Most likely it will go away soon.

[Punarbhava]

Very much agree with Alto. These eye twitches are a very common WD symptom.

 

 

just wish to add one point: don't become alarmed if any symptom reappears, with intensity, for spells at a time. Neurological healing is a very non-linear process but eventually all symptoms will disappear.

 

 

 

Punar

[serotonin]

Thank u! And this just shows how dangerous those anti depressent is!

[poodlebell]

Hi

 

is this the sort of mouthguard you are talking about

 

Dr.Brux Bite Guard - Do you grind your teeth at night?

 

www.drbrux.co.uk

 

thanks

 

poodlebell

[Altostrata]

That looks about right, pb. My dentist makes mine custom-fitted (it costs a lot more).

 

This may work for you.

[poodlebell]

Hi Alto

 

thanks, I had one made too but it is so hard and uncomfortable

 

poodlebell

[Altostrata]

They have various materials they can use. Mine is a little chewy.

 

To answer your question -- apparently I was clenching my teeth at night.

[Barbarannamated]

Just saw this.

I began bruxing as soon as I started SSRIs in 90s. Thought it was anxiety. Was given Klonopin qhs which did help, but still on. Later learned that bruxism is AE of SSRIs.

Do you think it would get worse during W/D?

[alexjuice]

what is bruxing? Grinding?

 

I started grinding my teeth in my 20s. I got a mouthpiece from my dentist but lost it. These days I wear (not every night) a mouthguard that I bought at a sporting goods store. You boil it and then bite down on it... it conforms to your bite. It's a good way to make a fitted mouth piece on a budget.

 

In fact, it fits as well as the previous one made by my dentist and at a fraction of the cost.

 

Alex.i

[Altostrata]

Great suggestion, alex.

 

Bar, many of us developed clenching and grinding problems in withdrawal, as well as jaw pain and face pain resulting from the unnatural tension.

 

I do recommend using a bite guard. I destroyed two fillings early in withdrawal with the clenching.

[Rhiannon]

After 20 years on psych meds my teeth are ground down to nubs practically and I've lost four molars on the bottom.

 

I use a night guard now, the kind Alex uses, I get it at the drugstore. You boil it and then shape it to your teeth. It works great for me and is way cheaper than the ones you get from the dentist (my dental insurance doesn't cover night guards or much of anything else worth doing. Did I mention I have crappy insurance? Isn't living in the USA great? sigh...can o' worms, I know.)

[Goldy]

Does anyone else get facial tics during their antidepressant withdrawals? Have you found anything that relieves it?

 

(mine seem to come and go, so far have had side-to side movements of the jaw, and some hideous lip smacking.)

[Shanti]

Hi Goldy. Yes I was having tic, especially around the corner of my mouth. I had tics and jerks all over actually. What helped me was Agaricus Muscarius 30C Homeopathy. I'm not having them now, two months off Paxil and not needing the Agaricus anymore. We'll see what happens when I start tapering off the Prozac.

[Barbarannamated]

Goldy

I developed terrible bruxism and TMJ onSSRIs (Zoloft to start)~i dont know if what you are describing is related but it sounds similar to tardive dyskinesia which is most often related to antipsychotics and dopamine but has occurred with SSRIs (sometimes called a dopamine-dependent adverse event)~

I'm on a mobile (hard to access full site) ~ you might find something if you search on tardive dyskinesia

[Whatever]

I developed TMJ and Tardive Dyskinesia. I was on both SSRIs and Antipsychotics so I don't know what caused what. But as Barb mentioned Tardive Dyskinesia is typically associated with Antipsychotics.

 

My Tardive Dyskinesia continued sporadically for two years after I stopped pmeds.

[Barbarannamated]

whatever~ Did your TMJ ever resolve

I had thousands of $$ of treatment including teeth pulled and still have TMJ and neck pain

[Whatever]

My TMJ never resolved. The first thing my new neurologist said to me this summer, just by looking at me was that I had TMJ.

 

My neck pain was present prior to psychiatric treatment, so I cannot make a direct causal relationship with any certainty.

[Goldy]

Wow sorry you guys have suffered so much from this! I truly TRULY hope It's not residual Tardive Dyskinesisa from the Geodon I took for several years. For now I'll just view it as a symtom of AD withdrawal. Do you guys think I should see someone about it? It only happens about 0-2 times a day at the most...

(I tend to be a hypochondriac, so finding a distraction right now... )

[Barbarannamated]

Goldy

I had preexisting neck prob also which is very closely related to TMJ~

The others who have wd related tics and TD-like symptoms would be a better guide for you

Barb

[Dani]

I have noticed in the last two or three days that my chin feels strange. Not numb per se but off. My lip is starting to have twitches...just the bottom lip. I know I have been clinching my jaw a lot, especially when sleeping. Tmj or tardive? ugh...full recovery...where are you?

[Altostrata]

I had a tic next to my eye and one side of my mouth on and off for a while, from withdrawal syndrome, but they eventually went away.

 

These come from random signals from the autonomic system.

[Nikki]

SSRI's and the WD from them have givem me bruxism and involuntary eye twitching.

 

Eye twitching was intermittant and would eventually go away. Bruxism never went away.

Didn't have it until I got off Paxil and onto Lexapro.

 

I had Bell's Palsy on the right side of my face and the doctor in addition to videos online showed me how to massage my face. The other recommendation was to put hot compresses over my right eye and it helped so much.

 

Maybe you could try hot compresses and see if it helps. It's not going to hurt and it's not another pill. Google facial massage for Bell's Palsy.....

 

Hugs

[Dani]

Thank you *hugz*