Has anyone experience jaw pain. I was diagnosed 18 months ago with Rhuematoid Arthritis, I at present am surviving on steroid injections as I have been unable to tolerate medication given. I am looking forward to trying biological but that might take a take a little time.
Hi Pauline, sorry to hear you are having problems with your jaw. I am on Benepali injections weekly for R.A. They have helped a lot. Over the last 4 weeks, I have been having pain in my jaw. It comes and goes, especially when I have eaten food. It’s more of a neauralgia. Im having a dental checkup next week to make sure it isn’t my teeth, if it isn’t, then I’ll have to mention it to my rheumatologist. Not sure if this is a common complaint with RA. Hope you can get some advice.
What sort of jaw pain?
I was having jaw pain before I found out I had RA. I also have sygrens syndrome so not sure which is causing the jaw pain. My dentist made me a night guard that I wear when I sleep because I have always been a clenched and a grinder since I was a little kid. He laughs and then tells me if I would start telling people off I would quit clenching and grinding. I am sure he is right. 😂. My doctor has never confirmed if he thinks my jaw pain is part of th RA or not. I wish you the best. Seems like this disease is something new everyday.
Thankyou Linda for your reply. This annoying dull pain is quite high up almost at the joint. It is painful when I open and close my mouth. I have had it before a few times in the past 6 months, but it woke me up from my sleep last week. I have had flair ups lately and this is just another annoyance. Thanks again for replying.
Yes. Might last 2-3 days. Struggled sometimes to open my mouth! A friend of mine also with RA got the same.
At times I have pain in several joints and this is just another. This condition would drive you " nuts ". Thank you.
Thank you Carol. Rhuematoid arthritis has quite a few surprises.
Mine radiates from my jaw joint, it varies Pauline. I can’t bite an apple or hard food. That makes it worse.
Doesn’t it just!
Hi Pauline
Sorry to hear you are suffering....
I was diagnosed with RA 5 years ago... and have yet to find a medication that doesn't cause me more probes than it solves. It appears I'm Hypersensitive to the DMARDS I've been given so far . I'm currently like you 'managing' on steroids and Painkillers.
Early on in my disease process I experienced severe pain in my Jaw on the left side. My disease has attacked ALL my joints... Even the tiny bones in my ear on the left side give me problems . My jaw 'locks' on occasion too ....making life quite tricky ... Especially for eating and taking pills ... !
The 'good news' is that ( fingers crossed) it hasn't happened in a while which may be good news for you too ... As it appears to be intermittent....and 'stops without intervention...... I hope so ....
We are engaged in a battle not of our own making and we need to be strong to cope with this nasty vicious disease. I hope you have support from your nearest and dearest as this is perhapsAs important as the medicine which I hope you will soon find that suits Your version of this illness and you too.
Good luck... I hope it comes sooner rather than later before your joints become malfunctional als some of mine have already....
Catherine thank you for your kind words. We must have hope that something will help.
This condition makes me feel very unwell. I get so frustrated with having pain, dealing with the stiffness and the emotional rollercoaster that goes along with RA.
Hi Pauline I have RA and sometimes we can try to put all the pains etc under the same umbrella, I began suffering with jaw pain and an inability to open my mouth properly and after many visits to dr's dentist etc I was sent for a jaw x-ray and a CT scan it was then diagnosed as TMJD
temporomandibular joint disorder
I can sometimes have days without it being too bad but I can never fully open my mouth and when I chew or move my jaw it's very noisy LOL as about this, I'm told their isn't much they can do about it.
Yes I have had a painful jaw and couldn't open my mouth all the way. It has now subsided 100% as a result of taking sulfasalazine. Hope you are getting yours under control. It's just another joint that can be attacked in the end. I have worked at getting my jaw to full mobility by stretching it wide open a lot.
Hi Pauline I've RA and worked as physio in my career, there are some exercises for TMJ pain (on line you'll find them Basically they involve placing your tongue on the roof your mouth quite far back and letting your jaw drop open in a relaxed way - don worry i it doesnt go far... it is to relax the masseter muscle which helps chew and grind, heat or ice for a few minutes over jaw may help too