I am so annoyed! I have been suffering with jaw pain since my pregnancy, which was 2 years ago. I finally gave in, after my jaw got stuck relatively open and literally "cracked" when I shut it (wasn't aware of the jam up in there until I heard the noise!) It's the right hand side of my jaw. So I went to have a bilateral x-ray of the TMjoint, and even my doc was optimistic that this would give us something to start with. Nothing!! The results show a perfectly normal TMjoint!! Now doc thinks it could be ligaments, because I had him put his finger where I could feel the joint slipping (today, right after these results came in) and he felt it too. Any suggestions??

Secondly, I also had a CAT scan for a possible spigelian herniation in the right hand side of the abdomen. This came after intense pain in a localized region and three docs (my primary, my gyn and a surgical specialist) felt "something", but couldn't tell what, so they requested the CAT. Which, too, came back normal.

I'm really at wits end! The jaw is clacking and feels loose and the "something" in my abdomen was hurting like the dickens yesterday.

Any suggestions?? Can someone recommend some types of tests that I may not think of, or my docs? This is really annoying me now!

abc, I am not a doctor (you need to call on Dr. Sid, our resident physician here) but if this was happening to me I know what I'd do: ask them to refer me to an ear, nose and throat man and also a specialist in internal medicine, for the "something" in your abdomen. If they give you the runaround, try another doctor. I know things are missed on x-rays and may also be missed on cat scans. You may need an MRI to find out what it is. Agitate until you get some answers.

Catty (and good luck!)

Catty gave you some really great advice.

I won't make "guesses".. but she is absolutely right. I'd also look up an oral surgeon.. they have alot of experience with bone structure and abnormal articulation (movement).

I also agree with the advice of seeing a GI specialist.... keep asking for another opinion...

you gotta be an advocate for yourself... no one else will be.. so... GO BE AGGRESSIVE!

an oral surgeon may be a better choice for evaluating your jaw. MRI isn't very useful for abdominal conditions. If the intense abdominal pain you felt becomes a recurring thing, sooner or later it should be figurable, perhaps with the input of a gastroenterologist; if it's a one-time thing, it may be hard to know what it was.

Thank you, Dr. Sid, for setting me straight on MRIs. Whatever would we do without you?

Catty

Thanks for the replies, folks! The last day or so has been unbearable with the jaw and to make matters worse, a tooth I am expecting to have extracted lost a piece and now when the jaw snaps shut, my newly aquired razor sharp edge of the backmost molar lands directly on the side of my tongue. Tell ya, sometimes ya just wanna cry! I see my MD for a physical tomorrow, so I'm jumping on the subject then. He will work with me to find this out, he's really really good like that.

Thanks again! Let you know how it's working out, it's sure to be comical in the process

Just wondering how you're doing, abcdefg. You posted this last one on March 10th. Has anything changed? Gotten any better?

I've been thinkin' about ya. Hope you are feeling better. What you are describing sounds unbearable.

I just noticed this thanks to puppys post asking for an update...thanks pup.

Many years ago I had jaw trouble also. As with you, the initial tests indicated nothing was wrong...however, I was referred to an oral surgeon that discoved that the jawbone itself was the problem, not the joint! For some odd reason, the part of the lower jawbone that extends downward had actually grown - this at age 18! It caused my jaw to become lopsided, creating many many problems.

I had to undergo pretty major surgery, involving breaking my jaw and aligning the two sides so they were again even. My jaw was wired shut for 7 weeks. That was over 20 years ago and I've had no repercussions, not even the excruciating headaches I used to get.

I hope you've found some answers abc, and some relief...be sure to let us know!