jaw pain

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kathylyon
kathylyon Member Posts: 84

Hi everyone

Just  wondering if anyone had experienced mouth pain which is is not related to sores.  I can only  chew on one side of my mouth because I get pain ( it seems to come from my jaw) on the other side.  After a while it even hurts to talk.  I am  going on 6 weeks post chemo.  The dentist says it is nerve pain, my Onolocgist has never heard of this happening.  I had a CT Scan done last week, which turned up nothing.  I am going back to the dentist tomorrow to see if he may have missed something.  I just wanted to know if I am the only one out there who has experienced this type of side effect from the  chemo.  I am assuming it is the Chemo since it started with my second treatment and  it has not gotten worse since my Chemo stopeed.  

Thanks

Kathy 

Comments

  • Jenmarie9
    Jenmarie9 Member Posts: 43
    edited August 2011

    Kathy, I remember having jaw pain during chemo. Just like a dull achy feeling. Someone (maybe it was here?) suggested taking a Claritin. It worked for me.

  • christina1961
    christina1961 Member Posts: 736
    edited August 2011

    Kathy,

    I had horrible jaw pain from the Neulasta shot that followed my chemo.  I took oxycodone during each cycle of chemo for the muscle, bone, and jaw pain.  I still have some rib pain on my right side which has worsened since I started Arimidex.  I am two months from chemo and still have some numbness in my left hand that is nerve damage but it is slowly resolving.  Good luck to you - I went to the dentist twice during my chemo and he told me that since I grind my teeth at night, that I really needed to wear my night guard especially during chemo because the grinding would increase so much during the chemo treatment.  I wonder if your pain could be caused by grinding your teeth?  You might to check with your dentist and see if you have signs of it.  I never knew I did it because it happens in my sleep but it can inflame the gums on one side, cause joint pain in the jaw, and even eventually cause gum recession if it is not treated.

  • kathylyon
    kathylyon Member Posts: 84
    edited August 2011

    Thanks for you response - did it get in the way of eating your food?

    Kathy 

  • kathylyon
    kathylyon Member Posts: 84
    edited August 2011
    HI Christina - is your jaw pain gone?.  Did it hurt for you to eat on one side of your mouth?  I don't have the pain when I wake in the morning, which is making me think I do not grind my teelth.  Did your jaw hurt first thing in the morning or as the day went on?  thanks for responding. 
  • christina1961
    christina1961 Member Posts: 736
    edited August 2011

    Kathy,

    My jaw pain during chemo (with the neulasta) set in a day or so after the shot and continued for a few days.  My pain in the past from grinding my teeth presented as sore back teeth when I would eat something that required some chewing - I never really noticed it coming or going - seems like it was always present - but the recession on my gums from it was on one side but the pressure pain was on both side.  Hope that helps - I imagine it can really vary with individuals depending on the structure of teeth and jaws.

  • Birminghamgal
    Birminghamgal Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2012

    Thank you for your post! I thought i was the only one with this terrible jaw pain! I had chemo # 3 five days ago ... The neulesta shot hadn't hit my jaw until this round, but WOW...did it hit me! Started in my back teeth and by the end of the day yesterday, i couldn't even touch the top and bottom teeth together. I took a lortab at night and that did help me sleep. Like you, I grind my teeth so i am sure that isn't helping. Thank you for letting me know this latest development is not particularly unusual!

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited January 2012

    I have TMJ and during chemo it flared up pretty badly after most of the treatments. I assume because the chemo causes inflamation. You may have mild TMJ. Try taking 200mg of ibuprofen first thing in the morning (as long as it is ok with your docs).

  • kathylyon
    kathylyon Member Posts: 84
    edited January 2012

    Birmngham - I now almost 6 months post Chemo.  The tighness in the jaw gradually went away.  I would say that 2 months post chemo I was doing pretty good. Ibuprofen did nothing for me but everyone is different.  Hang in there and try to remember even though painful it is temporary.

  • Birminghamgal
    Birminghamgal Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2012

    Thank you Momine and kathylyon! The information and encouragement is very much appreciated!

  • Twicenotnice
    Twicenotnice Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2017

    I'm glad I found this website. I had my first chemo treatment last Tues and am still having trouble with pain all over and especially in jaw and ears. This is my second go around and this is so different. I didn't think about the pain being from Neulasta. Thanks for info.

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited October 2017

    Dear Twicenotnice,

    Welcome to the BCO community. We are glad that you have been helped by this thread. WE would love to see you get connected here and stay active. This particular thread while helpful is not very recent. You may want to browse other topics depending on your needs and situation that are also relevant to you. Let us know if there is anything we can do to be of help. The Mods

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