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

[Dan998]

Yes, if I try to smile one side of my face moves more than the other. It looks like I've had a stroke. I also get twitchy eyelids.

[InvisibleUnless]

i have a lot of orofacial dyskinesias.  lots of twitches, movements, grimaces, pains and other problems in my face, neck, eyes, nose, etc.  sometimes i have problems with one or both sides of my face, and it can include a lot of unilateral tongue movement abnormalities, biting myself (especially while trying to eat), and even problems with speech, breathing, and swallowing.  sometimes my face gets slow, less responsive, or numbed like i have been drinking or drugged.  i have had a lot of episodes of constant salivation, jaw movements, and other such issues.  ive even had my teeth moving around in my mouth (which may be related to displaced teeth from a mosh pit, wisdom teeth moving about here and there, or withdrawal-related problems).  electric shocks in my lips and face, weird sensations and tremors, and other types of things also came up during tapering and withdrawal.

 

also, i had what i felt to be a re-experiencing of dental anaesthesia.  i had a 'stroke face' with one side drooping and a lot of numbness, along with my mouth tasting like anaesthesia, going numb, and salivating uncontrollably.  my eye was not working properly on that side, and the numbness included a paralysis of sorts.  i had difficulty breathing, as well.  the numbness and weird feelings went all the way from the bottom of my face to the top of my head, and began radiating from a spot where i had received local anaesthesia several months prior.  i hadnt remembered where the injections were given, but after i tasted the anaesthesia and was responding in the exact manner i did during the procedure, i called the place and they told me it was the very place i was concerned with.  medical professionals tried to say it was a transient ischemic attack, but said that not all the symptoms i mentioned would fit into that, and that they could not explain why it was exactly the same set of experiences as the original encounter with the anaesthetics.

[btdt]

I had all this too... both of you... and the had a bad reaction to the freezing at the dentist but not the tasting it later when my face went weird the face going off and looking stark expressionless was before the freezing for me and my one eye was droopy... I had no doc at the time never had it checked as I was real sick in wd then but I took pictures of my face ... I thought it looked like palsy but it did go away.  That is the good news. 

 

I think the lesser it is the more completely it will go and maybe the faster it will go too... lets hope. 

 

I don't know it if helped but around this time I did water therapy drinking 4 large glasses of water in the morning... and started eating a bit of all bran every day the sticks... even it is was just one spoonful... I think it helped maybe it was the vitamins in the cereal as it has more than most or maybe it helped take toxins out of my gut.. no idea just feel it helped if I had it again I would do both those things again.  

 

It will pass in time... 

peace to you. 

[UnfoldingSky]

I had twitching in my lips, my eyes, limbs, etc...and it's basically all dissipated.  I haven't had numb feelings in my face but my hands would go to sleep very easily in the acute phase, still sometimes this can happen when I feel it shouldn't be...but it's nowhere near as bad as it was and only a mild annoyance relative to the other problems I used to have and a few I still would like to overcome.

 

I'm sure I looked drugged out too in the early days as I was put on more drugs to deal with the reaction I had to Celexa and the cold turkey and so on.  I can think of at least one time when a stranger seemed to notice there was something amiss. 

[LexAnger]

Me too, no twitches but looks like a retarded/no life when my brain feels weak/dead/parallized, miserable, swollen look when with lots pain, numbness, etc. when I'm feeling good with minimal symptoms, my face looks like ME, bright, happy and with life. This can change from one hour to the next. So hopefully when My CNS heals, I will look like myself again.

 

How about everyone's pattern?

[Fresh]

Similar topics merged.

[Junglechicken]

Yes, I've had weird facial tics/twitching.  I get if off and on even now.

 

When I CT'd last year I got horrendous headaches, sinus, eye pain, migraine, dizziness, nausea.  Never had migraine, sinus issues in my life.

 

It all stopped after I re-instated.

[badger25]

Hello everyone

I'm new to this particular thread and very glad that I have been referred to it. I'm finally tapering properly and am on my lowest dose yet of escitalopram. I am having trouble with jaw clenching and neck pain. It has been very helpful reading over this thread and seeing some suggestions and also what someone wrote a while back about it being caused by nerve damage. Very interesting. Since being on this low dosage, i have been clenching my jaw so much and have to stop and conciously relax it. Not only that, i feel like i am on steroids or something, its really weird... like i have all of this nervous energy which worsens the clenching. Have other people got this kind of crazy energy that is hard to control? I feel quite manic and ragey, and i feel a bit out of control of myself when i am talking to people. I would really like to read some scientific articles about what is happening with the chemicals in my body, if anyone knows of anything. I am having these manic episodes where i have heaps of energy and then i crash. I crave coffee and am trying really hard not to drink too much but definitely want it much more than I used to.

Sometimes i want to take pain killers to get rid of the jaw pain but i know that is no solution. I am definitely interested in trying acupuncture but if anyone has any other suggestions let me know.

thanks

[bubbles]

I had a lot of trouble with bruxism on two SSRIs. I've always bruxed - long before the SSRI, but the SSRI made it worse. I'm now at a low enough dose that I'm not noticing it. I'm sure I'm still doing it, but I'm not having any pain from it and I've been able to cease all treatments for it.

 

(Bruxing can be clenching instead of grinding. Mine is clenching.)

 

I had physical therapy for months for the stiff neck and headaches, which included dry needling (acupuncture from a physical therapist). I also had a mouthguard (two actually). Ultimately the physical therapist suggested the botox and that helped a lot. The doctor who did the botox was a specialist who had dental and medical qualifications so I felt very confident with him. (I was at the point where I needed to take this step because my dentist was predicting all sorts of dreadful dental consequences if I didn't get the bruxing under control. The botox doesn't stop me clenching, but it does reduce the amount of pressure I can apply to my teeth and therefore does less damage - or at least that's how I understand it.

 

Eating cold things set me off badly so that might be worth paying attention to - to see if there is a pattern to it. I gave up ice cream for a while because that was an easy thing that I could do by myself. 

[btdt]

I am afraid of reactions to botox... did a bone spur on the jaw make your dentists list?

[bubbles]

No, no bone spur.

[btdt]

thanks 

[Laura]

I was wondering whats wrong with my face, it looks old and tired, really like a stroke or something. Can anyone tell me if these things are permanent or they will disappear?

[btdt]

I was wondering whats wrong with my face, it looks old and tired, really like a stroke or something. Can anyone tell me if these things are permanent or they will disappear?

It will go away but it may take some time and when that goes away something else will come to replace it... that is how it goes.

[Laura]

thank you btdt.

[moonstoneblue]

When I was younger I had perfect straight teeth, never needed braces or anything.

Then as the years went along on antidepressants (started at age 17)! my jaw and face would hurt, I was young and didn't understand teeth and movements etc. So then at the age of around 26 (I'm 32 now) I noticed how bad my teeth looked in a photograph, I panicked and thought they never use to look like that.

Anyway last couple of years I've suffered terrible bruxism and was diagnosed with TMJ and a dislocated jaw.

Since I've tapers Prozac I've had no jaw pain, no bruxism or anything. I'm just stuck with a load of teeth out of place. I'd need £4,000 for orthodontics and I could never afford that on my salary and I can't get finance. So I have to smile with my mouth shut now, I'm so ashamed but happy my jaw pain has gone.

[Buffy]

Is this a symptom? It hits me around the same time every day - regardless of what I eat or drink.

 

I thought at first maybe I had been clenching them, but Im not sure. My muscles seem to clench themselves, I dont notice til I am in pain. But even a day when I have been meditating the majority has not helped.

 

Brushing, flossing etc all lead to bleeding gums and no relief.

 

It just seems strange to me that it hits the same time daily.

[btdt]

At least no tooth pain I still have it off and on and use a probiotic for it called I forget the name...sorry.  It is used for babies in Sweden I was trying it for gut and since it is liquid and my tooth was hurting I put the 4 drops I was taking on the tooth and bam it worked like magic but that is tooth not jaw pain.  

For jaw pain I use something akin to A535 but it is not that one... a different name calcium ion blocker I think is what they generally are it helps. 

 

you have 4 grand for teeth I would not even venture to guess what my teeth would cost now I did the corrections thing just before I started Ads waste of money at this point can't afford to do it again and would not put myself through it again either.  Have a chiropractor estimate that is 4 grand with wkly visits for the rest of my life... I asked if I was going on vacation with him for the rest of his life at that cost... he did not think it was funny. 

[Cressida]

I have had this for the last few weeks since I was ill with a virus. It hits when I sit down after dinner. It is excruciating nerve pain. It can affect top and bottom jaws is usually worse on left. It can go into my cheek and up to my temple. It gets worse if I drink hot tea. I can barely chew.

Am guessing its temporo mandibular disorder. Have suffered a lot with head neck shoulder scalp pain through WD but had improved a lot since wearing a mouthguard from last July. I have never had it this bad. Am doing exercises I found and wearing a mouthguard at home doing jobs to avoid unconscious clenching . It is SO painful and gums are tender to the touch. No bleeding gums look healthy

[Buffy]

That sounds similar - It didnt cross my mind to be nerve pain, thanks.

 

I have also had scalp pain and had no idea it was WD related! (I did when I came off Lyrica - bleeding scalp giveaway!)

 

Thanks for your reply and I hope yours improves too.

 

It has been suggested to me that its sinus related, which I am sure it can be but unsure if it is in this case. I do however have runny eyes and nose but thats been going on over 5 years with no related tooth pain.

 

Im ok when it passes but in the midst of it, I get quite upset. It hits me around 3pm daily and lasts until around 6. I take meds at 5.30pm.

[journey]

Hi,

Im pretty new to this forum, I have lowered my ssri, paroxetene .I am having headaches, a little panicky, a little emotional.  But one of the worst symptoms I have is jaw clenching.  I wake up with a bad headache, sore face, my teeth feel like they are going to fall out, I get really sore shoulders because I must be hunching up when I sleep.  Apparently this is a side effect of ssri's.  I have also had this before I started my taper but it seems worse lately.  I am clenching my jaw during the day and I didnt even realise it.  Its really pretty horrible.  I am wondering if anyone else has had this? and if there is anything I can do...Im going to try a mouth guard but I doubt this will be good for me.  I was wandering around the house with warm flannels on my face last night, that was soothing.  thanks in advance

Journey

[brassmonkey]

Hi Journey-- I had that problem for a  long time while I was on Paxil and during the first half of my taper.  Sleeping with a mouth guard really helped. I wore out several at first but as things relaxed they lasted longer.  I finally stopped using them a couple of years ago.  Massaging the side of my head above and between the ears and temples really helped, and allthought it can be messy using a muscle rub there can help too.  Keeping my head warm at night was a good thing.

[journey]

Thanks so much for the reply....I am going to try a mouth guard, I dont want to wreck my teeth any more than they already are!! I will try and keep my head warm too that is a good idea.  I have tapered off of paxil before and it was a nightmare so hoping to go more slowly this time.  and I guess be more prepared.  I have dropped 5mgs and its been 3.5 weeks I think Ill hold here for a another two or three and then do the 10% .  I dropped it before i saw the 10% idea.  Last time the real issues started as I go to smaller doses.  I feel so horrible most of the time its incredibly frustrating.  I am so used to being very active now its hard to get off the couch.

[Barbarannamated]

Oh yes. I have so much pain and general discomfort in my head. If I could only regain enough mental energy to be able to enjoy, let alone understand, a game or a movie, maybe time would go by faster

This sure resonates with me. I just can't get interested in or concentrate on TV or movies. Days go on FOREVER.

 

I have had bruxism, jaw and neck pain since I took Zoloft 25 years ago. Didn't realize until after I was forced into medical retirement and found a dentist who does only drug-related dentistry (esp dry mouth and bruxism).

 

A doctor recently diagnosed me with cervical dystonia by the way the muscles pull my head over to one side (not extreme).

 

I am not off all meds. Pristiq (sloppy taper) left me in protracted withdrawal.

[brassmonkey]

I always used the cheap athletic mouth guards I got at the drug store for about $5. Easy to fit and no big lose when I finally chewed through them.

 

We have a lot of great information about tapering paxil. It's a tricky one and has to be done carefully and slowly, especially the low doses.

[India]

I realise now that the tics I have developed over the past ten years were probably  correlated with antidepressant use ( citalopram).i think they overloaded my CNS. Trying to get off them presently .

[ChessieCat]

Just wanted to mention something which may not have been thought of.

 

Some intestinal worms are common and easily transmitted, especially when around children.

 

I've also seen mention of having worms causing bruxism.

 

Having worms can cause restless sleep.

[Katy398]

Hi Folks,

Can I ask, Has anyone developed a Nervous Tic.

It feels like a build up of tension in my body that results in an involuntary twitch either in my head, neck or body. Loud noises or sudden movements can also set it off. It’s very noticeable to others. I’ve been managing to go into work up until now but I don’t think I can go in with this. Any ideas how to ease it. 

Best wishes to everyone going through this. Kx

[Madeleine]

7 hours ago, Katy398 said:

Hi Folks,

Can I ask, Has anyone developed a Nervous Tic.

It feels like a build up of tension in my body that results in an involuntary twitch either in my head, neck or body. Loud noises or sudden movements can also set it off. It’s very noticeable to others. I’ve been managing to go into work up until now but I don’t think I can go in with this. Any ideas how to ease it. 

Best wishes to everyone going through this. Kx

I didn't  have a nervous tic per se but had all sorts of jerks and involuntary movements -- and at one point I had a bit of shaking in my fingers.  Also, in withdrawal, I was very jumpy, so small noises or too much stimulation would startle me very easily.  This all resolved and went away.

My suggestions on how to ease it or deal with it right now.

-meditation, prayer

-relaxing activities -- massage,  taking warm baths, gentle exercise, listening to music
-cognitive behavioural therapy -- even if you don't go to a therapist, pick up a book on the subject -- basically what CBT teaches is that your thoughts influence your emotions, which in terms influence your physical state --- So, if develop tics due to withdrawal and you tell yourself "oh no, this is terrible" "what if everyone notices it work, what will they think" "how can I live with this, I can't do so, it's awful" -- then that creates negative emotions, i.e. fear, anxiety.  In turn, the emotions rev up your nervous system and your tics might increase, as will things like "butterflies in stomach"  (as our nervous system is tied in with our digestive system).  But, if you create the opposite types of thoughts, and tell yourself "it doesn't matter, I'll just rid it through",  "I don't care what others think, it they look at me, tough for them, not for me", "it's bugging me a bit but it's not that bad" -- then the result is positive emotions, hope, contentment, feeling of empowerment etc. -- And, then that improves and strengthens your physical state.  There are work books that give you cognitive behaviour exercises that you can do on your own even without a therapist. For example, I think there is a book called Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy -- and there is a workbook that you can buy so you can learn to put the information/theories into practical action in your own life by doing the exercises. They teach you a formula/approach.

-a good diet. Make sure you are eating enough, not too little as that can make some people like me edgy, and not too much, -- and the right things, i.e. a healthy well balanced diet

-there might be supplements, e.g. magnesium that help, or calming teas, e.g. camomile tea, etc. but I wouldn't take too much stock into just taking those. In my opinion, the points above all are more important, though additional supplements to calm your nervous system could help out a bit too. 

Best wishes,

M.

 

[Katy398]

Thank you so much Madeleine for your response so informative and such a support to feel there are folk out there who care. This can feel like such a lonely journey at times. Hope your tapering is giving you some windows. Best wishes Take care Kx

[SkyStreamer]

I have been dealing with a lip inflammation/reaction for about 7 months, and haven't been able to determine a cause. 

 

However, it was brought to my attention recently that my less than clean mouthguard/nightguard might be the culprit, since it is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, candida and mould.

 

I haven't slept with a mouthguard for five nights, and I'm already sensing somer positive changes in my lips. I also just started taking nystatin to help treat my lip.

 

Below are some short articles I've been reading about how unclean mouthguards can make you sick, including the lips:

 

https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/news/20040930/dental-devices-may-cause-infection#1

 

http://www.hi-techsmiles.com/mouth-guard-making-sick/

 

https://myplasticfreelife.com/discuss/miscellaneous/plastic-dental-night-guard/

- Last comment at the bottom of the page, the lady says she was sick for a year and then it dawned on her that it could be her mouthguard. She got rid of it for three days, and her sickness went away.

 

https://blog.sisuguard.com/is-your-mouthguard-making-you-sick

 

https://patch.com/massachusetts/wellesley/your-mouthpiece-making-you-sick-0

 

 https://www.healthline.com/health/thrush#symptoms

 

https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa14/2014/10/21/mouth-guards-make-athletes-sick/

 

https://www.faceandjawsurgery.com/cleaning-mouth-guards-to-avoid-mouth-disease/

 

[matt6558]

Hi all thanks a lot for your help. 

 

I have been also suffering from jaw muscle tension from Lexapro, which I was on for five months. About two weeks into the medication, I developed jaw muscle tension and it's been still around even after I stopped taking lexapro three months ago. and I have been getting around neck tension recently.

 

Will this go away eventually on its own???? I am just wondering why it's still around after I stopped taking it and it's also to do with our nervous system being adjusted back to normal? 

 

Thank you. 

[SolarPlexus]

On 10/7/2020 at 11:54 PM, matt6558 said:

Hi all thanks a lot for your help. 

 

I have been also suffering from jaw muscle tension from Lexapro, which I was on for five months. About two weeks into the medication, I developed jaw muscle tension and it's been still around even after I stopped taking lexapro three months ago. and I have been getting around neck tension recently.

 

Will this go away eventually on its own???? I am just wondering why it's still around after I stopped taking it and it's also to do with our nervous system being adjusted back to normal? 

 

Thank you. 

Hi there. How is your jaw tension now? That's a new symptom I just got recently after withdrawing from Lexapro (2 years ago - but don't compare to me as my case is protracted and I took a high dose for two years). Wanted to know how you are. I hope you're better now. I got a jaw massage today as part of my overall massage treatment. Felt a bit better. 

[matt6558]

well - I still have facial tension but it's gotten better but still there... but after two years of stopping of the medication,  could it be lexapro??? ) 

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, matt6558 said:

but after two years of stopping of the medication,  could it be lexapro???

 

But this is what is in your drug signature:

 

on Lexapro from Jan 20, 2020 - July 4, 2020. Started from 5mg till end of February, 2020 and dosage increased up to 10 mg and I was on 10 mg till end of May and from June, 2020, I tapered the dosage down to 7.5mg/5mg/2.5mg/0 in June. 

 

You only stopped Lexapro in June this year.  And you jumped off from 2.5mg.

 

Did you mean to say that you were on the drug for 2 years?  (I realise that you may not be a native English speaker)  The way your post is written it seems to say that you have been off the drug for 2 years.

 

And yes, it could still be the withdrawal after stopping Lexapro.  It could take a few years for your brain to fully sort everything out.  It's got a lot of work to do.  I particularly like the Rubik's cube analogy in this video.

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

[rilexapro]

I posted my story in the introductions forum, but to get through it quickly, I was on 30mg of Lexapro for years, had to go off cold turkey due to problems with APRN, tried going back on 10mg a few months later, and then started having a ton of issues that kept me off it for good. I only lasted a week on the 10mg.

 

One constant thing, besides memory loss and brain fog, has been a facial weirdness on the left side of my face and neck. I have gotten very sharp pains on the left side of my neck, that almost feels like a damaged joint. A few months ago, I got such a sharp pain there for about 10 seconds, I could not move. I also have breathing problems, and I've had a bad cough since the 10mg last year.

 

The left side of my face, mostly around my mouth and cheek, feels like a sort of dull tingly-ness. It's not painful, but it's annoying. It feels warm, too. It comes and goes, but since last year, it's been here. I also had jaw stiffness last year that would make my mouth stiffen naturally, but it went away.

 

If this was the sign of something serious, such as a stroke or damage to the brain, would my CT/MRI scans have shown evidence of that? I am not sure how long a scan can pick up evidence of somebody having a stroke, I had my scans about 3-4 months after the face numbness started.

If anybody has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.