Hi Everyone,
I'm new to this, but not the pain. Have been dealing with what I though was TMJ for years (its been really bad for the last 2), and have been fitted with a couple of splints, and been on muscle relaxers, etc. About 2 months ago the pain was increasing even though I was getting treatment and I started to get a new very sharp pain any time I put food in my mouth. It was happening infrequently, but then started happening every time and was increasingly getting worse and worse, and it wasn't the act of chewing or moving my jaw...flavor seemed to trigger it. Very weird, so I have been to 3 doctors, tmj oral surgeon, ENT, and finally the neurosurgeon said we should try tegretol, and it would diagnose. Boy, was he right, the sharp pain is gone and all my "tmj" symptoms are subsiding! I feel like kissing him!

The uncertain news is that during the MRI to try to figure this our they found a 2cm mass on my pineal gland in my brain. That is why I was at the neurosurgeon. Now another MRI of brain to find out if it is just a cyst or something else, and nerve study are in my future. Keeping my fingers crossed about all of that!