Teeth Clenching / Grinding
 

Has anyone dealt with teeth clenching and/or grinding? I have noticed that in the past year I have woken up quite often with my teeth clenched like I was hanging on for dear life. I even notice that I'm doing it during the day, too! :eek: Seems like I read somewhere that Zoloft causes this in some people. Is this true? Maybe I should ask my Neuro about it - I've meant to every time I've gone in for an appointment but keep forgetting to bring it up. :rolleyes: It's beginning to cause me headaches and when I notice I'm doing it when I'm awake I make an effort to stop - but when I'm asleep I can't. :(

I grind my teeth, and found that the muscle relaxers help. I still do it, but dont have that grinding for dear life clench when i wake up.

Wow, I never knew that Zoloft was associated with that! I used to have it very badly, especially at night. I got a guard to wear at night. But, now that I think about it, it hasn't happened in a long while and I've been off Zoloft for a couple years. Hmmm.

The cause of my TMJ and clenching (I also sucked my tongue at the same time :eek:) was Celexa, a A/D.

Cherie

I had never heard that ADs could cause it, guess you learn something new everyday. :)

I do it and my Mom does it, she's not on anything, so I figured it was a familial thing. Anyhoo I'd ask your dentist about it because they can fit you for a night guard if your insurance accepts it. If not and you think it might help I got one at the drug store for $25 that you shape to your teeth. It does help although I don't like wearing it.

Perhaps other drugs can too, but I know A/D's do from experience (I've also read it). That is true with tinnitus as well.

If a person clenches too much for too long, they can cause themselves TMJ too, and wear those joints down. That's what was happening to me, and the reason I had to invest in a mouth guard (@ $300 from my dentist). In the end, stopping Celexa was the answer . . . although not everyone can go off their antidepressant either.

I am very sensitive to drugs though.

Cherie

I had a mouth guard made by my dentist because my teeth were getting too ground down. It cost $350. It was a good investment. Drugs had nothing to do with my grinding because I take nothing but vitamins.

gmi

I am a teeth clencher from way back. I especially notice it during times of stress.

I recently got an inexpensive, $98, soft night guard for my lower teeth from my dentist. It has helped, but mostly I am doing my best to remain stressfree.

If I wake with a headache, I make a conscious effort to breathe more slowly throughout the day, and stay relaxed. I also chew like I have gum in my mouth throughout the day. It seems to help a bit, but maybe it's the placebo effect. Writing may be helpful in clearing the mind.

I don't think mine is med related, but I used to be a real type A person. I'm hoping you are feeling better. Being aware of a situation is the first step to solving it.

:hug:

Can you add a Vitamin B Complex supplement and see if that helps - b vitamins are the stress fighters.

JO I was thinking the smae thing.

I was clenching and grinding and had a mouth guard made.

My dentist also told me about B vitamins. I googled it and sure enough they recommend B vitamins for bruxism. I think B5.

Vitamin B5 aka pantothenic acid is real helpful for teeth grinding/clenching/bruxism
Totally cured the problem for my son a few years back :)

also, Royal Jelly is a supp very rich in B vits and with high B5, for those that dont react well to the B complex - many people get digestive and other side effects from B complex- but not with Royal Jelly or individual Bs

I do this a lot and wondered if it could be part of the spastcity. I haven't been on an A/D for quite awhile, so that isn't doing it.

I get jaw spasms as a whole separate thing, Holl, mine is sort of like the bottom goes left and the top goes the other way, it's very fast. No clicking or anything, just ga-gong, ga-gong a few times. It wakes me up at night.

I take a vitamin supplement every day. Nature's Code for Women Over 50 (I'm 47 but I figured I'd get a head start..!). It's got all the B vitamins in it.

I did a google search and found many articles relating teeth clenching to Zoloft. Also listed was Prozac. I don't think it's going to be an option for me to stop taking Zoloft so I'll invest in a night guard and be very mindful of when I'm clenching during the day.

I've just noticed this within the past year or so....but I guess the stress of losing my job, waiting for LTD (and SSDI eventually) and other things that have happened within the past 6 months are just catching up with me. :(

Thanks for your suggestions - I appreciate all the responses very much. :)

Yup that sounds familiar. Mine does it during the day, too. Especially if I am slacking off on taking my baclofen.

Hey Kitty!

I know my teeth grinding is from stress. At the time my dentist told me I was grinding my teeth down I wasn't on any meds and hadn't even been dx'd with the MS yet.

You have been and are currently going thru a lot. :hug:

The special plates the dentist make are expensive. My dentist did tell me that I could buy a mouth guard at a sporting store. I did, it was like $10. It's probably bigger than what the fitted plates the dentist make would be, but it's also a lot cheaper. So you might want to buy one and try wearing it for a couple weeks and see if that helps.

And I pray that your SSDI and other issues will be quickly worked out in your favor and life will settle down for you :)

Yes, Kelly, I have the grinding\clenching thing too. It is much worse when I'm stressed, like now. I was supposed to be fitted for a night guard but my insurance wouldn't pay for it :(. What else is new, huh? Sometimes my jaw is just screamin' when I wake up. At some point, I'm gonna have to get the guard. I was dx with tmj about 5? years ago. Maybe we should try the over the counter, self-fitting guard.

Clencher/grinder here as well and I have TMJ. Sometimes I wake my hubby up I grind so hard - and he's a sound sleeper! It's nothing to wake up with very sore teeth and jaws.

When I was researching bruxism (fancy name for grinding) a while back I read that it has several causes including medication, stress and neurological conditions.

Well, I hit the jackpot on this one 'cause I have all three!! :eek:

Dead thread? Nope. Not with Moose wandering around.:D

It just dawned on me that maybe it's genetic because my brother and me both do it. AND both of our oldest sons do it.:confused:

Not so much for me now. As someone mentioned, B vitamins help. And I take a bunch of those. I used to do it so bad that I wouldn't realize it until my jaw started hurting.

OK. Carry on...:o

teeth,hurting, clenching and jaw snapping. I have that, I also have the mouth guard. But my Dentist said that my teeth are fine and that it is my ms doing it. So the neuro uped my gabapentin, but still every once in a while my teeth will hurt or jaw will snap.

talk to you neuro