Botox and Steroid Injections

So after waiting a year and a half to see a pain doc, who some refer to as " God" in my city, the day has finally
arrived and I see him at 1pm.

Now this isn't a chronic pain board and I don't know if anyone has had an experience with these injections but since all my pain is in my head and neck I am a little nervous about it maybe worsening my t?

Possible? anyone know?

 

Ok well had mag shots and my doc is God. I have never met a doc like him..open, honest, knowledgeable and GOOD. Also my tinnitus is WAY down. Clearly a muscular tmj component there. (inflammation? ) Hopefully in time it gets even better.

If anything I believe I can forsee a less painful if not painfree future...I hope!

His waiting list is now 3 years long. I am very fortunate I got in after 1.5!

 

@Street Spirit What did he do exactly? Gave you a shot in the jaw?

 

Gave me shots all over in different muscle groups. Some hurt like hell. It was trigger point injections.

 

Walking into the room the echo was awful, I inserted my plugs. After the shots I plugged my ears couldn't hear T and didn't need my plugs! It was awesome. I am not saying its a cure all, but it helped.

 

Hey Lynn I hope things work out. Keep us pposted it's something I'm thinking about getting injections as well.

 

Will do!

 

That's great to hear Lynn. Hope for further improvements. Did it had any effect on your H?

 

[QU="lapidus, post: 113896, member: 4031"]That's great to hear Lynn. Hope for further improvements. Did it had any effect on your H?[/QUOTE]

It did help...however I was so anxious going in and leaving that I felt a little rattled and I also drank 3 cups of tea prior and ran( spikes my T and H) .So it was naturally up more than usual. I imagine it will take more shots to release my trigger points after so many years..either way it did help my pain and for the first timein forever I didn't have jaw/ facial or shoulder pain

but like I said I was able to take out my plugs right after and the room was not so echoy and my T went right down!!

He knew about H and T and where to do the shots...but he told me he is open to learning anything so I think I will bring in some papers on TTS next visit..maybe he will come up with something

 

@Street Spirit What did he inject? Botox or steroids or both? By the way, the girl on your avatar has the coolest hat ever ^^

 

@Vincent R haha..well thanks its my fav hat! he used magnesium actually. In research they have discovered that it's not so much the solution that affects the trigger point but the mechanical action of the needle hitting and breaking up the trigger point. (Dry needling)

With that said, I believe he may use botox at one point. We shall see. He does this pain clinic once a week and profits nothing (not paid extra for it) He is great at what he does, and has a very strong passion for it. He is super caring, spoke to me like a person. Asked me to help him, bring in research if I discover anything new as he loves to learn from his patients!! Has helped alot of people and has a 3 yr waiting list presently. He is also a practicing anesthesiologist.

I just hope I am helped in the long run...

T currently still low

 

The coolness of hats are generally underestimated.

Possibly the same reason to why acupuncture is very helpful for some.

Even if the treatment must be repeated, now you at least know that tensions are a part of the problem.

There's nothing more refreshing in life than suddenly and unexpectedly getting the head above the surface.

 

Yes hats are aawesome!

Yes exactly why acupuncture works.

Yes I have always always known tension to be a major contender in my T and H but I don't know for sure there is no nerve involvement yet.

But yes, head is above water tonight..I generally feel I am headed in right direction.

 

T is back full force. Just in time for bed...

damn.

Well pain is still low..I did drink aspartame earlier..maybe dinner was high sodium but if it was TMJ caused then these things would have no bearing on it.

Ok. Maybe it is from that ear flushing..


f***

Well will keep at it regardless..helps the pain anyways ..

 

Lynn, hear me out on this one, because I've battled muscle tensions since my late teenage. If your body has suffered from chronic tensions for a long time, even if you're able to release them, the muscles will clam up again. But you can still get result if you work with it long term. Now you know what the problem is, and that's a victory that counts.

 

Yes, now you know the "source" of your problems at least and I'm guessing you're going back to this doctor soon again to try more things?

 

Aww thanks Vincent, very kind of you to say. Was feeling rather despondent last night when I woke up at 3am with super loud T and a very sore neck (which I expected)

I do have a sore tooth as well..I just was hoping for that miracle you know? ! BUT regardless going to of course keep at it, see what happens

 

Yes I've always known that my TMJ plays a role. I still of course now can't say for sure, but my T did leave with that shot. It's bloody loud again, but hoping with more treatments it will subside. If not I suppose it could be all those other possibilities :/

Regardless not having a TMJ headache to greet me this am IS heaven! First time in a very long time

 

@lapidus Yes going back but have to wait some weeks before they do it again..

 

Update.

Been having alot of fleeting T in my bad ear, where I had my temple and SCM injected. I had it while walking yesterday, running today, laying down my head. .so I am gathering it's muscular..maybe some residual swelling at injection sites. It's a louder buzz than I've ever had so that's discouraging. I hope it goes away.

 

Your neck muscles has gotten used to be tense, probably since years back. Injecting magnesium in the moste tense trigger points worked out, but it's a pretty abrupt method, and now your muscles are real sour as they change back to their previous state. I suggest you try a more natural approach. Which would include building strength in your whole body, including the neck (you'll need a gym instructor for that one) and this:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/meditation-practice-to-deal-with-tinnitus-suffering.8165/

A relaxation technique refined from hinduic yoga by a Swedish therapist named Birgitta Rudberg. Release those triggerpoints with awareness instead of needles. Not just every now and then but every day. All you will have to do is to be more stubborn than your tensions.

 

@Street Spirit did you get botox injected into your stapedial or tensor tympani muscles?.

 

No Chelles, just trigger points in my neck and face for tmj.

 

@Street Spirit - where are these "trigger points" you've written about exactly? I have problems with my tmj too. Are you sure that it is tmj for sure which caused your fluttering in ear? Btw. - what kind of ear myoclonus do you have - strong rapid spasms, fast fluttering etc.? Could you describe it, please? Thanks in advance

 

Hi @mermaid

If you loook Trigger Points TMJ it will show you all of them. Fancy muscle names I can't spell lol.. shots were in my neck ( SCM) temple, lower cheek, the muscle that starts with P sorry for not looking up) and occipital area..I do believe the fluttering is caused by tight muscles..in fact the other night I had it after an intense day in court ( was clenching alot) and as my bf was rubbing neck and chest (not boobs guys har har) upper chest, my right ear would flutter more..anyways after his massage, again, the fluttering stopped.

I do feel its muscular..I have TTs and myoclonus..fast rapid thumping or fluttering-not painful and stops when I put my finger in ear and TTS, thumping to noise and on bad days gives me alot of pain.

 

@Street Spirit do you get the fluttering if you scratch your eyes? This is a new symptom for me or sometimes if I touch the side of my face my ear will flutter.

 

@Chelles - I think your symptoms are caused by manual irritation of trigeminal nerve or/and facial nerve while touching/moving the face and eye area. These nerves innervate the tensor tympani and stapedius muscle in the ear. I have sometimes similar symptoms too, now not so often as in the past, but I know what you're talking about. It's all because the nerves of face, jaw, skull are connected with each other and with the nerves of ear.

@Street Spirit - how do you feel now after being injected with botox? Did your middle ear myoclonus vanish or descrease? Please, keep us informed about the present and future results of botox injections.

 

I didn't have botox. It's the act of the needle itself that actually breaks the trigger point. However I will be asking for botox next as my clenching is bad again.

Keep y'all updated for sure.

 

@Street Spirit - Ohhh I thought you did have botox. I've read some dentists make botox injections into the chewing muscles (musculus masseter) to weaken these muscles and this procedure should help for tmj and maybe for TTTS too...

 

Yes..I plan on asking for that next