Why am I relapsing???

missfashionista · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:19 pm

This is my third week in braces and I have the 3rd day feeling!!! What I mean is I feel like I want to rip my braces off my teeth! I thought I was getting used to it but today, I woke up. My tongue is very tired...I am not sure why. It seems like I've been holding my tongue in a certain position and it's shaking. My cheeks are still torn up. My lower jaw is sore from not closing properly. What am I doing wrong??

Has anyone felt like that?? Has anyone relapse after a while of being in braces? How do you cope??

kittymeow84 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:53 pm

Its possible your teeth have gone into another phase of movement.

I've only been braced two weeks but I've had the odd day where everything is painful again. Like a bracket that never annoyed me before is now deciding to take a chunk out of my lip. Or my teeth clash together where they never did before.

I figure its all the shifting that is going on and new parts of my mouth touch so I have get used to those afresh.

missfashionista · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:25 pm

I feel like my tongue cannot find a comfortable place to stay...and now my whole mouth is all sore.

jt2lang · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:25 pm

Sorry you're having a bad day

3 weeks is still pretty early in the process. You're still getting used to everything. And like Kitty said - everything's on the move all the time.

Take some OTC pain relievers. Try popsicles or making a protein shake - or make some hot cocoa or some soup! You might find a certain temperature that helps your jaw muscles relax. A heating pad around your neck/jaw might help too! You can take an old sock and fill it with uncooked rice and a little cinnamon - 60 seconds in the microwave and you'll feel like you're in heaven

Make sure you're getting plenty of rest each night. Your body is in a healing stage and it can be draining. Exercise helps too!

Hang in there!

missfashionista · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:37 pm

Now I am unconsciously grinding my teeth 24/7. Is this normal? Help my jaw hurts...

jennielee81 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:46 am

NO, grinding is NOT normal!!

You need to make a conscious effort to relax your jaw. I know that when I have a cold or anything like that, I will clench my jaw at night and frequently through the day.

Take note every 1/2 hr or so (when you are awake) to make sure your jaw is RELAXED. Do not go back to doing what you were before until you are sure your jaw is open and relaxed.

Check in on this frequently. Give it a day or so and if you're still grinding and clenching, call your ortho....maybe he/she can give you a bite wafer to sleep in.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!

missfashionista · **Posted:** Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:42 am

For those of you who are so kind to reply to my post, Thank you very much! For those who are just reading and didn't know what to say, that's OK.

What happened yesterday was NOT normal! I was constantly biting down on my teeth, grinding my jaws and my tongue was swollen. Nothing due to the braces!! Thank God! I had a very bad allergic reaction to a medication I was taking for my stomach flu and it caused me to have a Dystonic Reaction. I was rushed to the ER last night because my mouth was bleeding from biting down on my teeth and cheeks. The doctor had to administer Valium and Benedryl through an IV and I felt much better. My muscles relaxed a whole lot and my jaw is now back to normal.

Thank you all again for all your support! At least I now know it is not the braces fault and don't feel dispaired!

Lisa65 · **Joined:** Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:12 pm **Posts:** 3490

That sounds nasty!

Glad you were able to find out the cause and I hope you feel better soon.

Gennel · **Joined:** Mon May 01, 2006 5:19 am **Posts:** 643

Ouch ! That sounds painful! I remember when I first got braced and thought I was over the pain after a few weeks! Then all of a sudden one tooth would hurt so much. Then 2-3 days later that tooth was fine but a canine was really sore and I could not bite down on it. I was freaking out. But everyday something was happening,something was moving even though you don't see it for a few weeks or months!
I'm glad you found out what was wrong because the swollen tongue abd grinding did not sound normal to me. For a second I thought you had a expander on your lower teeth to cause your tongue to be sore.
One thing that I have learned is to Always keep hydrated. When you are even a little dehydrated ,your mouth will pay for it . The only way I notice is I'm dehydrated is when my tongue or sides of my cheeks are with sores or cut up.I'm not much of a water drinker but I try to get at least 5-6 glasses of fluid a day. I know the recommended is 8glasses or more

Gennel

missfashionista · **Posted:** Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:05 am

Patients arrive with peculiar posturing or difficulty speaking, and are usually quite upset and worried that they are having a stroke. Often there is no history offered at all--the patient may not be able to speak, may not be aware he took any phenothiazines or butyrophenones (e.g., Haldol has been used to cut heroin), may not admit he takes psychotropic medication, or may not make the connection between symptoms and drug (e.g., one dose of Compazine given for vomiting). Acute dystonias usually present with one or more of the following symptoms:

* buccolingual: protruding or pulling sensation of tongue
* torticollic: twisted neck, or facial muscle spasm
* oculogyric: roving or deviated gaze
* tortipelvic: abdominal rigidity and pain
* opisthotonic: spasm of the entire body

These acute dystonias can resemble partial seizures, the posturing of psychosis, or the spasms of tetanus, strychnine poisoning, or electrolyte imbalances. More chronic neurologic side effects of phenothiazines, including the restlessness of akathisia, tardive dyskinesias, and Parkinsonism, do not usually respond as dramatically to drug treatment as the acute dystonias.

Here's some info about Dystonic Reactions. I've bolded the symptoms I had. So anyone with braces, please if you take Compazine (which was what I was allergic to) and have these symptoms, please do not think that it's the braces! it's an allergic reaction. I was telling the ER doctor to take the braces off my teeth coz I was sooo sure it was the braces. But he told me that it's OK and not ther braces .

kittymeow84 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:12 pm

Wow that's full on!

Would you mind saying what Compazine is meant to treat as it might be called something different here in Aus and it would be good to keep a heads up

missfashionista · **Posted:** Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:22 pm

Compazine is used to treat nasea. So yeah, please check if you are allergic to the medication before taking it. But I guess if you are like me, you will not know until you take it.

Lisa65 · **Joined:** Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:12 pm **Posts:** 3490

Compazine is a brand name for the drug prochlorperazine, also marketed as Stemetil, Buccastem, and Phenotil. It is usually given to relieve symptoms of nausea postoperatively and during cancer treatment, and vertigo.

It is related to the neuroleptic drugs such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine) which are powerful drugs used in the treatment of schizophrenia and acute manic episodes. Prochlorperazine is not normally now used to treat these disorders because of its potential for unpleasant side effects.

The symptoms Missfashionista discribed are not normally encountered in normal dosage although some people are more sensitive to these extrapyramidal side effects than others, and may (as she did) need treatment with an anticholinergic drug such as benadryl to relieve the symptoms.

missfashionista · **Posted:** Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:37 pm

^^^

Thanks for the in-depth info, Lisa65!!

Yeah, it was a very scary experience. But like I said before, I am soooo happy and relieved that it had NOTHING to do with having braces. Because I have wanted to get braces for sooo long and I had already paid a substantial amount to my Ortho. for me to discontinue it now would not seem smart.

Why am I relapsing???

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