Botulism...

NO, I'm not talking about getting food from the dented can bin. I'm talking about Botox.

I'm seriously considering getting it, and I'd love to have some input...personal experiences and/or medical knowledge.

I'm not trying to erase the two lines in between my eyebrows that form when I get intense...I'm just trying to make my head quit hurting! I have had tension/cluster headaches off and on since I was 17. Mostly on. I've gone through allergy treatments, chiropractic adjustments, muscle relaxers, bite guards, quit chewing/biting into foods that are hard or extra chewy, etc. We've pretty much narrowed it down to the fact that I clench the ever-loving heck out of my back teeth when I'm stressed and in my sleep, a.k.a - TMJ. I seriously think I could go toe-to-toe with a German Sheppard in a game of tug-o-war. So, I wake up with my jaws hurting and my temples throbbing, and if it's bad enough, it migrates down the back of my head, neck and shoulders. 

Most of the time, a few (four) Advil do the trick, but there are some days that require a heating pad (relax muscles), Lortab, and sleep to alleviate my pain. So, I've started looking into alternatives, for several reasons. One, is that I'm just sick of all of the medicine (it can't be good for my liver and kidneys) and having to remember to take my bite guard everywhere. The second part is sort of preemptive. Not today, not tomorrow, but at some point in time, I would like to have kids. The problem is, they have to incubate for a while...inside of me...the one taking all of the pain meds. I hear there's a chance that could screw a baby up. So, before I have to give up my pain meds and the majority of my caffeine intake, I need to find a way to fix this. Otherwise, my boss might fire me and Kyle, well, he wouldn't divorce me, but he'd probably move upstairs and I wouldn't see him 'til it was time to go to the hospital...where they're going to give me pain meds.

I've read several articles, medical and otherwise, and watched a segment on the daytime show "Doctors" where they explained using Botox for TMJ. Basically, the Botox is injected into the jaw muscles, preventing them from engaging like it normally would. You can still chew and such, you just can't bite down with the same degree of pressure as before. The cosmetic surgeon said that a lot of his patients only need 3-4 treatments (each treatment lasts about 3 months) because their body got out of the habit of clenching...it kind of retrained itself. This is what I'm hoping for. Plus, another result I didn't think about, is that the jaw muscle atrophies a little and shrinks a bit. People like me have built up such strong jaw muscles that the jaw structure is kind of overly defined.

The only drawback I can see right now is the fact that insurance doesn't pay for TMJ related diagnostic tests or treatments. (That's fine, they can continue to pay for my medicine, doctor's appointments, and my crowns after I crack my teeth) So, guess I'll be asking for people to donate to my Botox fund for my birthday. Being headache free might just be the best birthday present I could ask for!