It hurts when I masticate

Larrykins
Larrykins Member Posts: 38 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Out of the gutter again...

Just checking to see if anyone has/had the same as I am in a very paranoid phase at the moment:

When I eat I have started having pain in my jaw, just by the bottom of my ear on the left side (where my main radiation was situated).

The more I eat the more painful it becomes, like a tiring muscle. It feels as though I just have to stop chewing. Hoping this could be a delayed rad effect like I had during treatment making it hard to chew and not ORN of the jaw which scares me silly.

Comments

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #2
    Larry
    I've had that exact sensation since my first radiation years ago. The effected side fatigues during chewing quite easily, which has subtly altered my eating habits. I avoid hard to chew foods. I have a minor amount of pain on that side, in the masseter muscle. My TMJ pops a bit, but that doesn't hurt. Here's to beef jerky.

    Pat
  • Larrykins
    Larrykins Member Posts: 38 Member
    #3
    longtermsurvivor said:

    Larry
    I've had that exact sensation since my first radiation years ago. The effected side fatigues during chewing quite easily, which has subtly altered my eating habits. I avoid hard to chew foods. I have a minor amount of pain on that side, in the masseter muscle. My TMJ pops a bit, but that doesn't hurt. Here's to beef jerky.

    Pat

    Here's hoping
    Thanks Pat. I sure hope so. Sometimes my head just runs away with the worst case scenario.
    Seems to happen most when I am eating salads for some bizarre reason. The pain, not the worst case scenario!
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #4
    Mastication
    If you do it you could go blind...

    I resemble what Pat said. 21 months out from treatment, and I notice discomfort when I chew. I've pretty much given up the foods that are hard to chew... except for my favorite Meadow Farms mahogany-smoked beef jerky. And if you know where that stuff is made, you are a REAL beef jerky fan.

    Deb
  • Larrykins
    Larrykins Member Posts: 38 Member
    #5
    D Lewis said:

    Mastication
    If you do it you could go blind...

    I resemble what Pat said. 21 months out from treatment, and I notice discomfort when I chew. I've pretty much given up the foods that are hard to chew... except for my favorite Meadow Farms mahogany-smoked beef jerky. And if you know where that stuff is made, you are a REAL beef jerky fan.

    Deb

    South Africa?

    South Africa?
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #6
    Larrykins said:

    South Africa?

    South Africa?

    wouldn't it be called
    biltong, then? Ha, then you would have biltong-jaw. Now there's one for the NEJM.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    Mastication
    Like Pam said, you must really be doing that thing too much, not only will it make you go blind, in your case it's even effecting your hearing.....LOL

    Hope you find some relief soon....LOL (not related to the above).

    Best,
    John
  • tommyodavey
    tommyodavey Member Posts: 728 Member
    #8
    D Lewis said:

    Mastication
    If you do it you could go blind...

    I resemble what Pat said. 21 months out from treatment, and I notice discomfort when I chew. I've pretty much given up the foods that are hard to chew... except for my favorite Meadow Farms mahogany-smoked beef jerky. And if you know where that stuff is made, you are a REAL beef jerky fan.

    Deb

    Mahogany
    I believe it is in Bishop, Ca. Love their bacon too.

    Tommy

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