Permanent bruxism?

I first started rolling last June, and really abused the drug. I was taking 3-6 pills almost 3 or 4 times a week for the entire summer. Stupid, stupid me. Now I've ruined the magic.

But, I've noticed, as many of you probably have, that the negative effects of ecstasy have outweighed the positive, so I really haven't had much of an urge to roll for a few months now. All that happens now is I'm disappointed that the magic is gone, while trying to stop clenching my jaw, and waking up with a massive headache.

I feel like now my jaw is clenching all the time, even though I haven't rolled since early February. I'm constantly tounging my teeth, and trying to stop clenching. I feel like I'm wearing my enamel off, and my teeth look plaquie-r than normal, even though I brush my teeth, mouthwash and floss everyday. I feel like I'm constantly 'noticing' the placement of my jaw, or touching my teeth with my tongue, and what kind of life is constantly being aware of your mouth?

I've tried to research this, but so far I've gotten nothing that would confirm my hypothesis that taking ecstasy might lead to permanent damage of whatever regulates your jaw and whatnot... Do you think this is possible? Also, does anyone know of anything I can do to stop? Any advice would be appreciated..

I believe that bruxism can be a self-reinforcing behavior (irritation of the jaw/teeth from clenching/grinding causing more clenching/grinding.)

It wouldn't surprise me at all if your past ecstasy abuse caused your current problem (in fact, I think it's likely.) That said, I don't think the problem is damage to some control mechanism.

Visit your dentist. A mouth guard (to wear at night to reduce the tendency to re-traumatize your jaw while clenching/grinding in your sleep) or some other option might help you. I would also avoid stimulants such as caffeine.

Check out trigeminal neuralgia

The conditioned response can be powerful. A couple of years after regular ecstasy use, both my partner and I experience unconscious teeth grinding when we listen to certain types of trance music we used to listen to while high or when we are experiencing something that makes us naturally happy and euphoric.

We had a kid in school do it all the time. It was a kind of neurotic thing. I met him years later. He had stopped doing it.

TheDEA.org said:

I believe that bruxism can be a self-reinforcing behavior (irritation of the jaw/teeth from clenching/grinding causing more clenching/grinding.)

It wouldn't surprise me at all if your past ecstasy abuse caused your current problem (in fact, I think it's likely.) That said, I don't think the problem is damage to some control mechanism.

Visit your dentist. A mouth guard (to wear at night to reduce the tendency to re-traumatize your jaw while clenching/grinding in your sleep) or some other option might help you. I would also avoid stimulants such as caffeine.

Click to expand...

vancbc said:

The conditioned response can be powerful. A couple of years after regular ecstasy use, both my partner and I experience unconscious teeth grinding when we listen to certain types of trance music we used to listen to while high or when we are experiencing something that makes us naturally happy and euphoric.

Click to expand...

I tend to agree with both of these posts and I suspect they are on the money.

I dont think that it would happen to everyone but could happen. Luckily I suspect the learnt activity is probably fairly easy to unlearn............Its just a matter of finding the right means of fixing it.