IN AUGUST 2007, I STARTED HAVING PAIN IN A TOOTH THAT HAD A ROOT CANAL AND CROWN. THE PAIN SEEMED MORE LIKE THE BONE UNDERNEATH THE TOOTH, BUT IT WAS HARD TO DETERMINE. SOMETIMES THE PAIN SEEMED MORE LIKE MY JAW BONE, AND TOOTH PAIN. MY DENTIST CHECKED THE BITE, AND TOOK X-RAY. I WENT SEVERAL TIMES, AND HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. I WAS REFERRED TO AN ENDODONTIST WHO BASICALLY DID THE SAME THING. HE SAID THE ROOT CANAL WAS OK (FROM X-RAY) AND IF PAIN CONTINUED, I NEEDED TO HAVE THE TOOTH PULLIED. IN NOVEMBER 2007, MY DENTIST PULLED THE TOOTH. IT WAS VERY LARGE AND BROKE IN SEVERAL PIECES. IT TOOK HIM OVER AN HOUR TO REMOVE THE TOOTH. I WAS PAIN FREE FOR 3 DAYS, AND THEN I HAD A DRY SOCKET. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OVER IN A WEEK OR TWO, BUT THE PAIN RETURNED (AS BEFORE). I WAS NEXT REFERRED TO AN ORAL SURGEON. SHE SAW ME IN DECEMER 2007AND ORDERED A CAT SCAN. BECAUSE OF MY INSURANCE, I HAD TO WAIT 3 WEEKS FOR THE CAT SCAN. THE PAIN WAS HORRIBLE - A FEW TIMES SHE WOULD INJECT NOVACAINE IN THE GUM AREA TO RELIEVE THE PAIN. ON CHRISTMAS EVE, THE PAIN BECAME SO UNBEARABLE. MY HUSBAND PICKED UP A PRESCRIPTION OF DEMEROL, WHICH HELPED SOME. IN JANAURY 2008, THE CAT SCAN WAS DONE. IT DID NOT SHOW ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE HOLE WHERE THE TOOTH WAS. IN MID-JANUARY, THE ORAL SURGEON OPENED THE AREA WHERE THE TOOTH WAS. SHE CLEANED IT OUT AND DID A BIOPSY. THERE WAS SOME INFECTION, SO I WAS GIVEN AN ANTIBIOTIC, AND WAS PAIN FREE FOR ABOUT A WEEK - WITH THE HELP OF A MILDER PAIN MEDICATION. I WENT BACK AFTER 2 WEEKS FOR A FOLLOW-UP AND THE RESULTS FROM THE BIOPSY OF THAT AREA. IT REVEALED I HAD A BONE INFECTION IN MY JAW BONE. I WAS SENT TO AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBED IV THERAPY (AT HOME) FOR 6 WEEKS. I DID THIS EXACTLY AS I WAS TOLD. I WAS JUST ABOUT PAIN FREE FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 MONTHS. AT THE END OF APRIL, THE PAIN RETURNED. MY ORAL SURGEON CHECKED ME AGAIN, AS DID MY REGULAR DENTIST. IN ADDITION TO THE JAW PAIN, I WAS HAVING EAR PAIN, AND THE GUM AREA (WHERE THE TOOTH WAS) WAS VERY SORE. THE ORAL SURGEON REFERRED ME TO A GUM SPECIALIST WHO SAID MY GUM LOOKED OK, BUT I MIGHT NEED AN INPLANT. THE EAR PAIN CONTINUED, SO I WAS SENT TO AN ENT DOCTOR WHO SAID MY EAR LOOKED FINE. MY ORAL SURGEON SENT ME BACK TO THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR WHO DID BLOOD WORK TO MAKE SURE THE BONE INFECTION HAD NOT RETURNED (IT HAD NOT). BY THIS TIME, IT WAS AUGUST 2008 AND I HAD BEEN IN PAIN FOR OVER A YEAR. IN OCTOBER 2008, I WENT TO AN ENT DOCTOR WHO SPECIALIZED IN FACIAL PAIN. HE EXAMINED ME AND SAID I HAD MYOFASCIAL PAIN. I HAVE HAD HEADACHES AND UPPER SHOULDER PAIN FOR YEARS. HE SAID THAT THE MYOFASCIAL PAIN GRADUALLY MOVES, AND WAS NOW IN MY JAW/FACE AREA. HE DOES A SERIES OF MANY TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS. I STARTED OFF GOING ONCE A WEEK AND THEN UP TO EVERY 2 WEEKS. I AM GIVEN ABOUT 30 SMALL INJECTIONS EACH TIME IN MY UPPER BACK, SHOULDER AND JAW AREA - ON BOTH SIDES - RIGHT (WHERE THE PAIN IS), AND LEFT. I AM STILL BEING SEEN BY THIS DOCTOR. I SAW SOME RELIEF AT FIRST, BUT NOW THE PAIN HAS RETURNED WORSE THAN EVER! I WEAR A BITE GUARD EVERY NIGHT, AND HAVE FOR YEARS. I DO STRETCHING EXERCISES AS PRESCRIBED BY THE DOCTOR. I HAVE TRIED TRAMADOL, TYLENOL, ADVIL, ALEVE, AND VICODIN, AND NOTHINIG RELIEVES THE PAIN. I ALSO HAVE TRIED ZANAFLEX (A MUSCLE RELAXER) BUT IT MAKES ME SLEEPY, AND I CAN ONLY TAKE AT NIGHT. I AM TRIED OF HURTING, AND HAVE NO QUALITY OF LIFE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT OTHER DOCTOR TO TURN TO. MY ENT STATES THAT THE MYOFASCIAL PAIN DID NOT OCCUR OVERNIGHT AND IT WILL TAKE A WHILE FOR IT TO GO AWAY. I AM FEARFUL THAT I WILL USE ALL MY INSURANCE ON THESE TREATMENTS. CAN YOU SUGGEST ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.