This Is So Weird!!

Strange... The only thing I've heard that's remotely close to this is the issues my mom has had with her thyroid disorder. She gets a strange, salty taste in her mouth and she has muscle... spasms I guess you'd call them. Not just in her jaw though... Anyway, it was just a thought. I hope you can see the doc soon because it could be a big deal. So sorry... How frustrating! Good luck.

Several years ago, I had a blocked saliva gland. I thought it was TMJ or an ear infection, it was painful and tight, but an older lady explained the saliva gland thing and when I went to the doctor, that is exactly what it was. Once in awhile, it comes back, but now I know what is going on. I have to massage that side of my face and neck and try to "milk" the blockage out. Also sucking lemon heads or something that will make you salivate helps. Hopefully this is what you have going on. It may explain the salty taste as well, cause it is saliva based. Best wishes for a good fix.

My first thought was that you should talk to your dentist or doctor... The salt taste seems really weird to me, and, to my untrained eye, makes me wonder about neurological involvement.

However, it could be something pretty normal. My jaw used to cramp up like that, and would get 'stuck'. I also had jaw pain frequently. My dentist made the diagnosis, which was that i was clenching and grinding my teeth a lot - basically TMJ. He gave me some ideas about how to stop clenching (sticking my tongue to the roof of my mouth helped, while i was awake), and then i stopped chewing gum or anything particularly chewy. He also suggested that i wear a mouth guard at night. Took a while, but the problem did mostly clear up.

Hi C.,

Do you think you might be clenching your teeth at night? You may even have a stronger bite on the left side. You may try some heat on the left side of your face. (try a warm compress) I am a dental hygienist, and that can be such a common thing. The salty taste, however, is not so common. You have salivary glands (which secrete saliva that could be a bit salty) in your cheek just near your upper molars. Sometimes you can have a blocked gland, or a gland that has a stone in it. If you are able to take some anti inflammatory meds, such as ibuprofen, that would be good to try. Only 400 mg every 6 hours, for a couple of days. And try to not clench you teeth when you are awake. Your teeth should not touch during the day. Try to be aware of this.

You probably would benefit from a night guard, a device you can wear while sleeping to keep you from clenching. Until insurance kicks in, possibly try an over the counter type of guard. You can purchase one at a sports store or even a grocery store!

I would mention all this to your dentist, and have him look at your bite and your soft (cheek) tissue, esp on the left side. It is likely not a big problem. You may just need a night guard, like millions of others! I wear one every night and can't sleep without it! Children are a wonderful blessing, but they do add stress to you life as well as clenching! :)

C.

Have your saliva glands looked at. That salty taste sounds like a similar problem I have had with my saliva glands...maybe you have a stone in one of your glands. You could try heat on it when you feel the pulling (it sounds like swelling). Also you could try sucking on sour candies??? That is what they recommend for saliva stuff.
Good luck

C.---You need to go see a doctor. I do not have medical insurance right now either but for an emergency and I have worked in health care a good many years for Family Physcian when I was younger and I can tell you---You need to be seen, that is not an everyday occurance. You or anyone including myself that can't pay can go to County Hospital or anything that begins with the word Saint. County won't charge you but the Saint ones are owned by Catholic church and they do see you and try to work something out with you to pay but if you can't afford anything you can request later on that they write it off or in a sense donate their services, they never turn anyone away. You need to be seen, you don't want it to turn into something bad where you are permanetly disabled because you ignored it. Please see someone and let us know what it was. Best Wishes to you.

Just a couple weeks ago I also started having tightness in my left jaw (but no salty taste). Mine can be painful. One morning I also felt 'fullness' in my left ear. I thought it was an ear infection but it turned out to be TMJ brought on by stress. Some suggestions are to massage the muscle, use hot compresses, or let the hot shower water hit it for a few minutes. I have found relief with all of these. Also, a bit guard (sports mouth piece) for sleeping because teeth clinching during the night is common.

This may or may not be your issue but massage & heat could still be helpful.

Not sure if this was mentioned already, but when your insurance DOES kick in, do not make this sound like a pre-existing condition... some insurance companies will look for any reason to deny coverage.

As for the strange tightening and salty sensation-- I've never heard of that! I had a friend who had TMJ and her jaw clicked, but she never had muscular pain/sensation like you describe. I hope you are able to find a remedy for it soon!

I have TMJD and if that's the cause of your tight muscles there is no need to see a doctor raw. Yes, some people do get relief with a bite plate, not chewing gum or hard to chew foods, and resting the tongue on the roof of the mouth. I was diagnosed 20 or so years ago. The bite plate did not help me at all. I suppose the other stuff has but it's no quick fix.

TMJ is one of those conditions that has no "cure" nor is it life threatening. You can wait until you have insurance to deal with that.

However, I do wonder about the salty taste in conjunction with the tight muscles only on one side. I suggest that you call your doctor's or dentist's office and talk with the advise nurse. (assuming you have a doctor, just no insurance for the present)

You could try calling one or more of the clinics, ask to speak to a nurse, at OHSU (I think it has a different name now) to ask what conditions could result in these symptoms. Have you tried googling the symptoms? There is a sight called MedMD. I also recently saw a site advertised that uses a program used by doctors. I'll see if I can find it's address.

You could also call the Oregon Medical Association and ask for the names of medical offices that charge on a sliding scale. Your county also has clinics that charge on a sliding scale.

Here is the address. I haven't tried it.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/symptom-checker?xid=nl_Ever...

I am so sorry about your insurance issue, but you really should get checked by a doctor.
The muscle twitches with the salty taste can have a variety of cause and may or may not be related.
Some common causes can be ear infections, common colds (postnasal drip), sinus infections, dental issues (even if you can't see anything, issues with the jawbone such as a deep abscess could be present), other viral infections involving your facial nerves. Some more serious issues could be the case also... usually your doctor will check for common culprits first though.
Sometimes it cannot be determined what the cause is, but even if it is something seemingly harmless, you will want to get proper treatment for a common condition such as an ear infection to avoid complications down the road.
There are primary care physicians and ND's that can at least check your for any respiratory or ear infection, that will operate on a sliding scale, or check out a minute clinic. That way if it's a simple infections they can write you a RX and you're good to go.

Hello C.,
There is a condition that can have similar symptoms at the beginning- Bell's Palsy. (Lots of info online : www.webmd.com)
I have a close friend who just got it diagnosed with it early Oct. and she had symptoms on and off for 9 months before it became chronic. She had been complaining of occasional extreme muscle tightness in her face and neck that would last for a day and go away the next. She had seen her family doc and a chiropractor and both missed the diagnosis because the symptoms were not that of typical on set of this condition. PLEASE go see a physician and ask him to check you for Bells Palsy and mention your symptoms. It is important to ask the physician to test for it specifically. I'm not saying this is what you have, but I often see TMJ too commonly given as a suggested diagnosis, so its always best to check. Good luck!

I'd go see a Dr like the others said. It may TMJ issue, google TMJ and you can read all about the joint and what TMJ problems are like. By the way, if you have a TMJ issue it is a dental issue and you have to see a Dentist that deals with TMJ. I saw a great Dr for my TMJ issue and he was in North Seattle. Also, you just can't make an appt with a TMJ specialist, you'll need a referral from a primary care physician.

As far as tasting the salt, I'd want a Drs opinion on that too. I've seen some pretty trippy shows on discovery health channel that I won't go into, but there can be some pretty scary conditions that relate with weird tastes in the mouth. Good luck, I hope it turns out to be nothing :)

Hi C.,

It can be a calcium deficiency. My jaws used to do that until I started taking Shaklee calcium. However, take care of what calcium you get. Get the smallest bottle of calcium - put one tablet in some water and if it doesn't dissolve within 30 minutes take it back.

The sewage treatment plants are full of undissolved vitamins and you don't need that.

I use Shaklee only because they are backed by science and are proven to work.

If interested go to http://nutritionproducts.myshaklee.com and check them out.

N.
Wellness Coach

Talk to your doctor as soon as possible, and if he doesn't send you to a neurologist, go to one yourself. This sounds minor, but I don't think it is.

Hi C., it sounds like TMJ (tightening of the muscles in your jaw)It can be subconscious or consciously brought on by stress. Try to massage and stretch your jaws as much as possible. You can also put one drop of lavender oil on your finger tips (rub it in before putting on your face) then rub this on both sides of your jaw. It will really help relieve the tension you are feeling and as the tension goes away, you will stop getting that taste in your mouth from your teeth rubbing on it at night.

You need to see a Chiropractor or an Acupunturist to release the stress in the neck vertebrae and your jaw.
Don't wait too long the condition you describe is very painful.

I do not have too much experience with this but from the symptoms you are describing I would head to the hospital this could be TMJ from an infection that is spreading through your body and that tightness can move to other muscles and become excrutiatingly painful. Or this can also be a precursor to a stroke. If you don't go to the ER I would certainly make an appointment to see your primary care physician. At least then you can rule out either of these possibilities and maybe find out what is causing it.

I suggest you go to the dentist. You may be clenching your teeth at night and not know it and this can cause the pain you are experiencing. I had the same problem and I ended up needed a mouth guard and it is no longer an issue. If this is not the problem then you have at least ruled it out and can tell your doctor.

C.,

I have no idea what this is either, but I like a challenge so I tried to figure it out. No luck, but I read what others have said and I agree that this sounds concerning and not to be ignored. And a thyroid issue could account for the salt taste.

Anyway, one thing you could try would be to go to an acupuncturist. They tend to treat the whole body and not just look at specific symptoms. If this is an imbalance of some sort, you may be able to get yourself back in balance with acupuncture and your symptoms will disappear without any expensive tests.

Email me with where you live (if you're in the Portland area) and I may be able to suggest acupuncturists in your area.

Did you ever get an answer?
I'm doing this very same thing and not one Dr has any idea!
I've been to several too,even a spinal Dr because I have neck DDD issues!
Endocrinologist has no idea either!

Updated

Did you ever get an answer?
I'm doing this very same thing and not one Dr has any idea!
I've been to several too,even a spinal Dr because I have neck DDD issues!
Endocrinologist has no idea either!