I’ve learned that some widely used medications can cause jaw clenching and grinding as side effects.
The best known are in a class called SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, commonly prescribed for depression and/or anxiety.
I’m sure you’ve heard of Prozac (generic name fluoxetine). Here are some other SSRIs that can cause bruxism. There may be others:
- Zoloft (sertraline)
- Celexa (citalopram)
- Lexapro (escitalopram)
- Paxil and Pexeva (paroxetine and paroxetine CR)
- Viibryd (vilazodone)
- Luvox (fluvoxamine and fluvoxamine CR)
Do not stop taking them without a doctor’s supervision, as you may have withdrawal symptoms, possibly dangerous.
This is a known problem. This link to an abstract of a 2017 journal article for psychiatrists has more. I don’t have access without paying a lot of money, but you can share this link with your psychiatrist if this applies to you, and there may be updates on this topic.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28492455/
In general, if you take any of these medications and you are clenching or grinding your teeth, talk to your doctor about alternatives. From the abstract: “Alternative classes of antidepressants reviewed include serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, atypical antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Findings indicate that dopamine agonists and buspirone are currently the most effective medications to treat the side effects of SSRI-induced bruxism, but results regarding the effectiveness of specific antidepressants that avoid bruxism altogether remain inconclusive.” (My italics.)
One more bit of info: I had a new TMJ Relief patient who was taking an SSRI. I treated her and gave her the info above.
Unlike others I’ve treated, she didn’t notice a difference in how her jaws felt and moved at the end of her first session.
However, she emailed me the next day to tell me that for the first time in a while, she woke up without severe jaw pain and headache.
So even if you are taking one of these SSRIs and have jaw pain, one of my TMJ Relief sessions can help.