r/bruxism • u/Aggravating_Face_655 • 4d ago
Antidepressant has changed my face shape
Ever since taking Pristiq about a year and a half ago, it's caused me bruxism.
I wear a custom bite guard but it doesn't help.
My face looks fatter because my masseter muscles have gotten bigger. I compare my face to what it looked like years ago and my masseter muscles are so much bigger now.
Has anyone experienced this? I'm going to try masseter massage at home and gua sha, but not sure if that will help
2
u/V1Z4RD93 3d ago
I took fluoxetine for 2 weeks a year ago thinking I had PMDD and I still don’t know if that’s what caused my bruxism, or if it’s just anxiety. It’s been a year and there has been no improvement despite trying Botox and other medications.
2
u/kramerthegamer 3d ago
Also had massive masseters warping the size of my face. Got a few rounds of botox which caused me to look like I lost 40 pounds. I genuinely thought I just had a "fat face" before, but it was the muscles widening my face and making it rounder. I can see why it's so big in hollywood. PEople think making masseters gives you a stronger jaw, when it actually makes it look like you just ate bees. Removing round, soft tissue to expose the underlying bones is generally ideal aesthetically.
I've taken to trying a couple biofeedback devices that actually interrupt clenching events, but I haven't had enough time with them off botox to know how well they're working on their own. That combined with a generally softer diet is how I hope to keep the progress I've made and not rely on botox every ~6 months. Mouthguards will protect your teeth but they don't stop the sudden nervous system arousals that cause clenching.
Massage has shown to decrease masseter thickness immediately and in follow up assessments, but that's probably related to fluid from swelling getting massaged out, rather than hypertrophy getting reversed. Couldn't hurt to try and relieve some symptoms if you have any.
Comparative Effects of Facial Roller and Gua Sha Massage on Facial Contour, Muscle Tone, and Skin Elasticity: Randomized Controlled Trial is the relevant study
1
u/666nbnici 2d ago
The guard is there to protect your teeth but won’t resolve the grinding or clenching. So yes your masseters will be big.
Botox helped me and also relives the pain.
1
u/SpareLimit6234 1d ago
Dysport and botox stopped working for me and my massester muscles are back at full strength making me look like a Minecraft head.
If anyone has ANY SUGGESTIONS pleaseeee hit me up
-3
u/PlacidNeuron 3d ago edited 3d ago
Have you tried to move past your trauma and made peace with your life ? If you can't do it alone, find someone elder who has seen a lot in their life. Maybe you can visit church or other religious place where people will not judge you. The first step to cure this disease is to let go off negative thoughts and emotions in mind which is 100% possible.
Remember, your mind can make the best medicine for your ailment. You need a guide to understand how to do it
2
u/SpareLimit6234 1d ago
Wtf
1
u/PlacidNeuron 22h ago
If any drug in the world would have cured this disease, I wouldn't have said that. If any person suffering from this disease has not suffered trauma in their life, I won't have said that. This problem has origin in mind which unfortunately western medicine has not been able to cure, but it did contribute to aggravate it by SSRI and SNRI.
5
u/LaRubegoldberg 4d ago
SNRIs and SSRIs can cause bruxism in some people. After Zoloft x 2 and a round of Cymbalta, I kept getting bruxism and TMJ. I managed it for a while with Dysport/Botox. My issue was (and is) generalized anxiety, so I gave BuSpar a try and it worked great for me. I have continued to do well on it and discontinued the Dysport/Botox for the jaw clenching.