I have been struggling to take clinda for an infected tooth for a long time now.
Has anyone just had an infected tooth pulled without taking abx first? If so, how did it go?
My dr. said i could feel worse after the tooth is pulled if don't take abx but maybe it would be better to just get it pulled at this point if I am never going to be able to tolerate more than one clinda a day for a few days??
Could an infected tooth cause heart sx and general health decline?
Anyone had relief from having an infected tooth pulled?
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
It would be great if I could just go get this pulled. No abx. Assuming it wouldn't make me a lot sicker. Anyone with experience with this?
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
My brother in law had infection in his mouth and went to a so-called dentist to have some teeth pulled.
Because he didn't have the money for the antibiotic prescription, he asked the dentist if it was OK to take an unused prescription an old lady offered him. The "dentist" said that would be OK.
So, he had the teeth pulled and the family had to call 911 a number of days later when he passed out. He got encephalitis in his brain. The infection from a tooth extraction can go into your brain. That is one of the few ways that the brain can get infected. Another is a sinus infection.
So, he was in the hospital for about a week and was on blood thinners, etc. when a nurse made a mistake and gave him too much blood thinner and he then bled in his brain.
The doctor told me that encephalitis makes the blood vessels in the brain very friable so this kind of a bleed could happen again.
So, now it was emergency brain surgery and we were told that he might not survive it. They cut open his head and took out a blood clot as large as a man's fist. The blood clot compressed the delicate brain and so my brother in law is now permanently brain damaged.
He was in the hospital about a month. Once he was sent home, he had to try to prevent additional bleeds by not bending over, taking laxatives to prevent straining during bowel movements, no aspirin allowed, etc.
And, he had the most horrendous headache for longer than a year. It was horrible to see him suffer with this headache.
He didn't recognize people, was living 20 years in the past, didn't know his new wife, didn't know his father was dead, didn't know he was in a hospital, etc.. It was like a living nightmare for him. Eventually, his wife left him since he didn't know her or seem to be attracted to her. He kept calling her his ex-wife's name.
All of that because infection from an extracted tooth caused a brain infection.
We don't know if he took the antibiotics for the full number of days he was supposed to. He can't remember anything, including how this all happened.
And, it turned out that the guy wasn't even a licensed dentist. Others sued him for other misdeeds he had done and he went to jail.
So, if your doctor thinks that there is no danger of you getting encephalitis, then you can forget this story. But, if he can't assure you that that will not happen (given that you cannot take sufficient antibiotic to knock out the infection), then you need to know that.
I didn't want to tell this to you, but since you have now asked twice, I thought I would let you know about the possibility of encephalitis.
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
OK never getting this tooth pulled then. That is a horrifying story.
Really appreciate the info. I will keep this story in mind. Guess I didn't have enough problems.
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
Ugh perhaps I should just ask if there are any Lyme literate dentists?
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
In case there is any misunderstanding about what I wrote about my brother in law, I just want to make it clear that he did NOT and has never had lyme disease.
His story is one of a person with infected teeth that got encephalitis once his teeth were pulled.
Perhaps a better dentist would have been able to tell that his case was dangerous. His dentist was not licensed!
So, please talk to your dentist! He doesn't have to be a lyme literate dentist to tell you if encephalitis is a possibility in your case.
Of course, a lyme literate dentist would be great. Don't know if you can find one. NC is not a good place I don't think.
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
So you are saying that the dentist can tell beforehand if encephalitis is a possibility?
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
I'm saying to ask your dentist if he believes encephalitis is a possible risk in your case.
I can't say what the dentist will be able to tell you.
Perhaps he will be able to totally put your mind at ease regarding the risk. Or, perhaps he will not. I trust what my dentist tells me because he has proven to me over many years that he is excellent.
For example, when I needed a tooth pulled, I was concerned that perhaps this tooth was too difficult for him to pull because the root was curved.
His assistant, whom I have also known for years, said that if there is any slight chance that the extraction will be complicated, my dentist won't do it. He only extracts teeth that he is confident he can handle. That gave me total peace of mind.
And, sure enough, he took out my tooth quickly and easily with no complications.
Perhaps your dentist can give you other alternatives such as an injection of antibiotics, etc. prior to the extraction.
My dentist would not do a risky extraction. He would send me to someone else more specialized. Will your dentist do that also?
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
I had an infected tooth pulled in 2013 by an oral surgeon and was prescribed augmentin for the month following. All went well.
Personally, I think using an antibiotic is the safe route. After reading that horrific story by TF, I would definitely want to take ABX and use a reputable licensed dentist or oral surgeon!
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
linky123 had major dental work done in October without any antibiotics (2 extractions and a number of cavitations) and her husband is now posting for her because she is so ill. He is asking for advice on how to help her.
He believes that her terrible state is due to the extensive dental work.
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
I never took abx for pulling infected teeth.
I pulled 7, all with bone infections.
But I did take nosodes, which act like antibiotics.
And I did a special preparation before pulling the teeth (I can find out for you, very easy to do, recommended by my lyme doc who does that for years, more than a decade for sure).
The doc said, he needed only to give abx twice, since he started doing the procedure with his patients. Only twice in about 15 years or more!
As for heart symptoms: count me on that. I had CLEAR heart symptoms from one infected tooth. And insomnia, and high blood pressure, arrhythmia, then weakness.
This disappeared about 90% on the exact day that tooth went out, and 100% the next day. Never ever I got those missing beats or funny beats, or insomnia (waking up the same time, every night).
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
I just want to get this one awful tooth pulled. The kind of abx for dental work are impossible to tolerate. I'm allergic to cillins and clinda makes me feel like I'm dying. I used to take zith with no problems(herxing) until I started having chest pain from it.
Brussels, what was your special preparation? What are nosodes?
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
I checked out the thread TF. That is horrible. I really feel for linky.
To be clear, are you trying to make the point that it is important to take antbiotics for dental work or that dental work is very dangerous?
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
I'm not trying to make any point except that having a tooth extracted can lead to serious illness like encephalitis, so be sure you use a trusted dentist or oral surgeon and do what they tell you to do.
Hopefully, you can find someone smart who can work within your limitations, just like all doctors have to do.
Posted by lymie_in_md (Member # 14197) on :
lyme literate dentist don't say they are lyme literate. instead look for a whole body dentist who uses ozone. This gentleman is in North Carolina I'm sure there are others just do some research http://www.matthewyoungdds.net/#!diagnostics-and-technology-/c1bs6 Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
Gigimac, all the 7 dead teeth I pulled off had cavitations, some very badly infected.
The protocol from my lyme doctor is always this one here:
Arnica X30 6 drops 4 times a day, to start 2 days before the surgery, then continue for 12 days. After that, continue the same Arnica X30, but just 3 x day for more 10 days.
Staphysangria: start the morning of the surgery D20, 6 drops, 3xday for 10 days
tooth or teeth nosodes 5 drops evening for 4 weeks.
--------------------- He said that in all the years he's been pulling teeth of patients (I mean, that he recommends teeth pulling) only 2 needed abx!!! All the rest did only that protocol above, successfully.
Posted by MichaelTampa (Member # 24868) on :
I had a tooth pulled, pain was the reason, but cavitation was found underneath it. No abx was given. This was a natural/holistic dentist, he did inject ozone in the site.