posted
I did a site search and did not find anything about this topic ...
Briefly, 18 y/o daughter is gestational late stage, chronic lymie w/ history of bartonella and babesia positive.
On antibiotics since diagnosis in 2002. No Iv treatment but has taken oral courses of Mino, Zith, Mepron, Ketek, Ceftin, Biaxin, Rifampin and Flagyl in various combinations. Currently back on Mino. Minimal improvement but still highly symptomatic w/ primary symptoms of extreme fatigue, headaches, dizzyness and depressive issues.
Over the last 3 months she has had 2 teeth filled due to "small" surface cavities. In the last month, she reports TERRIBLE tooth pain (facial pain). General dentist put her on course of Augmentin and then filled another tooth due to a "suspected crack" ... I have been having her try to deal w/ minor appointments w/out me!
In the last 2 weeks, she's reporting increased terrible mouth pain in the general area of these 2 teeth. Dentist referred to an Endodontist. Today's appointment was generally BS (or I feel like it) but, this guy is recommending a root canal on one of the previously filled teeth and not the one the general dentist suspected of the "crack" ...
Endo indicated the root nerve was "inflammed" as per his "touching the tooth w/ ice and creating pain"
My question:
Since "inflammation" has been associated w/ my and her lyme symptoms (ie: chronic headaches, joint pain, neck stiffness, and heart palpatations) in the past.
Could it also contribute to this tooth pain or tooth nerve inflammation?
Anybody have a clue?
****************
I'm directing this same issue to Dr. J via fax tomorrow as I can't afford nor do I want to subject her to an "unnecessary" root canal on what otherwise appears to be a relatively healthy tooth (small cavity, no history of absess or presence of such today).
I am also scheduling an appointment w/ PCP to determine if maybe sinus infection could be in play as well ...
but, to you ... our fellow sufferers ... we pose the question to see if you may have had any such issue in your trek for wellness!
Hugs to all ... Sherry
-------------------- Posts: 704 | From Huntsville, Texas | Registered: Oct 2000
| IP: Logged |
Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I've had tooth and jaw pain with babesia.
Just had my teeth cleaned last week.
Hygenist was perplexed as to why my gums are swollen only in some places.
So, a Lyme and/or coinfection connection seems plausible to me.
Sorry your daughter isn't feeling well.
Sending her positive thoughts and prayers.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
I had terrible tooth/jaw pain (I think it was after getting a filling) that led my dentist to do a root canal to no avail. So, then he did a root canal on the adjacent tooth. Still no pain relief. Then he got upset and sent me to an oral surgeon who, after x-rays, could find nothing wrong with any teeth and declared it was "inflammation" and put me on something like 12 Advil (for inflammation) per day for months until it finally went away. I had to live on prescrition pain medication for months on top of the Advil just to be able to bear it, and I have a high pain tolerance. It was the worst on cold or rainy days.
It was unbearable pain. It felt like liquid fire was running down my jaw. So, my guess is it was lyme and company attacking the facial nerve that runs the length of each side of the jaw. This was a totally horrible experience. I wanted to cut my head off to get relief.
So, yes, this can all be lyme & co and I would recommend anti-inflammatories and a wait and see approach before doing any more dental work.
I have to wonder if the entire thing was set off by the initial filling of the cavity.
I had lyme, babs, and bart. I was in treatment for the lyme only at the time, with a doc who did not believe in co-infections, but he was helping me. I got new symptoms during his treatment. This burning jaw pain was one, along with trigeminal neuralgia--another horrible experience.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
Unfortunately, I'm an expert on this, at least with my own case.
I am either congenital lyme or got it when I was 10 so that's 30-40 years undiagnosed.
The teeth problem started showing up for me in a very benign way in 2000. I got a cavity refilled twice and then a crown over the span of 4 years until in 2004 it got really, really bad. I was diagnosed in 2005. Tested for heavy density babesia and bart/myco and of course the lyme. Treated w/abx on and off for 2 yrs, including 2 rounds of the mepron, etc. This last yr tried to go holistic. Thinking of treating the bart w/abx now to see if I find relief.
In Jan of this yr. I got a root canal on this same one tooth.
Of note, I had originally reported that the pain was between teeth, something even I didn't understand at the time.
An endodontist finally told me he did not think I needed any of that dental work (the crown or the root canal).
A neurologist diagnosed trigeminal neuralgia, atypical and said lyme is neuro tropic so it makes sense.
Unfortunately in 2006 I got amalgam removed from the tooth directly above all of this problem and the pain has subsequently spread upwards to include the entire three branches of the trigeminal nerve.
I continue to live with daily pain at lower levels in my face and then flare to the point of emercency room care type of need.
If this is trigeminal neuralgia, dental work often makes it worse, which is what happened with me.
At times I can't believe it is not the tooth, the teeth, but I've been at this for many years now and the only thing left for me to do would be to extract the tooth, which, if it is trigeminal neuralgis, will not help one bit.
You could consider nerve pain medicines like neurontin, you could try lamictal if depression is a part of it, or cymbalta. I am trying accupuncture right now (the face pain being only one part of this thing) and next week will talk to LLMD about treating bartonella.
Of course I've had this so long, I tend to think I'll always have it to some extent but since the bartonella/myco is the only thing I have not directly addressed w/abx, I am hoping it will help, maybe even w/the trigeminal neuralgia.
Good luck. Be careful of any further dental work, this only made my pain spread and worsen....unless it is dental. Has she seen a neurologist?
posted
Oh I knew y'all would have interesting things to tell me!
My gut says DO NOT do a root canal ... therefore we won't for now!
When she had her teeth cleaned this time (we do the twice a year thing) they found the 2 small cavities ... our first
My kid has a $5,000 mouth of PERFECT, straight wonderful teeth ... I was soooo sad at the cavities. She got thru YEARS of braces and contraptions w/ no decay at all and now this!
Anyway ... they were non-problematic ... but needed "filled" as per the dentist ... she got the kind of fillings that are tooth colored ... porcelian or something.
Anyway .... since then ... maybe a month or so ... reporting this excruciating pain in the area and up her face. She has been taking ibuprofen for it and it "dulls" it some but, never goes away. Or so she reports.
Since the appointment yesterday, I've decided to once again become involved (I had been trying to let her "deal" with this on her own as it seemed minor)! I've "prescribed" 2 Anaprox DS yesterday then 1 Anaprox DS every 8 hours for 5 days. I told her then ... stop for 4 days and see how you feel.
That is the way my LLMD used to tell me to take it when I was having inflammatory problems ... it was a way to see if the 1. the med itself would control that kind of pain and 2. if the pain would subside once the "inflammation" was eased!
Anyway ... that is my plan for now ... as well as having the sinus checked out since at her Dr. J appt she had a "low grade sinus infection" and has basically run fever everyday since then (August).
I think Babs is active again ... he thinks not. We'll see.
Katie has seen a neurologist in the past in relation to her Cerebral Palsy condition. Perhaps seeing one now would not be a bad plan!
Thanks for all the input and pm's ... I appreciate it so much.
EDIT: I forgot to answer turtle's question ... the tooth they "thought it was" is #3 on the right upper molarish area. But, the endo did the freaking ice thing to that tooth, #4 and #5 finally deciding that #5 was the one hurting the most when he touched the ice to it ... that tooth does have a small filling but is not the tooth the regular dentist suspected of being cracked ... so ... UPPER jaw area ... right side!
-------------------- Posts: 704 | From Huntsville, Texas | Registered: Oct 2000
| IP: Logged |
Yep, I get that all the time and it does hurt but I'm pretty used to it now. My Dentist said it was an inflamed sinus problem and nothing much to do for it.
I almost always have pain in my face but the tooth thing comes and goes, along with the swollen gums.
Good luck.
Steve
Posts: 406 | From Rhode Island | Registered: May 2007
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic