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root canal problems

Messages
2
Location
UK
Hi everyone , first time posting. I've had ME/CFS for about 20 years after catching mono/glandular fever. About 2 months ago I had a root canal for the first time and my health and energy levels have plummeted ever since. I was given anti biotics for some residual infection but these made me feel worse. I went to my doctor who ran blood tests but nothing showed up and he put me on anti depressants. My dentist wants to redo it but I've read on the internet quite a few adverse reports on root canal infections and I'm inclined to just have the tooth pulled out. My cfs symptoms are the worst for some years and I'm desperate to find an answer to this. If anyone else has been through a similar experience I'd be really grateful for their comments and advice. Thanks.
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hi,
I've never had a root canal but I do know that immuno-deficient people tend to have evil bacteria living in their gums and accumulating at the roots of teeth. If you have receding gums, that is a symptom, and if you ever get tingly or itching gums (especially when you have a cold) that is a sure sign.

Having dental work done has the same stressing effect on the body as any other operation, injury or acute infection, and so I think it is to be expected this set your CFS back. Unless you suffer from depression as a separate issue, I don't really think antidepressants would help, I think you need REST. There are some supplements you can take that help speed recovery after ops etc. Increasing your vitamin C and taking pantothenic acid are the main one - I can write out the whle list if you are interested in trying them. Let me know!

Having the tooth pulled out may not make things any better. I think it might be more effective to persist with the antibiotics, perhaps talk to the dentist first and say you felt bad on the one he prescribed and ask if he can give you any alternative which may agree with you better.
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Hi francis,

A big welcome to the forum to you.

Sorry to hear that you having such a bad time at the moment, and feeling so low.

When I first became ill, I didn't know that it was ME, and I thought I had some sort of infection.
I thought that it might be a recent root canal filling that I had had, and after a few months, I decided to have the tooth pulled out because I was feeling so ill, thinking that it might help.
It didn't make any difference.

I've also know someone who became ill after a sinus operation.

I'm afraid that I don't think that there's any easy answers.
If I was in the same situation again, I would have had my tooth pulled out, even though I now know that it wouldn't help.
But I wouldn't recommend having it pulled out.

I do agree with the previous poster, that the best thing to do with ME is to rest.
It might take months before your symptoms start to settle down, but in my personal experience, the only thing that has ever helped me is intensive resting and pacing.

Sorry I can't be any more help to you with this particular issue francis.
Take care of yourself, and keep in touch with us all,
Bob
 

Min

Guest
Messages
1,387
Location
UK
Hi Francis - I needed several root canal treatments just after my M.E. started, and have since had to have the all the affected teeth pulled. The after effects of the extractions lasted a couple of weeks, but the root canal work had much longer and worse after effects.
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
I think that having a chronic infection in your mouth is MUCH WORSE than pulling a tooth.

I had an abscessed tooth pulled last year and it was not a big deal at all. In fact, the extraction itself was over with in about ten minutes, and I felt a lot of relief after that. I wish I had done it sooner. Waiting as long as I did (for almost 3 months) drained my body and ran me down even more.

As long as it's not a wisdom tooth, pulling it should not be too problematic. Just make sure you go to someone who has a good reputation, preferably an oral surgeon. And try to build your energy up as much as you can prior to it.

Good luck.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Hi Francis,

Yes, root canals are a big problem because it is almost impossible to clean out all the many curved canals. I see you are in the UK and don't know what technology is available there, but there are a few dentists in the States who do (or redo) root canals by cleaning the canals with a laser that will bend around curves. This seems to be the only way to deal with a root canal "gone bad" (almost all of them do) other than pull the tooth. It is, of course! expensive.

Best,
Sushi
 

jenbooks

Guest
Messages
1,270
I have had the teeth pulled. Felt so much better. Need some more pulled.

I met a healthy 68 year old who had all his teeth pulled over thirty years ago. "Always had soft teeth" he said. His teeth had so many problems they just pulled all the uppers, and made dentures for them right away, then pulled all the lowers, and the same.

I'm sure it was painful but what it allowed him to do was retain his bone structure, so that his plastic teeth work perfectly well without any toxic goop.

I found this sort of fascinating. I've had tooth problems forever it seems--ever since they screwed me up with braces and then tons of amalgams. Before that, I had fine teeth.
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
Francis,

Having dental work really knocks me. Particularly if anaesthetics which are histamine releasing and with adrenaline are used. My ME symptoms of weakness, POTS, brain fog increase and I sleep a lot.

Antibiotics make me much worse and antidepressants do as well.

There is another thread on this forum for someone who has a hard to detect infection and I'll try and post that link here.

Don't know what to say. If it was a reaction to the operation and made worse by the antibiotics and antidepressants than you would maybe make things worse by more dental treatment.