Update from Carmella
 

Just wanted to drop in and update you Bryanna and everyone else. I am no longer in any pain from a root canal retreatment gone bad followed by an extraction of that tooth--but it wasn't easy. I had intractable pain from 3/10 and the start of a toothache to until about two weeks ago. I lost 35 pounds and ended up at my parents' house in a health crisis (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis as well). The constant and unrelenting facial pain, triggered the RA and caused a cascade of bad throughout my body. People with fibromyalgia probably understand this. The pain on the left side of my face started to "blossom" (no other way to explain it) across my left cheek, down my neck and around my head. I was in excruciating pain on the left side of my face and in my mouth from March 17 until 2 weeks ago today. For two long weeks, I felt like the skin on my body was burning off...it was horrific.

I finally went to my doctor--fearful I had trigeminal neuralgia. I was experiencing burning pain as well as other odd kinds of nerve pain: tingling, burning, blossoming around my head front to back...inside my mouth--all the teeth were hurting, like hot wires were wrapped around the nerves and were pulling--then it crossed over to the right side of my mouth. I couldn't eat or sleep. My Mom gave me chicken broth and Ensure chocolate drinks. I struggled to eat without an appetite...I knew I was wasting away with the weight loss.

At any rate--it was the absolute worse pain I have ever endured--and that's saying something since I have the RA--and also had a total knee replacement. The worst, intractable, mind numbing...I think at some point, I had a nervous breakdown. I finally called my doctor.

My Doc and I hashed this all out--she didn't think it was TN--MRI was normal...and although I had burning pain--it was constant--and I didn't have electrical shock type pain or shooting pain. I ended up on two kinds of antidepressants which work on nerve pain--and although I still had to go through some harrowing misery and two different narcotic pain relievers...the pain started to come under control. I was able to drop the narcotics after about three weeks...and continue with the antidepressants which really was the ticket. The narcotics don't really do much for nerve pain...but my RA was flaring, and it seemed to help with the overall pain in my body. This was a very depressing state to be in, as I haven't been on narcotic pain meds since my knee replacement 12 years or so ago...

As I said in a prior post--there will be no more retreatment root canals, no root canals. No implants. No crowns. Done and Done. I will let nature take its course--and I have made peace in my own heart and mind about just going to a partial/bridge...and to just be done with anything having to do with needles and intractable dental pain.

This board was a life saver for me and gave me some hope in the darkest days and nights I have lived.

Everything with my face and RA seems to be quieted down. My mouth, every now and then feels kind of funky. The last tooth on the lower left side, which was the worst...now only feels occasionally as if there is some food caught in between the teeth. This is a huge improvement from agonizing burning pain and the throbbing and tugging agony, too.

I was VERY LUCKY that infection didn't migrate up into my jaw...or worse yet, take hold on my knee replacement. Very lucky. I learned some hard lessons about root canal. Of course, everyone tells me that root canals are safe and wonderful. I think that root canal for persons with suppressed immune systems and autoimmune disorders are exceedingly dangerous, from the standpoint of infection --as well as triggering nerves and burning pain...

Anyhow. I am feeling almost normal. I am back in my own house and getting back into my life. The meds have also a secondary benefit--as they are helping with the anxiety and terror. My depression has lifted. I am also going to counseling. My experience went on for over 70 days before we found the right combo of pain meds and antidepressants for pain management.

What a saga! I am just so thankful that I came out the other side of it--mostly pain free--

Thank you for your posts, B. and your support!

Carmella

Hi Carmella,

Very relieved to hear that you are doing so much better!! Yay!!

People can suffer so badly from a tooth problem because the chronic inflammation and infection from the tooth sets off a cascade of physical problems that can be extremely difficult to live with.

Unfortunately, tooth problems are often regarded as "just a tooth problem" as if there were no systemic connection. I cannot stress enough to people that non vital teeth, which is what a root canaled tooth is, are not healthy and they will affect the immune system in a negative way. The longer the immune system is attacked, the more extensive and complicated the systemic problems can be.

Hopefully, you will stay on this healing path and not ever have to deal with this situation again.

God Bless.... and thanks for sharing your experience with us. Hopefully it has alerted others to think twice before getting a root canal!

Bryanna