Glad to hear you got it checked out!

Tysabri or no Tysabri, never wait when something like this happens. An infection is bad enough, but when it's on your face, ear, etc, it's in close proximity to your brain and there are a LOT of blood vessels there and the infection can spread very quickly if it gets into the bloodstream.

I have all my docs and my dentist on notice that if something is wrong, I need to be seen THAT day or ASAP (the next day). If they cannot accomodate me, I will find someone who will. So far it's worked. The eye doc saw me immediately when I started my journey with MS with the optic neuritis. He was the one who said MS and he was right. The dentist is the one who took care of my broken tooth the day it broke and told me to call no matter what my problem is and he would fit me in. A few weeks later I had an abcess on the same tooth and again I was in two hours later, prescription was issued and a followup scheduled. My regular doc is the same way. My neuro wants a call ANYTIME there is any change, real or imagined, and told the old man to call if he has to because I am stubborn and insist nothing is wrong...

Try to sit down for a few minutes and talk to your healthcare team and let them know about MS/Tysabri/etc. and what you may be dealing with. Ask them if they will be there when you need them. I found that talking to them made all the difference in the world when it came to calling when I had a problem.

Thanks RW for such great advice! I have the cell phone number of the nurse of my new internist now--she said call her if anything is ever wrong and she can squeeze me in (especially if the people at the front desk are being difficult). She was so nice about it -- she also works in the ER.

My dentist is not open on Fridays and I can't go in today because it is the first day of classes. It took 10 calls to find a dentist to see me tomorrow morning. I'm really hoping it's not an abscess. Does this mean root canal??

Nowadays, root canal is the trend, before they fill a tooth or cap it, if bad. But they won't do anything until a week on the anti-B's and the infection or abscess had cleared. I hope you feel better.

BTW, you asked what T.N. is. It is Trigeminal Neuralgia of the jaw, face, temple or ear area. Can be one or all of these areas at once.

It is hard to chew or sometimes of open the mouth and talk without terrible pain in the jaw/face. It is a very strong pain, you would know if you had this even once.

It can last a few minutes, weeks, months or even years, coming and going when you least expect it. The mouth looks normal, so does the face, but the pain is a rough one. Sometimes the Neuro-surgeon has to cut the Trigeminal nerve in the cheek, inside the mouth. It runs does the length of your head to jaw.

Many had this surgery with great, immediate relief. Clip and it's done. I had the pain a few times, TG, it didn't last too long. You can't open your mouth other than to get a sip of water in.

I didn't need a root canal after the abscess I had, but it depends on how bad it is, I think.

My dentist has an answering service and I have called on a weekend and he called me back that day! He called in antibiotics for me because what I was describing to him sounded like an infection and his feeling was if it was infected, we could start treatment, and if it wasn't, he would see me Monday anyway. It ended up being an infection due to food stuck in the pocket and all he had to do was pick it and water jet it out.

I've had all sorts of problems with my teeth and I go every three months now to ensure that I don't have them anymore. This was ongoing before being on T, and we just decided that vigilance was the best policy after I started T.


My whole focus with all my docs is "Will you be there when I need you, including weekends and holidays? and if not, you ain't on my team!"

I don't bother them when I don't need them, I do what they tell me to do, I ask questions and discuss concerns and I want them to advise me and treat me to make sure I am as healthy as possible so I don't need them.

Toothaches suck and I hope this clears it up for you! You've had enough!

Hi Natalie, glad you got it checked and are feeling better with plans to go to you dentist

When I started Tysabri my son a bio-chemist recommended I take vits/supplements to keep up my immune system. I said but it's my immune system attacking me, therefore ms ( I do not capitalize disease/give it no respect). He said different components to the immune system (he's in cancer research). I take a multi, B-100, C,E, Calcium with D-3,Fish(that is also Borage & Flax)oil and Magnesium. I stay well when those around me are sick, when I flew many times in the middle of winter (to get my Ty infusion), and thank G-d I've not had a uti. I am a believer in the vits/supplements I take.

Hope you are well soon!

Linda

Well I saw the dentist this morning. No tooth abscess!! BUT...I did have a small abscess/infection in my gums near the teeth. So antibiotic mouthwash for awhile, brushing longer, and religious flossing begin today. I thought the new dentist was great. She actually presented something at a DDS conference on the immune system recently and so she was very careful and thorough to make sure it wasn't something big. She also left to read up on Tysabri while I was getting X-rays. I think I have a new dentist now!

Lady, thanks for the info on T.N.

RW, finding a team that is willing to take calls on weekends sounds like a great idea.

Linda, I take D3, fish oil, magnesium, folic acid, and B-12. I'm supposed to take a multi but I have to confess I haven't been very good with that.

So....another problem averted. No root canal. Jeesh....3 weeks ago it was a ruptured ovarian cyst. But I have to say I have been feeling really great on the Tysabri lately -- lots of energy, no MS symptoms, no depression. So I try to put PML out of my mind as best I can.

I'm so glad everything turned out OK!
What I had heard is that any, even minor problem you may not be aware of, with teeth, jaw, ears, etc, could get worse quickly with Ty simply because of the way it works on the immune system. I wish I could remember where I saw that. Duh. Anyway, I've tried to be more careful since I started my infusions. It's good that you went before this blew up into something big!