I saw an ILADS specialist on Monday and he told me he would not treat me until I've seen a biological dentist. I also need to have blood work done to determine which co-infections I have. Is there anything I can do to naturally start treatment to get some relief until I can complete any dental work I must first have done before my doctor will treat me?
Renogirl, I looked up biological dentistry and was really concerned with what I saw. Bizarre statements about periodontal disease and abscesses being treatable with "natural" methods, and prohibitions on root canals. This stuff is really far beyond the realm of anything evidence-based and seems highly irresponsible. I would also be concerned with any specialist who would recommend biological dentistry. Is this ILADS practictioner an MD? It seems doubtful.
Also, Reno, reading your history, I'm guessing that you don't have a memory of an initial tick bite or rash? There are a lot of chronic illnesses. Sometimes they get labelled as lyme because of lab tests that produce false positives. Have you seen a rheumatologist and been checked out for autoimmune diseases? What are your symptoms?
He is an MD and my naturo-path doctor said she has been sending patients to him and they are getting better. His logic is that a dead tooth can be a receptacle for bacteria and that a tooth that has had a root canal could be infected. If you have an infected tooth he said that you will never get better no matter how many antibiotics he gives. I'm kind of traumatized by the thought of possibly losing five teeth and all the time, energy, and $$ to restore those teeth once they are pulled.
Madere (dancermom) said:
Also, Reno, reading your history, I'm guessing that you don't have a memory of an initial tick bite or rash? There are a lot of chronic illnesses. Sometimes they get labelled as lyme because of lab tests that produce false positives. Have you seen a rheumatologist and been checked out for autoimmune diseases? What are your symptoms?
As it happens, I have had a dead tooth that abscessed -- trouble started with a bike accident I had as a child. (I bit the pavement.) I had a root canal a few decades ago. It was briefly infected but responded well to antibiotics. It has not troubled me since. I think you would be well advised to get a second opinion from a standard issue dentist about your dental issues. But what are the other health issues? How are you feeling?
I do not remember ever being bit by a tick. I have seen a rheumatologist and she diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. I have had reactivated mono since July of 2014 and I've been getting progressively sicker so my naturo-path doctor suspected Lyme so I had the test done with Igenix and it came back positive so now we're going to check for co-infections. I'm just overwhelmed by the whole thing and am overall just declining as the weeks pass. It seems like a lot of hoops to jump through just to start treatment. I'm also very sensitive to antibiotics which has me super concerned.
Also, since abscesses can be serious business and even life-threatening if not treated properly, I just wanted to attach some medical information about them: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/dental_abscess/article_em.htm
I feel like utter crap! I have new joint pain in my ankles and wrists that is unlike anything I've ever felt in my life since becoming ill 21 years ago. My memory is getting worse and emotionally I am a basket case. The doctor also told me I would have to move to a gluten, diary, and sugar free diet. I'm so tired I can't even feed my family and when I go to the store I get so tired I return home without the very thing I went for. I have lots of striking, stabbing pain. Killer headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, can't concentrate, difficulty walking, certain smells make me sick to my stomach, my sinuses hurt often, the list just goes on and on.....
My regular dentist has not said anything about my five teeth that have had root canals and has not had a concern regarding them. The ILADS doctor asked if I had ever had any dental problems and I just said I've had a few root canals and he told me they would have to be looked at by a biological dentist to make sure there is no lingering bacteria in them or he would not proceed with treating me.
I had a feeling Igenex was involved, reno. Please check this discussion (it takes time, but worth reading and understanding): http://forum.lymediseasesupportnetwork.org/forum/topics/igenex-testing
Also, we have a section here on the site about coinfections. I am really sorry about all the symptoms you are experiencing, and can see you are well and truly ill. You may also wish to join our fibro community, which is a lovely place with caring members and moderators. There is a patient guide for fibro patients on the site that may give you some new ideas about coping. There is a link to it on the community list at right.
It is wise to look about you and gather several opinions before perhaps adding to your issues with long-term antibiotics.
Getting back to the teeth, losing five teeth is a lot. Do you have issues with saliva/dry mouth? dry eyes?
I don't have a problem with dry mouth and I only get dry eyes if I've worn my contacts for over 16 hours.
Okay, that is good.
I would be highly suspicious of a naturopath flagging a dental problem that your dentist does not think exists, Reno. If there were "lingering bacteria" in your root canals, you should feel a very distinctive tingling feeling, or have redness or swelling around the tooth.