So my last conclusion was my mercury fillings were poisoning me weakening my immune system, adrenal glands etc. When I had my wisdom teeth out this was too much for my poisoned body and I had a major adrenal crash which resulted in me not being able to detox the mercury increasing the poison and my body could not cope with 2 compromises to its system, the trauma and the poisoning.
You can read more about my mercury journey here:
http://mercuryamalgamtoxic.blogspot.co.uk/
I have had my mercury fillings replaced (using the safe protocol not by a normal dentist!) with biocompatable filling materials 2 months ago and I feel great! I am not cured but well on my way on the recovery road.
MOUTH - GUMS
The scar tissue has finally gone done, still a little tender on the right side
MOUTH - TRISMUS (unable to open jaw) - TMJ (jaw joint dysfunction)
My left jaw joint is still a little crackly (only notice when I am purposely looking for an issue like now to see how it is!). But I can eat again no problem. Food tastes amazing without a side portion of mercury.
FACE - SWOLLEN CHEEKS
My face is so much thinner think it has always been a bit swollen. Glands in neck have gone down (they have been up since virus when I was 17)
VERTIGO
I am still a little unbalanced when I play the piano but it is minor now (the vertigo not the key haa haa).
EAR TINNITUS AND PRESSURE
Completely GONE
MUSCLE TWITCHES AND SPASM
Twitches are gone. Still have residual knots but massage therapist is 80% there.
HEADACHE
NONE
HUNGER AND THIRST
Actually I have a really good appetite now, eat more and I am slimmer (needed to lose a few pounds).
IMPAIRED VISION - PHOSPHENES, BLURRY, NYSTAGMUS
Unfortunately I still have problems here, but it is more like a very fine rain in my eyes. Get intermittant bluriness. My colours in my vision are absolutely amazing! I think this might be mercury in the brain so this will be the last thing to improve. My left eye which is genetically bad I can actually see out of... this is unbelievable!
FATIGUE / LACK OF CONCENTRATION / INABILITY TO PROCESS NUMBERS
I still struggle a bit but this is adrenal or thyroid issues which I am now testing myself for. It takes a long time to recover from adrenal fatigue.
FEELING HOT & COLD
I still sometimes shiver but thats due to adrenal/thyroid issues which I am getting myself tested for so I can treat it appropriately.
YELLOW EYES
I still have some residual browness in my left eye, but right eye lovely and white!
Sunday 23 June 2013
Sunday 17 February 2013
Wisdom tooth recovery 8 months on ......
Well I am beginning to get my life back finally but it's still a struggle. I still think that it was the right thing to do as life without the head pain is better.
Vertigo - think this is B12 related, piano playing makes it worse getting much better now I am on the B12
Muscles - been with my massage therapist now 7 months and she has worked wonders getting all those knots out there was millions (no exaggeration!). Shoulder hurts 24/7 but it did before so can't blame my wisdom teeth for this, wished I started massage therapy yrs ago. My neck is back to normal, think this really helped calm my mouth muscles down.
Mouth - I still have TMJ disorder (diagnosing myself with it). My muscles in my mouth are tender to the touch, not painful any more. I had a couple of loud cracks which were a bit frightening but they didn't hurt so I tried not to worry about them. My dentist can't find anything wrong with my jaw function but I know its very subtely off. It is creaky inside, but all my joints have gone creaky like their is sand in them. Since the cracks my jaw been a lot better, think it was realigning itself as inflammation finally going down. My lumps in my mouth are still there but are much smaller, still tender to the touch. My gums very slowely going back to how they were.
Tinnitus in my ears is maybe once every few weeks now, still the odd shooting pain up my head.
Eyes/fatique - lot less yellow in eys but a different doctor did conclude based on my symptoms that they agree I have iron deficiency (probably from the usual female issues). My iron level gone up from 29 to 49 and this dr told me to get levels up to 100! But they could not explain why I feel like I have altitude sickness at sea level. So I decided to go on supplements, it was do able by food, however if I slipped off my diet for one day I really struggled again. So I am taking Vitabiotics B12 (with iron as furnerate which does not upset your stomach as much). I do have a lot more energy and have been able to start running 3 miles once a week (still like torture) and a weekly pilates class. Through experimenting with diet I realised it might be B12 deficiency so I am now taking microlingual methy-B12 (already methylated form of B12 so your body can just use it) and my energy zoomed up. BINGO. My visual snow and brain fog is really begining to clear now! I feel reasonably intelligent again. My eyesight is loads better I can actually see in the dark, I have never been able to see in the dark. So annoyed drs never tested my B12.
Headaches - occasional shooting pain from my tmj and the other day I had my first ocular migraine. Zigzag flashing line that took 30 mins to move to the side and out of my vision. Freaked me out as I couldn't see but relieved its classic migraine symptom. Only had the one.
Muscles - been with my massage therapist now 7 months and she has worked wonders getting all those knots out there was millions (no exaggeration!). Shoulder hurts 24/7 but it did before so can't blame my wisdom teeth for this, wished I started massage therapy yrs ago. My neck is back to normal, think this really helped calm my mouth muscles down.
Vitamin D3 - in my opinion this has really worked on getting the inflammation in my jaw down can literally feel less pressure in my head. Had a lovely holiday and managed to get UVB rays and got my levels up from 51 to 61, the dose dr gave me was pathetic 400 IU. Good dr put me on 4000IUs a day, now it's really working. I have now upped the dosage to 5000IU mainly because it means I can take 1 pill instead of 4. Also you need to adjust for weight so my daily dose should be 4800 IUs and I know I am deficient as I have had no more sun since test therefore 5000IU will make me slightly less deficient everyday while I wait for the sun to come back.
I am also taking transdermal magnesium (if your vit D deficient your likely to be magnesium deficient as they are co-factors). This really helps my aches and pains. When I first took it I got heart palputations. This implies a toxic lymphatic system... umm strange I eat an all organic diet. This is when I started looking at toxicity.................
My next thoughts........
If a person is toxic and has vitamin and mineral deficiencies they are bound not to be in a fit state for any operation....another light bulb moment... but I eat all organic diet, never ever eat fast food, drink soft/energy drinks, I do drink lot of tea and wine (my only vices). I cut out poisons in my home 5 yrs ago when I got cats (they are stupid enough to lick everything... I love my cats but they can be quite dim). So I thought I was healthy. So where is this poison coming from.
The garlic and beetroot incidences...
So I was still working off many theories.. like worms (hope not) or viruses.
I learnt raw beetroot is really good for you. So I got some in my organic veg box so I ate a little raw beetroot every day for 5 days. Bit woody but much easier than cooking and peeling (no faff). On the 5th day had a really good run and went to bed. At 5am I awoke and turned to look at the clock and thats when I realised how bad I felt. I honestly thought I was going to die (I am not being melodramatic). I don't believe in God I am a scientist, but I prayed to God to make me die cos I felt so bad. After a while I fell back asleep and to my amazement awoke in the morning. That was a horrible scarey incident I never want to repeat. Again it felt like my whole digestive system was poisoned. After 2 days I felt soooo much better. Now the interesting fact about beetroot it is a powerful detoxer, it does phase 1 pulls things out of cells and phase 2 combines with the toxins (viruses etc) so that the liver can excrete them through the digestive system.
So it seems to back up the toxicity theory.
What next......
So I have cut out flouride and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) ladened toothpaste and switched to flouride and SLS free. Gums are feeling so much better. I have switched to Unbleached tea bags and organic tea. I am cutting down caffeine, I have 1 normal tea, 1 green, 1 white and the rest are herbal (dandelion, nettle, raspberry, detox ones). I am switching to less poisonous shampoo/conditioner... I have stopped sneezing in the shower HOORAY! I even cured my period pains ..... yes you do not have to suffer... and I can tell you it was quite a shock to have NO PAIN. Now I am begining to feel much better.... much better than I did before.. so how long have I been sick without realising?!
The biggest source of poisoning could be from my 6 mercury fillings... oh dear.........I hate drills!!!!
.......... I feel another blog coming on ................
I am also taking transdermal magnesium (if your vit D deficient your likely to be magnesium deficient as they are co-factors). This really helps my aches and pains. When I first took it I got heart palputations. This implies a toxic lymphatic system... umm strange I eat an all organic diet. This is when I started looking at toxicity.................
My next thoughts........
If a person is toxic and has vitamin and mineral deficiencies they are bound not to be in a fit state for any operation....another light bulb moment... but I eat all organic diet, never ever eat fast food, drink soft/energy drinks, I do drink lot of tea and wine (my only vices). I cut out poisons in my home 5 yrs ago when I got cats (they are stupid enough to lick everything... I love my cats but they can be quite dim). So I thought I was healthy. So where is this poison coming from.
The garlic and beetroot incidences...
I went to garlic restaurant on holiday had 8 cloves of slow cooked garlic and pesto with raw garlic. I suddenlt felt extremely hot like I was going to catch on fire, I drank a whole jug of water and then all my muslces started shaking. I did consider ringing an ambulance. After not knowing what to do after about 10 mins I stopped shaking. Luckily it was not that noticeable as in middle of restaurant. I couldn't eat another thing, so my husband lucky for him had to drink a whole bottle of wine to himself. Went back to hotel room and felt OK but not hungry I did not eat for 2 days, it felt like my whole digestive system was poisoned. After 2 days I felt so much better. It felt like the garlic was trying to cure me. I know that this was a really big clue. My dr just told me not to eat garlic...really helpful.. not!
So it seems to back up the toxicity theory.
What next......
So I have cut out flouride and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) ladened toothpaste and switched to flouride and SLS free. Gums are feeling so much better. I have switched to Unbleached tea bags and organic tea. I am cutting down caffeine, I have 1 normal tea, 1 green, 1 white and the rest are herbal (dandelion, nettle, raspberry, detox ones). I am switching to less poisonous shampoo/conditioner... I have stopped sneezing in the shower HOORAY! I even cured my period pains ..... yes you do not have to suffer... and I can tell you it was quite a shock to have NO PAIN. Now I am begining to feel much better.... much better than I did before.. so how long have I been sick without realising?!
The biggest source of poisoning could be from my 6 mercury fillings... oh dear.........I hate drills!!!!
.......... I feel another blog coming on ................
Wednesday 5 September 2012
Wisdom Tooth Removal Recovery
After my wisdom tooth operation I had many different symptoms. They all came on about 36 hours after the operation. Every day for the last 3 months they have got a little better, its been a slow process. Here is how I helped myself, the doctors I saw were pretty much clueless so thanks to all those other people who have posted online and helped me through this ordeal.
THE USELESS DOCTORS
I called my surgeon 4 days after the operation. His secretary called me back and said these cannot be because of the operation or the drugs. He didn't even have the decency to call me himself and say unlikely to be surgery I suggest you go to your GP. Thats is totally unprofessional and I am totally disgusted... and I went private!
The first GP I went to said and I quote "I don't know what to suggest". Again totally unprofessional and I was even more disgusted. I had to cry to get a full blood count test done. He looked in my ear and eyes, he didn't notice my eyes were yellow. I didn't know at the time my eyes were yellow due to my vision difficulties so I hadn't noticed either. The next GP I saw didn't seem that bothered by my vertigo but she did ask what sort of anaesthetic I had, but not how my vertigo occurred. I suggested BPPV and she stared at me blankly. However she did order blood test for loads of different things and there was no need for crying. The 3rd GP I saw said I should be pleased about my test results as they were all good except vit D was a little low, so she prescribed me vit D tablets, it seemed like she just wanted me out the office and again ignored my balance complaints. Vit D has helped my body but its definately not the cause. Guess thats the NHS for you... don't expect quality care. So I have been left fending for myself, but at least I have ruled out lots of diseases by having the blood tests so thats a real positive.
If this happens to you I know its hard but stay positive there are people on internet that can help in lieu of any professional help!
MY SYMPTOMS & HOW I TREATED MYSELF
MOUTH - GUMS
SYMPTOMS - As I had impacted wisdom teeth there were no sockets/holes as the gum had been stitched back together. The gums were very swollen, it was like a big lump joining my cheek together with my gums. After a few days plague and saliva will build up and form white deposits around the extraction site and it will make your breath smell. If you already have these white lumps they will fall out and smell absolutely foul. This is normal and not an infection. I never had an infection but would imagine it would hurt like hell if it was an infection. Your gum might look white but this is normal too as mouth heals differently. It will take a few months for these lumps to go down and they will feel tender (not painful). Don't eat tiny things (like grains of rice or sesames seeds) as they will get stuck behind your cheek lumps and be hard to get out.
TREATMENT - After 48 hours (not before otherwise you might damage stitches) swish and bathe (by holding water in your mouth by your lump) with warm salt water after every meal to kill the bacteria that cause the lump of plague.
MOUTH - TRISMUS (unable to open jaw) - TMJ (jaw joint dysfunction)
SYMPTOMS - For the first month I was unable to open my jaw any wider than the width of my little finger. It is normal for a week or so to have this but any longer and you maybe looking at a trismus problem. I was also clenching my teeth in the night making the pain worse in the morning. This can be a symptom of TMJ (basically a dysfunction of your jaw joint). My jaw is still stiff 3 months on but I do exercises in morning to warm it up for the day and it gets a little better every day.
TREATMENT - when you feel ready start exercises for trismus, don't push it, treat it like a sprained ankle take it easy.
http://www.toothnature.com/2011/05/trismus.html
Try exercises for TMJ, if they make you worse discontinue them, they do not work for everyone.
http://www.tmjexercisesrelief.com/
Apply warm heat pad.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5700952_make-moist-heating-pad.html
FACE - SWOLLEN CHEEKS
SYMPTOMS - My face really swelled up and had very yellow bruising either side of my mouth. I looked like a hamster :-(. After 1 week worst had gone down, by week 2 was looking more normal in my view.
TREATMENT - Sleep with your head up after the operation and apply ice packs for the first 24hours. Not a lot else you can do. If your embarrassed don't open the front door, people try not to exclaim in horror but they can't help themselves!
VERTIGO
SYMPTOMS - This was the worst part, you can't do anything totally debilitating, takes you to dark depressed places. The room spins at a million miles per hour, you get eye nystagmus (eyes dart about) and you can't see. You can't watch TV and you can't listen to music. Luckily I have my favourite bands songs ingrained in my head - this is the only thing that got me through those first 2 weeks of hell. Your friends and family just have no idea, unless they have had it themselves. Luckily I didn't get nausea, but I have a strong stomach, hence no-one believed how bad it is. Its not their fault, they have been lucky enough not to experience it.
TREATMENT - You can do the Romberg's test to see if its your sensory system and not your brain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romberg's_test
If Romberg's test is positive then it coule be caused by BPPV. Go to doctors and ask for Epply Manuaver. If you have a rubbish doctor who looks at you like you're mad you can then try it at home if this is your only option.
http://www.webmd.com/brain/liberatory-maneuvers-for-vertigo
Reflexology - I never tried this before (tried out of desperation and was very skeptical) but it helped me pinpoint which side there issue was on. When my reflexologist massaged by big left toe my vertigo really came on with a vengence. I also felt wonderful after reflexology, more energy and vision clearer, so I am a total convert now.
EAR TINNITUS AND PRESSURE
SYMPTOMS - I always had tinnitus occasionally before the surgery. Now it came on frequently and it was high pitched note and the swishing wave sounds. I had to keep manually equalizing the pressure in my ears constantly. I am an amateur musician so when my guitar pitch suddenly dropped I thought it was my new strings going out of tune. When I checked them with my tuner they were perfectly in tune. This is how I know something was definately going on in my ears. I hadn't lost any hearing but the tone of sounds was very different. Thankfully over the last few months it has returned to normal!!!!!
TREATMENT - Go to doctor and get them to look in your ears to rule out an infection.
MUSCLE TWITCHES AND SPASM
SYMPTOMS - The 2nd night after my surgery all my muslces would twitch in order starting at the jaw muscle, neck, body front, legs, feet and back up the legs, back and neck. The cycle was in time with my heart beat which was beating at normal pace but loudly. Over the course of the first week my neck and shoulders stiffened up (but this can be bought on by vertigo). By the end of the week I could not move my arms or head which made it impossible to get dressed. My muscle twitches have been constant but getting less everyday. It is a constant tense/relax cycle. This has also been in my eyes which has affected my vision.
I always had bad shoulders (probably too much time on computer) so this may have contributed to severity of the symptoms.
TREATMENT - Remedial massage on affected muscles.
Try Reflexology.
HEADACHE
SYMPTOMS -I didn't really have a headache until week 3, but could have just been stress of vertigo. The headache I then got lasted about 3 weeks before finally leaving me alone. So this got me looking at symptoms of migraine with aura.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-aura/MM00659
I'm afraid I can't offer much help here.
HUNGER AND THIRST
SYMPTOMS - I was constantly hungry and thirsty. It was like my body was busy doing something (who knows what) and needed lots of water to flush the by-products out. If I didn't eat constantly I started to feel dizzy on top of all my other symptoms... not good! I wondered if the antibiotics they made me drink before the operation killed all my good bacteria coupled with the fact I had to swallow whole bits of unchewed food meant my body couldn't easily absorb nutrients. I started taking a couple of teaspoons of manuka honey every day, I upped my intack of fruit and magnesium (in seeds and nuts). I had a craving for boiled potatoes and bananas which I normally detest. After a few days of manuka honey I did feel better inside, I didn't feel bad before but I just felt better now.
TREATMENT - Eat little snacks or drink smoothies to keep energy levels up. Take constant sips of water so you never get dehydrated.
Check yourself against vitamin deficiencies by checking your diet
http://www.whfoods.com/foodadvisor.php
Go to the doctor and ask for vitamin D test. When I started taking vitamin D3 tablets this is when the hunger went back to normal. Also it was like everycell in my body was compressed and 3 hours after my first tablet I tingled and pressure released, especially so in my face. Vitamin D is needed for many things including reducing inflammation and repairing bones in your mouth, so if your low your body is likely to use it up!
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/26/maximizing-vitamin-d-exposure.aspx
Try Manuka Honey (make sure its the active kind)
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/manuka-honey-medicinal-uses
IMPAIRED VISION - PHOSPHENES, BLURRY, NYSTAGMUS
SYMPTOMS -I am still not sure if it is phosphenes. What I see is constant black and white tiny flashing dots in all areas of vision. They are worse in the dark to the point where I could not see anything at all but these dots. My vision also appeared blurry but it was hard to see through the spots. I think this could be from the vertigo. I also had nystagmus (eyes uncontrollably flit about) which normally comes on with vertigo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphene
TREATMENT - Go and get retina scan at opticians to rule out any eye causes.
My vitamin D tablets and reflexology greatly improved my vision. Get vitamin D test from doctor and try reflexology.
FATIGUE / LACK OF CONCENTRATION / INABILITY TO PROCESS NUMBERS
SYMPTOMS - For the first month I was very fatigued. I just wanted to sleep and do nothing else, concentrating was just too much effort. Lifting a finger was too much effort. Also when I looked at numbers I just didn't understand what they were, it was like trying to read chinese/japanese. I work in finance so this made work absolutely impossible! Luckily the ability has returned and I can now do my job.
It could be due to the anaesthetic, doctors deny there is long term effects but there are a few forums on the web with people who think differently. Also could be post operative stress, you are more at risk of this if you wake up during your procedure which I did.
http://www.anesthesiaweb.org/dementia.php
http://isitnormal.com/story/general-anesthesia-side-effects-38/
I also considered anaemia especially as I also had yellow eyes. My blood test results came back normal and my ferritin level was 29. However I could be OK compared to the average but low for me so I have changed to eating a high iron diet to see if it helped. My nails are much stronger, brittle nails can be caused by anaemia. Along with all the others things I was trying at same time I think it helped but can't be sure. I do like a steak and duck liver pate so its been enjoyable anyway.
TREATMENT - Get a blood test for anaemia from the doctor. If your a woman then there is some thought that ferrtin level should be at 50 not within the normal ranges your doctor gives you. Mine was 29 and I have been on a high iron diet eversince. Do not eat cooked spinach it actually inhibits iron intake, only eat raw spinach. Red wine inhibits iron intake but white wine helps. I didn't want to take iron tablets as they cause constipation and other things, so I didn't push this with the doctor and just changed my diet to mainly red meats. There are many seeds with high iron if you can't eat meat, like pumpkin seeds which are delicious.
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/new-study-about-ferritin-levels-fatigue-and-iron-supplementation.18664/
Manuka Honey contains Boron which is a co-factor to vitamin D and can alleviate symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. I felt I had a bit more energy when I started taking the honey.Get a vitamin D test, my energy levels came back up when I started taking D3 tablets.
Rest but don't do nothing, At week 6 I started trying to run, just once a week and its mainly a walk. I get a little better every week but I don't push it.
FEELING HOT & COLD
SYMPTOMS -Whenever I exerted myself my vertigo would get worse and I would also start to feel really hot and start to sweat. This is when I realised I had to really start to take things very slowly. At other times I also felt cold. Could be anesthetic side effects or just symptom of feeling unwell.
http://isitnormal.com/story/general-anesthesia-side-effects-38/
TREATMENT - All I can suggest is take it easy and stay warm when you feel cold, but don't overheat yourself.
YELLOW EYES
SYMPTOMS - Underneath my bottom eyelids my eyes looked yellow. Over the last 3 months this is fading back to normal white like the rest of my eyeballs.
Yellow eyes occur when the whites of the eyes (sclerae) take on a yellowish tinge. Also known as scleral icterus, yellow eyes are generally a sign of jaundice caused by a buildup of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow-colored pigment that is produced by the breakdown of old red blood cells. Bilirubin is normally processed by the liver and released into the intestine in bile before being excreted from the body through the feces. Hence it can be serious and therefore you should go to doctor and make sure he looks at your eyes properly, this is what I failed to do.
TREATMENT - Go to doctor as soon as you can and make sure they give you blood test for liver, kidney and anaemia.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE USELESS DOCTORS
I called my surgeon 4 days after the operation. His secretary called me back and said these cannot be because of the operation or the drugs. He didn't even have the decency to call me himself and say unlikely to be surgery I suggest you go to your GP. Thats is totally unprofessional and I am totally disgusted... and I went private!
The first GP I went to said and I quote "I don't know what to suggest". Again totally unprofessional and I was even more disgusted. I had to cry to get a full blood count test done. He looked in my ear and eyes, he didn't notice my eyes were yellow. I didn't know at the time my eyes were yellow due to my vision difficulties so I hadn't noticed either. The next GP I saw didn't seem that bothered by my vertigo but she did ask what sort of anaesthetic I had, but not how my vertigo occurred. I suggested BPPV and she stared at me blankly. However she did order blood test for loads of different things and there was no need for crying. The 3rd GP I saw said I should be pleased about my test results as they were all good except vit D was a little low, so she prescribed me vit D tablets, it seemed like she just wanted me out the office and again ignored my balance complaints. Vit D has helped my body but its definately not the cause. Guess thats the NHS for you... don't expect quality care. So I have been left fending for myself, but at least I have ruled out lots of diseases by having the blood tests so thats a real positive.
If this happens to you I know its hard but stay positive there are people on internet that can help in lieu of any professional help!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY SYMPTOMS & HOW I TREATED MYSELF
MOUTH - GUMS
SYMPTOMS - As I had impacted wisdom teeth there were no sockets/holes as the gum had been stitched back together. The gums were very swollen, it was like a big lump joining my cheek together with my gums. After a few days plague and saliva will build up and form white deposits around the extraction site and it will make your breath smell. If you already have these white lumps they will fall out and smell absolutely foul. This is normal and not an infection. I never had an infection but would imagine it would hurt like hell if it was an infection. Your gum might look white but this is normal too as mouth heals differently. It will take a few months for these lumps to go down and they will feel tender (not painful). Don't eat tiny things (like grains of rice or sesames seeds) as they will get stuck behind your cheek lumps and be hard to get out.
TREATMENT - After 48 hours (not before otherwise you might damage stitches) swish and bathe (by holding water in your mouth by your lump) with warm salt water after every meal to kill the bacteria that cause the lump of plague.
MOUTH - TRISMUS (unable to open jaw) - TMJ (jaw joint dysfunction)
SYMPTOMS - For the first month I was unable to open my jaw any wider than the width of my little finger. It is normal for a week or so to have this but any longer and you maybe looking at a trismus problem. I was also clenching my teeth in the night making the pain worse in the morning. This can be a symptom of TMJ (basically a dysfunction of your jaw joint). My jaw is still stiff 3 months on but I do exercises in morning to warm it up for the day and it gets a little better every day.
TREATMENT - when you feel ready start exercises for trismus, don't push it, treat it like a sprained ankle take it easy.
http://www.toothnature.com/2011/05/trismus.html
Try exercises for TMJ, if they make you worse discontinue them, they do not work for everyone.
http://www.tmjexercisesrelief.com/
Apply warm heat pad.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5700952_make-moist-heating-pad.html
FACE - SWOLLEN CHEEKS
SYMPTOMS - My face really swelled up and had very yellow bruising either side of my mouth. I looked like a hamster :-(. After 1 week worst had gone down, by week 2 was looking more normal in my view.
TREATMENT - Sleep with your head up after the operation and apply ice packs for the first 24hours. Not a lot else you can do. If your embarrassed don't open the front door, people try not to exclaim in horror but they can't help themselves!
VERTIGO
SYMPTOMS - This was the worst part, you can't do anything totally debilitating, takes you to dark depressed places. The room spins at a million miles per hour, you get eye nystagmus (eyes dart about) and you can't see. You can't watch TV and you can't listen to music. Luckily I have my favourite bands songs ingrained in my head - this is the only thing that got me through those first 2 weeks of hell. Your friends and family just have no idea, unless they have had it themselves. Luckily I didn't get nausea, but I have a strong stomach, hence no-one believed how bad it is. Its not their fault, they have been lucky enough not to experience it.
TREATMENT - You can do the Romberg's test to see if its your sensory system and not your brain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romberg's_test
If Romberg's test is positive then it coule be caused by BPPV. Go to doctors and ask for Epply Manuaver. If you have a rubbish doctor who looks at you like you're mad you can then try it at home if this is your only option.
http://www.webmd.com/brain/liberatory-maneuvers-for-vertigo
Reflexology - I never tried this before (tried out of desperation and was very skeptical) but it helped me pinpoint which side there issue was on. When my reflexologist massaged by big left toe my vertigo really came on with a vengence. I also felt wonderful after reflexology, more energy and vision clearer, so I am a total convert now.
EAR TINNITUS AND PRESSURE
SYMPTOMS - I always had tinnitus occasionally before the surgery. Now it came on frequently and it was high pitched note and the swishing wave sounds. I had to keep manually equalizing the pressure in my ears constantly. I am an amateur musician so when my guitar pitch suddenly dropped I thought it was my new strings going out of tune. When I checked them with my tuner they were perfectly in tune. This is how I know something was definately going on in my ears. I hadn't lost any hearing but the tone of sounds was very different. Thankfully over the last few months it has returned to normal!!!!!
TREATMENT - Go to doctor and get them to look in your ears to rule out an infection.
MUSCLE TWITCHES AND SPASM
SYMPTOMS - The 2nd night after my surgery all my muslces would twitch in order starting at the jaw muscle, neck, body front, legs, feet and back up the legs, back and neck. The cycle was in time with my heart beat which was beating at normal pace but loudly. Over the course of the first week my neck and shoulders stiffened up (but this can be bought on by vertigo). By the end of the week I could not move my arms or head which made it impossible to get dressed. My muscle twitches have been constant but getting less everyday. It is a constant tense/relax cycle. This has also been in my eyes which has affected my vision.
I always had bad shoulders (probably too much time on computer) so this may have contributed to severity of the symptoms.
TREATMENT - Remedial massage on affected muscles.
Try Reflexology.
HEADACHE
SYMPTOMS -I didn't really have a headache until week 3, but could have just been stress of vertigo. The headache I then got lasted about 3 weeks before finally leaving me alone. So this got me looking at symptoms of migraine with aura.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-aura/MM00659
I'm afraid I can't offer much help here.
HUNGER AND THIRST
SYMPTOMS - I was constantly hungry and thirsty. It was like my body was busy doing something (who knows what) and needed lots of water to flush the by-products out. If I didn't eat constantly I started to feel dizzy on top of all my other symptoms... not good! I wondered if the antibiotics they made me drink before the operation killed all my good bacteria coupled with the fact I had to swallow whole bits of unchewed food meant my body couldn't easily absorb nutrients. I started taking a couple of teaspoons of manuka honey every day, I upped my intack of fruit and magnesium (in seeds and nuts). I had a craving for boiled potatoes and bananas which I normally detest. After a few days of manuka honey I did feel better inside, I didn't feel bad before but I just felt better now.
TREATMENT - Eat little snacks or drink smoothies to keep energy levels up. Take constant sips of water so you never get dehydrated.
Check yourself against vitamin deficiencies by checking your diet
http://www.whfoods.com/foodadvisor.php
Go to the doctor and ask for vitamin D test. When I started taking vitamin D3 tablets this is when the hunger went back to normal. Also it was like everycell in my body was compressed and 3 hours after my first tablet I tingled and pressure released, especially so in my face. Vitamin D is needed for many things including reducing inflammation and repairing bones in your mouth, so if your low your body is likely to use it up!
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/26/maximizing-vitamin-d-exposure.aspx
Try Manuka Honey (make sure its the active kind)
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/manuka-honey-medicinal-uses
IMPAIRED VISION - PHOSPHENES, BLURRY, NYSTAGMUS
SYMPTOMS -I am still not sure if it is phosphenes. What I see is constant black and white tiny flashing dots in all areas of vision. They are worse in the dark to the point where I could not see anything at all but these dots. My vision also appeared blurry but it was hard to see through the spots. I think this could be from the vertigo. I also had nystagmus (eyes uncontrollably flit about) which normally comes on with vertigo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphene
TREATMENT - Go and get retina scan at opticians to rule out any eye causes.
My vitamin D tablets and reflexology greatly improved my vision. Get vitamin D test from doctor and try reflexology.
FATIGUE / LACK OF CONCENTRATION / INABILITY TO PROCESS NUMBERS
SYMPTOMS - For the first month I was very fatigued. I just wanted to sleep and do nothing else, concentrating was just too much effort. Lifting a finger was too much effort. Also when I looked at numbers I just didn't understand what they were, it was like trying to read chinese/japanese. I work in finance so this made work absolutely impossible! Luckily the ability has returned and I can now do my job.
It could be due to the anaesthetic, doctors deny there is long term effects but there are a few forums on the web with people who think differently. Also could be post operative stress, you are more at risk of this if you wake up during your procedure which I did.
http://www.anesthesiaweb.org/dementia.php
http://isitnormal.com/story/general-anesthesia-side-effects-38/
I also considered anaemia especially as I also had yellow eyes. My blood test results came back normal and my ferritin level was 29. However I could be OK compared to the average but low for me so I have changed to eating a high iron diet to see if it helped. My nails are much stronger, brittle nails can be caused by anaemia. Along with all the others things I was trying at same time I think it helped but can't be sure. I do like a steak and duck liver pate so its been enjoyable anyway.
TREATMENT - Get a blood test for anaemia from the doctor. If your a woman then there is some thought that ferrtin level should be at 50 not within the normal ranges your doctor gives you. Mine was 29 and I have been on a high iron diet eversince. Do not eat cooked spinach it actually inhibits iron intake, only eat raw spinach. Red wine inhibits iron intake but white wine helps. I didn't want to take iron tablets as they cause constipation and other things, so I didn't push this with the doctor and just changed my diet to mainly red meats. There are many seeds with high iron if you can't eat meat, like pumpkin seeds which are delicious.
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/new-study-about-ferritin-levels-fatigue-and-iron-supplementation.18664/
Manuka Honey contains Boron which is a co-factor to vitamin D and can alleviate symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. I felt I had a bit more energy when I started taking the honey.Get a vitamin D test, my energy levels came back up when I started taking D3 tablets.
Rest but don't do nothing, At week 6 I started trying to run, just once a week and its mainly a walk. I get a little better every week but I don't push it.
FEELING HOT & COLD
SYMPTOMS -Whenever I exerted myself my vertigo would get worse and I would also start to feel really hot and start to sweat. This is when I realised I had to really start to take things very slowly. At other times I also felt cold. Could be anesthetic side effects or just symptom of feeling unwell.
http://isitnormal.com/story/general-anesthesia-side-effects-38/
TREATMENT - All I can suggest is take it easy and stay warm when you feel cold, but don't overheat yourself.
YELLOW EYES
SYMPTOMS - Underneath my bottom eyelids my eyes looked yellow. Over the last 3 months this is fading back to normal white like the rest of my eyeballs.
Yellow eyes occur when the whites of the eyes (sclerae) take on a yellowish tinge. Also known as scleral icterus, yellow eyes are generally a sign of jaundice caused by a buildup of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow-colored pigment that is produced by the breakdown of old red blood cells. Bilirubin is normally processed by the liver and released into the intestine in bile before being excreted from the body through the feces. Hence it can be serious and therefore you should go to doctor and make sure he looks at your eyes properly, this is what I failed to do.
TREATMENT - Go to doctor as soon as you can and make sure they give you blood test for liver, kidney and anaemia.
Monday 20 August 2012
What to consider before removing your wisdom teeth
These questions have come from my own personal experience and the search to understand my symptoms that came on after my operation. I have read many other people's posts in my search for help. Unfortunately the doctors I have seen were unable to provide any answers.
THE BIG QUESTION!!!!!!!
Is it really necessary, all surgery carries risk, even if it means you feel ill but are eventually OK. Will your wisdom teeth really cause infections, will they cause you pain? How can the dentist know if they will cause you problems... they can't know, everyone is different.
I decided to have mine out because the pain was horrible and constant so I don't regret it but it was not pleasant and I still feel ill 2.5 months on. I am gradually getting my life back and well enough to warn others :-)
IF THE ANSWER IS STILL YES TO HAVE THE PROCEDURE, then consider these questions:
1. Do you really think the dentist is the best person to do this? I have read and heard from my friends/family all the horror stories about a Dentist doing the procedure. Hence I was set on surgery, luckily my wisdom teeth were fully impacted so my dentist could not even suggest attempting it. My actual surgery lasted about 10 mins, as opposed to the hour long horror I have heard from other people. I am lucky to have private medical insurance, the cost was approx £1.5k. Rumour has it the NHS has put these operations on hold.
2. Before you go into have the procedure consider whether you really are at the peak of healthiness. That virus you had 6 months ago has that really gone? Are you really only tired because of work/family or maybe you have some other condition. Do you need a holiday before your operation? Maybe its not a serious reason for being tired, maybe its just a vitamin deficiency (you should consider vitamin D deficiency which you cannot eat your way out of, your dr will have to give you a blood test to find out). I am never one to advocate taking pills but maybe try to eat extremely healthy for the month before or if this is hard consider the pros and cons of taking multivitamins. The dentists and surgeons will tell you its simple procedure but its still a lot your body has to mend. Also as you can't eat properly afterwards you are likely to start suffering from vitamin deficiencies.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/deficiency.html
3. Do you have TMJ? I had never heard of this but when I had issues and searched the internet I realised I possibly have mild TMJ. This is a disorder with how your jaw joint works and you maybe unaware you have any issues until someone yanks your mouth about!
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders
The clue I got from researching TMJ is I remembered that when I chew chewing gum my jaws hurt like you wouldn't believe. So I never eat chewy things, chewing gum, toffee or crunchy things so I have forgotten these things cause me pain, I just assumed I had become a bit of a fussy eater! I am very calm but when I do get stressed occasionally I do clench my teeth at night. At my post operative appointment with my surgeon he agreed I potentially have TMJ. If you think you do you should tell your dentist/surgeon and hopefully they will be more careful with you.
Get a TMJ massage before the surgery to see if this helps. You can find specialist massures that do this.
4. Do you have neck/shoulder pain? When a muscle goes into spasm ie your jaw joint after surgery it may cause the muscles next to it to spasm. Therefore consider if you have TMJ again, and if not go and get a remedial massage (its like a sports massage) on your neck and shoulders so that they are OK before those dentist/surgeons pull your head about.
5. You could get BPPV (Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). The dentists/surgeons will never tell you that dental surgery is a risk factor for BPPV, they claim its something that just happens. But in the deep dark corner of the internet there is some medical research (who knows how good it is) that says that it is a risk factor. Vertigo is the worst thing I have ever had, the room spins at 1000 miles per hour and you literally cannot do a thing, you can't watch TV, you can't listen to music, you can't get out of bed, have a shower, make your dinner, make a cup of tea... absolute hell.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2640043/
6. Have you considered the long term effects of anaesthetic and sedation. It is rare but there is not much evidence to support how risky it is. With sedation there is a 1% chance of waking up (according to my surgeon). Those that wake up have 56% chance of getting post traumatic stress disorder. (you guessed it I did wake up and it was not nice to hear a drill coming at you whilst you cannot open your eyes).
http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jun/27/health/he-anesthesia27
7. Understand which is any antibiotics they are going to give to you. There are a type of antibiotic that has injured many people called fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The toxicity syndrome afterwards can be devastating, it damages central nervous system, connective tissue and more.
update 22.5.14: I got my medical records back, they gave me amoxicillin (penicillin derivative) which a few people have had reactions to, its important to know everything they give you just in case you do react to it.
http://floxiehope.com/
8. Re-evaluate the BIG QUESTION - do you absolutely have to have it done... if you do then I wish you well.
THE BIG QUESTION!!!!!!!
Is it really necessary, all surgery carries risk, even if it means you feel ill but are eventually OK. Will your wisdom teeth really cause infections, will they cause you pain? How can the dentist know if they will cause you problems... they can't know, everyone is different.
I decided to have mine out because the pain was horrible and constant so I don't regret it but it was not pleasant and I still feel ill 2.5 months on. I am gradually getting my life back and well enough to warn others :-)
IF THE ANSWER IS STILL YES TO HAVE THE PROCEDURE, then consider these questions:
1. Do you really think the dentist is the best person to do this? I have read and heard from my friends/family all the horror stories about a Dentist doing the procedure. Hence I was set on surgery, luckily my wisdom teeth were fully impacted so my dentist could not even suggest attempting it. My actual surgery lasted about 10 mins, as opposed to the hour long horror I have heard from other people. I am lucky to have private medical insurance, the cost was approx £1.5k. Rumour has it the NHS has put these operations on hold.
2. Before you go into have the procedure consider whether you really are at the peak of healthiness. That virus you had 6 months ago has that really gone? Are you really only tired because of work/family or maybe you have some other condition. Do you need a holiday before your operation? Maybe its not a serious reason for being tired, maybe its just a vitamin deficiency (you should consider vitamin D deficiency which you cannot eat your way out of, your dr will have to give you a blood test to find out). I am never one to advocate taking pills but maybe try to eat extremely healthy for the month before or if this is hard consider the pros and cons of taking multivitamins. The dentists and surgeons will tell you its simple procedure but its still a lot your body has to mend. Also as you can't eat properly afterwards you are likely to start suffering from vitamin deficiencies.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/deficiency.html
3. Do you have TMJ? I had never heard of this but when I had issues and searched the internet I realised I possibly have mild TMJ. This is a disorder with how your jaw joint works and you maybe unaware you have any issues until someone yanks your mouth about!
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders
The clue I got from researching TMJ is I remembered that when I chew chewing gum my jaws hurt like you wouldn't believe. So I never eat chewy things, chewing gum, toffee or crunchy things so I have forgotten these things cause me pain, I just assumed I had become a bit of a fussy eater! I am very calm but when I do get stressed occasionally I do clench my teeth at night. At my post operative appointment with my surgeon he agreed I potentially have TMJ. If you think you do you should tell your dentist/surgeon and hopefully they will be more careful with you.
Get a TMJ massage before the surgery to see if this helps. You can find specialist massures that do this.
4. Do you have neck/shoulder pain? When a muscle goes into spasm ie your jaw joint after surgery it may cause the muscles next to it to spasm. Therefore consider if you have TMJ again, and if not go and get a remedial massage (its like a sports massage) on your neck and shoulders so that they are OK before those dentist/surgeons pull your head about.
5. You could get BPPV (Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). The dentists/surgeons will never tell you that dental surgery is a risk factor for BPPV, they claim its something that just happens. But in the deep dark corner of the internet there is some medical research (who knows how good it is) that says that it is a risk factor. Vertigo is the worst thing I have ever had, the room spins at 1000 miles per hour and you literally cannot do a thing, you can't watch TV, you can't listen to music, you can't get out of bed, have a shower, make your dinner, make a cup of tea... absolute hell.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2640043/
6. Have you considered the long term effects of anaesthetic and sedation. It is rare but there is not much evidence to support how risky it is. With sedation there is a 1% chance of waking up (according to my surgeon). Those that wake up have 56% chance of getting post traumatic stress disorder. (you guessed it I did wake up and it was not nice to hear a drill coming at you whilst you cannot open your eyes).
http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jun/27/health/he-anesthesia27
7. Understand which is any antibiotics they are going to give to you. There are a type of antibiotic that has injured many people called fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The toxicity syndrome afterwards can be devastating, it damages central nervous system, connective tissue and more.
update 22.5.14: I got my medical records back, they gave me amoxicillin (penicillin derivative) which a few people have had reactions to, its important to know everything they give you just in case you do react to it.
http://floxiehope.com/
8. Re-evaluate the BIG QUESTION - do you absolutely have to have it done... if you do then I wish you well.
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