Good advice, Zoe. Thanks for the follow up. I have decided to chill and take the long view about the tooth pain ... it's lessened the last few days, so here's hoping it stays away. Thanks again --
Also, I forgot to add that I read that some people who get severe tooth pain from nerve dysfunction keep pursuing dental treatment for the problem. Sometimes this leads to a tooth being extracted, and then the person finds that the pain simply moves to the neighboring tooth! So by all means, get a dentist to check it out, but don't take drastic action without checking it out with a neurologist first to see if it could be compression of a cranial nerve.
Hi Jackie - we exchanged a couple messages in the post on thyroid nodules... when I saw your post about teeth, I had to add my two cents!
And binx67, your description of the pain in your teeth sounds so similar to mine...
So, to briefly explain my situation, I don't have a diagnosis of anything yet. I've had mild intermittent symptoms for a few years and really serious debilitating ones for the last 3 months. First my doctor was convinced it was MS, the neurologist thought esophagic migraines with unexplained polyneuropathy in my legs, the rheumatologist thinks it's a connective tissue disorder (like lupus)... I asked the neurologist to add Lyme testing to the blood requisition last time and he did (reluctantly) but I don't have the results back yet. So far all I know is that I have low iron, high blood sugar, and a high positive ANA.
Over the last 3 months I've been getting tooth pain all of a sudden. I get this feeling of pressure in my cheekbone along with tingling in that side of my face and on my scalp. Sometimes I also get pain in that ear, along the jaw, and in my teeth on that side of my mouth only. It is usually the top teeth towards the back, but occasionally also on the bottom. It's like I can feel the nerve in each tooth and it's throbbing. Sometimes I also get a headache sort of between my temple and the back of my eye on that side at the same time and blurriness in my eye.
Someone mentioned that this sounded like Trigeminal Neuralgia (which is common in MS, but also occurs on its own). When I saw a picture of the cranial nerves and the path that the Trigeminal nerve (or Fifth Nerve) follows, I did think it matched very closely the areas where I experience pain.
I did also mention the cheekbone/ear/jaw/teeth pain to the rheumatologist when discussing my symptoms and he said, "Hmmm, sounds like T2." I didn't have a chance to ask him what that meant, so of course I looked it up later and it's a different nerve. It's one of the ones in the Thoracic Spine. So I'm not really sure...
But just thought I'd offer those ideas if you want to do a little more research. If the pain gets in your way, it can probably be treated with drugs like Gabapentin or possibly migraine meds like Sumatriptan. Some even use Botox injections.
As for how this could be caused by Lyme Disease, I'm not sure, but definitely think it's possible! It seems like anything can be caused by Lyme. = )
Zoe
Thanks for your note -- yes, I'm hearing from a number of people that this can be a symptom of Lyme. Don't know why I didn't think of it! Thanks for the data.
Hi
Im being tested soon for lyme and am not a dr.
But one of the symptons he just told me this morning on the phone for lyme is jaw pain.
Still best to ask your dr though.
Cheers
Melissa
dear jackie & wonko~
thanks for the well wishes re: my test results. it's been 5 weeks now, but i have another 4 weeks before my appointment. i try to think about lots of other things to keep myself from fixating on the whole thing.
jackie--how long has your tooth pain been going on? i had mine yesterday, but today it's gone. that has happened to me on and off, in particular during the past 6 months. nothing seems terribly consistent with my symptoms except the overall odd feeling in the left side of my body. all the other symptoms--e.g., tooth pain, facial twitching, etc.--change on a daily basis.
i hope things are going well with everyone these days.
anyone going to see burrascano in the north bay??
blessings to you all,
binx
If your dentist has some modern xray equipment, he'll be able to send you a jpg of the xrays, amazing what you can see in the soft tissues. I could see the lumps above my ears that dissolved, lines running into my nasal passages, down under my nose, even to my chin. Oh, and of course into my ears. Those of you with tingling sensations along side your head and or pain in the jaw should be able to see them. The dentist may say that's an infection from the teeth, but it's more a case of an infection spreading to the teeth. Since so many of you are already on heavy antibiotics, you may not see the large lumps like I had, got to remember, I've had mine for 43 years. They're diminished, but not completely gone. Little things have so many defense mechanisms.
Thanks for the data ... I really do think my teeth are telling something lyme-ish. But of course it was the last thing I considered. Ha.
I had all my wisdom teeth out at once, under general anesthetic, when I was about 14. It really wasn't bad, but then, at 14 not much is bad, except your best friend being mean to you, of course. That said, I do understand how you dread it. Esp if it irritates the already Lyme-jangled bits. Have you talked to your tooth guy about various approaches to minimize the misery? I feel for you. ***** that's a bouquet of sympathy flowers. Stemless, but flowers.
Hi,
First a disclaimer: I am overdue to have all four of my impacted wisdom teeth out. So perhaps I'm not really a good source of advice on dental matters!
That being said, I experience similar problems. For me I think it is inflammation related, when I'm sick (=high inflammation), I get non-specific tooth pain. I also get ear/jaw pain. So for me I think it is jangled nerves, though probably other non-ideal dental conditions contribute.
As for my necessary extractions, this post serves to remind that I really should take care of that! I admit to a certain amount of fear, both of dentists in general and of if/how the surgery (I've been told that in my case a fairly invasive extraction will be required) will impact my Lyme/Co. But I would hate to think that by neglecting my teeth I could be giving the bugs another place to hide...
Good luck with the tests, binx. Not that they mean that much in many cases ;)
Thanks for the comments, guys.
Binx, you sound like you've got the same symptoms I do. The dentist tried to get to say exactly which tooth it's coming from but it's not just one, it's two or maybe three in a line, which is what made me start thinking it's a jangled nerve generally and not just one tooth. In a way, that's comforting! Doggone Lyme!!
It takes Igenex a while to run the tests and report the results, so your appointment may be timed to be sure the results are back. Fingers crossed for you! (X) Let us know what you hear!!
hi jackie,
gosh, i just posted on the limboland group about having this same symptom. i am having tooth pain in my upper molars on the left side today which seems to come and go, in addition to aching in my cheekbone. i get the tingling scalp on and off, too.
i haven't posted at all since am still waiting for my follow up with the LLMD (not scheduled for almost another month to discuss results), and i can't say whether my symptoms are lyme-related or not. i have to say, it's driving me crazy knowing that my igenex results are out there and i can't get my hands on them!
i hope this finds you doing well in spite of the aching teeth & tingly scalp. i will update you as soon as i know something about my own results.
best wishes to you,
binx
Wish I could share the dental xrays I got before my last extraction. You can see the mycoplasma infections above both my ears and tendrils running down to my teeth and gums, especially to the one that had to be extracted. I think this is something that dentists are going to have to get used to seeing. The infections aren't from the teeth, it's the greedy little parasites stepping in to be first in line for anything taken in! Since mycos are small enough to go unseen, I think a lot of periodontal disease comes from them, it just hasn't been recognized yet by the medical community, like a lot of things myco related.
Good, thanks, I'd be glad to hear what you find out. It took me a while to figure out it might not be my teeth, but irritation of the nerves that run to those teeth! Good luck at your appointment. I am always nervous before one, wanting to be sure to cram all my questions and symptoms in.
Hi Jackie
I have had tooth/jaw ? pain. It seemed to coincide with pain in my ear and on that side of my head. Not sure what it all means but i have put it down to maybe nerves. Will see my dr in two weeks and will ask him then.
Will let you know what i find out.
Good luck