Help!

[SRamkin]

Hi Guys

I’m in a state of panic right now – my gums are swollen and white and are pushing my teeth apart. I have a dental bridge which feels about to come off and I’m in considerable pain. The swelling seems to be getting worse by the hour.

Any ideas if it’s Lupus related? What shall I do? I’m scared.

[daisyd]

Are you allergic to anything or eaten or drunk something you maybe allergic to, how is your tongue, does that feel swollen if I were you I would give my Gp a call

[SRamkin]

Thank you daisyd

I haven't eaten anything today - this thing has been going on for 3-4 days now. I thought that it would go away, but it's getting worse. I called the emegency dental care and I'm waiting for a dental nurse to call me back.

Do you have any idea if it's Lupus related?

[daisyd]

No sorry I don't hopefully the dental nurse will reassure you, good luck. Please let us know what she says

[Hidden]

Gum problems can be autoimmune (My brother - who doesn't have lupus - has had appalling gum trouble; I have lupus and so have I). I hope you got some helpful advice form the dental nurse.

Fingers crossed for you!

[letslaugh63]

Don't know if I have lupus but my mouth is very much part of what's going on.I also have a bridge.I get what I call punched mouth syndrome which affects my mouth too.have a line line of what looks like tiny blisters across bottom lip lose the skin ,also red blisters (look like)under tongue which doctor noticed and my gums swell.hope you get help soon sramkin and keep uu updated x

[SRamkin]

Hi all

Thank you for your answers.

I managed to see a dentist, late in the evening, and he told me that I have a serious infection caused by stress (if I had penny every time I heard that...) that has weakened my immune system. He suggested that I see a rheumy ASAP and find a way to manage my stress.

How can I have both a weakened and overactive immune system at the same time? Is it possible that I was misdiagnosed (about the Lupus)?

By the way, the doctor was amazing, I never thought doctors could be like that, human - I was a bag of nerves when I walked in and I left smiling.

Love to all!

[Nightjar in reply to SRamkin]

I am sorry about your pain and worry but happy about the amazing doctor.

I had terrible trouble with my gums for years. Several teeth were just about 'hanging on' and I had constant mouth ulcers and inflamed saliva glands, making it very difficult to eat and drink, even talk sometimes (a right bummer that was ..having to keep quiet!!). I am over-sensitive to a range of things and have to stay as 'natural' as possible with food and drink, hair & body products, household products etc etc ..including medication.

It wasn't until I started taking Co-Enzyme Q10 (60mg/day recommended by dentist) that my gum problems slowly got better. After a while, the teeth were no longer lose and now I hardly ever have any problems. Aloe Vera Juice (kept in mouth before swallowing) also helped with flares - from the mouth right through the whole digestive system. I also use the Aloe Vera Gel - is very soothing and cooling on inflamed areas.

At the moment, I take two 30mg tablets Co-Enzyme Q10 every morning (Higher Nature ..currently best price) but when special offers, I take 100mg. I shop around on the internet, so brand may change - though I stay with brands recommended by Patrick Holford (Nutritional specialist), who knows which are good quality and have less fillers.

Hope you feel a lot better soon. xxx

[SRamkin in reply to Nightjar]

Thank you! I will try those tablets. My glands are inflamed, too. It's good to know I'm not alone. Thanks again.

[Nightjar in reply to SRamkin]

Just to say that when I started taking Q10, I took capsules rather than tablets - caps were easier to digest. Now, as my 'leaky gut' has healed (thanks to homoeopathy), I can digest tabs. xxx

[megs_tom]

I have had this problem for as many years as I can care to remember. It is very painful and unfortunately I have not yet found a solution. I will be looking into what nightjar said, so thank nightjar my dentist told me it was food traped under the gum and that I wasnt brushing my teeth properly (I was very insulted by this, think I am more than capable of brushing my teeth at 23!!) Even though I told her it spreads from ulcers in other parts of ky mouth not touching my teeth and then spreads to gum surrounding teeth!! At the moment I have an ulcer where each wisdom tooth should be and skin peeling from the roof of my mouth. It can make it difficult to eat. I agree with letslaugh63, the punched mouth syndrome is only too familiar!! Xxx

[SRamkin in reply to megs_tom]

Thanks.

Frustrating, isn't it, when people suggest that our problems come from poor oral hygene.

[megs_tom in reply to SRamkin]

Very frustrating!! Mind she did suggest me buying an electric toothbrush as it was so painful holding a normal toothbrush. So I have done that and it saves me a lot of pain! I brush my teeth on a morning and on a night and use mouthwash (even though it is total agony swilling it around my mouth, it hurts my jaw and cheeks!) so how she can suggest it was somehow my fault I don't know! She said I was bordering on gum disease as my gums bleed so easily, but didn't suggest how to prevent it getting worse apart from the things I already do! xxx

[Nightjar in reply to megs_tom]

Hi Megs, I too was once told, by an ignorant dentist, to improve my dental hygiene (grrr!) - didn't have a clue about what lupus can do to the mouth and its 'inhabitants.'

I can't use mouthwash (too strong) because of the chemicals and alcohol in them. However, I read somewhere that the best protection of teeth and gums was to always rinse the mouth with water after every meal (even after just a snack) - a dentist who obviously wasn't ignorant So, I rinse ..after every meal - lukewarm water =less pain. xxx

[max1979]

This is lupus related, the best thing to take is cordosyl mouthwash and Adcal10 (vitamin d tabs) as lupus causes your teeth to crumble and so far i have lost 3 teeth and have a false plate in place.