Foot Drop Update + Sojourns and Tooth Decay

[rawillbebeaten]

Hi All,

I hope you are having as good a day as possible. The Gabapentin prescribed for my nerve pain seems to have kicked in - Hooray! Had a good nights sleep on Sat for the first time in months. MRI scan on my back on 1st July to see if the foot drop is coming from there, but I've put myself on the short notice register in case of a cancellation. Feeling much happier and able to walk and drive more easily.

Over the last few years my teeth seem to be wearing away and I now have a few broken and missing teeth with roots intact. I have never been a regular attendee at the dentist (weekly brace adjustments as a child put me off) but when I have gone there's been no issues. There was no pain with these wearing away/breakages and with other more pressing and painful RA priorities I didn't take any action. I am now going down the road of some cosmetic work but the Sojourns is part of the problem. Dry Eyes I've got sorted after some scary Hospital admissions, sealing my tear ducts has made a big difference. Apparently, dry mouth and lack of saliva means you are not washing the bacteria away and this increases the chances of decay. I've always brushed regularly and upgraded to an electric toothbrush but obviously to no avail. The Sojourns also makes it difficult to keep a denture in place so I may just have one to wear if I'm out . Still at early stages of treatment but at least I know it's not my fault entirely, just another unexpected aspect of RA and things that can lead on from it. Will definitely be a regular at the Dentist and Hygienist from now on

All the very Best to all

Michele

[jewel8888]

I wish these disorders woyluldnt rot our teeth this way so fast. Your moth sounds like mine. I haven't been diagnosed with sojourns but it nay he coming quickly. Ive been dealing with a nasty downfall of from fungal and or bacteria problems causing a lesion in my lung. I am hopefullb yo can keep getting help you n3d with teeth. I'm looking into charitable help to get mine pulled. I can't risk the bacteria getting in my lung anymore.. I have to have a biopsy of it soon and all this got me kicked off my methotrexate and Humira cause of rash and heart racing. Have a great day and thanks for sharing your experience.

[Caspiana]

Hello Michelle. I have RA and Sjogren's too. My dry mouth is not so bad during the day but when I sleep it wakes me up. The doctor gave me some kind of spray but it was so horrible tasting that I stopped using it. I just sleep with water next to me. My teeth are okay but long term decay is a worry. I do see a dentist often.

My dry eyes have been a constant pain. Like you, I had to go to emergency once because my eye was so dry it ripped. The pain was nothing like I'd ever felt. Now I have drops and they help a lot. I have not had surgery to seal the ducts.

I hope you're doing okay. Many best wishes.

Cas xx 🌼🌷🌹

[rawillbebeaten in reply to Caspiana]

Hi Cas,

I'm almost surgically attached to my water bottle! I've found Biotene Mouthwash helpful, I get it as part of my big prescription list. I had the gel but I didn't like the feeling in my mouth so I stopped using it. I use Celluvisc 1% eye drops and eye lube fairly regularly during the day. It's good that you are a regular at the dentist, I will be from now on. I've had a call today to have the MRI on my back at 2.30,so that's good news. Hopefully they can find out the cause of my Foot Drop and improve/cure it.

All the very Best

Michele xx

[PFKAAde in reply to rawillbebeaten]

Hi Michelle

Just to say good luck with the MRI, and good news it was so fast.

Hopefully it's nothing too serious but at least they are doing an MRI so you should know if there are any discs being naughty 😳😀 or anything else pressing on a nerve.

Kind regards

Ade

[rawillbebeaten in reply to PFKAAde]

Thanks Ade,

All done and back at work. Two of my lovely supportive colleagues dropped me down /picked me up. I'm so lucky in so many ways just want to get this latest issue cured or at least better.

Hope you have a good day/week

Michele

[Caspiana in reply to rawillbebeaten]

Hello Michelle. I'm sorry I'm afraid I have no idea what foot drop is. I do hope it gets sorted quickly.

Cas xx 🌼🌷

[PFKAAde in reply to Caspiana]

Hi Cas

Foot drop is a symptom, often of some neurological problem like a bulging disc pressing on a nerve and affecting the feedback loop between leg / foot and brain.

It means that your foot, literally, drops. 😳 Imagine trying to bend your ankle to lift your toes up towards your knee, and it not happening. Now imagine walking. 😬

It makes you have to lift your foot higher off the ground so you don't catch it on the floor when walking. As Michelle described it like walking on a balloon. 🎈😱

It can disappear as quickly as it appears for some.

Ade

[Caspiana in reply to PFKAAde]

Thank-you Ade. That sounds awful. 😅

[PFKAAde in reply to Caspiana]

It all relative, at least it doesn't hurt! As far as I'm aware, didn't for me.....