Hi I’m just putting this question out there out of curiosity. I’ve not posted for a while so here goes…
My cousin came to stay with me from Canada. He’s been concerned about my diagnosis for what I was originally told was rheumatoid arthritis. However they’re now calling it Undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis. I have always been a fit and active person with a healthy diet.
He asked if anyone during my consultations had mentioned amalgam fillings! I have a mouth full of them sadly Mostly from childhood. I was surprised at the question, so he told me ( sorry about this!) to Google it.
Well? I was shocked to read that these unsightly things could be linked to autoimmune disorders. So I am just asking if anyone else out there has any thoughts on this.
He also suggested I get my water ( tap) checked because he thought it tasted funny. I live in Devon and thought our water was always good. Again after looking at Mr Google I see that some additives are causing autoimmune problems. Oh dear. I have no idea how I’d go about that…. anyone?….
So that’s probably 2 questions (sorry)
All replies greatly received x
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If it was amalgam then wouldn't over half the population have AI disease.It doesn't make sense and children get it long before having fillings. If only it was that simple. As for the water I live in Kent and the water is hard so when going North the soft water tastes funny. I'd not worry too much. x
Ok. It was just a question. I understand what you are saying however some of us are possibly more prone to getting thing from stuff like that than others? Like I said it was just a question and I thought there was no such thing a silly one. Sorry x
I don’t know why you think it was a stupid question I was more concerned your friend had upset you, I know I have the pANCA markers so antibodies at a nuclear level. I’ve no idea why it’s important except that I have multiple AI conditions. And I’ve never smoked, don’t drink more than an odd glass of wine, healthy weight and few fillings yet I got RA etc. I think it’s the great question of why me? I have also read signs of RA is in the bones of medieval people so I wonder what caused it then. Above all we should never feel we caused the disease for whatever reason.
I have always suspected that RA may be linked to hormones. Also more females have RA than males, this is what I have heard in the past?? Also some people who have Sickle Cell Trait are affected by RA. The list could go on!!! Or could it be that some foods trigger the illness, a simple reason like that, interesting to find out more? Can blood tests for food allergies/intolerance help? the mind boggles, I bet there could be an answer but hard to crack!! Good luck
There was something in the NRAS magazine sometime ago mentioning that there seems to be more evidence linking the onset of RA to oral infections. I had a long standing infection from a post crown that I knew nothing about for years, until it was removed. That was before my underactive thyroid and RA, plus ulcerative colitis diagnosis.
It's not a silly question at all. We all have different reactions to things and it's perfectly reasonable to wonder if chemicals in water or fillings can affect you.
I fell and broke 8 teeth a few months before becoming unwell with RA. After multiple invasive techniques to try and save 2 of the front teeth I had them removed on the (very) slim chance they were causing or contrubuting to the development of my RA. My RA didn't improve, but at least I know now, worth the taking the chance.There is no such thing as a silly question. If you don't know you don't know.
You can react to amalgam fillings, but your dentist would probably spot it and I think it's quite rare. It happened to me on the side of my tongue. I had a biopsy which they told me was a lichenoid reaction probably caused by the amalgam filling next to it, but they couldn't be sure it wasn't a stand alone problem. I had the amalgam filling replaced and cleared up, so we can be fairly sure that was it. I haven't heard about any connections to autoimmune conditions though and considering how long those type of fillings have been available, I think we'd know about it by now (plus amalgam fillings are less popular now, whereas autoimmune diseases seem to be on the rise).
Also, the water might have tasted funny because it's just different to what he's used to. Whenever we've moved houses significant distance the water tastes very different, but you get used to it. Canadian water probably tastes weird to us too! So I wouldn't worry too much, but I know that can be easier said than done.
I looked into this a little while ago. It's a bit confusing when public health guidance is not to eat too much of certain types of fish because of the mercury content, but it's okay to have a mouthful of fillings containing mercury.
It looks like the fish contain something called methyl mercury. This is something you have in small quantities in your body naturally but large amounts aren't good for you, particularly if pregnant.
What we have in our teeth is metallic mercury and this is only a problem in vapour form. A very small amount can be released from the fillings, but it's when you break a thermometer and stand over it that it's a problem.
Despite the reassurance above I was glad when my last amalgam filling was taken out as I grind my teeth. Composites last longer anyway.
Don't worry about the water, it's a North American obsession, I used to get asked by Americans if the water was drinkable in the quite posh hotel I worked in a few years ago.
Hi there - I know this isn't exactly what you were discussing, but there is some interesting information about the link between gum/oral health and RA on our website here: nras.org.uk/resource/gum-di... 🙂
Yes I toddled off to the dentist with what I thought was toothache,… only for my dentist to tell me it was a gum infection often found in people with RA….she prescribed a high dose Fluoride toothpaste & said to use it three times a day.
It did work…..luckily it was on prescription…because when I looked it up to buy some-It was £16 per tube!
Several years ago after having an mis diagnosed skin condition for some time also having almost permanent mouth ulcers for years Dermatology sent me to orthodontics saying it was due to my amalgam fillings. When I was seen the consultant said he certainly didn’t agree & it couldn’t even be considered as if they tried to remove them my teeth would fall apart! But it’s still a feasible theory x
You can buy water filters such as a Berkey which filter out impurities and make the water taste alot nicer as it takes out the chlorine, fluoride and other metals, chemicals etc that are added to water as well as removing bacteria. They can be expensive but are worth it. I got mine from Doulton and paid £90 for a 6 litre water filter as it was end of the range/second. Also if the water supply from your taps was ever cut off then having a decent water filter for emergency drinking water is really handy as you can put water in from your local stream and the water filter will take out the dirt, toxins etc and give you clean drinking water. The military and aid organisations use these type of water filters. They`re very useful to have, are easy to set up and use and come in different sizes. You can also have a water filter tap installed next to your kitchen sink taps which does the same job as counter top water filters but it comes from the tap. The counter top water filters can be taken anywhere though and don`t have to be fixed to one position which is useful. Doulton`s website is doulton.com and they have free delivery. I don`t think there are any stockists of their filters or similar filters as I bought mine off their website. If you want to install a water filter tap in your sink maybe B & Q, Wickes etc might have and install them but I`m not sure of the price. If you`re handy at DIY some people are able to make their own water filters using buckets, carbon etc as there are videos on the internet of people showing you how to make your own. Doulton have ceramic carbon water filters and Berkey are similar. The ceramic filters need to be replaced after a certain length of time. If you make a handmade water filter maybe you can use carbon as the filtering material as I know my fish tank has a carbon cartridge in the water filter. Look up prepping videos for ideas.
When I`ve had fillings I`ve always had natural looking white composite fillings as I hated the look of the NHS amalgam fillings and heard they weren`t good for your health. My white fillings have cost at least £100 per filling but I`d rather pay it then have awful looking teeth as I`m vain and worked in customer service jobs. I always thought that amalgam fillings remind me of Jaws from the James Bond movies! The white fillings look so much nicer.
I have friends who live in Canada and when they heard of my diagnosis they were very persistent in wanting me to go on a plant based diet. My friend had a couple of auto-immune conditions & went on plant based diet which "cured" her. I can see she's much improved in her health which I'm pleased about , but recently her husband mentioned something about her illnesses so not "cured" I guess.
Canadians have access to good quality food, medical care etc and do look at treating the whole person which is great. I'm the sort of person (like many on here) who ate healthily , exercised, love my cycling, aerobics etc, and joked how I lived a healthy life and ended up "crippled" wished I'd lived a debauched life!! lol
Also I checked the amalgam thing decades ago with my dentist who replaced bit by bit with modern white filling material. Didn't stop the RA cropping up decades later. As to the water thing water in your part of the world would taste very different to him, but no harm contacting your local water authority to ask about any issues with it?
In the end there's no "cure " for RA , lots of well meaning souls suggest all sorts to rid us of it, but for now what the NHS medical bods have come up with is the best we can look to.
Thank you for your reply. I can relate to wishing I’d also lived a debauched life! Haha! Also yes I have been bombarded with well wishing friends allowing me all their advice of what I need to do plus information on remedial diets and supplements that will cure me but as you say there is no cure. I seem to have my symptoms semi under control for now so for that I am happy.
This group however I will listen to because like you we are all actually experiencing our own symptoms and learning as individuals what works for us x
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