Just before diagnosis I had three different infections all at the same time - UTI, two tooth abscess' and one abscess in armpit. Whilst I have had these before I have never had them together.
Yesterday the two tooth abscess' returned - with an extra one this time for luck! (Empathy for and from Sheffield Jane I'm sure ). Yes a very miserable night literally writhing in pain, but much better this morning now antibiotics have kicked in though! (I am fast becoming drug dependent at present sadly ☹️).
Since multiple infections have only reared in last month, I was wondering if this was common to PMR sufferers, or those taking pred, or is it just me? There is probably a hint in the 'Auto - immune' label, but I am a bit dense (or inexperienced, having been lucky until now) when it comes to 'ailments' and medicine.
For some reason 'A Whole New World' - the Disney song has just come into my head as I type, making me smile - it's true................. I am now officially nuts!
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Marilyn1959
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In your place I would be asking my GP for a referral to an immunologist. That sort of frequency of infection is not normal either in PMR or with PMR-dose pred. And I'd be expecting the abx to be extended - and preferably blood tests done to be sure you are on the right abx.
Nuts! Join the club. Poor you with three abscesses! The penicillin is kicking in for me too and the swelling is subsiding. Yes I think we are much more susceptible to infections and when we get them they run rampant and last longer. I suppose it is the suppression of the immune system that stops the body attacking itself but also leaves us vulnerable to any germ that happens along. Your psyche seems to have a keen sense of humour with the song though. It sounds like you were pretty run down, in the run up to the PMR diagnosis. I read somewhere that antibiotics just suppress dental abscesses and they do need to be drained and cleared out. The cause can be a dead nerve. I think my dentist has this horror in store for me after the course of antibiotics
Good luck with the treatment Jane. I am getting tooth taken out!!!!! Be gone I say!!!!! I am succcccccch a wimp when it comes to tooth pain. He did say the extraction would be difficult and that he would need to break the tooth in two extracting half at a time during the same appointment. Hope there is no one in the waiting room to hear my agonising screams. Knew you would empathise though having read your your post! On the upside No pain, no gain. 😥
You said that your abscessed teeth have returned and that you're on antibiotics for it . Is there a reason you did not get those teeth fixed ? The pain will constantly come back as it gets reinfected if you don't get a root canal on those teeth. Has your dentist not recommended a root canal on those teeth in order to fix the problem ?
Dentist said that the infection had gone and that X-ray confirmed this. On visual inspection he thought the tooth did not have to come out nor that I needed extended antibiotics even though, despite what he was saying I told him I wasn't convinced it had fully gone. I convinced him that the tooth needed to come out and we booked the 4 appt necessary for the process. Unfortunately I cancelled since I was then put on steroids for PMR and seemingly the infection had gone. So decided to run with dentist's prognosis. WRONG MOVE. Have now reinstated extraction and denture moulding, fixtures etc. Now means I go on holiday with a missing tooth - better that than the pain of tooth ache though! Hopefully will still be able to smile providing I do this with caution and I hold my head at the right angle for any photos 😎
Root canal is not an option for me as I have a 'crumbling' jaw. Had to have part of jaw 'filed' down a couple of years ago as sharp long shards of bone protruded through gums and was cutting my tongue! Pretty unusual as at the time dentist joked she was going to send it to CSI, as she didn't have a clue what it was. First time she had thought it was a fish bone. Second time it was still attached to my jaw, so a hospital jobbie!
Have to say haven't had any further problems since so fingers crossed. Writing this has made me note to tell Rheumy about crumbling jaw just in case pred adversely affects the status quo.
That all sound simply awful. I would have doubted the dentist as well. I've never heard of a dentist not doing something with the tooth that was infected. But with your jaw problems that might have had a beating on her decision.
I have just come round after fainting at all that Marilyn! I am sure you know what you are doing. The dentist could probably pop a temporary tooth in for your holiday, mine did for my front crown process. I think I'm getting braver after the constant pain of PMR a kind of " do your worst" attitude.
Me too. Know exactly what you mean. Nothing worse than b****y toothache in my book though! Thank God for antibiotics, dentist drills, numbing cream and numbing injections I say!!!!! Remember as a child barbaric dentist, no numbing when using a drill before filling! OUCCCH! When did I become such a wimp!!!!!!!
Hi m135853. Trying to avoid AA like the plague at present. Thanks for letting me know possible effects on jaws. I will add this to my argument against taking it.
I had a new rheumy I was seeing for something else trying to get me on to it. Wanted my copy of my last dexascan result, could she keep it and she would give me a copy as the original was easier to see the images. I said she could save herself the work - I wouldn't take it End of conversation
Suspect you will find different groups of people will have differing messages about it. It was part of the GP generated package, but I was warned off it by someone who was asked to take it for a different reason. When I went to the Dentist after i was first diagnosed I told him about my PMR. He was the most laid back person I have ever met, but he really sprang upright and said he did not want me to take alendronic acid at all, because of its effect on the jaw. He would never do any treatment beyond anything superficial on any patient taking it, whatever the reason they were taking it, and referred them to the dental department at the hospital. I am not in the least saying this may be a component of your dental problems, but just sharing what I was told.
And something that is in the datasheet but NO doctor ever says is: have any dental work you MAY need done BEFORE you start taking it. And dental hygiene while taking it must be exemplary.
Nor do most doctors check the patient's vit D and calcium status - both must be correct or it simply doesn't work. I know a couple of people who had been taking it for years - and had osteoporosis. The specialist told one of them it had been a waste of time and money taking it.
I have tooth extraction booked for next month meanwhile Rheumy is organising DEXA scan, so will not be taking AA at the point of extraction. Haven't had any problems with extractions previously, indeed when the jaw bone problem was discovered I had tooth removed at the hospital to give more space for the bone to be filed and settle afterwards. So the only difference this time with extraction is that I am on pred, which I am led to believe could cause some complications with recovery / infection. Given my current 'infection' rate this is of concern. I also have only nine days between extraction and my first cruise!!! So I am hoping dentist will agree to 'standby' antibiotics from the outset or I may have to rethink. However I really want to get the tooth out as there is nothing worst than tooth ache in my book.
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End of conversation 
Dental problems & alendronic acid…anybody had ONJ (necrosis of jaw) please? 
My son is recovering really well.
Dental work and alendronate
Dental Surgery and bone graft needed. Will prednisone inhibit the bone graft from taking?
Now my teeth are falling out:)
