Recently another user asked about dental issues, and complications with PMR and prednisone. I responded that I had had previous dental work with no issues.
Well, stop the presses!!! 10 days ago, I had a routine procedure to replace a cracked molar filling. The procedure was quick and relatively uneventful...until the next day. The migrane started, and I do believe I was visited by a nasty little flare!! It lasted about a week, with headaches every day, hip pain and muscle cramps in glutes and feet.
I was pretty miserable until it began to subside. I did kick my pred up about 4 mg, for several days, then returned to 7 mg.
Any thoughts regarding why a very simple dental procedure would precipitate a flare?
Written by
Purplecrow
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I don’t know the science but it happened to me too. I suppose it is a little operation and dental work is stressful ( I find it so). You dealt with it very efficiently though.
Don't know why, but our bodies to seem to decide what to complain about even if we don't feel the stressor as a big deal.
Right now mine is complaining about the process of test driving and comparing cars to buy. Every time I re-address the issue I feel less well. On the other hand, more strenuous activity, like tending the garden may leave me sore but with a greater sense of well-being.
The gardening to some extent is good for you, you can see the results of your labour even if it makes you stiff & tired.
Mental Stress, even something such choosing a new car is additional ‘stress’ even though it’s a really exciting thing to do.
I sometimes find things can be too much like hard work.
You may have to approach it by different method, do you have someone who can help, mainly by elimination so you are left with just 2or3 options.
We have a Son who loves to research things so we always mention to him when we are wishing to make a large purchase, he saved his Dad £5,000 on his last new car 🚙
Good Luck with your Car Researching & only look at one option a day, when you think you’ve found it, sleep on it & if you can get any additional input that would be helpful. Let us know what you decide on in the end 🚗
We dealt with the new car option very simply: tried the new model of the current car! We loved it - that'll do fine! The original choice had been made on the basis of needing an estate car to tow a caravan of a given weight without being silly (I can't stand Chelsea tractors and their like which are the obvious choice it seems). That ruled out all except VW group estates and Volvos. Got a good deal for a Passat - no more to be done and it was changed after about 7 or 8 years.
Now the second is 10 years old - so we'll drive it until it dies. Which could be another 10 years or more judging by the ones locally!
In very basic terms l think of my Pred like this 🥃 & it has to last me all day.
If l have anything that causes me ‘stress’ good or bad, physical or mental the Pred will be used up much quicker, therefore l’ll become tired, irritable, all of the old aches & pains become apparent, it then takes several days to recover.
If l was going to have any dental work l’d take an extra 5mg by way of cover as l guess l’d use that up in anticipation & the ‘stress’ of the procedure.
I also take ‘Airport Cover’ the ‘stress’ of Airport Security l find overwhelming, although l do have it down to a fine art now!
That’s why it’s recommended that you have additional steroid cover if your having surgery as it’s a stress on the body.
Also if l know l’m going to be busy on a particular day, l keep the day before & after as an easier day.
This is just my way of looking at it 🥃 there is also a Post on the Spoons Theory which is well worth reading.
Hope you feel better soon.
Mrs N 💅🏼
Enjoy the Sunshine 🌞
• in reply to
PS
I find the trick is to take the additional Pred before rather than after, which is easier when you know you’re going to the dentist rather than an unexpected outside factor.
Thank you for the reminder...it seems that the biggest issue I face now, after nearly 5 years with PMR, is dealing with stress. It seems my body simply is unable to manage anything beyond normal dayto day stuff. I dont like taking extra pred...but also, don’t like the annoyance of flares.
Guess I need to start thinking as you suggest, using “anticipatory ” Pred to head off flares.
I’m in my 6th year of PMR, and I was just having a discussion this morning with my OH about how I can’t deal with the stress of doing several minor tasks.....that in the past would be so easily dealt with. I thInk my problem is that I’ve come to a phase where my adrenals aren’t ramping up.....and that is causing me to be stressed and have more fatigue over the silliest small tasks.
My current solution is to stop reducing for awhile. I don’t plan on reducing again until I can have the ACTH synacthen test, just to make sure my adrenals are capable of getting back in the game 😊
Hi. This sometimes happens to me and I agree with all that's been said except I would add that maybe our bodies don't tolerate the anaesthetic in our system as well as they did before the pred messed us up. Unless of course you chose the brave no anaesthetic option. My dad chooses the painful option but one day his dentist begged him to have the anaesthetic for her sake (it was root canal) 😷 😱. All the best cc 🤗
Carrollee, I agree about the anesthetic...i think it is much more toxic to our systems than we are told, and as in surgical anesthetic, I believe it takes 6 months or so, for our bodies to detox from the stuff!
Thanks for the reminder, I hope others pick up on this topic for some discussion here on the forum. It could help others who are puzzled, as I was, about the nasty reaction to seemingly innocuous little procedure.
Apparently as others have mentioned any psychological stress causes chaos to the balance. Needed a tooth extracted, dentist said safer to wait til a few weeks after stopped taking them ( was on last taper) It’s a very delicate balance being in pain as we all know. Trying to stay relaxed is easier said than done x
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