I had a molar extracted under local anaesthetic after I got an infection which was draining via a gym fistula. Not pleasant but no pain and no antibiotics needed. Had the infection for about a month as wasn't classed as dental emergency. The extraction wasn't complicated and it looks like the gum is healing well. The tooth was extracted 3 days ago. I don't look swollen but my jaw is stiff and I feel quite swollen.
The main issue is that I'm exhausted. I'm struggling to get the energy to walk very far and I feel like I could fall asleep and only have enough energy for a few hours a day. My levothyroxine has been increased to 100 micrograms 10 days ago as my last TSH was 8. I had some symptoms but I wasn't this tired! Am I being too hard on myself? Is it normal to feel this terrible after an extraction?
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salsapixie
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Well, I do! I had a lot of them between mid December last year, and the end of May, and I'm only just beginning to recover. The worst of it is, I sprained my wrist in June, so was unable to go back to have the last one out. So, I've got that pleasure to come in September.
Yes, same here! Been wanting to have mine out for some time, but lacked the courage! lol Then, when it was over, I thought, really! Why did you wait so long! lol
Last time I had a tooth out I was given an after care sheet which said to take a large dose of vitamin C so I bought myself some 1000mcg slow release vitamin C capsules and took that every day for ages.
When I developed Graves and started in carbimazole my pharmacist came out to tell me to take vitamin C along with the carbimazole, as I was already taking it after the tooth I didn't ask why but I've heard it helps the body to heal, so it might be worth really stepping up your vitamin C intake.
It also said to take a lot of rest and not to bend over etc. So looks like being tired is to be expected. I have to say that it was a very good after care leaflet and I followed it to the letter.
GG - the tooth I had out was a back molar and it wobbled for ages - and I mean ages! I'm sure it wasn't doing my general health any good either. Sounds awful thing to say but I was in my mid sixties and I was kind of hanging on ignoring it and hoping it would outlast me.
Such a coward I know because when I finally realised that it really had to go and bit the bullet, I couldn't believe how easy it all was, I kept waiting for it to hurt and it never did.
My dentist looks about 15 but boy is he gentle and kind (if he wasn't married and I wasn't married and was also about forty years younger I'd make myself available)
Hope you feel less tired soon but I think if my TSH was 8 I'm sure I'd be exhausted too, I became hypo during my block and replace treatment - I was just under 8 I think and I was tired.
I hope so. I'm not in pain at all, just uncomfortable but paracetamol and ibuprofen seem to be keeping a lid on it. Hopefully will feel the benefit of the increase to levothyroxine soon.
hi salsa, I've read several times that anesthesia will remove all of your B12. I don't know which type of anesthetic you had but I think it's a possibility. Maybe you should load up.
It does take several days, maybe even a week or more, to recover from a dental extraction, and if you had an infection for a long time before it could well take longer. The only way not to have a long recovery is to have a vitamin C infusion after the extraction; in the absence of that, vitamin C to bowel tolerance is probably the next best thing.
I'm taking oral vitamin C as it has been shown to aid wound healing in research. I've had a better day today. Managed full day at work and felt generally ok. Hopefully over the worst. Swelling was worst yesterday, today slightly better.
I am kind of going through a similar scenario to what you went through those 8 months back. Infection under back tooth (probably wisdom? Not sure coz I had overcrowding of teeth as a child and had to have several removed and a brace fitted, so I'm confused about which teeth are what...if you follow me?...lol).
The young Indian dentist is superb and took it out without any problems, bearing in mind it was 50% amalgam and the rest root...really long too, he shewed me! The rot set in (no pun intended) about 2 days later. I got dreadful gum and jaw ache. I was just about climbing the wall with pain. Now I'm not a softie, I used to be a County class runner and did all the hard training that goes with being a decent athlete, so I know about pain, but this was awful.
I went back to the dental practice at Barrow and saw the first available dentist who happened to be the main man. He looked at the wound and explain that I had something called 'dry socket', this I had never heard of? He said it would last a while and duly packed the extraction area with a concoction of oil of cloves and things. This wore off after a day or so. I kind of looked after myself from then on....as I live 25 miles from the dentist's.
Eventually, after about 2-3 weeks, my jaw largely unlocked and the gum pain subsided. It just seemed to leave me with some crunchiness in the jaw and a feeling of 'glandiness' on that side of my face. But the thing that worries me still, is I feel weak frequently, an especially first thing in the morning and very dehydrated on rising from bed. I like going to the gym and a morning jog some days, but I find it takes a lot out of me doing this and considering used to run 80 miles a week (albeit 20 years ago) and feel great, is worrying.
I have had (at different times, 3 other molars out at this dentist's) though they were not right at the back and had no real problems, but also no 'dry socket'. So I wonder if this condition was the culprit? Any similar experiences from folk would be appreciated.
If I developed a low grade temperature post extraction I'd get hyper and ask my doctor for blood cultures to rule out a infection that could lead to endocarditis. But that is me, the worse case scenario...
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