For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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Cracked a molar over the weekend. It was moderately painful, and I thought it was damaged filling, but Monday morning I was in the dentist's chair and he found it was cracked. Normally, I'm blessed with teeth like reinforced concrete so this was a shock. He did a partial root canal to ease it but that night and Tuesday the pain increased, to yesterday I was back in his chair. He did a more thorough cleaning out...but the when the anesthesia wore off 4 hours later, it began to ache. Last night, it got SO bad, I dug out an old bottle of Vicodin (generic) and took one, then another at midnight. Goes all the way up to my ear!

Made it through the night and today, after it wore off, Tylenol and Advil seem to be enough to manage it. Tomorrow, I'm back in the dentist's chair to finish the root canal get a temp crown.

So...Shakespeare's words, like young chickens, always come home to roost!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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CDFingers wrote: Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:07 am I never liked dentists nor being in their chairs, but I accept that they are necessary.

CDFingers
I like him just fine. He's been my dentist for a dozen years now and this is the first tough thing. He's not discounting it either. When you're lucky enough to have good, strong teeth, dental visits are usually routine, year after year. Strong teeth, strong bones, lousy joints, Still have most of my hair, bad eyesight--That's the hand I've been dealt by genetics, some good, some bad.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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highdesert wrote: Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:09 am Hope the dentist patched you up and you're feeling better. Had some receding gums years ago, the surgery was painful but no problems since. Thankfully I have all my teeth.
Thanks. Not there yet. Had a couple of wisdom teeth out. One was bad, the 2nd was worse. Got dry-socket. Horrible.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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Percoset did NOTHING...took the out-of-date Vicodin and that got me through the night. I have unusual reactions to various pain killers. Some, like the infamous Fentanyl, does NOTHING for pain, yet makes me stop breathing (that's bad. Really, really bad!) Apparently, Percoset is one of those. Then yesterday, at 7:30, I was in the endodontist's chair for 2 hours. Found a fourth root on a normally 3-root tooth. He gave me a fresh script for Vicodin and I needed it even before the Novocaine wore off. So far, today, just Advil and Tylenol are sufficient. Which means, if I need to, I can drive.

As someone who's had great teeth all his life, this is a less-then welcome experience, as I have at least one, probably 2 more endo visits, followed by 2 dental visits to get a crown. Now the question is: Gold or Zirconium. Gold is molded and historically effective. Zirconium is much harder, machined very precisely, but is only about 15 years old. If you grind your teeth, the gold CAN be worn down by the upper tooth. But zirconium, if you grind, can wear out the upper tooth! Since it's a molar and hidden, I'm thinking that gold is better.

Anybody with good/bad experience with Zirconium crowns? (My wife has a gold crown that's held up for 50+ years).
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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Going on with the "organ recital"....
Today I had a reaction to one of the antibiotics the endodontist put me on. I don't think it's the amox, as I've had that many times in the past. But he wanted me to alternate with generic Flagyl (Metronidizole). Luckily, I remembered what an urgent care doctor had told me: Pepcid and Zantac are as effective as Benedryl for allergic reactions. Seems they interact with different histamines of the reaction than Benedryl does, but still are anti-histamines. The advantage is three-fold: 1) It doesn't dry you up 2) It doesn't make you sleepy 3) It helps calm your stomach.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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CDFingers wrote: Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:05 pm I have been following this sordid dental tale, and you have my sympathies. Only migraines surpass toothaches in my lexicon of things that make me prefer submerging my fingers in liquid sodium to them.

CDFingers
I get those, too. Have for 40 years. LUCKILY, my migraines, frequent as they are, aren't nearly as debilitating or crushing as they are for most people. But I never travel anywhere without rescue medication handy.

The crazy thing, is other than 2 separate wisdom tooth extractions, my dental history has never been more than an occasional filling, and not too many of them, or filling replacement. Dental visits are routine--every 6 months.

Thanks! Getting old isn't for the weak!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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The saga continues of the organ recital, and with some weird, new twists.

The day after I got to our other place, in The Bahamas, my temp crown split in half, and came off. I tried to use some of that dental past for lost fillings, but it only sort of worked. So I TRIED to find a dentist locally who would see me that day, a Saturday, or Sunday. Being as it was a holiday there, "Whit Monday", I didn't get into the local dentist's chair until Tuesday. She was able to easily remove the old crown and fit me with a new, stainless steel temp that was instantly more comfortable and I was fine the rest of my stay, working on fixing stuff in the house there. (still working on the HVAC install of a heat strip--the central air's wiring is now "non-standard" meaning it was and is jury-rigged).

Fast forward to this past Sunday and I'm back in NJ, I developed some kind of allergic reaction to SOME allergen which could be anything...a nasty hive-like rash. Benadryl and Pepcid barely keep it under control (People don't realize that Pepcid and Zantac are anti-histamines that attack different channels than standard anti-histamines so these days they are paired with things like Benadryl.
Monday, I went to my endodontist and he finished the root canal and was able to re-use the temp cap I got in The Bahamas, as he had no medical reason to not use it. It won't break and I could, theoretically have it for years.
But the rash flared up so I went to my Urgent Care Center and they gave me a shot of a corticosteroid. I seemed to have some kind of reaction to it so they routinely ran an EKG. That's when things went crazy....

My EKG had changed from my last one, about 18 months earlier and they called an ambulance to take me to the ER fearing a massive heart attack. I spent the rest of the night and all of yesterday in the ER and the Observation area. Took blood when I arrived and then 6 hours later...the blood work showed NO evidence of a recent ischemic attack or MI. But that damned EKG STILL showed the issue.
So yesterday I was taken down for a stress test with radioactive contrast, and an echo-cardiogram. Under stress, pumping away on the treadmill, with leads all over me, my EKG was perfect! The MD supervising was wondering WTF I was there for! The pre- and post- test scans showed nothing wrong, nor did the stress test itself.

Still waiting on a reading of the echo...My wife was in DC at the time this all started and she jumped on a train to come home, aborting her week's trip. LUCKILY, she's a senior exec in a major health insurance company so all her colleagues and clients were totally empathetic. This scared the shit out of her and my boys. Heart attacks and strokes still kill far more people than guns and cars combined, and I have too much to live for! As Indiana Jones put it "It's not the age, it's the mileage...".

Meanwhile the same fucking rash keeps recurring and I'm trying to get in to see a dermatologist and my cardiologist ASAP.

But at least my root canal and toothache are solved...just need a permanent crown.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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YankeeTarheel wrote:
rascally wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 10:53 am Have you had any stainless steel work done before?
Sure. Just not on my teeth or the rest of my body. :blink:
And your allergic reaction popped up soon after the stainless steel cap was installed..?

Nothing else you can think of that might have changed during your trip..? Start eating tree nuts? Change brand of soda or cheese? Drink tap water instead of bottled?



"In every generation there are those who want to rule well - but they mean to rule. They promise to be good masters - but they mean to be masters." — Daniel Webster

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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rascally wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 2:52 pm
YankeeTarheel wrote:
rascally wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 10:53 am Have you had any stainless steel work done before?
Sure. Just not on my teeth or the rest of my body. :blink:
And your allergic reaction popped up soon after the stainless steel cap was installed..?

Nothing else you can think of that might have changed during your trip..? Start eating tree nuts? Change brand of soda or cheese? Drink tap water instead of bottled?
Nope. Had the s/s crown for 2 weeks without a problem. I suspect because I came back to an INTENSE allergy season and I spent 2 hours washing down the solar cover, covered with pollen, rotting vegetation, dead insects, and massive amounts of dove poop (they seem to do this exactly when the pollen is worst every year) may have set it off.

Meanwhile, my cardiologist looked at the results of my stress test and echo-cardiogram and saw nothing to concern him. It will be very interesting if, 2 weeks from now, they run another EKG and it goes back to normal. That will probably confirm it was the corticosteroid injection.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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Well, it turns out to have yet ANOTHER weird twist--and ALL my speculations about the cause were wrong:
The day after I was released from the ER, I went to my local medical group's dermatologist, one of them, but I can't imagine anyone better! (I later learned she treats my cardiologist's skin cancer). I went through the hospital part of the tale and then mentioned this was right after all the endodontic work. She had said that 80% of the time they don't know what causes hives but now she said:
"Wait a minute: Did you get antibiotics for the dental work?"
I said sure but that it ended 10 days before the hives started. But I had had 2 full courses.
She said: "You're allergic to penicillin!" I said "What? How can I be? I've taken it since I was a little kid!"
"Well, now you're allergic so you can't ever take it again."

Then to the cardiologist. He says the change in the EKG is actually normal in a 60+ year old man. A right-side t-wave inversion in an otherwise totally healthy heart at this age is routine! Left side? They give you a pacemaker (usually when you're approaching 90). So I said "Ken, if the UCC had called across to Cardio, you all would have told them not to bother sending him to the ER?" He said, "Right!"
"So why don't they do that?"
"They're idiots!" says he!

Now Ken's a bit of a jerk, but I've known him for something like 20 years (was my FIL and MIL's doctor) and he's also a brilliant cardiologist, so if he says my heart is healthy, it's golden.

Also, turns out, you can't be allergic to cortocosteroids, so it MUST have been the needle hit the vagus nerve setting off the other reactions.

So, other than never taking amoxicillin or other penicillin drugs again, I'm fine. I'll worry about a permanent crown in a month! The stainless steel one's just fine!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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CDFingers wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:46 am Dang. Hope it goes away.

CDFingers
Thanks. I'm fine--been going back to the gym...trying to catch up to my 72 year old cousin, who, in his daily workouts can STILL do 24 pullups! Then again, we're the same height and I must have 20# on him. I'm lucky to be able to do 3 sets of 10 chin-ups, and maybe get to 11 or 12 on the first set.

No idea if the penicillin allergy will go away...for now, it means other antibiotics when I need them.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:41 am
lurker wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:50 am is it safe?
lurker, you can be a pretty funny guy, but I gotta admit, I have NO idea WTF you're talking about! :no: :confused:
nazis killed your brother and have you strapped in a dentist's chair, and are having fun (you are NOT) with your teeth. the pain is... exquisite. they want to know if their plan is blown, and will do.. they're nazis, so, well, you know. they don't want to give anything away, so they're being cryptic. fortunately, you have no idea what they want, :lol: or they'd have killed you and disposed of your body by now. Marathon Man, mid-late 70s, dustin hoffman. i think.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: For there was never yet philosopher. That could endure the toothache patiently

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lurker wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 3:12 pm
YankeeTarheel wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:41 am
lurker wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:50 am is it safe?
lurker, you can be a pretty funny guy, but I gotta admit, I have NO idea WTF you're talking about! :no: :confused:
nazis killed your brother and have you strapped in a dentist's chair, and are having fun (you are NOT) with your teeth. the pain is... exquisite. they want to know if their plan is blown, and will do.. they're nazis, so, well, you know. they don't want to give anything away, so they're being cryptic. fortunately, you have no idea what they want, :lol: or they'd have killed you and disposed of your body by now. Marathon Man, mid-late 70s, dustin hoffman. i think.
Aha! "Marathon Man" alone would have explained it! Saw that flick LONG ago!!

Yes. Dustin Hoffman and Sir Laurence Olivier. After Hoffman locked himself in a cabinet for hours to get himself crazy enough for a scene in the best "Method Acting" style, Olivier counselled him "Dear boy: Try acting! It's much easier!"
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

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