A couple months ago during an online search for answers about osteomyelitis, I came acrossed an article that said that high doses of Vitamin C can totally eliminated osteomyelitis of the jaw. I was on Probenecid at the time though and Vitamin C is to be avoided when on Probenecid (figures). More recently I read an article about Folic acid also have a positive impact on new bone growth in the jaw. I had some sub-lingual Folic acid in my cabinet and sell Vitamin C in my office...so I have started both about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I've taken the Vitamin C more frequently and am up to 2000 mg a day. I really think it is helping. My energy has been better. I hit the gym yesterday for a half hour on the elliptical and half hour on the recumbent bike with random hills on level 8..yay. The right maxilla I think is a lot better. The swelling in the right side of my face has decreased at least 50%. I almost feel normal!!! My lower jaw on the right might be a little better also. The left lower jaw which recently has been more problematic is continuing to be an issue. OM isn't supposed to spread like that but as I say.."about 50% of medicine is factual, we just don't know which 50%".. I'm keeping on the Vit C and am determined to be as "normal" as I used to be, just with a few less teeth (and less bone)....If you have OM of the jaw, please give the Vitamin C a shot! I wish I'd have started sooner. You have nothing to lose..oh except may be more teeth and your jaw bone...
Wow! After 3 years of head pain (saw neurologists who were baffled) two months ago I saw a dentist friend of mine and had a tooth, root and jaw bone taken out due to infection (2 surgeries on the bone) and then bone grafted in... after almost three years of undiagnosed pain in my left ear and head. I was seeing an obviously terrible dentist prior to this!! (Porcelain crown finally fell out revealing a rotted tooth)...did two different anti-biotics for a month...pain in head now back in spades...looking all over the Chicago-area for an oral surgeon well-versed in jaw bone-infections...almost in tears at the lack of information and help!! Thinking of flying to San Diego to see a specialist I saw on the internet...
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this information on vitamin C!!! I will get on it right away!!!! i would be so grateful if you could send any other information you have!!! cyndilroyce@comast.net
I have had head, jaw and ear pain for over 20 years, thought it was constant sinus infections. About 2 years ago, dentist found that the only cavity in my mouth actually fractured tooth- had re-done and root canal started a year ago. I had continuous jaw and head pain so had tooth extracted but got worse. How are Endodontist absolutely uniformed about jaw bone infections? My doctor suspects jaw bone infection and so do I. Had scan and waiting for results, what is scary is that I have had symptoms for 20 years but always on antibiotics which probably calmed things down. I am an hour away from San Diego, Do you know the name of the specialist? That is my next step. Thanks
DeleteLannie
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI had chronics osteomyelitis of the maxilla from a dental implant for almost 2 years and defeated it myself without any help from doctors/Maxillo Facial surgeons etc. The pain and suffering I endured cannot be described and I will probably still cry about this in 50 years time. I am now 30. However I am now 100% symptom free and loving life
My advice for anyone who wants to know is as follows(I have no medical background, however NO ONE should suffer from this absolutely horrendous condition as treatment is available and I have spent probably 2,000 hours+ reading everybook, every medical research paper, every study, every forum on osteomyelitis of the jaw)
Firstly in my opinion anyone who genuinely thinks they have chronic osteomyelitis probably does. There is a simple test
If your condition consistently improves everytime your on antibiotics then gets worse everytime you go off then you have diagnosis.
Furthermore sometimes chronic osteomyelitis(especially a very small focus) is almost impossible to diagnose for a small % of people that don't have swelling/localized sign of infection/sequestra(dead bone)
Accute Osteomyelitis of the Jaw - Symptoms less than 1 month
See a Oral Surgeon NOW. NOW NOW NOW. It is MUCH MUCH easier to treat early
If your symptoms improve after antibiotics then symptoms come back - good sign of bone infection. Ask for Nuclear Bone scan(Technetium+Gallium etc etc)/Xray/CT. Gallium can be effective for diagnosis of infection however it is not 100%
4-6 weeks of standard dental antibiotics (Flagyl/Metronidazole or Augmentin/Co-Amoxclav or Penecillin/Amoxy or Clindamycin etc etc) will work. Stay on them for 4/6 weeks and until your are 100% symptomless then stay on for another few weeks after symptoms go.
Chronic Osteomyelitis of the Jaw - Short term 2-6 months or still have faith in surgeon/ID specialist/etc etc
You will need surgical debridement + removal of any internal fixture(dental implant or whatever caused the problem) + antibiotics for 1-3 months with moderate to heavy antibiotics depending on how extensive debridement is/suseptability of bacteria/blood flow in area/overall health etc etc.
Be persistant with them. If they don't believe you have it ask for nuclear scans/biopsy's. If they don't believe you have it and you know you do you are wasting your time. They must believe in the diagnosis.
Alternative treatment would be 4-6 months+ of strong to strongest antibiotics or till your are symptomless+1 month after. I will discuss antibiotics below.
Chronic Osteomyelitis of the Jaw - Lost all hope and think death is the only option ( Where I was)
Firstly if antibiotics improve your situation then you can be treated. Even if you have had it for 30 years.
You must also educate yourself. Terms like MIC, MBC, Antibiotic antagonism should be understood.
Read - Osteomyelitis of the Jaws - By Marc Baltensperger
Treatment option 1 - Surgical debridement + (3 - 6 months+) antibiotics
You have to somehow get a surgeon to debride and have strong antibiotics ready to take STRAIT AWAY.
You must never miss even 1 dose under any circumstances. Even if your house burns down etc.
This option is unlikely as usually at this point no doctor believes you have osteo and they look at you like an idiot and make patronising comments etc.
Treatment option 2 - Long term antibiotics - The final option and only when all other options have failed
1. Make sure you have no dead bone at site of infection. Have a current CT/Xray taken AND site inspected by an oral surgeon to look for soft bone/dead bone/powdery bone/any sign. He will debride if yes.
2. Start strongest antibiotics immediately and stay on till your have no symptoms. Then stay on them for a month or two additionally. Could be 6-12 months duration, maybe more. DO NOT MISS EVEN 1 DOSE.
I kept a spare month of antibiotics at another house. This primarily due to antibiotic resistance.
In my opinion, the reason antibiotics fail is because the infection is not bacterial based. It is most likely a parasite instead. Parasites are seriously under-rated in America. If you were a sick dog and taken to a vet, the first thing that is looked for is parasites. Why is it so absurd that humans have parasites? We all have them; however, see my post from 1/4/16 for links and additional information that could save your life, your health and your pocket book.
DeleteHi, first I must let you know how glad I was to read your blog. After the start of my scary and painful illness, I'm now becoming very aware of what osteomyelitis is and how bad the future could be. I tried to post my story here, but I'm new to blogging and it was too big to post here. Because of that I started my own blog tonight and you can see what has happened to me in the past 2 months there.
ReplyDeleteI thank you so much for sharing your story. It is helpful to know someone out there is suffering like I am, and I wish that wasn't so. Osteomyelitis is so very damaging and frightening. I wish you the very best, good health and please keep me posted on your progress. My email is canadianlaw@shaw.ca if you'd like to be in touch.
Many thanks,
Elaine.
Elaine,
DeleteI am so sorry that I just got your post. How are you doing? I went through a long phase here where I was concerned that medical providers would read my blog and then refuse to treat me. I'm back to not caring if they read it, if it helps others.
Danielle
mick 811 are you there?
ReplyDelete