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Long story of ongoing pain and phobia... please help

S

stretched_steel

Junior member
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
1
I am in Victoria, Australia

Four weeks ago, I started getting a really bad toothache that was so bad that Nurofen Plus (200mg ibuprofen and 12.8mg codeine phosphate) could only just take the edge off the pain, and I hardly slept for days.

So after about 2 weeks I visited a doctor, and she got me some antibiotics and some Panadeine Forte, and even this does not kill the pain completely, but it has stopped the pain enough that now instead of my whole side of my face feeling like its on fire, it has narrowed it down to the very back of my gum.
the back two teeth feel like they are a little loose/soft when I bite down, and it causes more pain, so it makes eating hard, but just behind them the gum has swollen and become en-flamed, and it feels like it is tearing apart.
i have also broken a molar in half and i think one of the nerves is showing and anything that touches it causes more pain

i have had through 2 renewals of the antibiotics and i am on the 3rd one now

I've been on Panadeine forte for a few weeks and still have pain.

And now the gum on the inside of the teeth, starting at the canine and going all the way back is really swollen and sore, and for some reason I cant open my mouth very far, like 0.5cm-1cm, wide at my front teeth (cant even fit my Pinky through the gap), and if I try any further I get a really sharp excruciating pain that feels like its in the join of my upper and lower jaw.
I can’t even get a toothbrush in there to brush behind my teeth or to brush my tongue and its getting really gross.

It is also hard to swallow anything I eat, I have to take a small bite, chew very slowly on my good side and swallow, but I can feel it slowly going down my throat, and it hurts like hell, and more often than not I have to wash it down with water before I choke, then after eating I have to take more painkillers because my mouth starts hurting more than before.

here are my problems with going to the dentist:

I am unemployed, on centerlink, and live in a small country town, the nearest dentist is about 100km away, and right as all this happened, the town i live in was completely flooded (80%) my house included, also the doctors and pharmacy were flooded, so i now have to travel by bus when ever i need to get a new script for the painkillers and antibiotics (i did have a car but it was washed away) and i have a phobia of going to the dentist because i am really scared of needles, pain, and of anything i am not holding coming anywhere near my face


Please help me, I’m about to rip off my own jaw out of frustration and to stop the pain....
 
Hello Stretched and welcome to the forums. I know that you will find others in the exact situations that you are facing as it pertains to your pain and fear of the dentist.

As I read your story (at least in regards to the pain and your dental issues) I can honestly relate 100%. The first thing that concerns me honestly is #1) it seems as though you certainly do have a pretty bad infection. Tell me, is this on the bottom or top, I do not think that I got that out of your post. If it is the bottom and you are unable to open your mouth open very wide, more than likely this is due to the glands just under and inside your lower jaw swelling up. This has happened to me once before and I was miserable.

Also, how many pills are included in one prescription of antibiotics? If you are already on round two and you have not seen any improvement at all, I strongly urge you to go back to the doctor to get some different (more broad-spectrum) antibiotics. If each round is at least a week or 10 days worth, you should be seeing at least some improvement - it does take a while in some instances, but you really should be seeing some results.

As far as seeing the dentist, I know how you feel being so far away from one - I live in a rural area in the US and I am in the same boat. However, with the pain I feel sometimes, that is nothing - its honestly like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow once you are all done.

Considering all the potential negative health affects an infection of this sort could potentially cause, the distance should be the least of your worries, that is of course as long as you can get there somehow.

I am not sure what Centerlink is, but looking it up I am guessing it is somewhat like our Social Services in the US. Do they have any programs that can help you? I can only imagine how bogged down they are due to the flooding, but have you tried to get help?

As far as being afraid of going to the dentist - which is worse (honestly), the experiences and pain you are going through now that have lasted for days and days, or one more than likely relatively short visit and procedure with a dentist that will alleviate your problems? I know sometimes it is hard to think that it is worth the nervousness and panic, but it is in 99% of the cases much less worse in the end than our brains like to tell us it will be - just read any of the success story posts.

Reality is - and I am speaking from experience of someone who has fought through it thinking I can handle it - even if it does get better with the antibiotics, it WILL happen again, and again until something is done about it. As scary as I know it is, there comes a time when you have to honestly rationalize what you are going through now with a visit to one person who can make it all go away!

Keep us updated.

Mike
 
if you still have pain you should try to find something called "eugenol". It is basically oil of clove and it is a miracle serum for tooth pain. I had a bad side effect to pain killers and couldn't continue taking them, and regular over the counter meds did not help. The clove oil was amazing. My surgeon applied some and then told me I could purchase some at the pharmacy. I am in the USA so don't know if you will be able to find it where you are. The brand is: Red Cross Toothache - the active ingredient is eugenol. It tastes disgusting but worked very well for me. Hope you can find some!
 
Like shelzmike, I can also relate, and my heart goes out to you. I also think it would be a good idea to try the clove oil, see if it might help (it sounds to me like you have an exposed nerve--which is a nightmare--so something topical would be in order).
I'm allergic to cloves, but during periods of pain and swelling I've found a hot cloth to my cheek and warm saltwater rinses to be helpful. The saltwater not only helps to draw out infection, it can also keep your mouth cleaner until you can easily brush again.
 
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