Many of us impacted by fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics fear having dental work post floxing. These fears can be justified because of the treatment standards employed by dental doctors. Many of us have become sensitive to medications used routinely such as dental anesthesia or antibiotics.
Most dentists would argue against the idea that FQ’s could actually cause any damages to the dental structure in our mouths. However, anecdotal evidence has dictated to me otherwise. I have talked to many floxed folks over the years that have had numerous dental problems, from rapid tooth decay, to calcification of nerves, to severe oral neuralgia. I believe that the incident of these complaints rise above the general population and points an underlying pathology that could have many sources.
Like many FQ sufferers, my dental integrity has suffered since floxing. Eve
n with stringent dental proactivity on my part, I have developed increased dental issues. A few years ago I noticed a sore spot on my right lower gum under a tooth that had previously had a root canal and a crown several years earlier pre-floxing. Even though I was not running a fever and had no jaw pain to speak of, I decided to go to the dentist when the sore spot started slowly swelling. To my shock the dentist said that I had an abscess under the tooth. The reason I did not feel pain was due to the fact that I had previously had a root canal and there was no nerve to ‘feel the pain’ in the tooth.
My dentist said that due to the nature of the abscess, he wanted to send me to an oral surgeon for a tooth extraction. Now, you can imagine my anxiety. I was now faced with oral surgery plus the need for an antibiotic which I vigorously attempt to avoid due to my medication sensitivities. Armed with my dental x-rays and information from my dentist I started researching the internet.
I had learned from my dentist, and could see from the x-rays that my infection or abscess was encapsulated. It had been there for a while without me knowing about it. It had not spread throughout the bone in the jaw or the soft tissues of the gum. What I learned was that encapsulated infections, i.e.…non-acute and non-spreading usually clear up when the offending item, in my case the tooth, was removed. In addition, there have been good reports of large doses of vitamin C can help to keep dental infections at bay.
The first oral surgeon that my dentist sent me to was an absolute condescending person (stating it nicely). He would not listen to my fears about additional medication and refused to treat me unless I started on a strong antibiotic, namely clindamycin, which I told him I could not have. He actually placed two pills in my hand and said he would not proceed unless he watched me take the medication. Oh, and his only other choice was a fluoroquinolone, which I told him was definitely out of the question. He refused to extract the tooth. Needless to say, we parted company.
So I left his office and went back to my dentist. Now luckily for me my dentist had had a bad reaction to the antibiotic ‘Keflex’ years ago and he understood my trepidation about medication. Underscoring the need to get the tooth extracted, he called around and found another oral surgeon who would remove my tooth.
The second oral surgeon was a godsend. He listened to me about my fears and the information that I knew about my particular type of infection, and agreed to remove the tooth…provided I would take a script for a ‘Z-pack’ and get it filled and use it, if I showed signs of getting worse, after the removal. The tooth removal went very well. I had the tooth removed using ‘twilight sedation’ of versed-fentanyl. The oral surgeon said the tooth came out easily and he was able to cleanly scrape the socket and disinfect the tooth socket real well. In addition, I had already started on large doses of vitamin C.
Within days the pain subsided. Several follow-up appointments showed no signs of infection, and the extraction site healed properly. To make sure, I even went my regular doctor to inspect the extraction site and look for any infection. Now I have to throw in the caveat that the ‘type’ of infection made it easier to treat without antibiotics. Had there been signs of a bone infection such as Osteomyelitis, treatment would have been much different.
I have listed some things that I do to help minimize dental problems:
- I remain very proactive with my own person dental care. Daily brushing and flossing.
- I try to stay very hydrated, to fight against oral dryness so common post floxing.
- I occasionally wash and gargle with salt water to kill germs.
- If I need a local dental anesthetic (which is very rarely), I always request a low-epinephrine numbing medication, since my body does not respond well to the amount of epinephrine contained in regular numbing injections (no-epinephrine is also available). I also try to make sure that my electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium are bolstered to avoid any cardiac arrhythmias.
- I do not use laughing gas (nitrous oxide) as sedation.
- For dental surgery I request versed-fentanyl sedation. This is same sedation I have used successfully in the past for colonoscopies and endoscopes. Post floxing recovery time is a little longer for me but I have used this combination safely numerous times for various procedures.
Like I have said many times before, stay informed. Discuss all treatment options with your doctor. If your dentist, doctor, dental surgeon or anesthesiologist doesn’t want to follow recommendations you feel you need, insist on it. If needed get a second opinion. They’re not the ones risking their bodies.
Finally do yourself a favor, allow yourself extra time to recuperate from any dental procedures.
If you have had any dental procedures post floxing, please share your experiences for others to learn from.
I was almost floxed 6 years ago. My perfect teeth starts to change after floxing as well. Last November, I woke up with a painful swollen spot on my gum above a 13 year old root canaled tooth. (my only root canal ever) This was a 1st upper molar, so my biological dentist sent me to have it removed by an Oral Surgeon, due to the fact that the x ray showed a dark spot around the root tip. The OS knew of my fear of antibiotics, so he sais he would extract the tooth without antibiotics. When he removed the tooth , the OS said there was a chronic infection(granuloma) on the root. I’m guessing it was encapsulated like you described your tooth. I asked for Carbocaine with no epi, however I did find out later on at a post op visit, that the OS used Lidocaine with no epi. I was a little annoyed about that because I feel that was the reason I felt re-floxed after the extraction, but in any case, I’m happy I didn’t need antibiotics. The site healed perfectly. Now I just have to figure out how to replace the molar, as it’s been almost 8 months since the extraction, which took place March 4, 2013. Have you replaced your tooth? If so, with what? If not, do you plan to?
I meant to say “I was floxed almost 6 years ago”, not “I was almost floxed”…because I was definitely floxed….. as I re-read my comment, I apologize for the typos.
Since floxing, unfortunately I have had to have several teeth removed. The teeth became brittle and just literally broke. Although any dentist I discussed this with denied the possibility that it was due to the fluoroquinolones, it was quite coincidental that it only happened after my exposure to the FQ’s. My only choice was to get a bridge installed to replace the removed teeth.
Yes, my teeth were affected instantly after floxing. Very upsetting, because I had perfect teeth prior to this, other than the one root canal and one amalgam, that I still have to have drilled out and replaced with an onlay or crown. At this point, I am just having to accept everything the horrible drug does to all of us. What are your thoughts on amalgam removal and all zirconium dental implants? Also, do you think root canals should be avoided at this point? Thanks….
Also, did you have a hard time getting used to the bridges? Do they feel uncomfortable at all, and can you chew easily with them? Thanks again.
I have had a whole top bridge consisting of 9 teeth put in since floxing. One extraction and a crown. At the time I didn’t know about being floxed otherwise I may have been a bit more cautious. I was floxed in 2010 (took me over a year to leave my house) and my dental work started in 2013. I did have a very slight flare after all of this work. i’d say just a few days of feeling off. I did speak with my dentist and I cant rightly remember what he used but I was pretty much ok with it. I know it wasn’t lidocain.
I make sure I have regular check up and cleanings. If I get the slightest inkling of a dental problem I go straight away before it escalates. The tooth I had extracted had an absess underneath and I was given a script but had already told him I probably wouldn’t take it. He cleaned it out really well and it healed great with no problems and no antibiotics..I would just say be really proactive and take care of youre teeth well and get regular checkups.
Is lidocaine without epinephrine not okay after being floxed? I really can’t figure out what type of local anesthetic they are supposed to use and I need dental work. I had heard from another floxie that they used septocaine and she didn’t recover after that.
Most floxies I know avoid inhaled dental anesthesia (i.e.. Laughing gas) and opt for local. Of those, most ask for local anesthesia with reduced or no epinephrine as many have found the epinephrine too stimulating for the nervous system. Over the years, I have received several reports of people having a bad reaction to the laughing gas, and a few reports of over stimulation from the epinephrine in standard anesthesia. It seems that those who get the reduced or no epi anesthesia seem to do just fine. Some also ask for the minimum dose needed for the procedure. Discuss your concerns with your dentist as most are quite accommodating and most offices usually carry low or no epi anesthesia.
What does over stimulation from epinephrine feel like? What is the effect on the body?
Versed can cause permanent memory loss for words & names. That’s why doctors & nurses refuse it. It does nothing for pain. It paralyzes you, making you incapable of reacting to the pain. It also gives you amnesia for the procedure. Neither of those help you. You may be able to tolerate it. But if you have future procedures, you might want to consider dropping it, since it can have such negative side effects. You’re right to refuse nitrous oxide. Most floxies don’t tolerate it.
Indeed. Versed / Midazolam, is also black boxed, & though we are of course all different insofar as to what we can or cannot tolerate re pharmaceuticals , there are many horror stories online about this one .
Personally, It gave me PTSD /flashbacks for a very long while, & I still experience them now on & off many years later. They told me ‘ you won’t remember the procedure ‘ ( they lied ) , as I also remember every dammed minute of the colonoscopy from hell which they eventually had to abandon due to the horrendous pain, I was in so much pain & so traumatised it made me physically sick afterwards. My grandson who has Tuberous sclerosis complex / autism also had a very nasty reaction to it when given as premed, he became extremely aggressive, terrified & was literally fighting everyone, trying to get away from whatever horrors he was experiencing from it , but could not tell us ( he is already cognitively compromised, & I am also sure it did not help my own cognitive issues one little bit ) . No one in our family now we are aware of this potential issue with Versed / Midazolam, would ever agree to the use of this drug now.
The fact that these various problems which can arise are known, & this is basically an open secret in the medical field, yet patients are not being informed about this issue, tells me it is done more for the Drs convenience not patients .
Also, please be aware for anyone considering nitrous oxide, that nitrous oxide & its effect on B12 is yet another thing to be aware of / become informed about, on top of being concerned about our potential negative reactions to it .
https://www.b12-vitamin.com/anesthesia/
My good teeth also began quickly deteriorating almost immediately after being floxed 6 years ago. Since then, after years of good teeth and only 3 or 4 cavaties in my life, I have had numerous cavities, erosion of enamel, and several extractions. I also have vestibular and neurological damage, and neuropathy in hands and feet. Heart is broken. Health gone, and NO ONE HELD RESPONSIBLE.
Anyone used mepivicaine plain LA scandanest?
Hello everyone, I must take an antibiotic called clymandicin. Has anyone used it after floxing? I had an allergy to peniciline also.
Thank you!
I got poisoned 3 years ago and still suffering today, mainly phychological symptoms thanks to taking I ibuprofen at the same time. I’m in desperate need to go to the dentist but have been afraid, I beleive I need to have fillings. Has anyone else had this post flox? I’m terrified to make my condition worse then it already is.
I’m trying to find out what tooth paste to use after getting floxed from cipro ear drops. I want to not use a flouride or sulfate tooth paste. I read that many of the naturals make peoples teeth sensitive which is also a side effect of floxing. I’m considering just baking soda. What are the rest of you using?
Also what are you doing to combat the dry mouth?
In 2011, I took one Cipro pill before reading the sheet that came with it. When I read the sheet, I felt that I had just poisoned myself, and I was right. The next morning I woke up with pain behind both knees, and things got rapidly worse from there. In the following days and weeks, my fingers went numb, my hands swelled and felt and looked like they’d been scalded, and for a couple weeks, I had to sleep sitting up. Gradually the symptoms diminished and I was able to function normally. But my hands are still red and shiny and I still have slight burning sensation, and although the tendon pain diminished for a time, it has gradually become worse and is now a serious problem.
About 10 years ago, one of my premolars split in half. My dentist thought that was a rather amazing thing, and brought his staff in to look at it. He wasn’t sure he could pull it, but he did without any problems. Then, perhaps a year later, a chunk broke one of my wisdom teeth. My dentist didn’t suggest that I should do anything about it other than to keep it clean. I thought it odd that the tooth should break because it wasn’t opposed by another tooth. When I broke a large chunk off a molar, I suggested to my dentist that Cipro had caused what was happening to my teeth. He said that wasn’t possible and became angry when I said I believed it was possible. Between then and now, significant portions have broken off five other teeth. I haven’t seen a dentist in years and haven’t done anything about any of my broken teeth other than to, floss, rinse with mouth wash, apply a little oil of oregano in olive oil, and brush once a day with a paste of baking soda, table salt, and peroxide.