i was wondering if anyone could tell me if you can get osteomyelitis in your skull and what are the symptoms and causes?thx :eek:

i was wondering if anyone could tell me if you can get osteomyelitis in your skull and what are the symptoms and causes?thx :eek:


Yes. Osteomyelitis can be anywhere in the body where bone exists. It is usually something that enters the bloodstream or at a trauma site, wound. It is an infection in the bone. Bones most commonly effected are the jawbone, legbones and hip area. This is because of the vascular properties of these areas. The symptoms are usually raised white blood count, high SED rate, LOT of deep pain, sometimes redness, swelling and fever. Weight loss is also a symptom, especially when in the jawbone. Which is where I have had it. May I ask why you are asking - so I may be of more assistance?

Hope this helps - oh also do a search on OSTEOMYELITIS SKULL and tuberculosis comes up as done cancer. It can also travel to other bone in the body if it is in the bloodstream. Mine is localized in the upper maxilla and had begun to wall itself off leaving no red blood cells and/or blood vessels in this section which eventually would lead to more troubles. I am still undergoing therapies for this hellacious disease!

Hope to hear back. :)

Yes. Osteomyelitis can be anywhere in the body where bone exists. It is usually something that enters the bloodstream or at a trauma site, wound. It is an infection in the bone. Bones most commonly effected are the jawbone, legbones and hip area. This is because of the vascular properties of these areas. The symptoms are usually raised white blood count, high SED rate, LOT of deep pain, sometimes redness, swelling and fever. Weight loss is also a symptom, especially when in the jawbone. Which is where I have had it. May I ask why you are asking - so I may be of more assistance?

Hope this helps - oh also do a search on OSTEOMYELITIS SKULL and tuberculosis comes up as done cancer. It can also travel to other bone in the body if it is in the bloodstream. Mine is localized in the upper maxilla and had begun to wall itself off leaving no red blood cells and/or blood vessels in this section which eventually would lead to more troubles. I am still undergoing therapies for this hellacious disease!

Hope to hear back. :)
i asked as i have been trying to find out what is wrong with me.i started 7 years ago when i had 2 teeth out and around 3 months later i got a burning ,pressure feeling in my head,on the right side ,the same side as i had my teeth out.at first i thought i had a brain tuomour,the doc sent me for a scan,then to see a neuro which came back clear.i hten went to see an ent.to see if there was anything wrong with my ears,as it felt like it was all connected ,as when my head hurted ,my ear felt strange,my teeth and gums swelled up,i felt dizzy,and not quite there.i was put on amytryptiline for muscle spasms in my head .but after reading some of the posts on here i thought it sounded like om.

i asked as i have been trying to find out what is wrong with me.i started 7 years ago when i had 2 teeth out and around 3 months later i got a burning ,pressure feeling in my head,on the right side ,the same side as i had my teeth out.at first i thought i had a brain tuomour,the doc sent me for a scan,then to see a neuro which came back clear.i hten went to see an ent.to see if there was anything wrong with my ears,as it felt like it was all connected ,as when my head hurted ,my ear felt strange,my teeth and gums swelled up,i felt dizzy,and not quite there.i was put on amytryptiline for muscle spasms in my head .but after reading some of the posts on here i thought it sounded like om.

I am sorry to hear of this. 7 years! Dear lord - let's get you better Prendi! :blob_fire If you are feeling this pain, can you get to a University Hospital that has a dental unit? Ask for a SED rate, a White Blood count, a Panarex image, and a 3 phase bone scan. These, along with your symptom list will give a diagnosis. It's most likely not in your skull, but in your jawbone which has some hellacious referral pain.

Do you have constant pain? Do you feel it above where the teeth were extracted? Please give me any and all info you can and where you are located so I may be of assistance.

I wish you some peace! :angel:

I have Osteomyelitis of the jaw. I almost died back in January after a dentist performed several procedures and then insisted the pain was all in my head, that I needed time to heal. After I felt as if someone stabbed me in my jaw and looked as if I had a stroke, I ended up in the hospital my face 6 times the normal size and I passed out. I actually didn't remember a thing for several days when I came to, 5 doctors were treating me, my family was called in (because they didn't think I would make it). It is now the end of March I have been in an out of the hospital 4 times and I am going to see an orla surgeon tomorrow. I have had 6 oral surgeons refuse to treat me because the infection was so bad and they didn't know enough about the infection. It is scary, my face swells all the time, I have no feeling in my chin and pains come and go through out the day. I can not eat at all. The dentist that said I needed to allow time to heal happened to call me while in the hospital to discuss my bill (he called my cell phone, or should I say his secretary) anyway I paid $13k to him for nothing and now owe over 170k in hospital bills and doctor bills, x-rays, iv's, ICU. I had to get an attorney because the dentist refused to even refund me the money and he didn't do half of what he was paid to do. Anyway my health is really what the issue is all about, and only because of God am I alive today. I have a long road to travel but I am certain I will get there.

Thanks for listening,
Cheryl :angel:

Prendi:

Has your doctor mentioned trigeminal neuralgia as a possibility? You should see a neurologist as well.

I have Osteomyelitis of the jaw. I almost died back in January after a dentist performed several procedures and then insisted the pain was all in my head, that I needed time to heal. After I felt as if someone stabbed me in my jaw and looked as if I had a stroke, I ended up in the hospital my face 6 times the normal size and I passed out. I actually didn't remember a thing for several days when I came to, 5 doctors were treating me, my family was called in (because they didn't think I would make it). It is now the end of March I have been in an out of the hospital 4 times and I am going to see an orla surgeon tomorrow. I have had 6 oral surgeons refuse to treat me because the infection was so bad and they didn't know enough about the infection. It is scary, my face swells all the time, I have no feeling in my chin and pains come and go through out the day. I can not eat at all. The dentist that said I needed to allow time to heal happened to call me while in the hospital to discuss my bill (he called my cell phone, or should I say his secretary) anyway I paid $13k to him for nothing and now owe over 170k in hospital bills and doctor bills, x-rays, iv's, ICU. I had to get an attorney because the dentist refused to even refund me the money and he didn't do half of what he was paid to do. Anyway my health is really what the issue is all about, and only because of God am I alive today. I have a long road to travel but I am certain I will get there.

Thanks for listening,
Cheryl :angel:

Cheryl,
Having six oral surgeons not be willing to treat your infection, is unfortunately, not uncommon. I don't know how they get away with it!!

I was guided here by another frequent member here who feels I may have something to offer you. There are others who have gone down this road you are traveling. I am fortunate to have only had chronic OM for less than two years.

However, I have been very agressive for the very reason, you are going through, and I am trying to short cut the big bills and length of time feeling lousy. I got OM after wisdom tooth extraction. I had three surgeries with the same dance routine of 6-8weeks of IV abx, oral abx and HBO. I figured the fourth time needed to be something different, and not my local doctors either!

I went to Dr. Ron Caloss, at University of Texas, Southwestern. He just (8days ago) did an agressive, and highly technical surgery that he hopes will be the last one for me. I had the jaw opened up from the outside, and the gum/tissue lifted off the jaw bone. He found extensive scherotic bone (dead and hard/non-vascular) and a cavatation with mushy bone lingual side. After cutting this all out, he grafted material from my hip. I say "material" because what was needed was to split the iliac (making a green stick fracture) and scrape out inner cortical tissue with bone marrow. (the good bone growing cells). This was packed into the jaw vacancy.

While doing this surgery, there was a specialist who took my blood...spun out an amount, and seperated the plateletes. The "enriched plateletes" were then infused into the graft area, and I was sewn up. About four inch incision under my jaw (on neck) and same on hip.

This is a pretty revolutionary operation. Not sure it's been done much. It made sense when the surgeon said that the outer approach would keep the graft from being contaminated. All the inside mouth ops have been exposed to mouth flora. I too, can't eat for 4weeks, but it's temporary. I was told about all the numbness that I could have after surgery. They went into the "stroke" muscle damage, that could happen. Right now, I don't think I have ANY bad side effects. The swelling is making some parts of my mouth not work right, but I don't droop on one side.

Dr.Caloss is on the faculty at UTS and is highly thought of at other university's. I had previously been told I would have this condition my whole life. That I would live on abx my whole life. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE, Cheryl! Going for tertiary care is the only way to get rid of this. Yes, there may not be a comfortable "protocol" for us and our doctors, but its' better than having what you've been through.

1) What type of procedures did the surgeon do that affected your facial nerves?
2) Did anyone find out what infection you have/culture?
3) Are you on IV antibiotics?

We are beginning to have trouble paying the medical bills. In the middle of this, my hubby got advanced Prostae ca. Screw them, get what you have to get done, and get them to work out payments that you can still handle.

I got IVIG (immunoglobulin) infusion last Tuesday. This one infusion (ID doc wants me to do one/month) one bottle, was $16000.00 dollars. He WANTED me to have it before surgery, because by now, my immune system is shot!! So we went to the hospital and got it, and the lousy ins co. has been three months approving it...and haven't completely done that yet!

They can't get it back now, though, and I think it's working! Today has been a good day! Please let me know how you are doing, and what your status is. I'm usually on the "Jaw bone infection-Osteomyelitis" forum.
Take care,
Grandma Sarah

Cheyrl,

Have not read what happened to you dear! How are you? Please let me know if you can...OK?

Grandma Sarah

Hi, wow, I dont feel like such an alien anymore.

I was rushed into emergency surgery on May 4th of this year because of Osteomyelitis in my jaw. They removed over 75% of my upper and lower jawbone and all 28 of my healthy teeth. I have since had 5 surgeries to reconstruct my lower jawbone with titanium and bone graphings and will begin the reconstruction of the upper jaw in the next month. I spent 12 weeks with a pikk line IV pouring antibiotics into my blood.

The good news is that my last blood work up and all xray scans show no sign of infection.
I have read of so many people that were suffering from the same type of pain and symptoms as me but no one else that had actually gotten a diagnosis until reading this thread. My maxillofacialist (sp?) said that this type of infection is very rare.

So to those of you who haven't been diagnosed may God watch over you until you can get the help you need, and to those who are being treated I pray a speedy and full recovery for you.

Casey

Cheryl,

GOD bless you. I have been just diagnosed with Osteomeylitis of the Jaw as well. My regular dentist that pulled the infected tooth a month ago also told me that at 40, we heal slower. I went back again and he just gave me an antibiotic. I finally coud take no more and ended up in the ER where I was finally taken seriously. So far, I am post surgery 7 days, and the pain is the same with the swelling same. Just on oral antibiotics at this point. I go back friday, and I will pitch a huge fit if not put on something else. I/we could lose our jaw because of this.
DO NOT BE SILENT...........and my prayers are with you!!

Hi everyone,

I know the last post on this board was a long time ago...but I"m hoping someone might still be able to help me. Grandma Sarah, if you're still out there...I'm interested in hearing more about Dr. Caloss. I am having problems after wisdom teeth were extracted...the area that is troubling me is the lower right (was a full bone impaction). The surgery was done in December 2004. Anyway, I recently had an i-CAT (3D cat scan) that showed the bone hasn't healed properly...for a long time, I had swollen lymph nodes on the same side, right under the jaw...but no oral surgeon would help me out. Now, I have this strange, painful "bump" right next to the socket. A new oral surgeon wants to open up the socket and do a biopsy, but he claims this "bump" is unrelated. I am not so sure about that...Anyway, I want to make sure this ends up in the right hands. This new oral surgeon said that I may have a "chronic infectious process", like a low-grade infection. I am scared, because I don't want to end up with nerve damage or worse off in any way. If there is anyone out there who can recommend doctors, tell me more about their treatment, etc, I would be VERY very grateful!

Thanks,

Meg

Hi everyone,

I know the last post on this board was a long time ago...but I"m hoping someone might still be able to help me. Grandma Sarah, if you're still out there...I'm interested in hearing more about Dr. Caloss. I am having problems after wisdom teeth were extracted...the area that is troubling me is the lower right (was a full bone impaction). The surgery was done in December 2004. Anyway, I recently had an i-CAT (3D cat scan) that showed the bone hasn't healed properly...for a long time, I had swollen lymph nodes on the same side, right under the jaw...but no oral surgeon would help me out. Now, I have this strange, painful "bump" right next to the socket. A new oral surgeon wants to open up the socket and do a biopsy, but he claims this "bump" is unrelated. I am not so sure about that...Anyway, I want to make sure this ends up in the right hands. This new oral surgeon said that I may have a "chronic infectious process", like a low-grade infection. I am scared, because I don't want to end up with nerve damage or worse off in any way. If there is anyone out there who can recommend doctors, tell me more about their treatment, etc, I would be VERY very grateful!

Thanks,

Meg


Did you get this fixed yet?

I had the exact same kind of surgery, and the problem area was the lower right jaw. It is actually good that you have a scan showing that there is a problem. All I had was incredible pain the improved greatly with antibiotics. It took two years and two different countries for the problem to get resolved. Since I live in Bolivia, I ended up getting surgery done on my jaw here. The face/neck surgeon (who I believe has more training than an oral surgeon) did a straight cut into the problem area of my jaw and then straight up. They had me stay in the hospital for three days to monitor my healing, and they had me on a feeding tube for a day and a half so the no bacteria could enter the problem area. I am very thankful that they did the surgery, because my jaw is absolutely fine now, and it has been two years since that surgery. No nerve damage or anything.

If you haven't had surgery yet, maybe you should look into a face/neck surgeon instead of a regular oral surgeon.

Hopefully you already have the problem taken care of!

Beth

I don't believe it took me so long to find this page...I am probably going to post in every topic forum on here b/c I am not sure which ones ppl are still responding to so please excuse me if you see mulitple posts from me. I just can't believe I may have finally found ppl who know what I have been going through. I am 30 yrs old and have been plagued w/ serious dental problems for the past 9 yrs. About 7 yrs ago I had an impacted wisdom tooth removed on my lower left jaw and around the same time I had a tooth in that same area taken out and an implant put in. It was a long time ago and I had so much dental trauma at once*there was more too I won't get into* that I have trouble remembering the order of everything now. But anyway, I thought I had healed from it ok and went on w/ my life. Then in July of '04 I started to have pain in that area again. I immediately had it looked at and was told there was nothing wrong. oddly after a few days the pain disappeared and did not return until May of '05 and then all of the sudden it became excruciating and I have literally had it every min of my life since then. When it first started I was in and out of the ER constantly b/c the pain was so severe but they kept saying nothing was wrong. I started going to different dentists, all of whom said the same thing, my x-rays were normal, nothing was wrong. They gave me a normal dental cleaning and said I should be fine and then they started sending me to all different kinds of drs when I came back complaining of pain. I felt as though the pain was coming from my gums so they sent me to a periodontist who said they wanted to do gum surgery where they would open up my gums and see if anything was wrong. I didn't want to do it but 2 dental clinics told me there was nothing else they could do so I was all set to do it when the dr. who was supposed to perform it had 2nd thoughts and said he thought it might do me more harm then good and he was not convinced the problem was my gums. I was then sent for a cat scan and was told there may be a problem w. my back molar on that side. I didn't feel pain in that tooth but there was so much pain on that side that at that point I had no idea where it was coming from anymore. The first endodontist I went to didn't want to perform root canal b.c he wasn't convinced it was that tooth but he didn't offer any alternatives. I ended up going for a root canal and had a horrific experience where they left my mouth open for hrs and I couldn't close it afterwards for about 15 min and was in more pain. This was at a clinic so I went back to my old dentist and he decided to finish the root canal. I still had pain after so finally he said to get in removed. When I did I got a dry socket so was in even more pain and when it healed I still had the same pain I started w/. In the meantime I had also been to a TMJ specialist b/c everyone kept telling me that was probobly what the problem was. he put me on flexerol and I was stuck over and over w. needles/novacaine/etc. to see if it would stop the pain.and when that didn't work the TMJ dr. told me I do have TMJ but he didn't feel that was what is causing the pain. Then I was sent to a neurologist, actually I believe I saw 3 neuros. They did MRI and that came back normal. Someone suggested trigeminal neuraligia and I was sure that must be it so I went to a TN specialist who treated me for 6mths w/ anti-seizure drugs. No change in the pain. So he told me I don't have neuralgia. I was also given a mouth guard and was told it might be b/c I grind my teeth. That didn't help either. Finally I found info about NICO(necrosis induced cavitational osteo something) when I was doing my own research and thought I had finally found the answer even though it wasn't encouraging in terms of treatment. I found a holisitic based dentist in my area who deals w/ and is familiar w/ NICO. One of the main reasons I was sure I had it was the time frame, from what I have read NICO doesn't usually begin until about 5 yrs after the dental work is done. Anyway, she did not diagnose me right away but she basically told me that she could see my bone was deteriorating in that area just from looking at me and after going over my history and health, she also determined that I have a weakened immune system and low grade infection and that was probably how I had gotten the jaw infection in the first place. So she put me on all these herbal supplements and said we had to build up my immunity...I tried that for mths and in the meantime the pain continued. Then she said after doing tests my bite was still off and I bought bite tabs which also did not help the pain. At that point she said it could be my implant in that area was either causing it or irritating it and I should get it removed(the pain at that time was mostly under my tooth w/ the implant). So I went and had it removed and that made no change in the pain either. Basically that was the last major thing I had done...oh I also went to numerous oral surgeons who all told me they thought it was neuralgia even after I explained it wasn't. I had another I-cat too and no one saw anything abnormal on it except this holistic dentist who said she saw "something" but was vague about what exactly, some type of lesion I believe. Then over the summer in the midst of all this, I accidentally got pregnant and decided to keep the baby so I am now about 6 mths pregnant. I went back to that dr asking what else I could do and she said nothing now b/c I am pregnant. Oh I also had a cavitat done by her and she said I do not have NICO. When I asked what I have she told me Osteomyelitis and when I asked her what that was, she literally told me it was not that big a deal and not as bad as NICO. She said my pregnancy should make me feel better and my pain would probably lessen now. Well the reason I finally found this list is b/c I am so desperate and in pain I am ready to commit suicide after my baby is born if I don't find an answer to this pain. It has only gotten worse and worse. The pain feels as though it is coming from my lower left jaw bone but it has spread to the whole left side of my face and I see more and more my cheek is getting more sunken in on that side. Aside from the pain, what has made me feel so hopeless is the way I have been treated my all these drs...as though I am crazy and either completely imagining it or just exaggerating how bad it is. I recently went to pain management and it was the last straw...at first the dr. said there was nothing he could do b.c I went in my first trimester and he said to come back in my 2nd. So i did and he told me once again there was nothing he could do b/c I am pregnant...and that he was sure I had neuralgia even though I explained again I had been treated for it and was told by a specialist I did not have it. He said he would call my gyno and dentist and discuss it w/ them and get back to me and I waited for his call and it never came so I called to follow up and he never called back. I then went to the hospital to get my x-rays back from them and saw him and asked him if he had ever tried to reach my drs. and asked why I had never heard from him and he said "b/c I'm trying to figure out what I can do while you are pregnant"...I could tell from the way he said it that he was completely lying and he said first he was going to call my drs, then he didn't b/c I was pregnant, it made no sense. Then he asked me if "the pain was really that bad?" in this condescending tone. Anyway, I realize I sound like a lunatic right now going on and on like this...it's just that until finding this board today I had pretty much given up hope completely. My life is destroyed from this, I am on disability/medicaid, I can't work, I am severely depressed and have extreme insomnia b/c of the pain to the point where they have kept me on anti-depressants and sleeping pills even though I'm pregnant b/c they think I might end up harming myself otherwise. I have spent thousands of dollars, literally about $20,000 probably so far in drs. and treatments my insurance doesn't cover and have tried so many alternative treatments too including 3 accupuncturists, holisitic drs, intuitive healers, cranial sacral therapy, workshops, etc. You name it, I have tried it and borrowed money for it. If it wasn't for being pregnant I'd stop eating too. Drs act like i am crazy, my friends and family are tired of hearing about my mysterious jaw pain and my poor husband just doesn't even know what to do for me. Oh and in the past mth I started having pain on my upper right side as well, had 2 more root canals on a tooth that was bothering me and was told to remove it and the surgeon accidentally took out the tooth next to it so I ended up having to have them both removed. I am terrified that the same thing is happening to my right side b/c the pain has continued and it's been a cpl of weeks since I had the teeth removed(this is all while being pregnant)...the surgeon says it's just b/c I had so much trauma to the area. But I am still scared...it doesn't feel the same as my left side, the pain is different but still, now I can't chew on that side so have to chew on my left which makes the pain worse. Anyway, I am so sorry if anyone actually read all this God Bless you ...I just needed to get it out I think. I am just in shock reading on here how serious this osteomyelitis is and I don't understand why my dr. made it sound as though it was no big deal and would go away on it's own. I know my options are very limited now b/c of the pregnancy but can anyone give me any advice or info. about what they think I should do at this point...even if I can't do anything really till after the baby is born I need to at least explore my options now so I have a plan for when she is here. I want to be alive and get better so I can be a good mom but I know I will not be able to go on like this for much longer if I don't start getting help and find someone who actually understands what is happening to me and will work w/ me. I will do anything at this point. I live in NY so if anyone knows of any drs. here they think can help please tell me or even if it's somewhere else I will travel anywhere. Please help, and thank you so much for anyone who actually read this, I am so sorry to go on I am just desperate. Thanks.
Gigi

I am sorry you for what you have gone thru and how you have been treated. It is a horrible, horrible illness to have. Everyone passes it off as Neuralgia. I read your post, but now I don't remember what you said about your scans. What kind have you had so far?

My heart breaks for you. Are you alone or is the babies father in the picture? I hope you have help.

As far as going to the doctor, I recommend that you always, always bring a trusted friend or family member to every single appointment. This person can be a witness to how you are treated and may help you get taken more seriously.

I have been thru a very similar ordeal which I am still dealing with. I don't know where I go from here.

If you have any specific questions, I might be able to answer as a fellow patient, let me know.


I hope to hear from you.

Susan, thank you so much for your reply. You have no idea how much every reply means to me, I feel as though I have been going through this alone in a vaccum. Just to know there are others out there going through it helps. To answer your questions...the only things I have had done are an MRI, reg. Cat scan, Icat, and Cavitat. Everything has been normal(the cat scans and MRI's) except this holistic dentist I was working w. said she saw"something" on the ICat but was very vague about it(she's very vague in general which is part of the problem and she's the one who diagnosed me w/ osteomyelitis but that was after me pressuring her for a diagnosis). Also I don't really understand my Cavitat results, that was another thing I had to pressure her into doing. She said all I would see was a lot of red and that's what I saw but I didn't really understand her explanations. But that was basically what made her say finally she thought it was osteomyelitis and not NICO.

I am w/ the baby's father yes and he is trying to be supportive during this whole ordeal but it's very hard on him too and he doesn't know what to do and is very overwhelmed by it. I appreciate your suggestion about bringing someone to appts. I decided that last night too actually, after another horrendous appt. w/ the surgeon I've been working w/. It seems I have another tooth that might be fractured now...I don't understand what is happening and if it's really my teeth anymore or if the infection is spreading b/c I don't seem to be healing from the recent extractions I've had recently on the right side(my chronic pain is in my lower left jaw)...I mean he says I am healing but I am still in pain. I don't want to get another tooth pulled for nothing. But anyway aside from that what is so devastating was I was trying to get a straight answer from him about my left side and the chronic pain and what he thought it was, after showing him my x-rays, at first he was saying NICO and now he says he doesn't know. But when I asked about treatment options for either the osteomyelitis or NICO he said basically there are none and he wouldn't even recommend a maxiofacial surgeon for me to go to after the baby is born b/c he said it's basically impossible to diagnose and to treat. Um, great so that leaves me w/....absolutely no options??? That's what you're telling me? I literally went in and told him I am ready to check myself into a hospital, I can't function at all I'm in so much pain, I am not sleeping, and am only forcing myself to eat b/c I am pregnant, and he is basically telling me "wow sucks to be you!". I mean geez at least give me some false hope, something! I ended up in the ER getting painkillers b/c I literally cannot take it anymore. Which is terrible b/c I am pregnant but I don't know what else I am supposed to do. But back to my original point, I was actually very upset w/ my husband b/c he did not come to the appt. w/ me and I KNOW they take me more seriously when he is involved and cannot just pass me off as some hysterical woman. So I told him if he is not working he has to come to my appts. w. me. I have no other family but him basically so it's very hard on both of us and he works a lot b/c he is taking care of me and soon the baby too. I have not been able to work for a long time b/c of this pain.

Anyway, I wish we could exchange info too, as you can see I like to write and tend to go on:) I am so sorry to hear you are also still going through this and would love to hear any of your story that you want to share. Like I said if nothing else it just helps to know I am not alone. take care and hope to hear from you soon...
Gigi

GiGi,

I posted another reply to you in the Accutane thread. The doctor who said there is nothing he can do for you or that anyone can do for you is a moron. Don't go back to him. You said you went to the surgeon. What kind of surgeon was it?

You should to go an md/dds oral surgeon and do not mention NICO. Read everything you can get your hands on regarding Osteomyelitis and check the archives on this site to read my prior posts and posts from others who have been in the same shoes. It sure sounds to me like it is spreading. Did anyone ever put you on antibiotic for it>

I don't understand why this surgeon said NICO to you and then told you osteomyelitis and said there is no treatment for either.

There is a wonderful post on this board from Grandma Sarah, please read it. She is better from this disease. She is completely healed. I haven't heard from her in about a year, but the last time I heard from her she was doing really well and had moved on with her life.

First thing you should do on Monday is find a new surgeon who is a dds/md and go from there. He might not be able to do anything for you while pregnant, but will likely help afterwards. I don't know why that holistic dentist said you would feel better while pregnant. The immune system slows down during pregnancy and if it is an infection, it can spread further. Do NOT let anyone belittle you or pat you on the arm. Make sure they listen. Any doctor who diagnoses you with osteomyelitis and doesn't provide proper treatment is in my opinion practicing malpractice. There are safe antibiotics that can be taken during pregnancy and there are also safe painkillers. I ended up not having a second child because of my ordeal. It was very sad for a few years, but now that my son is older, I am fine with it. He is the light of my life and the reason I have kept going after 5 years of dealing w/this hell.

I don't want to post my whole story again as it is here, please read it by searching the archives for my user name SusanL95. If you have any questions, please respond and I will keep checking back.

I wish I could help you more, but boy, I am still floundering myself. I am less scared than I was, and I have fully accepted that this is what happened to me and well, I just have to keep going from day to day and eventually, I will either get well, stay the same or die. That is reality.

I sure feel for you with the pregnancy. Does the OB/GYN have any idea you are going thru all this?

Hi Gigi,

I think Susan has given you some great advice. My story is also complicated, but as far as I know, I don't have osteomyelitis (hmmm...). I had a biopsy done a few months ago, and the doctor said he would contact me if anything suspicious was found. I never heard from him, and I haven't had much pain, so I assume things are okay...although I still have quite a bit of excess bone growth in the area (hard to explain). BUT, anyway, I'm going to request the biopsy report soon. I have to do that in writing, but I want to make sure that everything was okay with it and see for myself!

Anyway...my advice is to stay away from the Cavitat. There are absolutely no sound scientific studies to back up the Cavitat...and that holistic dentist you saw seems completely worthless to me!! And Susan is right: When you see a regular oral surgeon/doctor/dentist, do not use the word NICO. Don't even use the word "cavitation." Trust me, you will be much better off that way.

Also, I agree w/Susan that you should check out Grandma Sarah's post as well. It is very detailed and helpful!

BUT, all of that being said...I want to emphasize one more thing: None of us are doctors on here, and even if we were, none of us has seen you in person...Therefore, you should be aware that while osteomyelitis is a POSSIBILITY in your case, it is obvious that no one on here can tell you that for sure. There ARE other possibilities (atypical odontalgia, atypical facial pain, trigeminal neuralgia, etc). I know you said that you don't think it's neuralgia of any sort, and that's very possible, but I'm wondering what kind of medications you tried for treating neuralgia? And at what dose?

I know this is all frustrating...and I wish we could give you straight answers here. But all i can tell you is that you need to see an oral surgeon who understands orofacial pain...they are not easy to find. I know that the doctors at UT-Southwestern (where Grandma Sarah went) are very reputable, but obviously that's far away from you. I also know that in order to see Dr. Caloss, you must have a referral, with a letter sent explaining your situation. I hope that this some of this info helps.

One more note: PLEASE please hang in there! Your baby is going to need you! I have been living with chronic pain for years now (from major injuries and surgeries on my hip, as well as back pain, TMJ, etc). I'm only 29. I can tell you that chronic pain VERY OFTEN leads to depression. There are biochemical reasons for this that I won't get into detail about, other than to say that living in chronic pain depletes your serotonin levels, leading to depression. SO, you must get on an anti-depressant. I don't know much about AD's during pregnancy, but if you can't get on one now, then you MUST get on one after the baby is born. It is crucial in order to maintain some optimism, hope, and the spirit to keep on fighting! :)

Hang in there...

Meg

Susan, I just responded to you on the Accutane thread before reading this. Again I so much appreciate all the info. The dr. I was speaking about is actually an oral surgeon, and his official title is D.M.D., P.C.(I am reading it off his card, not sure what that means exactly). The reason I had gone to him in the first place(referred by my holistic dentist) is b/c she said he is one of the few drs. who knows about this disorder. He's written papers about it and he told me he used to be one of the drs who did surgery and reconstructed ppls jaws, etc but he stopped doing it b/c in his experience the infection just came back and the surgery didn't work. He's very knowledgable and kind, but you're right I think he's a moron:). The reason I am still seeing him actually is b/c when I went recently to get my molar extracted on the right(not the side where I have chronic pain), he accidentally took out the tooth next to it and I had to go back and get the molar out too. He claims neither tooth was good. And now is doing all this work for free and going to give me free implants after my baby is born as well. But yeah that's the side that keeps hurting now too and I am terrified like you said that it is spreading, esp. since the bottom right is now hurting as well as top. And he didn't actually change his diagnosis from NICO to osteo, I think he is just not wanting to disagree w/ my holistic dentist so now is saying he doesn't know what it is until he talks to her. basically he wants me to go back to her and not have to deal w. me anymore then he has to I think at this point.

I had answered your question about antibiotics in the accutane thread so won't go into that again.

So DDS/MD...that is something different then the surgeon I have been seeing? I mean what kind of dr is that exactly, sorry I get confused w/ all the terms. And you think I should find that dr. before a maxiofacial surgeon? And infectous disease? What safe antibitoics and painkillers are you thinking of for pregnancy? As I said in the other thread I REALLY don't want to be on antibiotics again unless there is no other option, also until I can recomfirm that I def. have the osteomyeltits b/c I can not take another round of antibiotics for nothing. But for pain I am back to taking Percocets now after going to the ER the other night, Tylenol does nothing and the percs barely touch the pain but make it a little more bearable. is there something safer I can be taking that will help?

Again I am so sorry you are going through this ordeal...I am going to read your stories as well as grandma Sarah's. That is such a harsh way to have to think of it, get better stay the same or die but you're right I guess it's reality. I keep feeling like if it doesn't get better after my daughter is born I am going to end my life but maybe once she is here I will feel differently and she will keep me going as you said about your son. Were you going through this while pregnant too or did it start after he was born? Anyway my thoughts are w/ you as well, I hope so much we both find an answer.

Gigi

Hi Meg, thanks for responding again. yeah of course I totally understand that you guys are not drs. and cannot diagnose me or know for sure what I need to do. All I am looking for on this board is some direction and support from ppl who have gone through or are going through something similar. Since I have been to so many drs and had no luck so far, it's just imp. for me to get info on my own from whatever source I can at this point and that gives me hope. What makes me feel the most hopeless is when I see these drs and they tell me there is nothing that can be done or act like I'm crazy/blow me off etc. So just knowing there are others who have healed or are trying to heal is very helpful to me.

I am glad to hear that you are not in much pain now. How long were you in pain(w/ your jaw) before this if you don't mind me asking?

yeah I don't plan to bring up NICO or cavatations anymore unless someone else brings it up to me first. I am going to stick w/ the osteomyelitis diagnosis for now until proven otherwise. As for the trigeminal neuralgia, I went to a specialist for that over a yr ago now, he treated me w/ Lyrica. I was on it for about 6 mths and I don't remember for sure the dose I was on when I stopped it but it was pretty high. it didn't help my jaw pain at all(though I get frequent headaches as well and it did help that). he was going to try me on tegretol but basically told me he didn't really feel it was worth it b/c he was sure I didn't have trigeminal neuralgia. Aside from the lyrica not working, my pain symptoms do not fit the criteria for it. he basically did say it was atypical facial pain when I pressed him for a diagnosis. But that just seems like what they say when they don't have a clue as far as I can tell. I am not familiar w/ the other one you mentioned, atypical odontalgia but I will look it up.

As for the anti-depressants I am on them as well. I have actually been suffering from depression most of my life, way before this all started which is part of the reason I think it's so easy for drs. to pass me off and also seems like as soon as they hear that, I get the neuralgia diagnosis. However, I know for a fact my depression has gotten 100xs worse from being in chronic pain and at this point I feel it's directly related to it. being pregnant doesn't help any of it either. I tried to go off my AD's at one point during my pregnancy and did so poorly they put me back on. I told my dr. how hopeless I have been feeling due to the pain and he talked about raising my dose but at this point I don't feel it will help b/c I will still be in pain and I will still be depressed. It's such a vicous cycle. But yes, I am trying my best to stay hopeful and not give up, that's why I am on here talking to you guys!!! So thank you for being here....
Gigi
oh btw I am around your age too, I'm 30. This all started for me right before I turned 28 so I am dealing w/ it at a pretty young age too.

Sorry just another quick question I am looking on the site specifically for Susan and Grandma Sarah's stories and am not sure where to find them. Is there a way to search for a specific persons posts? Thanks!

Hi Gigi,

Okay...here's what I think, if you really want to explore whether you have osteomyelitis or not (I would not be so sure that you have it just yet, because the holistic dentist has not done any credible imaging tests, or any kind of biopsy). After you give birth, it would be a good idea to request a three-phase bone scan of your jaw...I think they most often use technetium-99 (tech-99), but I've never had one of these scans...but do some research on this, and that should help. Also, I can't remember if you've had blood tests or not, but the basic tests (CBC, ESR to measure inflammation, etc.) would be good to have done.

I think you mentioned in one of your posts that you have "hard copies" of the iCAT scan...but that doesn't make much sense to me. The iCAT takes HUNDREDS of pictures, and generally, it's too cumbersome to make hard copies of all those. They typically put them on CD, so I would look into that as well.

As for the Lyrica...I'm not so sure that you've tried all the best meds for neuralgia. My friend has neuralgia after battling osteomyelitis, and takes Trileptal (similar to Neurontin, but with fewer side effects for her). And yes, there is also Tegretol, and maybe even a few others I'm forgetting. I would look into trying some other meds for this. Sometimes it's trial and error, and takes a while to find the right med. It's worth a shot.

Also, with your anti-depressant, I would seriously consider raising the dose if your doc recommended it. I realize that it may not do anything for your pain, but seriously, it WILL still help regulate your serotonin/norepinephrine levels, and help your depression. This is crucial.

As for me, I had some very very invasive and difficult wisdom tooth extractions in December '04. I developed TMJ problems soon after, and about a year later, I had this strange excess bone growth in the lower right area. I also had a massively swollen lymph node and salivary gland on the same side for a while, but that went down after taking antibiotics. Then, I had an iCAT scan that showed some weird stuff...I have excess bone growth NEAR the old socket, BUT the socket itself didn't fill in with new bone very well (a "NICO" lesion, if you will). I did/do get some mild pain in the area, and one general dentist as well as an oral surgeon at Massachusetts General recommended opening the area up, and scraping down to the good, bleeding bone to "restart the healing process." So that is what I had done. Haven't had much pain since, just an occasional mild dull ache. I have to request the official biopsy report, but am assuming it's okay because I never heard back from the oral surgeon...but again, I want be 100% sure. Also, I will be having a panoramic x-ray soon to see if the new bone has filled in (I hope), and to make sure that my 2nd molar is not being threatened by the bone loss.

The only way that you'll likely find someone to do a biopsy of any kind, is if they see some sort of abnormality on an x-ray, iCAT, regular CT scan (CAT scan), or MRI. Or on the bone scan...Anyway, this is really all I know for now, and I think all I can offer about this topic. But if I think of anything else, I will surely let you know!!! :)

Also, if you want to see Grandma Sarah's story, just go look at the earlier posts on this same thread...I believe her story is on the 2nd or 3rd page, not totally sure. AND, to see all of the posts that a person has written, just click on their user name on the left, and it will show you the option "See all posts by this user". Hope this helps!!!

-Meg

Gigi,

Just one more thing I remembered...you asked about all of the different titles (MD, DDS, DMD, etc). Okay...DDS and DMD are both dental degrees, meaning the person went to dental school. The only difference is that some dental schools call it a DMD, and others call it a DDS. They're the same thing. An oral surgeon is always a DDS or DMD, but they have years of training beyond regular dental school.

In addition to all of that training, some oral surgeons ALSO go to medical school, and earn their MD degree...so they are regular doctors too, not just dentists/oral surgeons! This doesn't automatically make them a better surgeon...and I'm not saying you have to find someone with both of these degrees. It just happened that one of the doctors I named earlier has both degreees (from what I remember).

The most important thing is to make sure that your oral surgeon is board certified. Most of them are, but it's not mandatory to be board-certified...they can still practice oral surgery. So make sure to verify this credential...usually most of their business cards will say "Diplomate of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery."

I think I've given you lots of info here...I can't check this board every day, as I've been very busy lately. But I will try to check back within the next few days or week, and see how things are going for you. And please always know that there IS help for the pain...right now your options might be limited because of the pregnancy, but there are definitely better painkillers than Percocet. I know that you don't want to imagine yourself taking these medications forever, but try not to think that far ahead...and if it ever comes to that, it's not the end of the world. I know many people that take strong painkillers, and may have to stay on them forever...but trust me, there are many misconceptions about these drugs. Many of them are safe to take long-term, if you take them as directed. But again, let's not get ahead of ourselves...we don't know if that will ever be necessary for you at all...let's stay optimistic! (I know, I know, easier said than done, but it's so important to try).

And finally, your talk about possibly ending your life after giving birth really scares me. Please trust me, you MUST increase your anti-depressant dose and treat your depression aggressively, especially if you're having suicidal thoughts!!! I've been there...and there IS light at the end of the tunnel. I think you can get this straightened out (the pain) if you persevere. And what's more is that your baby obviously needs his/her mother. I don't mean to turn this into a story about myself...but my mother has been dead for years, since I was a child, and it is DEVASTATING. So hang in there...we're here for you. And I will definitely check back within a few days, or one week at the latest!! :)

-Meg-

Yes. Go up to advanced search and it allows you to check posts under a members name.

Meg, you are wonderful. Thank you so much for your replies and you have given me more than enough info, thank you!!! I feel like I have a lot more to go on now. And I want to apologize for the talk about being suicidal, this is not the place for that and you shouldn't have had to give me a pep talk(but thank you anyway for it):) I was just feeling really desperate and overwhelmed when I posted all that. Having the surgeon basically tell me there were no options kind -of pushed me over the edge, along w/ having the pain on both sides now. But I am hanging in there, don't worry. My main concern w/ raising my AD is really the baby at this point, I've just taken and am taking so much medication still that I really want to avoid taking more if I can, esp. since I am not convinced it would help. But I will consider it, I actually have to find a new psych. anyway b/c I am changing over FT to my hubby's insurance and my old one is not on it so I'll see what they think too. And discuss w/ my OB_GYN of course.

Anyway I agree w/ you I need to get the bone scans and find out for sure if this is what I have, after she's born. I did go back and see my holistic dentist today and she confirmed that is what she thinks it is but like you said, I need a definitive test. Also her assistant said as far as my other(right) side she doesn't think it's the same thing going on, she feels I have a virus in my ganglia nerve that is causing pain(she compared it somewhat to shingles). They said b.c my immunity is so low and from that, I just don't heal properly at this point from dental work and I should not have had any more root canals and extractions done. The new tooth that is bothering me they said to leave alone. it's been a mth since I had the last work done and that side has not healed at all(possibly from this virus if that is what I have) and I am still in as much pain as I was before. I don't know if they are right or not but I am done w/ pulling my teeth or getting root canals since clearly something else is going on and I am not healing. Or I am but my body is still sending out pain signals. Anyway I brought my husband along as I think you or Susan had suggested for back-up. This woman does not treat me like I am nuts like some of the drs but she gives a lot of info and can be vague so it helped to have them there to dicipher.

Anyway, that is my latest. I am going back tomorrow to get my bite tabs redone as well since that's at least another small piece to my puzzle, my bite being off, worse w/ all the extractions. I have noticed when I put pressure to the left side I get a slight relief of pain, not sure if that is something common to this illness or not, but I'll see if it helps at all. Otherwise they said I just have to be strong w/ the pain and work on building my immunity up through the pregnancy and then look into more treatment options after I give birth. I def. do want to find another knowledgable surgeon still though and get another opinion but at least this woman does not tell me it's hopeless!

Anyway I am going to look into all your suggestions, the thing w/ the hard copy of the ICat is confusing me, I don't know why they didn't give me a CD...but that and a lot of other ideas you gave were really helpful so just wanted to say thank you again. I will post about anything new or any progress, etc. and again I just really appreciate all the support and info. I hope you're doing well, take care.
Gigi

Hi Gigi,

Just stopped in here before going to bed, and wanted to respond to your post. I'm so glad that you sound a bit more hopeful now. As for feeling suicidal, I just got scared when I read that, because I had problems with that myself after dealing with a lot of pain. I still have pain from my hip, leg, back, almost daily headaches, and TMJ! BUT, I no longer feel so hopeless after starting Cymbalta. It has been a miracle worker for my depression. Anyway, I don't know much about AD's and pregnancy, but please look into the safety of upping your dose, and if it's not safe now, I definitely would give serious thought to doing so after you give birth.

As for the iCAT scan...I just want to clarify that we're talking about the same thing. It is a relatively new kind of cat scan that uses "cone-beam technology" and very thinly-sliced images (which generally provides clearer, more detailed pictures). Not many dentists/hospitals have it yet. Also, cone beam scanners are better *because they are not distorted by metal fillings, crowns, etc, like regular cat scans.* So I'd make sure that's what you had done...iCAT is a company name, but there are other companies that make cone-beam scanners as well (NewTom, Hitachi, etc.) And no matter what, you should be able to get the images on CD...

As for this holistic dentist...again, it's all well and good that she's telling you what she thinks...but honestly, I'm not impressed. If she really thinks you have osteomyelitis, then she should be giving you better directions about how to treat it. Most people need IV antibiotics to treat true osteomyelitis of the jaw...if that is what you have. Again, I'm NOT saying that's what you have, because who knows right now...but osteomyelitis usually requires aggressive treatment. As for this virus, I have heard about things like that happening, but that is EXTREMELY EXTREMELY RARE. Seriously. Again, not saying either way what your problem is, but seriously...they shouldn't just be speculating without tests to back up what they're saying!!! I would be wary of these people...proceed with caution...

If you really do want to build up your immunity (which is a good idea no matter what, that's the one thing they said that I agree with!)...then you may consider natural supplements, and specific foods. I've been doing this myself. I am currently drinking white tea (although it has a small amount of caffeine, so be careful about that during pregnancy). White tea fights bacteria and viruses, and builds up your overall immunity. Zinc supplements are also a good idea. Also, something that fights inflammation would be a good idea...like omega-3/fish oil supplements.

And finally, I just started taking evening primrose oil, 500mg twice a day. I also take alpha lipoic acid (have to check the dose)...these are all natural supplements. These two are good for nerve health...and I would guess that they would be good for you, because most likely, no matter what you have going on in your jaw, it involves the nerves!!! Oh, and vitamin B-12 is crucial for nerve health...the Methylcobalamin form is best and can be purchased online if you can't find it in the store. Once again, I've written an essay here, but I keep thinking of new info for you, and want to share it all! :)

--Meg

GiGi,

I am glad you feel a little better. I do understand feeling suicidal, that is what chronic pain can make you feel and then a stupid doctor saying it is hopeless would certainly push you over the edge. I had it done to me so many times, I can't count. In any event, I like what Maggie said about moving cautiously w/this holistic doctor. She is speculating and w/o testing can't tell you what you have.

Maggie suggested the bone scan and that is okay to have done, but they often dismiss the results if you recently had any work done in the area (an extraction, ect). When I say recently, I use that term broadly. Some doctors think a bone scan would light up indefinitely and others say otherwise. Some suggest White Blood Cell studies and some say they are useless to use for the head/jaw. Some say get a Gallium scan and other say they aren't valid. I know they do give false negatives especially if the infection is chronic. I think the best diagnostic tool along w/the bone scan is the thin sliced CT scan with 3 d reconstruction. My friend and I learned how to review our own scans and are able to point out areas of concern that the radiologist didn't pick up. If it is a small area of concern a radiologist might skimp thru your scan very quickly. When anyone hears osteomyelitis, they think a rip roaring infection. This is not always the case. Osteomyelitis may be a slow moving, chronic infection that is hard to pick up on scans.

As far as the prior antibiotic use. I hear you. I am convinced that my own prior use of antibiotics has something to do with the stubborn infection I now have. I do not believe it did anything to my immune system, but made my bacteria resistant.

One thing to know about osteomyelitis is that it is typically caused by the normal flora in your mouth. Often doctors will biopsy and culture the bone and tissue and the lab will throw out the bacteria and note on the report that it was normal flora. They should not do this, they should note what the bacteria is so you have a better chance to get rid of it. Along with giving info on what bacteria it is, they need to run sensitivity testing.

At this point, you are pretty much at a standstill until your baby is born. Though, I do wonder if an antibiotic can be given to you safely.

As far as that holistic dentist, if she truly believes it is an infection, why isn't she offering to treat it?

Susan,

You are SO right...I completely forgot to mention that about the bone scan! Thank you for pointing that out. As for my experience, the oral surgeons I saw said that it will usually continue to "light up" for a year after oral surgery...but yeah, it does seem to be up for debate. I wouldn't rely completely on the bone scan...I meant that she should use it more as an adjunct to the CT scan, if needed. Guess I should have clarified that! :)

Anyway, as for the CT scan with 3-D reconstruction...it does sound like you're talking about the cone-beam scanner. It is the newest technology, and is designed especially for dentistry/oral surgery. Many dentists use it to plan dental implant procedures (so that they don't place the implant into the inferior alveolar nerve, or the sinus). The cone-beam scanners provide EXCELLENT 3-D reconstructions. I assume this is what you're talking about, but let me know if it's something else...

Susan, I am also glad that you agree w/me about the holistic dentist. If she truly thinks it's osteomyelitis, then she should be giving Gigi more direction...and if not treating her personally, then referring her to someone who can!

As for the antibiotics...I know that many people have problems with them, and it's smart to be wary of them. BUT, if someone is diagnosed with osteomyelitis after proper imaging, biopsy, etc., then antiobiotics are typically vital in treating the infection!! I have two friends (one I know "online", one I know personally) that have had osteomyelitis of the jaw. Both required weeks of IV antibiotic therapy. It is simply a necessity if infection is involved. BUT, I wouldn't proceed with anything like that unless the proper tests were done, and the holistic dentist definitely isn't helping out with that!!

Take care,

Meg

Just one more note: Susan, I think it was you who had mentioned anti-fungal treatments as well. One of my friends did have that in conjunction with her antibiotics. That is because her oral surgeon did a culture, and found fungus in addition the bacteria. So that's just something important to remember as well...

Hi Maggie and Susan,

Thank you both for your replies and giving me even more info! Susan, with the holisitic dentist she says she can't do anything to treat the infection now b.c I am pregnant and there are some things she could try after I give birth. What frustrates me is she will throw out ideas like now she says she wants to "test my blood for co-agulation"(not sure if I am spelling that right)...or have me get it tested somewhere and that she will send me a panel but I know she won't unless I call and follow up and harrass her. When I asked her about how serious osteomyelitis is and showed her some of the research I found she just said "you're not that bad yet, if you were parts of your jaw would be falling out", or something like that. I asked also about antibiotics and her assistant said I was past the point where they would work anymore. All they keep telling me is to bulid up my immune system but when I ask specifically how they don't really have an answer. They said I could go back on my herbal supplements after the baby is born. Anyway I am searching now for new drs to work w/...someone on here had suggeted a Michael Turner @ NYU, I think it was one of you guys? If so, could you tell me how you got an appt. w/ him, I called the school and they just kept transferring me until I got a machine and no one called me back. In the meantime I did get an appt. w/ a head and neck surgeon for next mth, that I remember someone had recommended I do also. And I know I am limited now and can't get any of the testing done you've recommended but at least I have the info and will be ready after the baby is born, now I just need to figure out where to go.
I did get these "bite tabs" remade w. the holisitic dentist and I noticed when I wear them it does seem to take some of the pressure off the side that she thinks I have osteomyelitis on...there's still pain but it's more bearable b/c some of the pressure is off it. I wonder if anyone has had an experience like that?

Gigi

Gigi,

Dr. Turner shouldn't be hard to reach. I can't post phone numbers here (it's against the board rules). But, I can tell you that if you do a search for "Michael Turner DDS", his phone number should come up. I never had any problem getting an appointment with him, so that's odd. He is with the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery division of the NYU Dental School...I only saw him a few times, but I know he has an excellent reputation, and should be able to point you in the right direction.

Please keep us posted!!! I'm glad to hear the "bite tabs" have given you some relief, even though it's not as much as you'd like...but it's better than nothing for now, right, at least until you can get the proper tests done. I know it's easier said than done, but Hang in there, you will find the help you need if you remain optimistic and persistent :)

-Meg

Hi Meg!
Thanks actually his office finally called me back this morning and I set up an appt. I will def. keep you all posted on further developments. I was getting very overwhelmed yesterday b/c the bite tabs didn't seem to be helping anymore but it's a new day and I am trying to stay optimistic. :) Take care.
Gigi

I'm glad you got the appointment! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you! :)