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Osteomyelitis and actinomycosis of the frontal mandiable 23 year old

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hernall1989
hernall1989

Hi,

Back in August 2012 I under went surgery to remove an impacted tooth that was underneath my two front teeth. Since then I under went hurrendous pain and my face and chin swelled up to the point where my skin was so stretched on my face and a number of anti biotics there was no sign of it going.

After under going 2 more lots of surgery the swelling within my chin was still not budging and was still getting considerable amount of pain. After the 3rd lot of surgery a tissue sample was taken from my chin to be discovered that I had actinomycosis.

I was rushed back into hospital and placed onto a IV drip for 7 days of 1g a day amoxicillin, during my stay in hospital my chin swelled up again and I was rushed back down to surgery and a drain was put in under my chin and was left in for 48 hours then removed. I was allowed to go home on oral amoxicillin still on the 1g amount per day.

After seeing my consultant a week later I found still no progress, but didn't expect it due to the nature of actinomycosis and reading different forums of how long it actually takes to over come it. I was sent for a MRI scan and a CT scan which both confirmed that I also have osteomyelitis of the mandiable.

My consultant referred to the infectious diseases clinic as his knowledge was not 100% on the nature actinomycosis due to my consultant being a maxio facial surgeon. When I went to see the infectious diseases clinic, he advised me that the dosage of amoxicillin that I was on was not going to tackle the actinomycosis. So he upped my dosage to 6g a day which currently I still am on. He also advised me the severity of the virus and the extent of how it has gone to my mandiable to the osteomyelitis.

At the moment I am incrediably fed up with it all, I am in so much pain and I refuse to take pain killers due to the fact that I become immune to them. My maxio facial surgeon wants to operate on me again to shave the bone down but the infectious diseases consultant says surgery is a no go and that I will have an 70% chance of tracking and being on amoxicillin for up to 3 years . But to my understanding if I have actinomycosis it is a virus where it buries itself deep in your tissue as does not like oxygen. Therefore if it is in my bone surely this needs to come away along with the amoxilcillin on top. So if I come off the amoxicillin after 12 weeks then the virus is going to go back straight into the tissue from the bone.

I've stressed to both consultants that I want the surgery as I feel that i will benefit from it. But I don't want to go against what the consultants are saying. It has been suggested that I go for hyperbaric treatment to see if it relieves the symptoms. I just have no idea what to do all I want is to get better and don't see it happening in the near future!

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • m67
    m67

    Posted

    Firstly and for what it is worth you have my sympathy, you're young to be going through this; I understand it is hard and you just want to be well

    You will be well again, what you have is not incurable and it is important to focus on that. Get all the support you can. I do not know your personality type but support groups work well for some people, ask your GP about anything local.

    Remember everything is relative, I became fully disabled over about a two months with RA, now I have both that and all sorts of other issues - 4 years ago I was racing motorcycles and cars, now I live in an electric wheel chair.

    But I give thanks regularly I do not have cancer or Motor neurone disease or similar - my life could be much worse.

    We all get to a stage where pain killers do not work, the trick is to change them about as you go along I found - so I take opiate based painkillers; Targinact, Tramadol, Morphine tablets, Morphine liquid plus Ibuprofen and paracetamol. I swap and change about, I'll take one type for two days then take something else, or I'll take Tramadol and Morphine or Targinact and Morphine or whatever. See your GP, get a mix of tablets and understand how you can mix them under your GP's control.

    Apart form that I have to say, listen to your specialists, they don't get to be called 'Mr' again for being idiots. So trust them, get some painkillers, try to stay calm and good luck smile

  • melindasmakeup
    melindasmakeup hernall1989

    Posted

    I am so sorry you are dealing with osteo in your jaw bone. I also have chronic osteo in my lower right jaw. It is so painful. I've been dealing with it for 16 years! I've had surgeries and antibiotic treatment, I still struggle with pain though. 

    I hope you are doing better...

  • teresa98060
    teresa98060 hernall1989

    Posted

    I don't know if this will work for you. I was only just diagnosed with osteomyelitis. My dentist drilled three holes in my bone and syringed ozone gas into the holes. The gas is supposed to fight antioxidants, kill bacteria, spread the antibiotic that I'm on, and regenerate the bone. It's been two days and I haven't noticed any change iin the pain but I'm hopeful. Take care, Teresa
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