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Tooth infection

A MyMSTeam Member asked a question 💭
London, UK

I have posted on here a few times about my MS relapse that seemed to be going up and down then starting again for 6 months. It turns out I had a very bad tooth infection, like really bad and I ended it up in A&E. I've had it removed and I'm wondering have all my facially symptoms been a result of that or has the the tooth infection caused the relpase. My blood test confirmed infection and so did my Xray
How long until my symptoms stop and if they continue for a bit does that mean the tooth… read more

July 17
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A MyMSTeam Member

If the infection was really bad it is possible that you went into true relapse mode. As t0 how long that will last it's different for everyone.

July 19
A MyMSTeam Member

I had many before I just had all my teeth removed. They were all bad, then I started dmts. I think that made them worse but I don’t know. Better now. Even better now that I quit vaping. I hope you find what you need. 🤗

July 18
A MyMSTeam Member

Emma, your experience sounds similar to mine. It was the way my ms came to light. I had a left, lower dental bridge put in but it broke a couple months later. It was one of the most excruciating pains of my life but in my head and face. After many doctors visits and them thinking it was tmj, I ended up having Trigeminal Neuralgia. Once the bridge was taken out, the pain subsided but didn't leave because it thru me into a pseudo flare because of the stress of the pain on my body.
If it weren't for the bridge breaking, I would not have known I had Ms and the other comodalities that come with ms, (15 years of not knowing what my body was going thru).

How are you feeling today and did your doctor put you on meds or test you for Trigeminal Neuralgia? Side note: You said your tooth was infected so yeah that can cause a lot of pain but if your face is still hurting even after that, I would consider having the doctor check for it and/Occipital neuralgia.

🤗🤗

July 18
MyMSTeam

What a relief to finally have an answer after six months of uncertainty — and what an ordeal! A serious tooth infection like yours can absolutely trigger MS symptoms and even a true relapse. Here's why:

Infections cause inflammation in the body, and inflammation is a known trigger for MS relapses. Gum and tooth infections Show Full Answer

What a relief to finally have an answer after six months of uncertainty — and what an ordeal! A serious tooth infection like yours can absolutely trigger MS symptoms and even a true relapse. Here's why:

Infections cause inflammation in the body, and inflammation is a known trigger for MS relapses. Gum and tooth infections in particular contribute to widespread inflammation, which can worsen or bring on new MS symptoms. As for your facial symptoms specifically, MS can directly affect the nerves in the face, and infection-driven inflammation can make this significantly worse. So it's very possible the infection was both amplifying existing symptoms AND triggering new ones at the same time. Regarding how long symptoms will last, this really depends on whether it was a pseudo-flare or a true relapse:

- Pseudo-flare — symptoms triggered by the infection that ease once the infection clears, usually within 24 hours to a few days of the underlying cause resolving
- True relapse — new inflammation in the central nervous system causing symptoms lasting more than 24 hours, at least 30 days after a previous flare-up If symptoms persist or worsen even after the infection has cleared, that would suggest a true relapse rather than just a pseudo-flare driven by the infection. It's really important to contact your neurologist now and keep them updated, especially given the six-month timeline. They may want to review your MRI or adjust your treatment plan.

Don't wait to reach out — your care team needs to know what's been happening.

July 17

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