M. B. W.
8/2/08
Dear Dr. Amin:
My name is M. B. Wren and because of your research and thorough investigations into NCS, I was finally able to discover the source of my pain! It's been one day since I had emergency re-root canal yesterday to remove the metal and sealant material used in the root canal procedure that had caused me such severe pain that stumped all my regular medical doctors!
My scalp was so on fire, that I asked the dentist to perform the dental procedure sitting up, because I could not handle anything touching my head! I had not been able to lay down flat or curl up on my left side for a month, because my scalp was on fire! Weirdly enough, it was only my left side of my scalp that burned, and not my right.
This all started when I had a root canal procedure done in March of 06. The first reaction I noticed is that my gum surrounding the tooth became gray and ached. The dentist applied industrial strength ambesol (sp) and told me the medication would last a year. It didn't, it lasted 6 weeks. I went back and they re-applied the same medicine, and again it hurt again in, 6 weeks. Then my dentist filed down the filing figuring that it didn't fit right in my mouth. That still didn't work. Then the gum surrounding the crown began to bleed so I headed back to the dentist. The hygienist didn't know what to think. The dentist looked at it, and asked me a question if I was allergic to cheap metal in earrings. I didn't think much of it before she had asked me, but yes I couldn't stand wearing cheap metal earrings that had backings to them. So we set up an appointment to remove the porcelain in my mouth, but that appointment didn't happen until yesterday afternoon.
Shortly after I was diagnosed by my dentist that I was allergic to the cheap metal in the porcelain crown the symptoms went from bad to worse. I NEVER connected the two until I read your article! At first I was diagnosed with diverticulitis (but didn't get the CT scan to say for certain-because I didn't have any medical insurance). So I requested that they put me on the antibiotics to treat me as if I had diverticulitis. From that experience (I thought) I developed a burning, painful skin crawling, feeling like I had been hit on the head with a 2X4 with nails on it (only on the left side of my head!). From there my lymph nodes swelled up, only on my left side!
I'm a logical intelligent woman, so I had to wonder what kind of parasite would only favor one side of the scalp or body from the other? So in desperation I headed to my family physician who in turn told me that I was suffering from cellulites, and possible shingles (of the head? I had to wonder!) I was placed on alviron (sp?) and Valtrex for herpes for the supposed shingles of the head! (I've never heard of shingles on the head!!!!!). Then I was placed on Kef tab, and presidone (sp?) for cellulites. That didn't work.
My lymph nodes swelled. I returned to the doctor, who in turn placed me on amoxicillin to lessen the swelling of the nodes. That seemed to work except for the lymph nodes in my left side of my neck near the root canal!! My family physician, by this time ran numerous blood tests, trying to figure out what it was. They checked me for mono. They wanted me to go to a rheumatologist. They were guessing that it might be fibromyalgia or lupus (I'm a white women!!!!!).
Finally Monday (July, 28th) rolls around. My nodes are still swollen, my head is hurting terribly. My skin is crawling. It's burning badly. I was desperate, and then I remembered "Allergic to metal in the root canal!!" So for grins and giggles I "googled" red hot burning scalp and root canal, and I landed on your site.
When I read your articles I was fascinated and relieved. I began to cry. I immediately downloaded the paperwork and headed to my dentist! At this point I was in so much pain; I had asked her to perform the procedure sitting up so that I would not have to put any more pressure on the skin of my scalp! She read the article, recognizing the dental compounds and sealants and knew immediately that the crown material had come out.
Playing a hunch she shot some lodacaine into my inner cheek, connecting with the blood stream of my scalp and within minutes, the burning sensation disappeared, and when the metal was removed from my body the swelling disappeared, the burning sensation stopped and my life came back to me! All of this occurring within 2 hours after the procedure!
It's been a little over 24 hours now, and I'm a changed person! My scalp still tingles, and it itches, but it's NOTHING compared to the burning hot flame that I was feeling yesterday morning!