Tuesday, August 25, 2009

What Was In That Toothpaste?

Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored!" I'll be brief today, because brief is all I can be.

Yesterday I went to the dentist for my routine exam/cleaning. I had forgotten I was supposed to take antibiotics for a few days prior to the exam. (This stems from last year's hip replacement.)

No matter. The dentist gave me four big Amoxycillin caplets and had at me with the various power tools constructed for tooth torture. Some 45 minutes later, I ambled out of the office with clean choppers and a full evening ahead of me.

By 9:00 I was sick, and by midnight I was sick as a dog. Fever, chills, stomach. My daughter The Heir, ever vigilant on matters pertaining to vomiting, did a Google search and found that these symptoms can occur with an overdose of Amoxycillin.

This was news to me. I thought you were either allergic to the stuff or could pretty much feast on it with gluttonous abandonment. I never had a problem with it before.

Today my appetite has returned, but I feel like those capsules might have been quaaludes and not Amoxys. My head is spinning.

So here's to a lost day. Thank goodness school hasn't started yet! I can go sit in the shade and stare blankly at my Shrine of the Mists.

Weird way to spend a day stoned.

10 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Hurray for The Heir's research skills and hope you feel back to yourself soon!

Maeve said...

When I read how many you ate, I thought "uh oh". That stuff is hard on my stomach at the normal dosage level! So very sympathetic to your tummy woes.

(and a belated congrats on your anniversary.)

Dancing With Fey said...

I hope you get better quickly!

Alex Pendragon said...

THAT's IT!

THE TOOTH FAIRY!!!!!!!!!

Damn, I'm a genious............

yellowdoggranny said...

he should have known better..even i as a redneck texan thought immediately...whoa..that's too much..
take pictures of teh shrine..i'm still thinking on what i want to send..

Pom said...

I do hope that you're following that rather large amoxy cocktail with some yogurt.

Maggie said...

How strange. I thought you could also take Amoxy as often as necessary! Hope you feel better very soon!

Paula said...

I had a doc give me amoxicillin once and couldn't fathom why I wasn't getting better. He finally looked in my chart and realized I was allergic to penicillin.

I hope your feeling better and second Granny about taking some pictures of the shrine.

Rick Loftus, M.D. said...

Anne, your dose of amoxicillin was correct for dental procedures--2 grams given before the dental work, while it seems a big dose, is indeed the dose we use.

HOWEVER: Unless you have a severe heart valve problems, or immune problems like lupus, diabetes or HIV, I understand that your only indication for antibiotics before dental procedures is your hip replacement, right?

The guidelines for this changed recently, because docs recognized that a whole lot of people were getting these drugs who probably didn't need them. Research indicates that oral antibiotics before dental work to prevent infections of artificial joints has no evidence to support it, just "conventional practice" (Clin Infect Dis 1995 May;20(5):1420-5).

The American Academy of Oral Medicine, American Dental Association, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy all advise against antimicrobial prophylaxis before dental procedures if the goal is solely to prevent the development of a prosthetic joint infection.

This is not to ding your dentist--the reason all these groups had to get together to issue these guidelines is because the use of antibiotics before dental procedures is so hard-wired into medical professionals. Nobody wants to be derelict in their duty to protect the patient from bad infections that could require removal of the joint.

If you did need the drugs, alternatives would be 2 grams of Keflex or 500mg of Zithromax.

But you probably don't need them at all.

Also: Anyone who takes a broad-spectrum antibiotic should take a probiotic, such as Florastor, to protect their gut flora. The friendly microbes down there are as much a part of our body as our arms and legs.

Blessings, R

Anne Johnson said...

Thank you, Dr. Rick!