Humera and tooth pain and complications | Arthritis Information

 

Hi. I am new to the forums. I had been diagnosed with Ra for about a year, PA about 5 years and Sjogren's Syndrome for about ten years. I began using Humera about two months ago. With every injection, I get sinus pain and develops into an infection and then the pain shoots to the upper molers. Yesterday, I wound up having a root canal and the endodontist doesn't think itwill work, because of all the bleeding. I will probably loose the tooth. Has anyone else experienced tooth pain and complications with Humera?

Hi Helene, and welcome to the forum, although I'm sorry you have to be here.  I never took Humira, although I've taken a number of other biologicals (all with increased risk of infections), and developed a lot of sinus infections...or so I and my primary care doc thought.  Finally I visited an ENT specialist who scoped and scanned my sinuses and told me I just had allergies and that I had needlessly been taking antibiotics.  However, there were a number of other problems he said it could of been, and I'm wondering if maybe it would be worthwhile for you to get checked out by an ENT. 

 

Also I find that whenever I get a lot of pain at once, anywhere in my body, my teeth tend to hurt from referred pain.  And with the sinuses being adjacent, I'm wondering if you really need a root canal or the pain is something else.   So while my experience isn't with Humira, I just wanted to suggest getting the sinuses checked out first.

 

PS - As for the bleeding, are you on other meds (like NSAIDs) that cause excess bleeding?  If so, you could talk to your doctor about stopping those meds for a few days before serious dental work.

I have been Humira form sometime now--maybe 3 years.  Knock on wood--nothing too serious has showed up but I did develop an infection that required a root canal that kind of went bad.  The tooth had already been capped twice and then developed an ozzing infection.  So I went for the root canal to a specialist so I could save the second cap.  He was bound and determined the cap was coming off--then there was not enough tooth to re-cap.  Anyway--to make a long story short, the tooth "developed" a broken root so he did not even continue.  The tooth had to be removed and I went though the process for an implant.  Another specialist removed the tooth and did a bone graft.  The a bit later did the rest of the procedure requiring major surgery both times.  All during this time I was on all my RA meds.  I asked--they said to continue them.  They gave me antibotics both times.  Everything healed up nicely.  I have had no sinus problems.  I have actually thought things heal up faster now than before the meds--maybe I am just weird!  I have noticed cuts on my hands, etc--seem to heal very fast.  I would suggest if you are getting sinus issues--get them checked out.  You don' t want to go though the dental procedures it isn't dental.  It is painful and expensive.  The pocket of infection showed on an an xray before they did anything to the tooth.  Thanks for the reply. I do have an appointment with the ent, and will stop taking the Humera until this gets resolved. I did need the root canal, I saw the x-ray and saw the area that was infected. Hopefully the root canal will work, will  know more next week. Hi Helene, I was on Humira and while I didn't have dental issues, I did have sinus issues that caused tooth pain!  I felt like I was constantly fighting off a sinus infection and went through too many rounds of antibiotics!  Humira just didn't do the trick for me in controlling my RA, so I moved on to Cimzia.  I have to say, I've been on Enbrel, Humira and now, Cimzia and Humira was the only one to give me sinus fits! 

It could be from the Sjogren's too, as I'm sure you know the dry mouth causes dental issues.  I battle this too! 

I am sorry your are having problems and fingers crossed the root canal works!


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