EDIT; I can’t reply to everyone individually but thanks for all the suggestions! Opiates are out of the question, doctors here will only prescribe those in terms of absolutely extreme suffering or end of life care. I also don’t particularly feel interested in developing a hard drug habit. Diclofenac and such are available but also only on separate prescriptions, I’d have to visit another doctor for that. I’m well stocked on paracetamol & ibuprofen, and apart from that, lots of ice cream, pudding & soup :)

Also, since a fair few people seem to doubt the veracity of my story, here’s the 22 extracted teeth (the other 10 were already gone in previous extractions).

  • lattrommi@lemmy.ml
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    3 months ago

    Hi. You’ve gotten a lot of comments already. I hope this one is not lost in the pile.

    When I was 39 I had all my remaining teeth extracted in one go. There were somewhere between 12 and 18, since many were remnants and not whole teeth.

    Due to the fact that previously in my life I had addictions of many kinds, mostly alcohol and meth related, I was not prescribed opiates. When the procedure was done, I was awake and given only a local anesthetic.

    After they were removed, I was given Amoxicillin (antibiotic) and Prednisone (steriod). They recommended I take Ibuprofen and to avoid acetaminophen (same as paracetamol i think). The latter due to many over the counter versions of it have caffiene. That brings me to my first advice.

    Avoid caffeine at all costs. It will increase your pain, make you edgier and you may grind your gums in your sleep. Check your paracetamol packaging, make sure it does not have caffeine. You might want to avoid it regardless because it can irritate your stomach lining and you’ll be swallowing a lot of blood which increases your chance of vomiting.

    If you vomit, you will almost certainly get dry socket.

    You do not want dry socket.

    Ice cream is painful. Anything too cold or too hot is painful. Soup should be room temperature.

    Bouillon cubes aren’t bad, if you can get liquid soup stock or broth, it works better.

    Do not eat breads for at least a week or two. It sticks to you clots. That can easily lead to dry socket.

    You do not want dry socket.

    Same thing with (american) bananas. They might seem perfect but they can cause dry socket potentially from their stickiness.

    I have had dry socket. Once from smoking cigarettes. Once from being clumsy with a spoon. It was the worst pain of my life until I had to pass a few kidney stones.

    Avoid foods that require cooking. You don’t want to cook.

    One a day shakes should be your new best friend. Meal replacement shakes. Here in the states they come in chocolate and vanilla and don’t taste terrible. Brands include Ensure, Boost, Slimfast and a ton of others. They are packed with protein. They often have vitamins in them too. You can just pour the shake right into the back of your gullet. Bypass your gums and tongue entirely.

    Another medication to consider is sleeping pills. I’m spelling them wrong but see if you can get Amitryptaline or Tramadol. Sleep as much as you can while your body heals.

    Water, water, water.

    Drink at least 2 liters a day. Never drink more than 1 liter in an 8 hour period because water poisoning is very uncomfortable. If your pee is clear, you don’t need to drink water for awhile. The better hydrated you are, the faster you will heal. Drink a lot of water after drinking one of those meal replacement shakes if you can find them. Your body will absorb the water better. Same applies to the soup stock.

    On that note, shower. If it is too painful, take a bath. Again, this helps you stay hydrated, plus is will improve your mood possibly, which in itself can ease the pain.

    Move. Walk around the block if you can. You want to get your heart rate up and keep it up for about 15 minutes, twice a day. Again, this helps your body heal faster. Walking is great unless you are a daily runner, in which case run. Walking is enough for most people.

    A perfect routine would be:

    1. Wake up. Drink some water.
    2. Drink a protein shake and some water. Take your medications with them.
    3. Walk around the block. Or if unsafe or to pained, walk in place. Get that heart rate up.
    4. Shower or bath.
    5. Go back to sleep.
    6. Repeat 3-4x per day, depending on how much you can sleep. It gets harder to sleep the more your do it. The exercise helps a lot.

    I am not a dentist or medical professional.

    I am not a professional of any kind.

    This advice is all from personal experience.

    Here’s some useless personal information that can be skipped:

    December of 2021 when my teeth were all removed. Since then I have gotten dentures. They didn’t fit and hurt to wear and needed adjustments, but the dentist that made them quit the business a week after I got them. Other dentists would not take my insurance or work on them for liability purposes. Sucks being in america. I opted to get implants instead. I’m supposed to have a full set of teeth in about a month, at age 42, for the first time in my entire adult life.

    Good luck. May dry socket never happen to you.

    Edit after reading a few of the comments here.

    Fuck these naysayers that think you’re making this up. Even if you are, fuck 'em. Trying to shit on a person while they are already down. No benefit at all, just cynics, they’re disgusting.

    I’m going to add that my teeth were in terrible shape long before I had addiction problems. My dental problems were due to braces getting fucked up and mangled beyond belief by a scammy dentist/ortho.

    Medicaid and Medicare can be free healthcare in the states. While I don’t think OP is in the states, it is a thing that the poorest of people can receive and the care is exactly what you pay for. All the questions about speaking to a doctor or the dentist about pain management are laughable, knowing that for the poor in the states, that simply doesn’t happen in many areas.

    People saying OP deserved it from not brushing or questions about how one could need a full extraction at age 40 are ignorant and can’t summon even the smallest bit of empathy. These types along with the naysayers can go fuck off back to reddit or 4chan or whereever they came from. They are not adding to the conversation.

    If you have read all this, anyone not just OP, I hope you have a nice day.

    • Krzd@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Fantastic writeup!

      A teeny tiny correction, taking a bath will in fact dehydrate you (only a small bit, unless you have a Swimmingpool and move, then it’ll dehydrate you much more)

      • lattrommi@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        I was not aware of bathing causing dehydration but I can see how it makes sense. Thanks for the correction!

    • Zoot@reddthat.com
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      2 months ago

      Thank you for the advice, you’ve made me realize I’m unintentionally given myself a dry socket.

      Can not 2nd how much pain I was in, you wish the pain were so intense you’d simply black out. You won’t though

  • BudgetBandit@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    I don’t know where you are, but if you’re in Europe I’d get my hands on some Novalgin (illegal in the US because it isn’t addictive) other than that there’s some kind of pads for jaw operations that you put in the freezer.

    I personally find pain more bearable than the cold, so no ice and a lot of sleep for me

  • ReakDuck@lemmy.ml
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    3 months ago

    I also realize that taking so often or much of some medicaments could harm your liver.

    So I would recommend to see if you can reduce the dosage after week or so when the pain finally reduces a bit.

    I am also unsure how much liver damage you can get, maybe I am just paranoid and its not that severe.

  • theneverfox@pawb.social
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    2 months ago

    Holy shit… When I got my wisdom teeth out, I literally broke down in tears after being awake for 20 minutes without Percocet

    Friend, it’s ok to take opiates sometimes…

    Kratom could be an option. You make it into tea, the first cup is a weak stimulant, the second (on an empty stomach) will start to work as a weak opiate. The third or fourth might give you stronger relief. The red strains are supposedly better for pain relief

    You can’t OD on it, it’s commonly available in head shops or online. The addiction potential is very low, you’ll make yourself nauseous before getting what you’d get out of normal opiates. It’s most closely related to the coffee plant - the toxicity concerns are all about contamination, the plant itself is pretty innocuous

    I can give brewing instructions if anyone wants to go down that path, I drink it for anxiety but others say it helps with pain management

  • JoYo@lemmy.ml
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    3 months ago

    most people dont develop an addiction to opiods when taken as directed by your doctor.

    speaking of, go to urgent care or your PCP if they can fit you in for a perception. a dentist is going to be worthless for anything other than the mouth bones.

    • TheFriar@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      Weeelllll….

      At the end of your bottle, if you’re taking them as prescribed, which is usually every 4-6hrs? Do that for a week and your body would be addicted. A full bottle + a refill, even two? It’s not about taking them recreationally. Your body and brain get addicted when they’re in your system regularly. I would know, got hit by a car, I think I only had one refill, and I was going through withdrawals at the end. I wasn’t even taking them as often as prescribed, mostly “as needed.” That was still regular enough.

      • JoYo@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        You’re confusing dependence for addiction.

        Dependence is the tolerance one develops over time and the withdrawal someone suffers after stopping a drug.

        Addiction is behavioral disorder that refers to the desire a person feels for the effects of a drug.

        most people dont develop an addiction to opiods when taken as directed by your doctor.

      • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        Dealing with opiate withdrawal can be less damaging than extreme levels of pain.

        Pain is not just a feeling. At extreme levels it reprograms the nervous system in ways that are really, really bad long term.

      • Pup Biru@aussie.zone
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        3 months ago

        when i had surgery i got a tray of 10 for when the pain became unmanageable, and was told ibuprofen and paracetamol as per instructions otherwise… extremely limited supply is a real help to ensure you understand the “UNMANAGEABLE” part

        i ended up using 2 and disposing of the rest

    • LustyArgonianMana@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Pain meds get denied all the time. There are many reasons a surgeon might want to pull all teeth (although I agree thats extreme). Medical malpractice happens. And yes sometimes healthcare will approve tooth removal over other treatments. One of my friends couldn’t afford a root canal and his insurance only approved tooth removal so… that’s what happened.

  • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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    3 months ago

    Did you and your doctor not have this conversation!?

    Or are you more inclined to listen to the internet over the person who’s job it is to pull all your teeth out of your head?

    Answer: Oxy.

  • tacosplease@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    If you can’t get pain meds I’d try Kratom.

    Start with a low dose and work your way up. If you take too much you will puke which would be awful in your current condition.

    Take the right dose and it will significantly relieve the pain. I slowly took increased doses until they started to make me feel a little woozy or get cold sweats. Then I knew my personal dose is a little less than that.

    I can’t stress enough though - take less at first and try a little more each time.

    Either eat food with it every time or take on an empty stomach every time, but don’t go back and forth unless you know your proper personal dose with and without food. It matters a lot with Kratom.

    All that said, do it right and it will bring more relief than anything else I’ve been able to legally acquire. Absolutely do not allow yourself to take it every day once the pain is manageable. Plenty of people do… But don’t do that.

    Good luck. No matter what - this is only temporary. You will get through it.

    • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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      3 months ago

      My mom has chronic pain from disabilities and started taking Kratom a few years back. I tried it first to test things out before she started. We misread the instructions, and steeped about 10x more than we should have in orange juice for several hours.

      I have never been so sick. OMG. It was 3 days of pure hell.

      But here’s the kicker, doing that with any other medication would’ve killed me. This just made me sick. It’s a weird way to begin saying you swear by something, but I swear by the stuff. It is genuinely helpful, and it has an upper limit, so it’s risk for abuse is low. Stuff is great.

  • communism@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    I dont have an answer to your question but I do wanna say that prescription opiates are given at a dose that isn’t expected to cause addiction in someone who doesn’t already take these drugs. I’ve been prescribed opiates after every surgery I’ve had—usually don’t take them cause I don’t need them but I have done at times when the pain has been bad enough. I understand that your docs won’t prescribe them though, and I don’t recommend taking them without a prescription if you can’t guarantee that you’re getting them from a safe source.

  • 🐍🩶🐢@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I had a friend do this. It was utter misery for over a year. Most of his teeth were shattered, so he had to wait for a lot of fragments to expel naturally.

    Do not discount pain management that involves opioids. Not saying to use them for weeks nor do I know your personality for bad habits, but if it gets bad please don’t suffer for no reason. Getting ibuprofen or acetaminophen with low dose codine may be a good middle ground and is even available over the counter in some countries. Extended pain is mentally exhausting and isn’t worth the hit on your mental health.

    f you are struggling taking pills, get liquid ibuprofen. Sometimes you can get a chemist to make a suspension for you, otherwise get childrens. I do that if my throat gets too infected and I am unable to swallow. Honestly, it works far better than the pills and I needed a lot less.

    Best thing is to be honest with your doctors, even if you do not want anything stronger. Be sure to communicate any discomfort due to ill fitting dentures. Ask questions if anything unexpected comes up. My friend’s doctor was super shitty and didn’t even tell him about all of the left over fragments that still had to come out on their own.