Oxycontin Damaged My Teeth (Page 5)
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Has anyone else known oxycontin to rot the teeth? I used to be on vicodin until my doctor told me I needed to switch to a morphine based meds. She put me on ms contin but I had problems with it so she put me on 80mg oxycontin. Eventually my body built up a tolerance so she kept raising it, i have am now on from 4-6 per day of the 80mg tabs. It scares me that this is what rotted my teeth because only 5 yrs ago i had only 2 cavities that needed filling and then only 1 yr after going on the oxycontin i had to have all my top front teeth pulled as they where rotting from the inside out the dentist said my mouth looked like a heroin addict's mouth looks. He said it was shocking to him that normally he only saw such damage from someone who abused drugs with so much dental damage, but i have never done any street drugs and have only take my meds as prescribed to me. Now i have lost 80% of my teeth and as a beautiful 41 yr old mother its devastating. I cant afford dentures and sure cant afford implants like i would like to have. I am a single mother and refuse to date because i have lost my teeth now, i had beautiful teeth before i started on the oxycontin and only 2 small cavities that needed filling. Does anyone else have this same problem and if so why hasn't the company making oxycontin warn patients of this possible problem?

If i had known this would cause me to lose most of my teeth i would have never agreed to go on it. Of course my family doctor who has been prescribing them tells me she hasn't heard of any other cases, yet when i researched the med online there where others like this why hasn't something been put in the warnings about this med, i sure would have preferred to have lived in pain the rest of my life rather than lose my teeth and be unable to even eat now. My health has gone downhill fast as i cant even chew foods necessary for good health. All I can eat now are yogurts, and liquid type of foods which isn't much. My kids are 7 and 9 yrs old and they watch me cry when we go out to eat and they order steak, and i can smell it but can't order one as i know i wont be able to chew it. This is so devastating for me. I want teeth so badly if i could wish for anything in life besides not to be poor anymore it would be to have a full set of real teeth or implants but i could never dream of having them, and i don't know anyone out there willing to just help me get any either. I have always helped others all my life, but cant even help myself, i have had to have 29 surgeries now since 1991 when a drunk driver hit my car and caused me major injuries with my lower back and knees, i have had a full lower back fusion and 8 arthroscopic knee surgeries until a year ago they finally had to do a full right knee replacement and now they are talking about doing my left knee soon.

So my life has been up and down with surgeries and i would go thru one more surgery just to have teeth implanted if i could. but i could never afford it, but i would like to know why these drug manufacturers are making a medication that could cause teeth to rot like this without warning us patients or even warning the doctors about it. This is just terrible of them i think, as now i am the one paying for this by having no teeth to eat with at such a young age now. I am a vibrant young 41 yr old at 5'3, 120lbs, slim woman, nice looking too as i was a model in my younger days, so i keep my looks up. But to have no teeth now... I never smile anymore, I am to ashamed to smile even though it wasn't my fault i lost my teeth. I think they should pay for me to have new teeth but no one wants to admit that the med causes it, but my diet wasn't the problem back when i started the medication and i wasn't drinking coca-cola either or doing street drugs so i know that wasn't the cause either. The only thing that changed within one year to cause this was starting the oxycontin medication. Well, if anyone out there can help me let me know thanks.

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The pills side effects caused you to lose your teeth my toothless friend. When you take these pills one of the many side effects is "muck mouth" or dry mouth which causes your enamel to break down and over time it causes your teeth to rot.

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It rotted my teeth. They had me take 180 Percocet tens a month for three and a half years. 7 years later I'm still having teeth issues

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My story is just about the same as yours. I went on OxyContin after having surgery. With in 2 yrs of being on oxycontin I lost all of my teeth. They rotted from the inside out. I did get dentures, but due to the fact that I can't wear them (the bone ridge in my mouth is to shallow), I eat very little. I have lost weight because, I eat a lot of ice cream and thing that don't have to don't chew. I'm so very unhappy now, that all I do is cry. I don't smile anymore. I don't go places with my husband, then he get mad at me. If I would have known that OxyContin was going to that my teeth, I would have never used it. There ought to be a warning om the bottle to let people about this, and give the choice, of not taking this drug or try another. I wish some one would start a class action suite against them.

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I to took the dreaded oxycontin & didnt even reLize my teeth were rotting away in till it was to late. Also got addicted to it & was not a fun experience getting off of it, which I did myself with my Drs. Advise. I never want to see another oxycontin pill!!! Yes I still have pain from a back injury from a cat wreck I was in. Recently had to have nerve ablation done which thankfully got rid of the really bad pain. I just wish there was something for pain I still have that a Dr. would write me a prescription for but that will never happen now.

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It is the dry mouth that causes tooth decay. The medication causes dry mouth and the dry mouth causes tooth decay.

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I too have had this same problem. I knew it was the Oxycontin that rotted my teeth. I had perfect teeth before using this medication. I'm sorry you have had to go through all of your trials with surgery, I feel for you. I would be interested in getting a legal suit started against Purdue Pharmacy. They need to be held accountable for not warning the public about tooth decay caused by use of their medication. I too, would have reconsidered it's use. Please keep me informed if you come across more about this or would like to contact Purdue to start complaints. If there are more of you out there, please message me. Again, we shouldn't of had to experience this when we have already been through so much.

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My pleasure. Hope everything works out and youre spared any nightmares or problems.

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Thank you, Steve and Smoochie, for your advice! I really appreciate it and I'll keep y'all posted!

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All drugs that cause dry mouth will lead to what people call methamphetamine mouth! You can brush your teeth until they bleed but evenually you will loose them if you're taking opiates, methadone/pharmacuitical amphetamines/preludin/prescription diet pills.

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Immediately take all your pain meds from that pharmacy to another, OUT of the area pharmacy and ask them to clarify exactly what they are. And bring someone with you like a parent or some other respected adult and DEFINITELY DO NOT tell anybody about what youre doing. IF there is some type of BS going on you need to make sure nobody suspects anything or they will just cover their asses somehow. Youre not alone, many people get screwed over by corrupt pharmacies and doctors that use patients naivity to their advantage and of course profit off them while pulling their scam. Your meds may be just a different brand, cheaper generic type that is not as strong, maybe even placebos given to you on purpose under instruction from your doctor, or maybe there is another reason, But above all else its very important that you know exactly what youre taking and not take something that is different then what 1. You expect to be taking and 2. Isnt harmful to you in any way and 3. You get what youre supposed to for your pain of course, it is the reason youre taking them above all else.
IF you learn of some BS happening then definitely have whoever is guilty charged and prosecuted bigtime, thats some lowdown cruel dirty crap to pull on an innocent patient.......
Hope it turns out not to be a messed up situtation for you......

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I, like most of you, also understand this concept/fact, HOWEVER!, it was only WELL REPORTED and recognized AFTER those of us who began experiencing the tooth decay and or/loss that any information regarding the connection began to surface in the medical community, much less the mainstream media! THAT'S WHERE MY ISSUE REMAINS!!!! They are, and have been hiding behind the fact that, even IF they had included "dry mouth" as a side effect (which, if it was even included, much less OF COURSE, done so) without ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Or what having dry mouth might have on one's teeth/oral health! There's NO DOUBT IN MY MIND that this can be proven, not only against the pain medication manufacturers, but against any and all of the manufacturers of any drug that also causes, dry mouth!!!

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Hi Christine,

From what you are saying i'm guessing yes on what you said or you could look that pill up for yourself on the internet. I do that with every pain pill i get because for one they seem to always short me out of some, but when I say anything I'm always wrong and they are always right, it sounds like to me that the new pharmacy you are using has some crooked people working in there. I would take the bottle of pills back to the pharmacy and i would point that directly out to the pharmacist. That is not fair to you at all and from what you are saying you are probably right. If they don't want to fix this problem then the next best thing to do is get ahold of someone in the drug enforcement where you live. I wrote the governor of our state and to my surprise he emailed me back and told me that the DEA is keeping an eye on this new law they put out here. To make a long story short I could no longer get my Xanax because I was taking pain meds, then about 2 months later I got to get them back, all i had to do is sign a waiver. But back to your questions, I would try what I first suggested then if that doesn't work then I would contact the drug enforcement; and my pain meds do constipate me as well, but my Dr also gives me magnesium sulfate for it and it works really well and you can buy it over the counter. I hope this helps you out some and i hope you can get something done about this.

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Ok!! Now I need help from all of you, your doctors/or pharmacists who might be able to clear up a question I now have about the multiple types/appearance of the 30mg Oxycodone tabs that I've been recently been receiving from a new pharmacy that is not only close to my doctor's office, but who will also make sure that they have the quantity I need directly after receiving my Rx/after my appointment.

I JUST received a manual pill counter that I ordered (so I could keep track of, and control how many pills I was taking) and, when I started counting them, I happened to notice that not only were the pills two different colors (which had been explained to me by the pharmacy that they were simply made by different manufacturers). HOWEVER, after I began to take a closer look at the white (different... Not blue) pills, I noticed that, instead and aside from the color difference as well as numbers (but blank on the other side) separated by a cross hatch, the WHITE ONES, although being blank on one side, HAS THE NUMBER 15 ON THE OTHER!!! IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS NEW PHARMACY IS..... HMMMM.... HOW CAN I SAY THIS W/O USING A CUSS WORD.... ARE THEY SUBSTITUTING 15mg PILLS FOR MY FULL RX OF 30mg pills? Does ANYONE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION? Oh, and the other thing is that I've NEVER gotten constipated with my "regular" prescription but I have with these and, NO, they don't seem to be near as effective as my original pills were, either. ANY ADVICE ANYONE CAN GIVE ME WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND, IF I'M RIGHT, WHAT RECOURSE WOULD I HAVE AGAINST THIS NEW PHARMACY? OH, AND BEFORE I FORGET, THE ACTUAL PHARMACIST INSISTED THAT I HAVE SOME OF MY OTHER RX`s FILLED IN HIS PHARMACY FROM WHERE I USUALLY GET THEM!

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Hi, I read your story. I am having the same problem but I am losing healthy teeth. I'm devastated. I lost my bottom front tooth and it was healthy tooth!! I have it to show anyone. My back teeth also have broke off at gum line. I am taking 40 mg oxycontin. I have had teeth coming out since I have been taking it. There should have been a warning that if you take it your teeth will fall out. I take the rubber (that the only way I know to describe it) I wondered if that made man material is what's hurting our teeth. I also wonder what could it do to our body's? My bones hurt so bad. Can anyone help? Should we seek legal council ...seriously, I want to talk to attorney. I have no dental insurance. My doctor says see my dentist when I ask for them to run diagnostics to see what could be causing my healthy teeth to just break and I can't smile anymore. I've cried for days. I live in Jacksboro TN. Does anyone else live in my area because we need to file a legal case. I am gona make them fix my teeth. They should have a warning. Please anyone contact me {edited for privacy}. Let's get back what was took from us. This has caused me depression. It has took my self confidence away. Anyone going thru this we need legal help. I am getting an attorney.... God Bless.

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No problem Christine,any time if i gotta an idea I will share it with all you all,im here to help and can always give suggestions.

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Thanks, Smoochie, for all of your suggestions! Christine

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Hi Christine, I found that Aleve or Doans Pill's work very well. The Doans is actually for your back. You could also try 800 mg of Ibuprofen that is an antiinflammatory pill, as well as an OTC pain med. If at all possible ask your Dr if you could have Parafon Forte DSC. This would be a muscle and skeletal relaxer, works very well for me, but others are different. It wouldn't hurt to try. I take 1 to 1/2 tab as needed 4× a day. It's well worth trying anyways or if not that maybe some Piroxicam; it also is an antiinflammatory pill. If your Dr will let you have either and neither work then I would for sure have your back checked again because if nothing is taking the pain away, something is wrong somewhere. Good luck hun and i hope you get some relief soon.

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Thank You!! Very well said.. It's a shame that there Always has to be that 1 individual that feels the need to get online and say rude and demeaning comments! Especially after reading that everyone was placed on these medications due to Severe Injury.

I stumbled upon this thread because I too am in the same situation. I have been on Oxycontin since 2009, I have a disease in My Spine and then a Auto-immune disease as well. My teeth began rotting and are having to come out one at a time, was told I have Periodontal disease. But Wow, rapid decay and all bad! I have been suffering the last 3 years really bad with them, especially not having dental insurance with My Medicare. Trying every option to get dental coverage that I could afford on Social Security Disability. With all the Many medications being recalled or suits against them, you would think there was something that could be done.

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Hi Angela,

I wondered if you smoke cigarettes. I have been on pain meds since 1999. I started smoking in my early 20's, I'm over sixty now and never had cavities, I always had teeth cleaned and examined annually, but when I hit 55, I lost my first molar and then the other molars. Not sure about the contin causing it. I just assumed it was my smoking. I quit for 12 years and picked the nasty habit back up when I injured my back and stayed home. I'll have to search your question. I have put a small fortune into my new veneers. Yikes!!!!

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Any drug like opiates or prescription diet pills will give you what they call dry mouth. You need moisture or saliva to protect your teeth. If your mouth is dry all the time bacteria will stay there and eat on your teeth.

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