Endodontically treated teeth and chronic (adrenal) fatigue

My personal interest in this particular connection started quite recently with my best friend (who has a root canal right on his front tooth) developing an extreme case of adrenal fatigue. Shortly after I heard a similar story told by a naturopathic MD.

As early as medical school, this physician had been very health-conscious - he was a runner, a health-food vegetarian, he meditated and he tried to manage his stress. But he also carried many amalgams in his molars as well as (without being aware of the fact) a front tooth that had been root-canalled.

His problems started when he began developing extreme herpetic mouth lesions (much more painful than simple canker sores^[3]). Whenever they broke out, he became severely fatigued as well as depressed - there was nothing he could do to stop the pain and prevent the sores from recurring.

When he read about the link between amalgam fillings and symptoms of toxicity, he had the fillings removed - but since it was done without following a proper protection protocol^[1], his condition actually worsened.

He began working in a naturopathic clinic and was himself treated with intravenous vitamin C, many supplements and other modalities which the clinic offered, which helped him overcome the mercury intoxication. But his severe fatigue continued unabated for the next fifteen years. He would literally fall asleep while seeing a patient, and needed catnaps in the middle of the day.

The fatigue and adrenal disruption were so severe that he was forced to take hydrocortisone (a medication prescribed for people whose adrenals don't generate adequate amounts of natural cortisol) as well as thyroid hormone replacement just to keep him going.

When finally in 2010 the tooth that had been root-canalled (of which as mentioned he had been unaware) started to develop pain, he was advised to have the tooth removed

This time, he had a biological dentist doing the extraction plus proper after-care (removing all infected tissue, periodontal ligament and bone and proper revision of the infection site by thoroughly cleaning out and disinfecting any surrounding infection).

The "end" of that infected tooth site also spelled the end of this person's decades of severe fatigue and adrenal and thyroid problems and he has since been feeling great.

More cases linking root canals with chronic fatigue

A similar perhaps even more extreme case (since it involves a 22 year old who became totally dysfunctional and spent his days sleeping) can be read at Recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) after multiple cavitation surgeries on root-canalled/tooth extraction sites.

Doing an internet search one easily finds a number of shorter or longer testimonials or reports also linking root canals with chronic fatigue. Some excerpts from just one page^[2]:

"..a root canal I had done a few years back ... devastating chronic fatigue that has loomed over me since."
"I’ve had two root canal done a year ago . ..Since then I’ve have chronic fatigue, pains ...feel like my body is not fuctioning properly"
"I just had a root canal done yesterday... am now feeling less than 100 percent ..., with the main symptom being extreme tiredness."
"... my most recent root canal on an upper canine “eye” tooth I seriously suspect has given me CFS. I feel literally like a zombie."
"I had a root canal eight years ago, for the past few years I have had constant fatigue..."
"I had a root canal and crown done four years ago, since then I have suffered with my health. Tiredness, ear pain, 20-25 migraines a month, blackouts, etc. ... doctors ... could not find anything wrong, except my antibody levels were sky high but they didn’t know why."

The article "12 Years of Chronic Fatigue: Dental / Chronic Fatigue Connection" at www.icnr.com/cs/cs_11.html goes into details of a specific case and "Ixenobiotic toxicity associated with avital (root canal) teeth and associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" (www.cfids-me.org/aacfs/poster5.html#cheney) adds some scientific perspective.

That doctors' tests can't find anything wrong seems to be a recurring theme.

Chronic fatigue can (of course) have multiple causes

My above-mentioned friend for instance started developing chronic fatigue some years after being put under severe unrelenting stress while simultaneously, smart meters were installed in his building (his root canal dates back much further). His adrenal fatigue likely was also furthered by his former excessive coffee habit which for instance allowed him to stay up working for 24h.

Sometimes (or often) however, the dental connection may clearly be the decisive trigger.

Please note: extraction may not be the only answer to infected root-canalled teeth

While this is certainly not official consensus, those who for various reasons don't want to (or can't) have a tooth extracted may wish to look into MSM (methylsulfonylmethane): scroll to "MSM heals painful tooth root infection in root-canalled teeth: a testimonial" (involving an 80 year old woman!) as well as the numerous remedies listed under Tooth root infection remedies

If you value this content and wish to support my work (all donations are gratefully received), please donate:

For saving me the Paypal fees and/or for a way to donate in many different currencies, please click here.

Footnotes

1 Compare The importance of safely removing (mercury) amalgam "silver" fillings

2 from the comments section of www.toxicfreedentistry.com/the-link-between-root-canals-and-chronic-fatigue . Also see "Extractions cured my fatigue and chronic pain Fibro" at www.curezone.org/forums/am.asp?i=39993 .

3 Compare Canker sores (aphthous ulcers or stomatitis): possible causes, natural and home remedies.

Related articles