TMJ 'dysfunction' - Health implications

Within this forum, you will discover valuable insights on how a 'dysfunctional' jaw, dental arch anomalies, and various body asymmetries can contribute to illness from a unique perspective. This is your go-to resource for finding effective solutions and achieving lasting relief.
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PostPosted: Fri, 10 Jan 2025, 3:36 pm 
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Joined: Fri, 28 Sep 2012, 9:08 pm
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Three months ago, I was in the USA where I started experiencing an uncomfortable bloating sensation in my stomach shortly after eating. I had taken an antibiotic a few days earlier and thought that this may have disturbed my gut bacteria. Having never suffered this problem before, I was unsure what the cause was. This bloating issue continued to worsen with every meal, causing my abdomen, just below the diaphragm, to swell up. It made breathing a bit difficult as the swelling appeared to be pushing the diaphragm upwards. It felt as though my food couldn’t pass through properly, leaving me in considerable discomfort.

I asked my family for advice, two of my sons are dental surgeons, and they recommended trying a probiotic. Sadly, it didn't help much, and I kept experiencing sleepless nights without any improvement. I'm reluctant to visit a hospital in the USA because simply stepping into a Wall Street-controlled emergency room can result in a $10,000 bill. I couldn't, in good conscience, let my travel insurance company be taken advantage of either. Based on my experiences, letting hospitals simply know you have travel insurance inevitably leads to them orchestrating expensive, complicated and unnecessary procedures for profit.

After a week, I returned to the UK, with the problem persisting, becoming increasingly painful each day and resulting in more sleepless nights. Eventually, the situation became so dire that I had to call an ambulance one night to take me to the hospital. Due to the high demand and my condition not being deemed life-threatening, it took hours before I was seen by a doctor. When I was finally attended to, the doctor decided to conduct a CT scan. The results suggested that I had a back problem, with the doctor hypothesising that some nerves were pinched, causing the abdominal pain! I had never suffered backache before.

I reminded the A&E doctor that I was not aware of any spinal nerve that could cause gut pain, which is typically supplied by the vagus nerve. Despite this, he concluded that I would likely have to endure this pain indefinitely due to my back issues and prescribed painkillers for the rest of my life before closing my case.

Returning home with no alleviation of my pain. I did not take the prescribed painkillers without understanding the true cause of my discomfort. I remember that when I initially arrived at the hospital, they tried to give me a morphine injection to ease the pain. I declined this because morphine affects breathing, heart function, and causes constipation, which would have severely worsened my condition. Additionally, many hospitals use morphine as part of helping patients along the end-of-life care, which I was very aware of and did not want to join that queue yet!

Two days later, with the pain still intense, I had to call an ambulance again. At the hospital, the attending physician reviewed my CT scan and concluded there wasn’t much they could do. He did not suggest any further exams. I was told that the problem was from 'wear and tear'. After waiting for hours in discomfort, I decided to return home once more.

A few days later, I sought help from my general practitioner, who suspected I had an ischaemic bowel that might require urgent hospital attention and possibly surgery to remove the affected part. He provided me with a letter for the emergency department. Upon presenting myself at the hospital, I was seen by several doctors over many hours before being referred to the surgical department for potential emergency surgery in the middle of the night.

Upon arriving at the surgical department, the hospital registrar called for a surgeon, who quickly recommended that I begin taking Omeprazole along with another medication. I am very doubtful about this approach. Having extensively studied this drug while writing other research articles, I was aware that Omeprazole is often handed out liberally for various stomach issues, even when patients are simply on Aspirin for blood thinning. Omeprazole comes with significant side effects and increases the risk of bacterial infections like Clostridium. I challenged the surgeon about the necessity of this drug given its poor track record. He brushed off my concerns, firmly stating that it was effective and that I should adhere to his advice.

Luckily, the registrar comprehended my worries and permitted me to remain in the hospital until I could meet with the senior surgeon on duty. By noon, I had my consultation, during which the surgeon assured me there was no serious issue and recommended I return home and modify my diet, as he felt this would alleviate my symptoms. He determined that I have IBS, indicating that there is no medical cure for this syndrome and I must learn to manage it in my daily life.

Reluctantly, I somewhat agreed with him and returned home, continuing to try different probiotics and changes to my diet. He also prescribed an ultrasound of my abdomen and gallbladder and a Gastroscopy. These were duly done in the ensuing days, with no cause found.

A week later, with no improvement and the pain worsening, I sought help from my hospital cardiologist. He recommended increasing a specific medication to enhance my cardiac output. Shortly after following his advice, I noticed a 50% reduction in my pain.

Suspecting that there was a possible compromise of the blood flow through my abdomen I concluded that perhaps my superior mesenteric artery might be partially blocked because an improved blood flow had helped, I shared this hypothesis with my general practitioner, who agreed and referred me to a different gastroenterology hospital for an abdominal vascular examination for which I had to wait for an appointment.

My blood tests consistently showed elevated pancreatic amylase levels, indicating pancreatitis. I continued to research into different probiotics to help my digestion, hoping it will stop the bloating. With increasing pain, I visited my GP again, who found a great deal of tenderness in one area of my abdomen on the left side. He thought that I needed an urgent surgical attention, and he referred me to a different hospital, giving me a letter to take to A&E. That morning I had taken the new probiotic and towards the end of the day, when I was supposed to have gone to the hospital, I started feeling a little better, so I postponed my visit to the hospital. In the next three days, the pain disappeared. Six weeks on, the pain has not returned, I have completely recovered.

I now realise how awful this condition is. Millions of people in every country suffer such symptoms. My experience is a confirmation of the many articles I have written discrediting these illnesses and saying that there is a cure for most of them. Here is the list:

1. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): A chronic condition where stomach acid frequently flows back into the tube connecting your mouth and stomach (esophagus), causing irritation. Please read the article in this forum.
2. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): A common disorder affecting the large intestine, characterized by symptoms like cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhoea or constipation.
3. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): A term primarily used to describe disorders involving chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
4. Crohn’s Disease: A type of IBD that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, causing a wide range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and weight loss.
5. Ulcerative Colitis: Another form of IBD, this condition specifically affects the colon (large intestine) and rectum, causing long-lasting inflammation and sores.
6. Celiac Disease: An immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, leading to damage in the small intestine and nutrient absorption issues.
7. Diverticulitis: Occurs when one or more diverticula (small pouches that can form in the lining of the digestive system) become inflamed or infected, causing severe abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits.
8. Gastroparesis: A condition that affects the stomach muscles and prevents proper stomach emptying, leading to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and feeling full quickly.
9. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO): Occurs when there is an unusual increase in the overall bacterial population in the small intestine, which can cause pain, diarrhoea, and nutrient absorption issues.
10. Gastritis: Inflammation, irritation, or erosion of the stomach lining, often resulting from infections, certain medications, or excessive alcohol consumption.
11. Peptic Ulcer Disease: Open sores that develop on the inner lining of your stomach and the upper portion of your small intestine, often due to infection with H. pylori bacteria or long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
12. Lactose Intolerance: The inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products, leading to symptoms like bloating, diarrhoea, and gas.
13. Gallstones: Hardened deposits that can form in your gallbladder, causing pain, infection, or other complications.
14. Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas, which can be acute or chronic and is often caused by gallstones, alcohol use, or certain medications.

Each condition has its own specific set of symptoms and treatments, as far as I am concerned, but please do consult a healthcare professional for an accurate medical diagnosis and appropriate management plan.

My experience, however, underscored the importance of the gut microbiome, which had perhaps been affected when I had taken an antibiotic three months earlier. Further reading revealed that as we age, beneficial bacteria struggle to survive, the Covid vaccines have been a disaster for patients' guts. Maintaining a healthy gut requires a balanced diet rich in vegetables, proper salt intake, and the use of probiotics.

No medical doctor, out of the ten I saw, had mentioned the significance of the gut microbiome or suggested checking it. I found that the National Health Service does not cover such fundamental tests for patients suffering from the conditions listed earlier.

The numerous hospital stays and scans I experienced would have amounted to around $200,000 in the USA, and likely incurred substantial expenses for the UK government as well. These costs could have been avoided with more prudent diagnostic methods. If the National Health Service offered microbiome services, many chronic illnesses could be managed more effectively. This would lower healthcare expenses and enable patients to return to work and boost productivity much sooner.

The lesson I learned from my experience is that I didn't suffer from any syndrome, nor did I require ongoing medication for pain management or any surgical intervention. I ponder how many millions endure chronic gastric illnesses because of the mistaken beliefs in traditional medical practices.

Today18th January 2025 I came across this discussion on an MS website:
Case study:
"I read with interest about anti-CD20 treatments being linked with an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease, but is there any evidence relating to dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera)?
Can long-term use of fumarates cause malnourishment or other Gastro issues?
Do you ever advise stopping DMT(Disease Modifying Therapy) in a bid to improve general health?
Is there anything else I could switch to which would be as effective as dimethyl fumarate but with no increased Crohn's or ulcerative colitis risk?"
Source: MS website
Please note that Dimethyl Fumarate is an antifungal which was used in little sachets in Chinese sofas to keep the fungus away. Anyone sitting on these sofas developed the most serious allergic reaction from minute particles of this antifungal, and the government had to order the burning of all such sofas. However, big pharma saw an opportunity and started selling it as an immune suppressant for MS treatment for some $55,000 per patient per year at the inception, but now it is almost $100,000. Now they are wondering why it causes Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.

Please note that the gut and immune system are closely linked. In fact, the microorganisms in our gut comprise a significant part of our immune system. They help fight off pathogens, control inflammation and even regulate our mood. An imbalance in our gut microbiome can therefore lead to various health problems, including allergic reactions, digestive disorders and much more. Therefore, using an immune suppressant is precisely the opposite of what one needs.

I plan to expand this article extensively in the coming days. Please visit this page again during early March for some more news about the steps you can take to rid yourself of the "chronic gastric illnesses" you may be suffering from and making your life more liveable.

© 2025 M. Amir All rights reserved
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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This article is for educational purposes only. The improvement or benefits identified in this article or on this site are based on individual experiences which are dependent upon the patient’s unique health condition, medical history, and other individualised factors, and should not be considered representative of all treatment outcomes. You must do your own due diligence by consulting your physician before embarking on what may be suggested here. This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider, and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on this forum. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.


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