TMJ 'dysfunction' - Health implications

Three months ago, while in the United States, I began to feel an uneasy bloating sensation in my stomach soon after eating. A few days prior, I had taken an antibiotic and suspected it might have upset my gut bacteria. Never having encountered this issue before, I was puzzled by its origin. With each meal, the bloating intensified, causing noticeable swelling in my abdomen just below the diaphragm. This swelling made breathing somewhat challenging, as it seemed to push the diaphragm upward. It felt as if my food wasn't moving through properly, leaving me in significant discomfort.

I sought guidance from my family, and two of my sons, who are dental surgeons, suggested I try a probiotic. Unfortunately, it didn't offer much relief, and I continued to endure sleepless nights without any noticeable improvement. I'm hesitant to go to a hospital in the USA because just walking into an emergency room can cost as much as $10,000 due to the influence of Wall Street, who own most A&E rooms. I also didn't want to allow my travel insurance company to be exploited. From my experience, once hospitals find out you have travel insurance, they often arrange costly, complex, and unnecessary procedures to increase their profits.

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, I found no relief from my agony. I refrained from taking the prescribed painkillers, uncertain of what was truly causing my distress. I recall that upon my initial visit to the hospital, they attempted to administer a morphine injection to mitigate the pain. I refused it, knowing that morphine can impair breathing, affect heart function, and lead to constipation, all of which would have greatly exacerbated my situation. Moreover, I was acutely aware that many hospitals use morphine in end-of-life care, and I was not ready to be associated with that stage yet!

Two days later, the pain remained severe, compelling me to summon an ambulance once more. At the hospital, the attending physician examined my CT scan and determined there was little they could offer. No additional tests were recommended. I was informed that the issue was due to 'wear and tear.' After enduring hours of discomfort, I chose to head back home again.

A few days after, I consulted my primary care physician, who suspected that I might have an ischaemic bowel requiring immediate hospital care and potentially surgery to remove the damaged section. He gave me a letter for the emergency room. When I arrived at the hospital, I was examined by multiple doctors over several hours before being sent to the surgical department for possible emergency surgery during the night.

Upon arriving at the surgical department, the hospital registrar summoned a surgeon, who promptly suggested I start taking Omeprazole along with another medication. I am quite sceptical of this course of action. Having conducted extensive research on this drug for various articles, I know that Omeprazole is frequently prescribed for a range of stomach issues, even when patients are merely taking Aspirin for its blood-thinning properties. This medication carries notable side effects and heightens the risk of bacterial infections such as Clostridium. I questioned the surgeon about the necessity of this drug given its questionable track record. He dismissed my concerns, insisting that it was effective and urging me to follow his recommendation.

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 for the rest of my 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 regularly showed high levels of pancreatic amylase, a sign of pancreatitis. In my quest to ease my digestion and reduce bloating, I explored various probiotics. As the pain grew more intense, I returned to my GP, who discovered significant tenderness in a specific area on the left side of my abdomen. Concerned that I might need immediate surgical intervention, he referred me to another hospital and provided a letter for the emergency room. That morning, I had taken a new probiotic, and by the end of the day, when I was supposed to go to the hospital, I started feeling somewhat better, so I decided to delay my visit. Over the next three days, the pain vanished. Six weeks later, the pain has not returned, and I have fully recovered. I continue taking the probiotic.

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.

Now we have a new calamity at our doorstep. The addition of the genotoxic ingredient Bovear in dairy cows, My speculation is that Bovear, works on the gut microbiome, somehow displacing or modifying the existing bacteria to a less functional microbiome. This would cause bloating and constipation to the animals, thus reducing the effusions from their bodies. Humans consuming this milk shall have the same effect with severe gas bloating and inability to eat well.

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.

The graph below illustrates the additional symptoms commonly experienced by patients with bowel issues:
Years of successfully treating numerous patients demonstrate that symptoms never exist in isolation. Effectively caring for these patients requires a collaborative approach from various disciplines.

Following my own experience, I'm committed to discovering a much more effective alternative to simply taking a probiotic without thought. There must be a superior method. Stay tuned for updates.

I intend to broaden this article significantly in the near future. Please check back in early March for additional updates on how to alleviate chronic gastric issues and improve your quality of life.

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