Toothache worse than labour! Talk me off the edge

[mawof3soontobe]

Currently 32 weeks pregnant with DC3 and I hands down have the WORST toothache I have ever known in my entire life (and I've had a tooth knocked out accidentally).
Went to the dentist yesterday who gave me antibiotics as she suspects internal infection. I've now taken two full days of antibiotics and I'm taking the maximum dose of soluble paracetamol which isn't even touching it!
My poor DP thought I was in labour yesterday watching me pace floors moaning and howling like a deranged animal!!! I NEED RELIEF ASAP! How the hell do I get through this pain?! I would gladly give birth weekly over this! I have a very high pain threshold and have given birth twice drug free but JFC this is horrific!
Someone give me a remedy safe in pregnancy? HELP!!

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all the concern and advice, I don't know where I'd have been without this thread... Probably in front of a mirror with pliers! I'm still amazingly pain free and could cry with relief! I have today and tomorrow left of antibiotics so I'm hoping they've taken effect and I won't end up in a state over the weekend! I still feel a slight pressure feeling when leaning down etc but that to me says more infection than inflammation? Could be entirely wrong of course but I'll hold onto any hope I have! I'll be giggling my way through labour after this!

Great to hear the pain has eased! Please still have an appointment with your dentist though as you still need treatment or the pain will come back. It usually stops when the pulp(nerve) dies, but the dead tissue inside your tooth will get infected if left in there, so it’s important that either the inside of the tooth, or the whole tooth is removed to prevent the problem coming back. Be brave, it will be ok!

sfb182, thats interesting that you say the inside of the tooth or whole tooth needs to be removed. I had exactly the same symptoms as this last summer. Excrutiating pain, although luckily not all the time. It came and went, was worse when I was lying down or had warm food. I would have about 30 minutes of sheer agony, and then it would wear off.

Managed to get an emergency dentist appointment (tricky, as wasn't registered as had recently moved) and they said it was probably pulpitis. Was checked over and had x-rays, nothing showed. Unfortunately I couldn't identify the tooth, sometimes it seemed like the top hurt, sometimes the bottom, but it was the whole of one side rather than one individual tooth. Dentist said there wasn't anything they could do unless I could identify the tooth.

This went on for around 3 weeks, then just stopped out of the blue. When I did eventually manage to get registered and see a dentist in October, I explained what had happened, they said that the nerve had probably died, and that's why the pain had stopped. They said it might need further treatment if I get any more problems, but basically to leave it. So far everything has been fine (touch wood, I am terrified of dental treatment).

Hi fluffy sheep, those cases are the most difficult to treat! If we don’t know which tooth it is, we’re really reluctant to start drilling/extracting for obvious reasons! Teeth can die quietly with no pain and you only know when an infection happens, or they can go out with a bang as per OP, or anything in between. The risk of leaving it is infection, so if we know where the problem is coming from, it’s a good idea to start treatment to prevent more pain. In cases such as yours, treatment can’t be started until the tooth can be identified. (ie:pain comes back) How long til then...? Anywhere from tomorrow until forever....! Only Mother Nature can answer that one!

Good old Mother Nature. Hopefully she'll forget to ever pay me another visit regarding teeth, and I won't have to endure anything like that again. The poor emergency dentist was so apologetic that he couldn't do anything, but said the same as you, you can't just start drilling on guesswork!

I've never had pain like it, so when it just randomly stopped after 3 weeks I was so happy. Like others have said, the pain was so bad I would've done anything, and I'm pretty much dental phobic (I had a lovely dentist a few years ago who knew just how terrified I was and agreed to refer me to hospital for GA for a simple wisdom tooth removal. I could have kissed her!).