Tooth ache whilst pregnant ...... Feel like crying :-(

[Cheshirehello79]

19 weeks and just this weekend tooth ache from an old filling started aching and it's not stopped infant today it's just agony that I feel like crying doesn't help with all my pregnancy hormones feel like a homeless child :-(

Im scarred to take any pain killers and just waiting till tomorrow go to dentist as early as possible.

Can anyone recommend anything in mean time ?

Why meeéeeeeee aggrrrr!

Take paracetamol! That's allowed!

Do you know how many milligram allowed? My midwife told me any over the counter medicines is not allowed during pregnancy.

I've had this and like you I'm aware that you can't take anything. I'm waiting for surgery to have the tooth removed. I buckled in the end and took some ibruprofen with paracetamol as paracetamol on its own did nothing. I gave read in the NHS a website that taking ibruprofen between weeks 14 and 28, although not ideal, is a lot less risky than in the first or third trimesters and to be honest I was in that much pain I couldn't eat, drink or sleep and had to do something for the sake of my baby! My baby is fine and all is progressing as it should.

I know its not ideal but I would try and take something!!

Hope it clears for you soon. I'm sure the dentist can sort it tomorrow. Good luck

500mg I think?

BUT it probably won't help - doesn't help me much.

I recommend gargling with warm (as warm as you can) salt water. I find it much better than Corsodyl and far cheaper!!!!! It has an instant soothing effect.
When it gets unbearable I literally do it every half hour or so which you can't do with Corsodyl either.

I feel your pain x

I took paracetamol at four hourly intervals when I had a tooth out and I was in absolute agony. It was fine. it's not good for you to be in pain.

Put some clove oil on it.

Now you're talking clove oil ... I wish I had some I'm in that much pain feel like pissing myself :-(

You can take co codamol. My doctor says this is fine and even prescribed me a stronger dose than you can get over the counter.

Just called nhs direct and they've recommended paracetamol 500ml x2 so hope this works. Thanks everyone

I too had horrific toothache in a previous pregnancy. I was advised to take ibuprofen as well as paracetamol by the pharmacist. I only took maybe 4 tablets but my god with the paracetamol it helped until I could get treatment. Said baby is now 5 and just had the most amazing end of yr report (slight stealth boast but meant with good intentions ;-)

Dont suffer. You can take paracetamol

Your midwife is talking rubbish. The reason it is hard to acquire OTC medicines is because a) drugs companies can't be bothered to spend the money to test them on pg women (this often applies to children as well, btw, who end up being given approximate doses of things as a result rather than an accurate dose). and b) the guidance is for pg women to be dissuaded from taking nearly everything because of post thalidomide anxiety. Some GPs also haven't got a clue about what to prescribe for pg either, and many dentists certainly don't. So the attitude is usually to tell pg women to put up with all sorts of things because that's the line of least resistance for the professionals concerned. Paracetemol is regularly offered as a kind of placebo to pg women, even though this is not great for your liver and will not touch bad pain.

However this does not mean all OTC drugs are all harmful. Many are fine if you take the correct dose at the correct time each day, not exceeding the maximum dose. The secret is to get proper medical advice from someone better qualified to prescribe than a call centre operator, your midwife or a GP who can't really be bothered to keep up with the latest research on how to prescribe to pg women.

Anyway, this much I know from having horrendous SPD in my last pregnancy and being prescribed things by a top consultant, who spent ages talking me through the medication and risk factors.

Ibuprofen is not a great idea as it can result in fetal heart defects. So steer away from that, as well as any other anti-inflammatories.

Solpadeine Max can be taken as long as you stick rigidly to the dosing regime. This is better than plain paracetamol for dental pain. The advice is usually to take it only for a maximum of three days unless a doctor advises you otherwise.

Codeine Phosphate is available on prescription and excellent for dental pain, but you may get constipated.

Sadly, a fair bit of single malt whisky sucked through a straw, which I find to be a top quality toothache cure, is probably not the best of ideas. However one solitary and carefully rationed unit is probably acceptable during pregnancy and may help you sleep.

Caveat: I am not a pharmacist, but I would say I am an expert patient when it comes to painkillers while pg.

Could try holding a hot water bottle against your face.

Thanks guys feeling much better now well at least could eat which was another worry for poor beanie as not been able to eat due to agony. I might just be able sleep this off till morning got appointment booked at 10 so hope all goes ok and don't get into another halt as apparently some dentist won't do anything to pg women.

What's wrong with thus society pg doesn't mean it's trend of the world! Boffin you're described it really well .. When it comes to researching medication for pg women .

Thanks again to everyone's advise

im a dental nurse and do not put a hot water bottle against it. that could inflame the tooth even more. heat and toothache are not friends! it may feel better but its doing more damage than good.
paracetamol wont really do much alone, its the anti inflammatories in ibuprofen alongside the painkiller paracetamol that work together.
if you are in pain like that the dentist will have to treat you, just not take an xray or use amalgam.
local anaesthetic is safe, and the dentist might just temporise it until after baby is born.
theres not much else you can do im afraid until you see the dentist.
i hope you manage to get some sleep

This happened to me twice during my current pregnancy.
The first time was at 5 weeks with an infected wisdom tooth which was caught early and I managed with paracetamol and antibiotics.
The second time was at 10 weeks and a double whammy of a wisdom tooth infection (different tooth and side) and also a filling had come out exposing the nerve. I have never been in so much pain (and I have had a a previous "natural birth" with emergency ventouse and a rather sizeable episiotomy, without anaesthetic, at my totally naive and needle-phobic request) and went to hospital where they prescribed me a hefty dose of co-codamol and a different type of antibiotic. That was the only thing that worked until I got to the dentist.
Totally agree with the PP who said about no hot water bottle. I read somewhere that the heat tries to almost draw out the "poison" but obviously it has nowhere to go so just causes more pain and inflammation.
Hope you're feeling better soon because toothache is absolutely rotten (no pun intended..)

Update:

No sleep last night but managed see dentist today. I wasn't confident about the dentist at all. She injected me first local anaesthetic that didn't work and had to inject more dosage as as soon as they started the cold air thing I could feel it right through my nerves.

The initial thing was get my filling out and have antibiotic out right through the tooth. So after second attemp and still in so much pain with already 2 doses of anestecic everything was numb apart from the bloody tooth.

My concern with her though they have excellent reviews

1. She didn't know 19 weeks was 2nd trimester
2. Asked me if I wanted X-ray and I said she should know best if safe for me or not
3. As both attempts failed and still could operate the troubled tooth she prescribed me a doe of amoxicillin 500ml for a week - going back on Monday
4. Gave me prescription only to get to the pharmacy 13 miles away as live in the country side for them to say it's not been completed properly - she never stamped it so it wasn't legal aggrrrrrrr!

So all in all came back home with a numb mouth spitting like an idiot. No antibiotics and went straight to bed - just woke up and tooth is back square one ! Manage call them re the prescription thank God they are posting another one so hope to get that tomorrow and get some pain relief.

As im seeing Dr on wed as I'm due to my 20 weeks app I will ask her re amoxicillin and X-ray bit I know some of you shared brilliant comment but just want to know what's safe with the dentist and what's not.

What a lovely way ( not ) start the week ey!