←back to thread

Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

(sailhealth.substack.com)
333 points glasscannon | 4 comments | 04 Jul 25 12:50 UTC | HN request time: 1.081s | source
Show context
quicktemp42 ◴[04 Jul 25 14:57 UTC] No.44465121[source]▶
I’ve been struggling with chronic pain for almost eight months. It started when my orthodontic treatment caused the root of one of my teeth to break—it had already been weakened from a previous injury. The extraction was straightforward and only took 10 minutes, and I had an implant placed (with a temporary crown attached to my braces). Healing went smoothly, and the CT scans looked fine.

But soon after, I developed constant headaches that never went away. At first, I assumed they were related to the procedure, but everything had healed well, and multiple check-ups didn’t reveal anything. Since then, my braces have been removed, but the daily headaches persist. Occasionally, I also feel a strange “foreign object” sensation around the implant site.

A follow-up CT scan of the implant showed perfect integration with the bone. I’ve also had other tests done, including a head MRI. Medically, everything appears normal.

It’s getting really hard to manage—painkillers don’t help at all. Has anyone experienced something similar or have any idea what to try next? I’m even considering having the implant removed, despite there being no medical reason for it.

replies(1): >>44465158 #
1. accrual ◴[04 Jul 25 15:02 UTC] No.44465158[source]▶
Not a physician but how long have you had symptoms for? I've had dental work that took much longer than expected to heal.

The pulp in the teeth are quite sensitive and can inflame easily, and that inflamation has nowhere to go (being bound by the hard sides of your teeth and jaw), which can lead to constant pain. I once had a routine filling that took about 3 months to stop aching and I had to take ibuprofen every day during that time to be able to focus. Per the dentist, constant aching pain = it's slowly healing, leave it alone. Sharp intense pain = pulp is dying, need root canal. Granted, this is pain the mouth and not in the head like you described.

If it's been a while and it's still bothering you, I'd definitely consider having it removed too. It would suck to remove it and still have the headaches, but at that point you can start looking at other causes.

replies(1): >>44465229 #
2. quicktemp42 ◴[04 Jul 25 15:10 UTC] No.44465229[source]▶
It has been eight months and there is no tissue damage. Allergic reactions to implant materials are rare and usually stop an implant from fusing with the bone, but mine has integrated perfectly. I would consider removing it, except it is my upper central incisor... I kept waiting for braces to be removed etc but I'm running out of options now.
replies(1): >>44465279 #
3. accrual ◴[04 Jul 25 15:16 UTC] No.44465279[source]▶
Painful! Definitely seems long enough to fully heal, plus you've already done the imaging (CT, MRI) which would be a best next step. Maybe you could try another specialist, though it sounds like you've already done everything correctly and in sequence. I hope you can find relief.
replies(1): >>44465459 #
4. quicktemp42 ◴[04 Jul 25 15:37 UTC] No.44465459{3}[source]▶
Thanks, it's not as bad as for some ppl but made me really rethink what's important in life and I'm 42 lol. Random event you can't control can be life changing. I have 3 more things on the list to try: - diagnostic temp nerve block around implant - bite / occlusion specialist - some blood work for those rare allergies (super unlikely but why not...)