romeotuma wrote: 
I have got to start taking an aspirin a day again.

DATA ABOUT SENSITIVE TEETH

This site below does not have the greatest grammar, but it does have excellent data, which I have posted beneath the link...  I would add to it, in my humble opinion, that over-the-counter toothpaste for tooth sensitivity doesn't really work, compared to a prescription from your dentist for something like Denta 5000 Plus... this stuff is not for kids... adults should use this right before they go to bed... brush your teeth regularly, then after you finish rinsing, use a toothbrush, Q-tip, or your finger and rub a thin coat of the Denta 5000 Plus around the base of your sensitive tooth area for a couple minutes, then spit it out, but do NOT rinse...  just keep spitting a few times, then go to bed without drinking anything...

what is making your tooth so sensitive is the dentinal tubules are being exposed on your tooth below the hard enamel because your gums are receding...  the Denta 5000 Plus gradually blocks the dentinal tubules with fluoride...  it take a few weeks for this to really start working...  you need to quit drinking sodas, and quit using mouthwash (except for specific fluoride wash) because these sorts of things will strip the new fluoride out of the dentinal tubules...

anyway, that is my humble opinion, and I ain't no dentist; I am just the humble voice of mumble's mumbles...  here is the site I was talking about in the first sentence, and the data from it—

SENSITIVE TEETH

Hypersensitivity affects 45 million adults in the United States and 10 million are chronically affected with sensitive teeth. Tooth sensitivity is tooth discomfort after eating cold or hot foods or liquids or even breathing cold air.

This problem often happens when gums recede and/or cementum is not presence.  The gum tissue acts like a protective blanket to cover the roots of the teeth.  As the gums recede the underlying tooth roots are exposed.  They are not covered by hard enamel.  Thousands of tiny dentinal tubules (channels) leading to the tooth's never center (pulp) are then exposed.  These tubules allow more stimuli like heat, cold or pressure to reach the nerve in the tooth and you feel pain!.  Think of your gums and the enamel on your teeth as a down comforter covering and protecting your body from the cool winter air.  Over time, the gums may recede or the enamel or dentin on your teeth may wear down, creating the condition for tooth sensitivity.

Tooth sensitivity is caused by:
Brushing too hard or with too much pressure which removes gum tissue.  2 our of 3 people brush too hard.
Aging, sensitivity is highest between the ages of 25-30 
Using a hard tooth brush instead of a soft one
Poor oral hygiene which leads to plaque build-up around the teeth and gums.  This plaque hardens into tartar.  The bacteria that live in plaque cause  gum disease  and gum recession
The exposed roots contain small pores or tubules which lead directly to the nerve of the tooth.  Pain, pressure and cold stimuli  can travel down the tubules and trigger the tooth nerve causing pain and discomfort
Stimulation from hot beverages or foods
Tooth whitening-often beautiful, but sometimes uncomfortable, at least for a few days
Hypersensitivity
Cracked teeth
Grinding your teeth
Long term use of mouthwashes such as Listerine or Oraldene damage dentine and cause dentin sensitivity and reverse the beneficial effects of toothpaste
Enamel erosion by acidic foods
Root sensitivity can occur after having your teeth cleaned, following root planning , crown placement, or even having fillings.  The good news is this sensitivity will disappear in about four to six weeks 
People with sensitivities to sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch also usually have sensitive teeth. #
Decreased saliva flow-simple test is to invert the lower lip, dry the mucous membrane off  and see how long it takes for small droplets of saliva to flow from the minor salivary glands.  If it takes more than a minute, the saliva flow is down.
PH test resulting in an "acidic mouth"
Dental treatments-simple cleanings, orthodontics or restoration
Dehydration due to diuretics such as alcohol beverages, caffeine-containing drinks  like coffee and Mountain Dew.

There are many other causes, some of which can require a more comprehensive treatment plan...
Broken, chipped or fractured teeth
Nerve damage in the root, cant' sleep at night-root canal
Grinding and/or clenching the teeth-mouthguard
Gum disease-begin a comprehensive oral hygiene regimen
Receding gums-gum disease and/or oral habits?

The key to preventing tooth sensitivity is to keep your gums healthy by reducing the pressure you use while brushing, use a soft toothbrush and to maintain good oral health habits.  This means brushing all your teeth for 2-3 minutes, not the usually 30- 45 seconds that most people brush. Flossing is crucial in order to reach the 35% of the tooth surfaces where brushing can not reach.

What to do once you already have sensitive teeth:
Use a toothpaste for sensitivity.  They work in a cumulative fashion to cover the open tubules.  They contain strontium chloride and/ or potassium nitrate which act to remineralize the tooth surface by diffusing into the open pores (tubules) on the enamel.  This process  helps block transmission of sensation from the tooth surface to the tooth nerve. They need to be used 4-6 weeks before any changes can be noted.
Continue to practice brushing gently and carefully around the gumline so you do not remove more gum tissue or continue demineralize the tooth surface
Avoid highly acidic foods like citrus or soda pop that can work against the sensitivity toothpaste
Brush gently with a soft toothbrush twice/day using a low abrasion desensitizing toothpaste 
Use fluoride mouth rinse to help remineralize the tooth surface.  Fluoride gels and varnish are effective also.
Don't use a tartar control toothpaste, use a fluoridated toothpaste or desensitizing toothpaste
Try spreading a thin layer of desensitizing toothpaste on the exposed roots with your finger or a Q-tip before you go to bed
Avoiding very cold foods
Monitor intake of fruit drinks or sports drinks that are high in sugar and/or acid; tomatoes; pickles; citrus, pop; tea
Always use a de-sensitizing toothpaste for 2-3 weeks prior to having your teeth "cleaned" or before having Root Planning and Scaling
Avoid teeth grinding and clenching by using a nightguard
Having professional tooth cleaning, oral hygiene instructions and fluoride treatments.  Our office uses ultrasonic scaling to help minimize dentin sensitivity 
Home care must be evaluated and adjusted as necessary.
Chemical desensitization (Gluma/ Hurriseal / Pain-Free) provided by your dentist is the most common method of treatment.
Surface sealers or self etch primers (Seal & Protect/Clearfil SE Bond ) can be a costly
If you drink orange juice in the morning and than brush soon after you may want to either wait at least an hour before brushing, or at least use water only when brushing, then rinse with mouthwash. This gives give time for your saliva to remineralize the enamel.

If these suggestions do not give you relief please see your dentist. One way your dentist can gauge the severity of your sensitive teeth is by using the air test.  The dentist sprays the air gum across each area of a your teeth to pinpoint the exact location of sensitivity.  The decision of whether a restoration is needed comes in after an in-office desensitizer has been applied and you have been sent home for a week with desensitizing tooth paste to see whether a more aggressive approach is needed. An in-office desensitizer can be painted or sprayed on.  This is a quick and relatively painless procedure. Your dentist can apply varnishes; high fluoride mouthwashes and toothpaste or gel; dentin sealer or white fillings (bonding) to cover exposed surfaces and close the pores of the tooth root.

Delay Brushing After Eating Erosive Foods
If you are at risk for erosive tooth wear you should avoid brushing your teeth for at least 60 minutes after consuming erosive food or drink such as fruits, salads and sports drinks.
Instead of brushing right after eating erosive foods try:
Rinsing with water
Rinsing with a fluoride solution
Chewing sugarless gum.
And always remember to brush with a soft bristled toothbrush.

Well the vaporizer arrived and I think its a wonderful invention!  It works very well.  I will approach my Doc on the "off the record" discussion - if he isn't open to it, then I obviously have the wrong Doc.  This guy is new to me, a specialist I saw to find out what was giving me such symptoms (allergy type) - I was afraid I was either allergic to my dog or to my herb.  After testing, it was shown that I do not have allergies - at least to anything for which they tested.  BUT he said - you have asthma and it has gone untreated for a long time.  My PFT's are not good I guess.

The thing is, I very seldom suffer from actual asthma symptoms like difficulty breathing or having to use an inhaler - maybe once or twice a year even for an inhaler.

I am not in favor of using manufactured chemical compounds unless its absolutely necessary.  I think they are dangerous to our immune systems at this point in time.  Who knows, we may evolve to require them!

I would like to treat all of my medical issues, which I don't think are so bad actually (they could be so much worse), using natural remedies as I am a believer in Nature as the provider.  I have worked in hospitals though, so I do recognize the need to develop and use life saving techniques when necessary.

 kurtster wrote: 

Yeah, when I was trying to grow my bone grafts I was told to stop smoking...Actually stopped smoking before the surgery so it has been almost 15 months since I've had tobacco, I made it clear that I had stopped tobacco only and he said that was all he was asking...

 helenofjoy wrote: 
Do not be too concerned about pot and asthma.  Back when it was legal, marijuana used to be prescribed for asthma.  They were actually called "asthma cigarettes".  Its ironic that after 40 plus years of "knowledge", I am the only one in my family who does not have asthma.  On the other hand marijuana does contribute to bronchitis.  Its a trade off, but I see no reason to stop smoking pot.  If it helps you make it through the day, then continue.  I have thoroughly discussed marijuana with my doctors and only during certain phases of my treatment was it a no no.  This is just my opinion.  I make no profesional recommendations. 

Hopefully your Doctor is approachable enough for an "off the record" discussion.  Just ask, most Doctors will tell you if you can have a discussion on that basis.

Good luck and keep posting.

 romeotuma wrote: 
Thank you!  And I will vizualize the washing of my feet vigorously!!!  I may pop for a pedicure later.

 helenofjoy wrote: 
I took my moniker from a poem by Philip Larkin.

Last verse;

"Rather than words comes the thought of high windows:
The sun-comprehending glass,
And beyond it, the deep blue air, that shows
Nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless"

A lot of his stuff tends to be a rather depressing but I always liked this particular poem. 

 highwindows wrote: 
Thank you - My Grandfather wrote a novel called "High Windows."  I don't think it was ever published and someone (possibly ex-husband) made off with the original manuscript when I wasn't looking.

 helenofjoy wrote:  
Don't feel ashamed to feel sorry for yourself!
Take care though  

 romeotuma wrote: 
Bless your heart!  I am seeing a specialist for the allergies/asthma - he says no allergies, just asthma.  The thing is I didn't tell him is I've smoked pot for the last 10 years to control the fm so I could support myself. They say my thyroid levels are normal, but I DO have a goiter which was bx'd in 2000 and found not to be malignant.  I had it aspirated at that time and I hated the feeling that I was crashing while they were doing it.  The thing is I have a feeling the asthma inhalers are almost as bad for me as the asthma.  I having a young woman come in to do a thorough cleaning of my apt. Intellectually I know I could be so much worse off, but sometimes it feels like such a struggle just to be able to take care of myself so my kids don't have to.

 helenofjoy wrote: 
I am sorry I have not seen your posts sooner...

have your doctors said you have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism?

Have your doctors diagnosed thyroid nodules?  Have they called it a thyroid goiter?  A goiter compresses the trachea and the esophagus and can cause coughing, waking up in your sleep because you feel like you can't breathe, sensations that food is stuck in your throat, etc...  for a goiter, they will first try giving you a thyroid hormone pill because the pituitary will make less TSH and the thyroid will stop growing...  if it keeps growing, then they will remove it with surgery...

it is manageable— you are going to be ok...  you are not fighting for life, because even if they have to use surgery to remove it, the whole thing is still manageable...  I understand how it may feel scary, but you are going to be ok...  remember this— the scary sensations you feel are manageable...  just keep seeing your doctors...  have you seen an endocrinologist yet?

I would guess that there is a good chance the asthma is caused by one or more allergic reactions... have you been tested for allergies by an otolaryngologist— an ENT physician?  It could be things like dust mites, mold, etc., and if you can remove the source of it, and there are lots of special ways to do that, then that may greatly reduce your asthma problems...

 manbirdexperiment wrote: 
Thanks Dude. I've read of your struggles so your sympathy is accepted with gratitude and respect.  So wallowing in self pity is ok as long as I snap out of it by morning!  Tonight I'm having more sherry than usual and avoiding contact with others.

 helenofjoy wrote: 
Yeah, I take a supplement. Most of the time. It's pretty cheap. 14 bucks a month. When I'm broke I take half a dose and it doesn't seem to hurt me. 

 helenofjoy wrote: 
Hey, come one now, things will get better. they always do. It's perfectly OK to have sympathy for yourself and to treat yourself with kindness just like you would for someone else. 

 manbirdexperiment wrote: 
So do you have to take thyroid medication?  What on earth do you do?  I thought thyroids were really important.

 helenofjoy wrote: 
Wish I could give you more, but I am running out the door.

I am so sad today and I'm sure its because of this new asthma thing going on and the fm and then last night I awoke with a problem swallowing properly.  I already have a thyroid mass under there, that hasn't been a problem so far, but if it obstructs swallowing and/or breathing, it will have to be dealt with.  I feel like I've been fighting for my life for so long that its getting tiresome.  I am not suicidal, just feeling sorry for myself today.  I apologize for being a whiner. I've ordered an expensive vaporizer to help with the herb for the fm, but I don't know about these asthma meds and what they may do to me.  I am feeling very sorry for myself.  I can't afford a therapist right now.

 helenofjoy wrote: 
I don't have one. one less thing to worry about.

This thyroid business is more important the docs think I think.  They don't seem to know enough yet - or they are not catching the symptoms.  I am sure that fibromyalgia is tied in with the thyroid in a big way.  So far, the only sure thing they seem to recognize is that is is both neurological and endocrinogical - and that most folks affllicted have endured unreal stresses.  Much like PTSD without the flashbacks.

 black321 wrote: 
It's a grower not a shower.