Teeth stains

[Colleen]

I'm been on minocycline for almost 6 months now and my RA pain is almost completely gone…it's a miracle and I'm tremendously thankful I found this website….However, I've noticed excessive staining on my teeth around the gumline that I didn't have before…my dentist thinks it may be the medication….Has anyone ever experienced this?

[A Friend]

[user=153]Colleen[/user] wrote:

I'm been on minocycline for almost 6 months now and my RA pain is almost completely gone…it's a miracle and I'm tremendously thankful I found this website….However, I've noticed excessive staining on my teeth around the gumline that I didn't have before…my dentist thinks it may be the medication….Has anyone ever experienced this?

Colleen,

This happened to me, but I increased my cleaning appointments to about every 3 or 4 months, and it always came off — sometimes varied depending on the hygienist and how good a job she did.  Some of them do a better job than others, so bring this to their attention that it is die-off from medications and “can” come off. 

Some posters have mentioned that Minocin, etc. can discolor the teeth.  In young children, I believe, this is true.  However, for myself I've found this darkness was/is definitely related to die-off of the myco's or other organisms that are dieing as a result of the medication.  Even using soda/salt for some of your brushing (doing this gently so as not to irritate the gums) may be helpful with this.  Also, Viadent mouth wash is helpful for reducing plaque formation, etc. 

Glad you found this treatment.  Over many years of interacting with patients, it seems to be the best treatment, with the fewest serious side effects.  (It's not a magic bullet all by itself (but close), and we need to become very familiar with our sensitivities, foods that are best for us, learn about taking probiotics, keeping sugar and starches out of our diet that encourage and feed unfriendly organisms and fungus — some of us are MUCH MORE prone to these problems than others.  For myself, it was a must!

AF

[Joe M]

Your dentist is probably right.  There are numerous studies confirming this side effect of minocycline.  Anyone saying it is “definately” caused by something else without any proof to back it up is really just guessing or telling you what you want to hear. 

For example:

http://www.theannals.com/cgi/content/abstract/32/9/887
Minocycline-associated tooth staining MA Dodd, EJ Dole, WG Troutman, and DA Bennahum

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of tooth discoloration in an adult after minocycline treatment for arthritis. CASE SUMMARY: A 68-year-old white women presented with blue-black staining of her lower anterior teeth after 4 months of minocycline therapy for arthritis. Her other medications are not known to cause discoloration of teeth. While the patient continued taking minocycline, her dentist was not able to remove the discoloration. Within 1 month after discontinuation of the minocycline, the dentist was able to remove the discoloration entirely. DISCUSSION: Minocycline, a synthetic derivative of tetracycline, has been shown to cause abnormal pigmentation of the skin, thyroid gland, nails, bone, sclera, and conjunctiva in adults. It also has been shown to cause tooth discoloration in a few patients. This case is unusual in that the tooth discoloration disappeared after discontinuing minocycline therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This complication of minocycline is more commonly thought of in the pediatric population. However, clinicians need to be aware of this adverse drug reaction, as this agent may be used increasingly in the treatment of adults with arthritis.

And others:

http://jdr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/84/7/596

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10765767

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12932226?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1401598?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

Many more if you just google “minocycline tooth staining”.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[Maz]

[user=153]Colleen[/user] wrote:

I'm been on minocycline for almost 6 months now and my RA pain is almost completely gone…it's a miracle and I'm tremendously thankful I found this website….However, I've noticed excessive staining on my teeth around the gumline that I didn't have before…my dentist thinks it may be the medication….Has anyone ever experienced this?

Hi Colleen,

You may have already seen this info, but just thought to add it for you or anyone else wondering….

Under the Education tab on the main website there is some information in the “Current Protocol” section on minocycline, hyperpigmentation of skin and tooth discoloration.  Supplementing with Vit C, going from a daily to low, pulsed dose of minocycline (with physican supervision) or switching to another antibiotic, such as doxycycline seems to help with these problems.

Hope this helps a bit and so happy to hear you've done so well on AP! 😀

Peace, Maz

https://www.roadback.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=studies.display&display_id=183

SIDE EFFECTS[/b]

(cut and paste of relevant bit)

[/color]

#315525

[linda]

Hi Colleer,

I can tell you from personal experience that this class of abx does indeed stain teeth. However, my experience is from taking tetracycline when I was 2 y/o, b4 anyone knew that it stained adult teeth when given to children. It's stain comes from within the tooth, so whiteners are not effective (plus they cause tooth sensitivity). My understanding is that the staining is much less is adults, but I guess like anything it varies from person to person. It's a small price to pay IMO if it works. Veneers are becoming less expensive if it's something that really bothers you. I would get them if I could afford them- and yes, it's vain, I know- but I'm not suctioning off fat or pumping botox or collagen into my face. And veneers can actually be beneficial if done correctly– the newer methods scrape very little of the enamel off the tooth and can make the tooth stronger. Most people don't get all of their teeth done, just the upper teeth that show when they smile. Probably more info than you wanted, since your ? was about staining, not veneers!:D

linda

[Sierra]

Boy have I ever experienced that! Brownish deposits along the gumline–yuck! It's definitely a side effect of minocycline. I get my teeth cleaned twice as often, and it all comes off. At home I use an electric toothbrush with baking soda, too. Sometimes I scrape areas with my fingernail and it comes off that way, too.

Sierra

[vinny]

[user=128]Sierra[/user] wrote:

Boy have I ever experienced that! Brownish deposits along the gumline–yuck! It's definitely a side effect of minocycline. I get my teeth cleaned twice as often, and it all comes off. At home I use an electric toothbrush with baking soda, too. Sometimes I scrape areas with my fingernail and it comes off that way, too.

Sierra

I have psa and had trouble getting my hand to my mouth to brush my teeth because of shoulder pain before starting on Minocycline. I'm not real vain, and will trade the discoloration for the pain any day. I have been on Minocycline for 5 weeks now and am free of all static pain. I started  and remain on 200mg daily and have not had any herx reaction. So far I feel very fortunate and grateful I found this website and a pcp that would prescribe Minocycline.

Psoriatic Arthritis: 100mg Minoz Minocycline TABLET daily; twice daily 400mg Pentoxifylline;125mcg Levotyroxine: Have been using some level of Minocycline since 2008

[Maz]

[user=11]linda[/user] wrote:

Veneers are becoming less expensive if it's something that really bothers you.

Linda, last year, I got veneers for my top front 4 incisors due to a large chip (I had longitudinal fractures from braces in my 30s) and love them! They look better than my original teeth, but were quite expensive….$6000 for 4! I really only needed one tooth done for the goofy-looking chip, but in order to get color/size uniformity, as you say, they recommended to do all the ones mostly visible. My dentist also said that veneers were better than the lumineers, because they engineer a ridge behind the bottom of the tooth to which the veneer is glued. This makes it look more natural, wrapping right around the cutting edge…also much stronger than natural teeth. Of course, would much rather have what I was born with, but this is a great substitute if one has to have it done…preferrable to a crown on just the one tooth, especially being so visible at the front, which was my other alternative.  

Peace, Maz

 

[Maz]

[user=523]vinny[/user] wrote:

I have been on Minocycline for 5 weeks now and am free of all static pain. I started  and remain on 200mg daily and have not had any herx reaction. So far I feel very fortunate and grateful I found this website and a pcp that would prescribe Minocycline.

Vinny, that is fantastic news that you responded so quickly!  Here's to many more pain-free days for you and more of this great improvement as time goes on. 😀 And, as you say, thank goodness for open-minded PCPs willing to help us out.

Peace, Maz

[Sierra]

I'm not real vain either, Vinny but I work in public relations and show my teeth a lot. Mucky brown teeth would be a professional liability.

Sierra 

[JBJBJB]

[user=128]Sierra[/user] wrote:

Boy have I ever experienced that! Brownish deposits along the gumline–yuck!

I got these yucky brownish deposits, too. Also my teeth has some dark stains. I will go to my dentist to have my teeth cleaned more often from now on.

 

[JeffN]

When I first went on mino I too got the brown stains, most noticable on the lower front teeth. Had my teeth cleaned and the residue came right off. I increased my cleaning visits to every four months, and have not had a problem. I also notice that I really don't get much residue anymore it was mostly a problem the first nine months or so. I just went for my cleaning last month and there was no build up. I have read here that one theory is that the residue is die off because of the mino. I have no darkening of my teeth my issue was simply the brown gunk. My dentist says he also sees the build up in people who are on mino for acne.

[A Friend]

JeffN,

I really like the statement in your signature line.  How true!  How true!

AF

[Colleen]

Has the electric toothbrush helped at all in cutting down on the “brown gunk”?  My dentist wants to sell my the Oral B Triumph, but I haven't tried it yet.

[Colleen]

Jeff;

My situation sounds similar….no teeth staining, just that ugly stuff along some of the gumline….I'm glad to hear that the brown gunk will subside after 9 months on mino….just 3 more months to go….otherwise, feeling great….

[Author]

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