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Metal hypersensitivity post acdf surgery. Anyone else?
Spine Health | Last Active: Feb 19 5:52pm | Replies (10)Comment receiving replies
I’m dealing with some similar symptoms after cervical surgery, acdf c3-c6, in November of 2020. I’ve done a lot of research on my case. To begin with there are two blood test companies(basically out-of-pocket charges)for all of the various metals, bone cement, etc. used in implant. The first is Orthopedic Analysis in Chicago(312-733-7121) which does Lymphocyte Transformation Testing which is metal allergy testing for orthopedic implants. I did both panels, 1 & 2, but out of the 40 things tested for none registered as reactive. The other test is the MELISA test in Germany which seems to be the gold standard but the logistics of sending them blood samples is more complicated. From there I started with a patch test dermatologist-39 metals-applied on my back-which was negative for all, too. He sent me to a neurologist and a rheumatologist who each spent an hour with me and ordered extensive blood tests, a new cervical MRI(neurologist) and X-rays of my hand/wrist & feet(rheumatologist). Rheumatologist thinks the solution will be found in the neurological realm and is conferring with the neurologist who I’ll be seeing again next month. Our body’s reaction to our implants is rare and not well studied. There are a couple of Facebook support groups that can be useful for information (but need to be careful about some of the member’s solutions!). One that has worked for many but is difficult to achieve is to have all metals implanted removed(I have not only cervical cages and pins but 5 teeth implants and an 11”rod with two plates and numerous pins in my upper arm(humerus). Having all of that removed is not going to happen! Hope I’ve helped get you started on your search though.
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@web28 @jacorona I can empathize. I know from my personal experience that old dental work with root canals, crowns with metals, silver amalgam filings, and surgical titanium plates from an ankle fracture all affected me. I only know this because I was able to later become metal free and my allergic asthma got a lot better. It took years for all of this to develop. I broke my teeth as a kid which stared the issues with root canals and capped teeth, and many years later, the root canals began to fail causing an infection in my jawbone. I had all the silver fillings replaced because they were leaching mercury which according to my environmental medicine doctor was causing an autoimmune thyroid problem, Hashimoto's. My antibodies against my thyroid were off the charts. After removal of all silver fillings, levels were in a low range and readable. It was later with the failure of old root canals, that I replaced those teeth with Zirconium (ceramic) implants and a Zirconium bridge. I had a blood test done for Hashimoto's and I no longer have that diagnosis and would be borderline.
When I had my cervical spine fusion, I asked for no hardware because I knew that foreign materials and metals had been issues for me mainly because I used to have pierced ears, but that got to where I could not tolerate any type of metal in the earring even if I was covering the post with a plastic tube sleeve. Since this was possible to have a bone disc fusion without hardware from my surgeon, I was able to take that uncertainty off the table.
After my spine surgery was when the root canals began to fail and I became metal free for awhile with getting dental implants until I broke my ankle a few months later, and I got titanium plates. 6 months after that surgery, I developed hives that could be anywhere on my body in large patches on my arms and legs and I had to stay on antihistamines all the time. After a year an a half of healing from the fracture, I was able to have the surgical plates removed and return to being metal free which solved those issues.
Not everyone can have surgical implants removed. There are treatments for this from environmental medicine doctors and it usually involves treating all the allergies a person has to lower the load of inflammation in the body.
The practice that started this field of medicine is the Environmental Health Center Dallas which you can find at this website. https://www.ehcd.com/
There is also a provider search at https://www.aaemonline.org/
Some people are just sensitive to implant materials. I did have a blood test done at Orthopedic Analysis which said I was not reacting to anything, but it might take a period of time of exposure to something before a person reacts, for example the 6 months it took me to develop hives from titanium plates. Those tests may be of limited value unless a patent has already developed a sensitivity.
Jennifer