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I received 2 hip replacements and then developed cobalt & chromium.
Joint Replacements | Last Active: Jan 8 6:53pm | Replies (38)Comment receiving replies
Here is what I experienced. In 2006, I had 2 hip implants of a new and supposedly longer,lasting type, recommended because I was young and they were supposed to last a lot longer. They were all metal, with the ball and liner made of a chromium and cobalt alloy, shaft usually titanium, acetabular cup another metal - supposed to be stronger. Typical implants had a metal shaft and cup, with a head of metal or ceramic, and a liner of some kind of plastic.
Unfortunately, for many people, if head (ball) and cup were not perfectly sized and aligned, the two wear between the parts caused metal shavings to be deposited in surrounding tissue, leading to heavy metal poisoning, tissue breakdown, and sometimes rejection.
They were marketed in the US and Europe by DePuy, Johnson & Johnson, Smith & Nephew, maybe others from the late 1990's to about 2008.
My cousin & I both had these implants in 2006, hers was problematic immediately and she has been living without a joint since 2009. Mine were replaced in 2011, and it took me over 2 years to get my thyroid, metallosis and tissue damage resolved, I still have heart rate issues today.
The implants are now off the market, but I have learned to ask more questions!
Sue
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@debra145 @sueinmn @ltsally I have had some issues with titanium plates and screws that were placed on my ankle because of a fracture last year. I have allergic asthma which got worse with a lot of phlegm and breathing issues, and I had joint pain and chronic hives. I just got my hardware removed and I got better immediately. This is an example of a fixed implant that does not move, so there is no wear debris deposited in tissues. It is just that this metal is present. Titanium is used because it is supposed to be inert in the body, but it is an alloy which means there are some other metals mixed in to improve the implant. It could be those trace metals that cause the problem. My surgeon for my ankle fracture surgery told me that about 20% of patients choose to have their fixation hardware removed.
I know it isn't always possible to have implanted hardware removed or revised. There are some doctors who treat these problems. I wanted to share some information about the field of Environmental Medicine and the practice that pioneered this field which is in Texas, north of Dallas. They do treat patients for immune issues with implants, and they sell books, and books specific for doctors about their research. They are call the Environmental Health Center of Dallas, but just moved to another location. Their website has lots of other information to explore. Here is their page on implant syndrome.
https://www.ehcd.com/implant-syndrome
If you need to test for immune responses to materials in implants, this lab in Chicago does blood tests for specific materials.
https://www.orthopedicanalysis.com/
Another resource is the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and you can find a provider search button on their website at https://www.aaemonline.org/
I have been a patient of an environmental medicine doctor for many years and have benefited a lot. I am a patient who is sensitive to things. Patients can also have immune responses to dental implants and those can be made from titanium, but there is a safer choice with Zirconium implants and crowns and bridges also carved from Zirconium which is a ceramic material. Even the screws that connect the crown to the implant are made of Zirconium. There is no metal. I have just gone through this process of Zirconium implants, and received my new teeth 3 months ago and everything is fine.
I agree with Sue. Ask lots of questions! testing for metal sensitivities before going through a surgery may help, but it may also tell you that you have no sensitivity, and later on, because of exposure to the material in the body, an immune problem develops.