Case Studies
|
October 14, 2022

How Shauna Found the Connection Between Her Emergency Root Canal and Ulcerative Colitis Flair Ups

Medically Reviewed by
Updated On
September 17, 2024

Ulcerative colitis is one of the few diagnosed autoimmune inflammatory bowel diseases responsible for causing inflammation and ulceration of the intestines and rectum, affecting just under a million people annually.

Onset is a slow process and usually begins around 15-30 years of age, presenting symptoms of cramping and abdominal pain, diarrhea with or without blood and mucus, and bowel movement urgency. Over time, the patient will experience fatigue, anemia, and weight loss due to poorly managed disease. Diagnosis is typically made with a colonoscopy, tissue biopsy, and blood work.

[signup]

CC: Abdominal pain, Abdominal bloating, Frequent diarrhea with urgency, Generalized anxiety disorder

Shauna was a 19 years old female who presented with a recent onset of abdominal pain and bloated with frequent bloody diarrhea. She began having stomach problems at 15 years old but attributed most of it to her high-stress level as a varsity athlete year-round and honor student. Since beginning college, her symptoms have worsened. She had 6-10 bowel movements daily and could not eat food without abdominal pain and bloating, followed by bowel movement urgency. She avoided eating during the day and eating one large meal at night to avoid daily pain and urgency of bowel movement.

Additional History

When Shauna was 15, she had a bike accident that resulted in her needing two root canals on her teeth. She stated "since this happened, she had never felt the same but denied any oral pain." After the root canals, she began having more frequent infections, claiming she caught every cold or flu that came through school. When she was 18, she had another root canal on a neighboring tooth to the previous root canals due to a local infection that had developed, leading to extreme pain.

Her Diet consisted of 1 large dinner nightly ranging from burgers to salads; she was living in a college dorm at the time and limited to the cafeteria food. She was working out regularly and drinking plenty of water daily.

Initial Lab Work

Comprehensive Stool Test Results:

  • Pancreatin: Low
  • Fecal Fats: High
  • Calprotectin: Mildly Elevated
  • Fecal Secretory IgA: High
  • Dysbiotic overgrowth of multiple commensal strains

Lab Analysis

  • Shauna's labs indicate she is dealing with a high level of systemic inflammation, seen through elevated HsCRP and gastrointestinal inflammation based on her elevated calprotectin and fecal secretory IgA.
  • She has multiple food intolerances that are commonly in her daily diet, directly fueling inflammation and ongoing symptoms. Her nutrient levels indicate borderline low nutrient stores, which could be related to the high level of inflammation and poor digestive enzyme production, seen through the low pancreatin and elevated fecal fats.
  • Shauna was not dealing with any pathogenic bacterial overgrowth but had a vast overgrowth of commensal bacteria, which could likely contribute to her symptoms. Her iron level was within normal limits, but her ferritin level was borderline low, likely due to frequent blood loss in bowel movements.

Interventions

  • Begin avoiding identified food intolerances, with the priority being wheat/gluten, dairy, and corn.
  • She was also instructed to avoid processed foods and sugar, sticking to a paleo diet with pre-cooked vegetables and easily digested fruits.
  • Diet recommendations were made of smoothies/shakes/cold pressed or fresh juice in the morning and bone broth-based soup at lunch to get the essential nutrients needed for tissue healing and repair.
  • Ortho Digest digestive enzymes were recommended with each meal to support food breakdown and nutrient absorption, restore pancreatic acid production, and support fat absorption.
  • Begin weekly behavioral, and cognitive therapy for ongoing anxiety and coping mechanisms with patients' ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms
  • Follow up with a biological dentist for oral DNA microbiome analysis and evaluation of 3 root canals.
  • Follow up with a Gastroenterologist for colonoscopy.
  • Liquid multivitamins to provide baseline nutrients and avoid capsules/pills due to decreased digestive function.
  • Start a liquid fish oil supplement with food at 3 grams of combined DHA/EPA a day.
  • SBI Protect by Ortho Molecular/ Serum Derived Bovine Colostrum powder recommended one scoop morning and night with liquid.
  • After three weeks on the above supplement, bring in RF Plus capsules with food. RF Plus is a supplemental herbal formula that supports digestion while reducing inflammation and promoting healing in the digestive tract.

1.5 Month Follow Up

The patient followed up after seeing the biological dentist, who said she had advanced infections in the root pulp and initial stages of bone loss in her jaw surrounding the two teeth she had the initial root canals on when she was 16 years old. She was able to begin the process of having the two infected root canal teeth extracted and the local area cleaned and oral microbiome re-established through the use of an ozonated mouthwash and oral chewable probiotic capsules.Due to the complexity of the infection, it would be three months before she was able to have the infected teeth and replaced with zirconia implants.

She was able to get in quickly with a gastroenterologist due to the severity of her symptoms. Her colonoscopy showed multiple areas with ulcerations and inflammation stemming from the rectum and beginning to affect her distal colon. They recommended beginning a short round of corticosteroids, but the patient refused as she had already seen improvement in her symptoms with the diet and supplement changes. Β 

Shauna initially had difficulty committing to the diet, but after three weeks, she found a balance and quickly began noticing less frequent stool that was more formed and far less abdominal pain, bloating, and blood seen with bowel movements. She was also noticing an increase in energy and was sleeping much better. She had not yet followed up with mental health support at this visit.

3 Month Follow Up

Three months into treatment labs were repeated and showed good improvement.

Shauna had been fully paleo for 2.5 months and was able to bring some raw vegetables back into her diet with the support of ongoing digestive enzymes. She was not experiencing any abdominal pain and only infrequent bloating after dinner when overeating. Her bowel movements had reduced to 2x daily and were still on the looser end but more formed, Bristol stool chart #5, and no blood, mucus, or undigested foods were seen.

Shauna went through a few therapists to find one she clicked with but was very happy with the results she saw with her anxiety and overall mental health daily. She was told to stick with the current treatment plan but reduce her fish oil to 2 grams daily and the SBI protection to 1 scoop nightly.

6 Months Follow Up

A stool and food intolerance panel was recommended; the patient denied repeating it as she felt so good on the paleo diet that she was not interested in going off it.

Comprehensive Stool Test Results:

  • Pancreatin Low Normal
  • Fecal Fats Normal
  • Calprotectin Normal
  • Fecal Secretory IgA High end of normal
  • Dysbiotic overgrowth of only Bacteroides spp.

6 Month Interventions

Begin a 6-month trial of a spore-based probiotic containing quercetin, marshmallow, and aloe vera: Β½ capsule every three nights and every 1-week increase dosage until she reaches one capsule nightly.

Shauna was also recommended to bring nut butters and gluten-free grains back into her diet on a rotational basis for short-chain fatty acid and fiber support, as well as challenging new foods to see how her system reacted; she was advised to continue a gluten-free, dairy free, sugar limited, and processed food free diet ongoing.

She was also told to continue the RF Plus formula until she followed up with her gastroenterologist for a repeat colonoscopy at one year. If everything looked good, she would begin weaning off the supplement.

Results

At the six months follow-up, the patient was doing exceptionally well. She was having regular bowel movements and no episodes of abdominal pain or bloating. She was able to bring the recommended foods back into her diet and have the occasional "treat" meal, diverging from her anti-inflammatory diet, without any gastrointestinal symptoms. Overall she had noticed her energy level continued to improve and was sleeping a solid 8 hours nightly. She could also reduce her therapy sessions to 1x monthly instead of weekly, as her anxiety level had improved overall.

Throughout her six months of treatment, Shauna continued working diligently with a biological dentist to have her two infected root canals successfully extracted and replaced with dental implants. She had repeated oral 3D x-rays six months into her treatment, and the surrounding bone was remineralizing well, and the implants were healthy. The patient was extremely pleased with the results and did not follow up again in the office for gastrointestinal issues as her symptoms remained gone.

Summary

This case is a wonderful example of the deep connection and possible bacterial translocation between the oral and gastrointestinal microbiome. The impact an underlying hidden infection also has on stimulating the immune system to the point of eliciting an autoimmune disease also should be considered when investigating a recent onset autoimmune disease with no genetic predispositions.

Not all ulcerative colitis is as effectively treated as in this case. Still, the patient's dedication to seeing results and sticking to the diet and supplement recommendations, as well as lifestyle changes, helped immensely with her prognosis.

Ulcerative colitis is one of the autoimmune inflammatory bowel conditions that can lead to inflammation and ulceration of the intestines and rectum, affecting just under a million people annually.

Onset is a gradual process and usually begins around 15-30 years of age, with symptoms such as cramping and abdominal pain, diarrhea with or without blood and mucus, and bowel movement urgency. Over time, individuals may experience fatigue, anemia, and weight loss if the condition is not well-managed. Diagnosis is typically made with a colonoscopy, tissue biopsy, and blood work.

[signup]

CC: Abdominal pain, Abdominal bloating, Frequent diarrhea with urgency, Generalized anxiety disorder

Shauna was a 19-year-old female who presented with a recent onset of abdominal pain and bloating with frequent bloody diarrhea. She began having stomach problems at 15 years old but attributed most of it to her high-stress level as a varsity athlete year-round and honor student. Since beginning college, her symptoms have worsened. She had 6-10 bowel movements daily and could not eat food without abdominal pain and bloating, followed by bowel movement urgency. She avoided eating during the day and ate one large meal at night to avoid daily pain and urgency of bowel movement.

Additional History

When Shauna was 15, she had a bike accident that resulted in her needing two root canals on her teeth. She stated "since this happened, she had never felt the same but denied any oral pain." After the root canals, she began having more frequent infections, claiming she caught every cold or flu that came through school. When she was 18, she had another root canal on a neighboring tooth to the previous root canals due to a local infection that had developed, leading to extreme pain.

Her diet consisted of 1 large dinner nightly ranging from burgers to salads; she was living in a college dorm at the time and limited to the cafeteria food. She was working out regularly and drinking plenty of water daily.

Initial Lab Work

Comprehensive Stool Test Results:

  • Pancreatin: Low
  • Fecal Fats: High
  • Calprotectin: Mildly Elevated
  • Fecal Secretory IgA: High
  • Dysbiotic overgrowth of multiple commensal strains

Lab Analysis

  • Shauna's labs suggest she is experiencing a high level of systemic inflammation, seen through elevated HsCRP and gastrointestinal inflammation based on her elevated calprotectin and fecal secretory IgA.
  • She has multiple food intolerances that are commonly in her daily diet, which may contribute to inflammation and ongoing symptoms. Her nutrient levels indicate borderline low nutrient stores, which could be related to the high level of inflammation and poor digestive enzyme production, seen through the low pancreatin and elevated fecal fats.
  • Shauna was not dealing with any pathogenic bacterial overgrowth but had a vast overgrowth of commensal bacteria, which could likely contribute to her symptoms. Her iron level was within normal limits, but her ferritin level was borderline low, likely due to frequent blood loss in bowel movements.

Interventions

  • Begin avoiding identified food intolerances, with the priority being wheat/gluten, dairy, and corn.
  • She was also advised to avoid processed foods and sugar, sticking to a paleo diet with pre-cooked vegetables and easily digested fruits.
  • Diet suggestions included smoothies/shakes/cold pressed or fresh juice in the morning and bone broth-based soup at lunch to help provide essential nutrients.
  • Digestive enzymes were suggested with each meal to support food breakdown and nutrient absorption, and to help support pancreatic function and fat absorption.
  • Begin weekly behavioral and cognitive therapy for ongoing anxiety and coping mechanisms with patients' ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms.
  • Follow up with a biological dentist for oral DNA microbiome analysis and evaluation of 3 root canals.
  • Follow up with a Gastroenterologist for colonoscopy.
  • Liquid multivitamins to provide baseline nutrients and avoid capsules/pills due to decreased digestive function.
  • Start a liquid fish oil supplement with food at 3 grams of combined DHA/EPA a day.
  • SBI Protect by Ortho Molecular/ Serum Derived Bovine Colostrum powder suggested one scoop morning and night with liquid.
  • After three weeks on the above supplement, consider adding RF Plus capsules with food. RF Plus is a supplemental herbal formula that may support digestion and help manage inflammation in the digestive tract.

1.5 Month Follow Up

The patient followed up after seeing the biological dentist, who said she had advanced infections in the root pulp and initial stages of bone loss in her jaw surrounding the two teeth she had the initial root canals on when she was 16 years old. She was able to begin the process of having the two infected root canal teeth extracted and the local area cleaned and oral microbiome re-established through the use of an ozonated mouthwash and oral chewable probiotic capsules. Due to the complexity of the infection, it would be three months before she was able to have the infected teeth replaced with zirconia implants.

She was able to get in quickly with a gastroenterologist due to the severity of her symptoms. Her colonoscopy showed multiple areas with ulcerations and inflammation stemming from the rectum and beginning to affect her distal colon. They recommended beginning a short round of corticosteroids, but the patient chose not to proceed as she had already seen improvement in her symptoms with the diet and supplement changes. Β 

Shauna initially had difficulty committing to the diet, but after three weeks, she found a balance and quickly began noticing less frequent stool that was more formed and far less abdominal pain, bloating, and blood seen with bowel movements. She was also noticing an increase in energy and was sleeping much better. She had not yet followed up with mental health support at this visit.

3 Month Follow Up

Three months into treatment labs were repeated and showed good improvement.

Shauna had been fully paleo for 2.5 months and was able to bring some raw vegetables back into her diet with the support of ongoing digestive enzymes. She was not experiencing any abdominal pain and only infrequent bloating after dinner when overeating. Her bowel movements had reduced to 2x daily and were still on the looser end but more formed, Bristol stool chart #5, and no blood, mucus, or undigested foods were seen.

Shauna went through a few therapists to find one she clicked with but was very happy with the results she saw with her anxiety and overall mental health daily. She was told to stick with the current treatment plan but reduce her fish oil to 2 grams daily and the SBI protection to 1 scoop nightly.

6 Months Follow Up

A stool and food intolerance panel was recommended; the patient chose not to repeat it as she felt so good on the paleo diet that she was not interested in going off it.

Comprehensive Stool Test Results:

  • Pancreatin Low Normal
  • Fecal Fats Normal
  • Calprotectin Normal
  • Fecal Secretory IgA High end of normal
  • Dysbiotic overgrowth of only Bacteroides spp.

6 Month Interventions

Begin a 6-month trial of a spore-based probiotic containing quercetin, marshmallow, and aloe vera: Β½ capsule every three nights and every 1-week increase dosage until she reaches one capsule nightly.

Shauna was also advised to bring nut butters and gluten-free grains back into her diet on a rotational basis for short-chain fatty acid and fiber support, as well as challenging new foods to see how her system reacted; she was advised to continue a gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-limited, and processed food-free diet ongoing.

She was also told to continue the RF Plus formula until she followed up with her gastroenterologist for a repeat colonoscopy at one year. If everything looked good, she would begin weaning off the supplement.

Results

At the six months follow-up, the patient was doing exceptionally well. She was having regular bowel movements and no episodes of abdominal pain or bloating. She was able to bring the recommended foods back into her diet and have the occasional "treat" meal, diverging from her anti-inflammatory diet, without any gastrointestinal symptoms. Overall she had noticed her energy level continued to improve and was sleeping a solid 8 hours nightly. She could also reduce her therapy sessions to 1x monthly instead of weekly, as her anxiety level had improved overall.

Throughout her six months of treatment, Shauna continued working diligently with a biological dentist to have her two infected root canals successfully extracted and replaced with dental implants. She had repeated oral 3D x-rays six months into her treatment, and the surrounding bone was remineralizing well, and the implants were healthy. The patient was extremely pleased with the results and did not follow up again in the office for gastrointestinal issues as her symptoms remained gone.

Summary

This case is an example of the potential connection between the oral and gastrointestinal microbiome. The impact an underlying hidden infection may have on stimulating the immune system to the point of contributing to an autoimmune condition should be considered when investigating a recent onset autoimmune condition with no genetic predispositions.

Not all cases of ulcerative colitis respond as effectively as in this case. Still, the patient's dedication to seeing results and sticking to the diet and supplement suggestions, as well as lifestyle changes, helped immensely with her progress.

The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

Learn more

No items found.

Lab Tests in This Article

Order from 30+ labs in 20 seconds (DUTCH, Mosaic, Genova & More!)
We make ordering quick and painless β€” and best of all, it's free for practitioners.

Latest Articles

View more on Case Studies
Subscribe to the magazine for expert-written articles straight to your inbox
Join the thousands of savvy readers who get root cause medicine articles written by doctors in their inbox every week!
Thanks for subscribing!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Are you a healthcare practitioner?
Thanks for subscribing!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Subscribe to the Magazine for free to keep reading!
Subscribe for free to keep reading, If you are already subscribed, enter your email address to log back in.
Thanks for subscribing!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Are you a healthcare practitioner?
Thanks for subscribing!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Trusted Source
Rupa Health
Medical Education Platform
Visit Source
Visit Source
American Cancer Society
Foundation for Cancer Research
Visit Source
Visit Source
National Library of Medicine
Government Authority
Visit Source
Visit Source
Journal of The American College of Radiology
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
National Cancer Institute
Government Authority
Visit Source
Visit Source
World Health Organization (WHO)
Government Authority
Visit Source
Visit Source
The Journal of Pediatrics
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
CDC
Government Authority
Visit Source
Visit Source
Office of Dietary Supplements
Government Authority
Visit Source
Visit Source
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
Government Authority
Visit Source
Visit Source
National Institutes of Health
Government Authority
Visit Source
Visit Source
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Brain
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The Journal of Rheumatology
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI)
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Hepatology
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Kidney International
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Annals of Surgery
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Chest
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Blood
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Gastroenterology
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The American Journal of Psychiatry
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Diabetes Care
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC)
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO)
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI)
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Circulation
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
JAMA Internal Medicine
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
PLOS Medicine
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Annals of Internal Medicine
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Nature Medicine
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The BMJ (British Medical Journal)
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
The Lancet
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Pubmed
Comprehensive biomedical database
Visit Source
Visit Source
Harvard
Educational/Medical Institution
Visit Source
Visit Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational/Medical Institution
Visit Source
Visit Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational/Medical Institution
Visit Source
Visit Source
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
Peer Reviewed Journal
Visit Source
Visit Source
Johns Hopkins
Educational/Medical Institution
Visit Source
Visit Source

Hey practitioners! πŸ‘‹ Join Dr. Chris Magryta and Dr. Erik Lundquist for a comprehensive 6-week course on evaluating functional medicine labs from two perspectives: adult and pediatric. In this course, you’ll explore the convergence of lab results across different diseases and age groups, understanding how human lab values vary on a continuum influenced by age, genetics, and time. Register Here! Register Here.

Hey practitioners! πŸ‘‹ Join Dr. Terry Wahls for a 3-week bootcamp on integrating functional medicine into conventional practice, focusing on complex cases like Multiple Sclerosis. Learn to analyze labs through a functional lens, perform nutrition-focused physical exams, and develop personalized care strategies. Register Here.