Allergy to alloy used in Titanium implants

Hello, Betsy... I am so sorry that you are having problems with your implants.  I am not sure why the doctor didn't look into getting hardware that wouldn't cause a reaction in your body.  What are they doing for your allergic reaction?  Did they put you on antihistimines of some sort?  Is it a contact allergic reaction or are you experiencing symptoms all over?  What type of problems have you experienced since having the implants? 

Has anyone else have a problem with being allergic to metal alloys used in implants and other hardware used to replace bone, etc.?  What did you do about it?

As per my allergy to the alloy used with the Titanium plate implanted in my neck, my symptoms were a feeling of swelling in my neck as well as a sensitivity to any move of my neck. I was extremely nauseous and had lost 50 pounds in 3 months. The nausea still persists but not as frequently today. I get dizzy alot and I have no balance. It seems all the symptoms that I had before the operation has not changed.
I did alot of research and found that there is a plastic plate that could have been used but I don't know about whether there are plastic screws made.
There are other people with this problem as I have read their blogs. I also met someone who is allergic to nickel which was used in a surgery she has had but she did not know to put her symptoms together and align them with her surgery. She is now gathering her info.

I have 5&6cervical disc removed and replaced with titanium may 2016. Had achilies surgery done february 2017, my eyes just getting red and puffy. Urgent care gave me antibiotics and a cream not for that its came back fours to
Times now. Going againg my face looks like its got chemical burn over dpeadong down. Is it possible to have allergic reactions this far into it

After I had a C4-5 cervical fusion in 2013, with the plate, screws and all hardware supposed to be titanium, I started have loss of space in my throat, feeling of swelling and fullness immediately. I was told this was normal and would go away but things did not feel right. I had told my doctors and my surgeon that I had problems with metal in my body, even when I had a crown, but they said that was not titanium, but it caused severe pain and the post in the crown had to be taken out. Once gone no pain. My right hip was replaced and that is titanium and it feels like the mental is going to pop thru the skin all the time and becomes severely pain if I lay on that side. I have a lot of health issues from a doctor injecting a cocktail of DMSO/Kenalog/lidocaine into me in June 2004 that caused endocrine disease, necrosis, rectal prolapse, severe small fiber nerve disease, etc. So, when I told them I had trouble with metal I was told that titanium would cause any allergic problems or anything else wrong. Since the initial problems, I can barely talk most days and have SEVERE pain in my throat that feels like some one is stabbing me with an oyster knife and twisting it. I choke, it's hard to swallow, the swelling is worse inside my throat and I can hardly get food down at times. The last ENT I saw said my right vocal cord is being paralyzed. I talked till I was blue in the face about the metal in my neck being the issue, but was ignored. This past week I had a modified barium swallow test under floroscopy and it showed that the hardware and screw in my neck is at the same place where there is interference with swallowing. They want to do some other type of test now. Seems pretty clear to me that the hardware and screw are the issue but I wonder a few things. Has anyone else had any changes in the way their face and eyes look? My eyes are dark and puffy at times with some swelling in my face. I also have had rashes and spots of petechia but not on my face...mostly my lower body. My ferritin count has not been on scale making me grossly fatigued. Ferritin is a protein that helps your liver store iron. While I had many other issues from the cocktail injection before this surgery, I have had some very weird things happening and no one is listening to me. I have believed it to be the metal in my neck all along which leads me to my last question. Has any one had the metal removed and how was the surgery and the recovery? Any news regarding all of this would be most appreciated. I feel like I am going to lose my ability to speak or will choke to death if they don't do something about this problem. Thanks!

After I had a C4-5 cervical fusion in 2013, with the plate, screws and all hardware supposed to be titanium, I started have loss of space in my throat, feeling of swelling and fullness immediately. I was told this was normal and would go away but things did not feel right. I had told my doctors and my surgeon that I had problems with metal in my body, even when I had a crown, but they said that was not titanium, but it caused severe pain and the post in the crown had to be taken out. Once gone no pain. My right hip was replaced and that is titanium and it feels like the mental is going to pop thru the skin all the time and becomes severely pain if I lay on that side. I have a lot of health issues from a doctor injecting a cocktail of DMSO/Kenalog/lidocaine into me in June 2004 that caused endocrine disease, necrosis, rectal prolapse, severe small fiber nerve disease, etc. So, when I told them I had trouble with metal I was told that titanium would cause any allergic problems or anything else wrong. Since the initial problems, I can barely talk most days and have SEVERE pain in my throat that feels like some one is stabbing me with an oyster knife and twisting it. I choke, it's hard to swallow, the swelling is worse inside my throat and I can hardly get food down at times. The last ENT I saw said my right vocal cord is being paralyzed. I talked till I was blue in the face about the metal in my neck being the issue, but was ignored. This past week I had a modified barium swallow test under floroscopy and it showed that the hardware and screw in my neck is at the same place where there is interference with swallowing. They want to do some other type of test now. Seems pretty clear to me that the hardware and screw are the issue but I wonder a few things. Has anyone else had any changes in the way their face and eyes look? My eyes are dark and puffy at times with some swelling in my face. I also have had rashes and spots of petechia but not on my face...mostly my lower body. My ferritin count has not been on scale making me grossly fatigued. Ferritin is a protein that helps your liver store iron. While I had many other issues from the cocktail injection before this surgery, I have had some very weird things happening and no one is listening to me. I have believed it to be the metal in my neck all along which leads me to my last question. Has any one had the metal removed and how was the surgery and the recovery? Any news regarding all of this would be most appreciated. I feel like I am going to lose my ability to speak or will choke to death if they don't do something about this problem. Thanks!

After I had a C4-5 cervical fusion in 2013, with the plate, screws and all hardware supposed to be titanium, I started have loss of space in my throat, feeling of swelling and fullness immediately. I was told this was normal and would go away but things did not feel right. I had told my doctors and my surgeon that I had problems with metal in my body, even when I had a crown, but they said that was not titanium, but it caused severe pain and the post in the crown had to be taken out. Once gone no pain. My right hip was replaced and that is titanium and it feels like the mental is going to pop thru the skin all the time and becomes severely pain if I lay on that side. I have a lot of health issues from a doctor injecting a cocktail of DMSO/Kenalog/lidocaine into me in June 2004 that caused endocrine disease, necrosis, rectal prolapse, severe small fiber nerve disease, etc. So, when I told them I had trouble with metal I was told that titanium would cause any allergic problems or anything else wrong. Since the initial problems, I can barely talk most days and have SEVERE pain in my throat that feels like some one is stabbing me with an oyster knife and twisting it. I choke, it's hard to swallow, the swelling is worse inside my throat and I can hardly get food down at times. The last ENT I saw said my right vocal cord is being paralyzed. I talked till I was blue in the face about the metal in my neck being the issue, but was ignored. This past week I had a modified barium swallow test under floroscopy and it showed that the hardware and screw in my neck is at the same place where there is interference with swallowing. They want to do some other type of test now. Seems pretty clear to me that the hardware and screw are the issue but I wonder a few things. Has anyone else had any changes in the way their face and eyes look? My eyes are dark and puffy at times with some swelling in my face. I also have had rashes and spots of petechia but not on my face...mostly my lower body. My ferritin count has not been on scale making me grossly fatigued. Ferritin is a protein that helps your liver store iron. While I had many other issues from the cocktail injection before this surgery, I have had some very weird things happening and no one is listening to me. I have believed it to be the metal in my neck all along which leads me to my last question. Has any one had the metal removed and how was the surgery and the recovery? Any news regarding all of this would be most appreciated. I feel like I am going to lose my ability to speak or will choke to death if they don't do something about this problem. Thanks!

After I had a C4-5 cervical fusion in 2013, with the plate, screws and all hardware supposed to be titanium, I started have loss of space in my throat, feeling of swelling and fullness immediately. I was told this was normal and would go away but things did not feel right. I had told my doctors and my surgeon that I had problems with metal in my body, even when I had a crown, but they said that was not titanium, but it caused severe pain and the post in the crown had to be taken out. Once gone no pain. My right hip was replaced and that is titanium and it feels like the mental is going to pop thru the skin all the time and becomes severely pain if I lay on that side. I have a lot of health issues from a doctor injecting a cocktail of DMSO/Kenalog/lidocaine into me in June 2004 that caused endocrine disease, necrosis, rectal prolapse, severe small fiber nerve disease, etc. So, when I told them I had trouble with metal I was told that titanium would cause any allergic problems or anything else wrong. Since the initial problems, I can barely talk most days and have SEVERE pain in my throat that feels like some one is stabbing me with an oyster knife and twisting it. I choke, it's hard to swallow, the swelling is worse inside my throat and I can hardly get food down at times. The last ENT I saw said my right vocal cord is being paralyzed. I talked till I was blue in the face about the metal in my neck being the issue, but was ignored. This past week I had a modified barium swallow test under floroscopy and it showed that the hardware and screw in my neck is at the same place where there is interference with swallowing. They want to do some other type of test now. Seems pretty clear to me that the hardware and screw are the issue but I wonder a few things. Has anyone else had any changes in the way their face and eyes look? My eyes are dark and puffy at times with some swelling in my face. I also have had rashes and spots of petechia but not on my face...mostly my lower body. My ferritin count has not been on scale making me grossly fatigued. Ferritin is a protein that helps your liver store iron. While I had many other issues from the cocktail injection before this surgery, I have had some very weird things happening and no one is listening to me. I have believed it to be the metal in my neck all along which leads me to my last question. Has any one had the metal removed and how was the surgery and the recovery? Any news regarding all of this would be most appreciated. I feel like I am going to lose my ability to speak or will choke to death if they don't do something about this problem. Thanks!

I just had neck surgery last week. Now I have hives all over my body starting right above the plate . They said its medicine but wasn't really taking much pain or muscle relaxers. I have been on steroids and no change at all. Is it possible that I can be allergic to the titanium plate in my neck.

I had c5and 6and c6and7 done November 6th 17 on thanksgiving I experienced extreme nausea vomiting and chills I have been fine until today, Jan 1 18. Same symptoms also with headache could this be an allergic reaction to the titanium replacments

Do your feet hurt? Knees? I have had hives since three days after surgery

I had a C6-7 plate and allograft in 2009. SInce my surgery I have gained 60 pounds, fibromyalgia, developed hashimotos- an autoimmune disorder, itching, all over, joint and muscle pain, bilateral numbness just to mention a few. I have since discovered that Titanium sensitivities can be the cause of Hashimotos disease. I am still in search of a physician in my area who will do appropriate testing for titanium and alloy allergies. It seems no one wants to order the test and aside from this, I cannot find a lab in the United States where this test is performed. Does anyone have any suggestions?

yes I had cervical spine titanium implants put in March 2017. I 'Itch" all the time. My itchiness is above the neck and all across my lower skull. I had no pre-op pain to speak of; I now have pain all the time. No rash that I can see behind me.

it's julie. i had acdf 2017 well i did not expect to get scleroderma but i did and lupus and it ties together with my titanium plate. i have to go and get a metal test or melisa test to find out if i am allergic to the metal before stanford does posterior occipital cervical fusion. if its positive it has to come out. i feel they should have tested me to find out i had to do the detective work and show them the proof. my skin is itchy as well. please find a place to get tested for nickle allergy. ask your doctor to find one for you.

I had C2-C5 disc replacement, titanium plate in front of neck. I’m experiencing pain that includes sharp stinging pain down both arms, fully involved severe muscle spasms all around neck and shoulders lasting up to 5 minutes several times a day. It’s a real stinger for sure. My concern is since surgery my face and neck including the site of incision has been breaking out severely. This started around 7 weeks post surgery. The acne never really goes away but always returns in same region. I have cysts that have white tiny or large hard balls of pus that I attempt to get out because they’re painful. I’ve been using Cetaphil facial wash and cream so that I’m not using harsh chemicals on my face. Has this ever come up for any patients as being a reaction? I’m 59 year old female. Too old to have acne. Please reply. I’ve become a recluse and on disability from previous lumbar surgery. Complications post surgery with staph infection and had 3 debridement surgeries. Help!!!