Dental Phobia and Agoraphobic; 2 root canals tomorrow. So so scared

[Naaarrf]

Hi all. I have 2 root canals tomorrow and am petrified. I went in 2 weeks ago for this same thing and had to leave because I couldn’t stop sobbing. Anyway this time they gave me Halcion. I am to take .25 x2 tonight and same thing tomorrow morning. I am so scared it won’t work. I am not scared of needles really or the chair. My fear is feeling trapped and not being able to get up if I want to. I am terrified of not being in control. I just really want tomorrow to go well. I have avoided the dentist for over a decade because of my phobia. Will the Halcion help? I don’t want to have a panic attack again :,(. I am not scared of pain or anything, I just don’t want to feel trapped or panicked. And I want some reassurance that Halcion will be effective . Thank you so much all.

 

[kitkat]

Hi Naaarrf!
Welcome to DFC! I can’t speak for halcion specifically but many people report a very high rate of success with oral sedation. It also helps that the dental staff already know that you are scared. Have you expressed to them what your specific fears are? Many people do well with timed breaks or a stop signal (could be just raising your hand or a finger to let them know) to increase a sense of control. Many dentists will also talk to you throughout and check in with you to make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. I struggle with control and surprisingly have had a lot of success with distraction methods (listening to headphones or watching movies on virtual glasses)...I didn’t think this would help me much because I thought I liked being “in the know” every minute that I was there but after giving it a try, I found I was less stressed when I shifted my focus away from what was happening in my mouth (this was with a well established stop signal that I felt comfortable using). All the best wishes to you with tomorrow’s appointment. Please let us know how you get on.

 

[Naaarrf]

Hi Naaarrf!
Welcome to DFC! I can’t speak for halcion specifically but many people report a very high rate of success with oral sedation. It also helps that the dental staff already know that you are scared. Have you expressed to them what your specific fears are? Many people do well with timed breaks or a stop signal (could be just raising your hand or a finger to let them know) to increase a sense of control. Many dentists will also talk to you throughout and check in with you to make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. I struggle with control and surprisingly have had a lot of success with distraction methods (listening to headphones or watching movies on virtual glasses)...I didn’t think this would help me much because I thought I liked being “in the know” every minute that I was there but after giving it a try, I found I was less stressed when I shifted my focus away from what was happening in my mouth (this was with a well established stop signal that I felt comfortable using). All the best wishes to you with tomorrow’s appointment. Please let us know how you get on.

Thank you so much for your reply! I really appreciate someone replying to me. I was desperate for some comforting words :-D

I wanted to add an update in case anyone in the future stumbles upon this thread in hopes of getting some encouragement too.

The pills are a godsend. It was like being extremely silly and drunk for me, but not nauseous or dizzy or anything. I even have panic attack symptoms but these pills just made me NOT CARE. At all. I just felt so carefree.

The dentist visit went extremely well. I do remember most of it but apparently I fell asleep and snored during the root canal. It went by SO FAST. The shots stung very little, but nothing bad at all. The nurse held my hand and was an angel to me.

The fillings and crown went by fast. At this point the pills were wearing off a little so I felt anxious but not panicky by any means. I think I was just ready to be out of there. I was there for almost 4 hours y’all and it felt like maybe 1 hour. Maybe.

The ONLY “complaint” I even have is that when the pills high had mostly worn off, I cried a lot and felt really sad. Maybe just adrenaline finally releasing. No clue why. But that was very brief and literally the worst thing about today.

For anyone scared, and believe me I WAS, it will be fine!!!! The Halcion is a freaking miracle, and as long as you have caring staff around you, they will treat you so kindly and compassionately. It goes by fast. I brought a sleep mask and headphones and listened to beautiful music. Just close your eyes, feel the meds working their magic on your CNS and listen to some tunes.

Feel free to message me (idk if that’s a thing on here?) if you need some encouragement.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Naaarrf,

So glad to hear this!! glad the Halcon worked for you and sounds like you really did great on your part of things . and sounds you had very caring good dental staff helping you!! This is all great! So glad it went well for you!

 

[kitkat]

Thank you for the update! I am so happy that everything went well with your appointment! The halcion does have an amnesia-like effect where you lose a sense of time. That is wonderful that the nurse was so kind to you. I have heard sedatives do sometimes have side effects that make you emotional when you “sober up” but it could also just be an emotional release after such an intense experience of stress (before the procedure, not during). Give yourself a pat on the back and feel proud of yourself for going through with it and being able to encourage others! You have crossed over to other side so well done!

 

[CourageAndBraveryASAP]

Thanks for sharing this. I had a similar experience - my medical doctor was not comfortable with prescribing Halcion but she gave me a combination of some other things that made me extremely relaxed and sleepy. I remember much of the experience but was pleasantly sleepy and had a higher pain threshold because I don't recall any pain. It is what helped me get care, period, and I wish more places offered this in situations of anxiety and fear and poor past experiences. Good for you!