Diazepam/Abscess/Anxious

[TrickyJ]

So as I've said above I am anxious and can hardly even get a local anaesthetic to start a procedure and my dentist told me that in no uncertain terms that I have a gum abscess which has ruptured above my top left incisor and he is concerned about it and wants to drain and extract it as well as treat other cavities I have and said it needs urgent treatment and has prescribed me 2mg diazepam/valium but to take 2 tablets before my procedure on Monday which I am also scared to take for fear of how it will affect me and if I end up being 'knocked out'. Basically my questions are firstly, what exactly happens and how long will it take to drain and extract the abscess as I am very restless at the best of times? Secondly how will the diazepam/valium affect me and do I have anything to worry about? And thirdly is there any proven ways to make things more comfortable? I have tried getting sedated and freaked out there as well and my confidence is rock bottom because my smile looks like a zombie from Shaun of the Dead and I am at my wits end and with the scarey stuff I have read on the internet about tooth abscesses and the pus juicing drainage videos it is sending my anxiety through the roof, making my sweat glands feel they could cure a drought and my bowels feel they could build a mansion with the bricks they could produce... jokes aside I am truly begging for proper advice now!

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Trickyj,

So ,, I have taken Diazepam/Lorazepam for medical procedures and I take 1mg. The 1mg does not knock me out at all and I feel completely normal and with it so to say but very relaxed .. like I can feel my body relaxing and just get a chilled out feeling.. Its actually my anxiety /procedure drug of choice because it only lasts so long, takes fairly quickly.. in about 30 min to an hour you are starting that relax state . This is how it works for me. again this is 1mg.. 2 may do a bit more but I think this really doesn't make you feel weird at all , just a relaxant..

 

[TrickyJ]

I'll maybe give it a trial run before the procedure tomorrow as it's either that or a few stiff whiskies and I don't fancy giving the dentist a whiff of Johnnie Walker fumes so hopefully I'll be able to sit and let him do his job tomorrow as the anxiety is truly crippling and I'd rather feel relaxed enough to let him do his thing but in control in that I'm not feeling like a zombie and powerless

 

[tazey]

I've taken diazapam a few times now (as my appointments are getting more intense) its a very small amount it doesn't make you drowsy or anything prob just enough to make things bearable so you can sit still. I take 2mg or even 2 pills I think you'd have to take a lot more than that to feel sleepy.

 

[TrickyJ]

So does it basically just take the edge off? I am going to take 1 2mg tonight to get a decent sleep then another 2 hours before my appt as never had an abscess til now and I've heard it's painful getting drained then obviously the extraction too.

 

[tazey]

Yes it should do,all my issues started with an abscess but I had to take antibiotics first before they'd even do extractions.

 

[TrickyJ]

What did you take for that?

 

[MountainMama]

I have not taken Valium, but have heard it is similar to laughing gas, which I have had. It just made me relax. I was still alert and aware and able to respond.

I just had a root canal on my upper front incisor (right) because of a large abscess. I was given antibiotics 5 days prior. The abscess itself was painful, but it did not make the procedure more painful. My dentist did tell me that the recovery can take longer, though, which I have found to be true. I had my root canal 4 days ago, and the area still hurts pretty bad all around the tooth. It is still controlled with tylenol, though.

I have pretty bad anxiety as well, and I made it through the appointment without anything but local anesthetic, which was amazing for me. I usually have to have laughing gas for anything worse than a filling (which is bad enough!).

 

[TrickyJ]

Bad news is that took the diazepam/valium and it's not reacted with me very well as been sick 3 times, had heart palps, the sweats and also have a banging headache so back to the drawing board by cancelling and rescheduling my appointment and maybe trying a few whiskies or gin to get me sloshed as I am running out of ideas and I think my dentist is ready to tell me to take a run and jump sadly as I am trying but nothing seems to work all because 10 years ago I got the polisher stuck in my gum and the dentist panicked....

 

[MountainMama]

Is nitrous (laughing gas) an option? They can adjust the dosage immediately and it works much the same to relax you.

 

[tazey]

What did you take for that?

Mmm can't remember exactly I guess something to clear up any infections. Are you sure the sickness etc wasn't due to anxiety? I wouldn't have thought a small dose would do that.

 

[MountainMama]

I had ti take antibiotics to help clear up my abscess as well, before the dentist would work on it.

 

[Gordon]

Bad news is that took the diazepam/valium and it's not reacted with me very well as been sick 3 times, had heart palps, the sweats and also have a banging headache so back to the drawing board by cancelling and rescheduling my appointment and maybe trying a few whiskies or gin to get me sloshed as I am running out of ideas and I think my dentist is ready to tell me to take a run and jump sadly as I am trying but nothing seems to work all because 10 years ago I got the polisher stuck in my gum and the dentist panicked....

Unfortunately (if you're serious and I'm sure you're not really!) then don't waste the whisky, you'd be sent home as soon as they smelled the booze on your breath. Alcohol and dental treatment is a really bad mix.

You sound like you need to be referred to a sedation clinic to get the treatment done. Appreciate that's a bit inconvenient for you, but it's probably the best way to deal with this.

 

[TrickyJ]

I was referred to a sedation clinic earlier this year and I had a huge panic attack when they were going to insert the drug to sedate me and I was literally ripping the catheter out my arm and that clinic will no longer see me again. My dentist gave me 4 options at my appointment on Friday, 1) leave the abscess as it is and let the poison go through my system, 2) try another sedation clinic, 3) go to the dental hospital in the middle of town in Glasgow which is also an issue as I don't travel well because of my anxiety and 4) go cold turkey and just be a big brave boy.

As regards the alcohol I am deadly serious if it will work but we are not talking about being excessively drunk more like 1 or 2 shots to take the edge off as I will try anything to be able to let the dentist do his thing and have my smile back as I currently looking like I could pass for an extra in Pirates of the Caribbean and I'm still a relatively young guy as only 31 and maybe realised too late my diet wasn't great growing up and it's affected my body.

 

[Gordon]

Well if you can get to Glasgow, I can thoroughly recommend our Mike Gow at Berkley Clinic in Charing Cross.

The trouble with whisky as a "premed" is that it opens up blood vessels quite effectively and will make a big difference to post op bleeding. There's also a big question over consent to treatment when you're impaired through alcohol.

I wouldn't treat you under those circumstances and I was pretty laid back about most things.

 

[Enarete]

Well if you can get to Glasgow, I can thoroughly recommend our Mike Gow at Berkley Clinic in Charing Cross.

As Gordon suggests, if you can get to Glasgow, go for Mike. He has a lot of possibilities and different approaches and is used to treat the most severe cases of dental phobia. You can also find a lot of reviews about him here on the page.

 

[TrickyJ]

I rang up the Berkeley Clinic as much as the girl was truly lovely and understanding on the phone, I cannot afford to have the treatment done as I am on ESA benefits for anxiety and The Berkeley Clinic do not accept NHS patients even with a referral and it would have been a challenge even to get there as I have hodophobia (fear of travel) amonfst other mental health issues along with the dental phobia and even a dental plan with the surgery will be too much. I now have 2 gum abscesses one above the left incisor at the front of my mouth and one on the gum below my second left back molar and several of my teeth are chipping and rotting more every day and I could honestly cry, my throat is also sore probably from the infection and all my dentist is suggesting is either to get sedated (which I couldn't do before due to being a bit of a self control freak and almost ripping the catheter out my arm during a panic attack right before sedation), referring me to the Glasgow Dental Hospital in which travelling is still an issue and even then the sedation is still going to be an issue or thirdly to bite the bullet and let my dentist do his thing but in the meantime I am putting the fear of God into myself thinking I'll end up dying from sepsis or Ludwig's Angina and relying on Dr. Google which is stressing me out more and putting the frighteners up me.

I really don't know what to do now as even counselling for this is going to cost money and I just cannot afford this and every day I am facing a potential health crisis if I am not already there and wondering if tomorrow will be the day my teeth turn on my body.

 

[Gordon]

You could ask your GP to refer you to an NLP practitioner, this can be effective at letting you get over your fears enough to get started with the IV at the Dental Hospital. Which health board area are you in? Greater Glasgow?

Nobody dies from dental infections in the West, I've never seen a Ludwig's angina in a British patient

 

[TrickyJ]

What is an NLP? If it is a daft question then all good. I am in Greater Glasgow yes, it's just a nightmare that I could develop sepsis or worse as I keep worrying my airways will close up and I'll die in my sleep and maybe it's an overreaction but just how I feel with the stress of all this.

 

[letsconnect]

Sorry I think your question may have been overlooked due to our forum software move. NLP = neurolinguistic programming. It's a form of short therapy.

Although NLP has been discredited as a pseudoscience, a lot of non-quacky psychologists use aspects of NLP and EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) with very good results, especially when it comes to phobias. It's not a panacea, but can be useful for situations such as yours where a quick solution is desirable. As Gordon said, it might help to get you to a stage where you can accept the IV?