Having to wait for Iv sedation

[inthegreen]

I need one tooth out and one crowned and deep cleaning on 4 back teeth. My worse phobia is teeth extraction and I am booked in for next Wednesday but I am in such excruciating pain I can't wait until then but also I can't bear to be awake. My dentist said there is nothing else he can do until then and suggest I ring the doctors. The doctor prescribed co codamol which has made me sick and hasn't helped. I haven't eaten solid food for 3 weeks and now I can't bear to drink either. I rang Nhs direct last night but they could only suggest waiting or talking to my dentist.
The sedationist is not available until next Wednesday nor are the many others I rang yesterday.
I am desperate I am badly dehydrated and shattered. No one seems to be able to help me apart from to tell me to man up and have it done under local. Even typing this is causing me stress. I am at the end of my tether. I just can't cope but no one can help.
Does anyone have any suggestions because I don't feel I can cope much longer, I will either pass out from dehydration and pain or go completely insane.

 

[decan]

I'm really sorry that you are going through this. The only thing I can recommend is oral sedation (halcion/triazolam) + nitrous. It's not IV so you wouldn't be completely under, but you'd be pretty out of it. I hope you find relief soon. Good luck.

 

[danni0509]

What's pain relief are you taking? Can you get something stronger? have you tried extra strength dental oral gel? Are you salt rinsing every 2-4 hours? I know its not good waiting but you have 6 days left until sedation, is there any way you can try make yourself comfortable & battle on until then?

 

[letsconnect]

Hi inthegreen, could you go to A&E and see if they can give you some stronger painkillers or antibiotics or whatever may be appropriate? It's really important that you don't get dehydrated (and the current weather won't be helping!) and to me, the situation sounds serious enough to warrant a trip to A&E.

As Decan said, maybe you could also ask your dentist if there might be any alternatives to IV sedation which he can offer.

 

[vicki]

Hi

There are a variety of painkillers that your GP can prescribe so it may be worth going back to see them or as letsconnect suggested, go to A&E as they will be able to give you a prescription for painkillers.

I know it's miserable when you can't/don't want to eat or drink because of pain. I've been in a similar situation myself over the last few weeks because I'm in the middle of root canal treatment on several teeth (4 done; 2 to go) and the pain I've been experiencing before the treatment (which is why I've had the root canals) plus the pain following each appointment (which does eventually settle down after a week or so), is pretty horrendous. I've been on a soup, soft bread and painkiller diet myself for weeks.

I got some of the stronger Co-codamol from my GP and it makes me sick sometimes too. I usually find that it's better not to take it on an empty stomach (you're supposed to be able to, but I think everyone's different) and so I take it after food. If you could keep the Co-codamol down, it would probably help you. The other painkiller I'm taking (not at the same time as Co-codamol, I alternate between the two) is Nurofen Plus which contains Ibuprofen and Codeine and you can buy this over the counter without a prescription. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory which might help if you have any swelling, but like the Co-codamol, sometimes it's best to take it with food.

When my pain is really bad and I can't chew anything and hot/cold food and drink also hurts, I usually survive on soup and porridge. If you get a vegetable based soup that's fairly runny, you won't need to chew anything and if necessary, you can drink it through a straw. The lack of food and drink won't be helping you to feel any better. If you're really dehydrated, you could try taking Dioralyte sachets as these are used for dehydration when you're ill (you can buy them from most pharmacies and supermarkets). Also, try drinking through a straw as it's usually more comfortable if your teeth are painful.

Some people find either heat from a hot water bottle or heat pad, or cold from an ice pack or bag of frozen peas helps. You could also try some Bonjela gel on your gums in the areas that are sore. It doesn't really do anything for the pain, but it does provide a cooling sensation which can act as a bit of distraction.

If you can't wait until next Wednesday, you could try asking your GP for some Temazepam or Diazepam to take for your appointment instead. It won't knock you out completely, but at the right dose, would make less anxious about what's happening.

Hope you feel better soon