How Long do Novocaine's Side-Effects Last?

[Dog Lover]

Hello,

I hope this is the right forum for this question, as I am new here!

I'm having an anxious reaction from my visit to the dentist yesterday. He gave me Novocaine (probably Lidocaine) to prepare my bottom molar for a crown and my heart started racing. As I have nervous tendencies to begin with, that probably made it worse and I had to ask the assistant for a cold cloth for my head. The sensation passed and he did the work, but then I couldn't sleep last night! I was out of the dentist's office by 1PM, could it have been the epinephrine in my system still? Or was it just coincidence and I just had a bad night?

So, now, because of that I'm worried it'll happen again, when I go back to get the rest of the work done in 2 weeks. I plan to ask him to use "non-epi" novocaine this time, but just in case, and for the sake of knowing...

...how long could the effect of epi have lasted?

Thank you!

 

[comfortdentist]

Depending on how exactly the epinephrine got into your system it lasts from 2-10 minutes.

Usually no need to avoid but just to be careful

 

[Dog Lover]

Depending on how exactly the epinephrine got into your system it lasts from 2-10 minutes.

Usually no need to avoid but just to be careful

Wow, that's it? So, it's not like a drug that may stay in your system for hours? Then, I guess, that could not have caused my bad night! I think I may still ask for "epi free" numbing next time, but it's reassuring, anyway. Thanks for your response!

 

[findingthesun]

Wow, that's it? So, it's not like a drug that may stay in your system for hours? Then, I guess, that could not have caused my bad night! I think I may still ask for "epi free" numbing next time, but it's reassuring, anyway. Thanks for your response!

I tend to ask for epi-free myself due to my anxiety issues (it makes my heart palp about like crazy, not really a sensation I like when I am already freaked out even though it always settled after a minute or two), tbh my last dentist didn't even give me a choice, he was like, 'I know you have anxiety, this is a little better for people with that' and that's how I found out there's ones without epi to begin with!

Anyway, re: your bad night, I don't know about you, but after a stressful situation I am often a mess the whole day afterwards. That may have contributed to your sleepless night, your body may have just not settled down after everything.