I am scared of lidocaine suddenly

[CatLi]

Hello everyone,

I have posted here before about other issues that I have since moved past, but now have another one. I have been going to my dentist for fillings and I feel very lucky to have him as he is really tolerant of my panic attacks. However, I have cancelled my last few appointments and am so tempted to not go today because of the terror I have developed of lidocaine injections. I am scared that I will have an adverse reaction to the injection. In particular, I am scared of having a seizure or losing consciousness as sometimes I feel very sleepy during my appointment after the injection (which is something that happens to my gram as well). I know if it happens it is rare, but it is something I think about all the time as a youtuber I follow had a seizure after his dentist appointment and people were saying it was the lidocaine. I am trying not to worry, but I have a lot of health anxiety around the ideas of seizures/fainting and medications due to an adverse reaction I had to something years ago that my panic disorder has not gotten over.

My dentist has recommended gas, but I worry about it because again medication and I do not want to be too out of it to take care of myself if something happens with my diabetes or something during the appointment. I also do not know if the videos you see online of people walking around acting foolish is because of that.

I guess I am just really worried about the injections again, even though nothing beyond the panic attacks and the sleepiness has happened every single other time that I have done it. I guess I just want to hear some thoughts before my appointment, though I know 6ish hours before my appointment does not give a lot of time for responses to come in, but holding out hope. I did read some study on it, though everyone it happened to seemed to be young, with the oldest being 15, so trying not to do this to myself, but when I am genuinely scared and bad at self regulating when it happens. It is much easier to combat a random panic attack with seemingly no source versus a panic attack coming from an event that will happen and I can't really stop it as I have cancelled two weeks in a row and I know if I keep waiting I will need more root canals and I do not think I can handle that right now.

Thanks

 

[letsconnect]

a youtuber I follow had a seizure after his dentist appointment and people were saying it was the lidocaine.

I take it the people on YouTube weren't dental professionals (who see thousands of patients and never get to see these ill effects)?

Deep down, you probably already know that random people's speculations on YouTube are not the most reliable source of information . In all the years on this forum, I've never heard of anyone having a seizure as a result of local anaesthetic. And if there was one place on the internet where people with such an experience would come and post, it's probably here!

Sounds like a coincidence to me that the guy happened to have a seizure after a dental appointment - it could equally have been after he'd taken a disprin, or after he'd eaten an ice cream, and random YouTubers might then reply linking the two events, even though they're completely unrelated.

My dentist has recommended gas, but I worry about it because again medication and I do not want to be too out of it to take care of myself if something happens with my diabetes or something during the appointment. I also do not know if the videos you see online of people walking around acting foolish is because of that.

The effects of nitrous oxide gas wear off almost immediately after the gas is discontinued, so no, you wouldn't be too out of it to take care of yourself...

I suspect that people who choose to publish videos of themselves acting (<-- take note) foolish after dental sedation do so for dramatic effect, and will deliberately exaggerate - otherwise, who's going to click the like button and share their video?

Honestly, don't pay too much attention to YouTube and TikTok and the like, the amount of misinformation on there is mind-boggling . Your dentist sounds like a nice guy and a far better source of information.

Wishing all the best for your appointment, please let us know how it went if you manage not to cancel!