Is local anesthetic safe?

[ajrobinson77]

Hi I am extrememly scared of medicine. I have had a lowar molar abscess for 12 months now which needs extracting. I have had months of swelling, puss, pain etc... But im just to scared of the injection.

I can cope with pain, blood, needles etc.. but not the actual drug.

Can someone please answer my questions about Lidocaine?

1. Can having 2 injections for numbing kill you?
2. After extraction will the infection get worse?
3. With the adrenaline in the injection make me panic?

Thankyou

 

[Stress Doc]

Hi

Lidocaine is very safe and has been around for decades.

It would take a great amount to be toxic, far more than you would get during a dental procedure.

Once the tooth is removed the infection will clear up. You might be put on a short course of antibiotics if it was extensive.

Local does not have adrenaline, it has EPI. Most people does not have any issues with a local. You might have a slight increase in heart rate, nothing to worry about and it will pass in a few minutes. Local is very safe and proven. You will do great.

Blessings

 

[biffo1963]

Local anaesthetics are among the safest medicines around. Believe me, being scared of medicine is going to do far more harm to your life expectancy than any drug ever could !

 

[S.O.A.A]

hi all

i'm male dentistry student in laste year... from K.S.A

i hope to get information and to make good freindship in this forum

maybe i can't say ideal answer about this Qs because i'm still student but i want to ask Dr.Stress Doc what differences between adrenalin and EPI

i think EPI = Epinephrin

and thank u very much

SOAA

 

[Di]

Hi I am extrememly scared of medicine. I have had a lowar molar abscess for 12 months now which needs extracting. I have had months of swelling, puss, pain etc... But im just to scared of the injection.

I can cope with pain, blood, needles etc.. but not the actual drug.

Can someone please answer my questions about Lidocaine?

1. Can having 2 injections for numbing kill you?
2. After extraction will the infection get worse?
3. With the adrenaline in the injection make me panic?

Thankyou

I don't mind injections as such, but just hate the feeling of being numb so I always ask my dentist to give me a short-acting injection, just enough to make me numb for the actual procedure rather than for hours afterwards. This works fine so maybe your dentist could do the same for you. Don't worry about the actual medication in the injection - it won't do you any harm. I had lots of work done several years ago and had to have many injections at various different times and they didn't do me any harm. People have been having these same injections for decades so they must be pretty safe overall. Just go ahead and get the necessary work done; you shouldn't ignore an abscess - that will do you far more harm than any injection if you don't do something about it. An abscess should never be ignored.

 

[Camisa]

Yes it is safe.

First off I am glad to meet you since I too am terrified of medication. I was never afraid of medication until a medication made me very sick, but it was due to being on it a long time and had nothing to do with dental.

- local anesthetic is very safe in dentistry and it's only administered in small amounts in dentistry compared to other surgical procedures where it may be used.

Being afraid of medication has resulted in my extreme dental phobia but my fear is unfounded because the meds that my dentist gives me (and the meds your dentist will give you) will not harm you.

Your dentist will only give you a little dose of the local and if it contains epinephrine you could have a racing heart for a minute or two, which won't harm you, but if you're that concerned about the epinephrine, just ask for a plain local without epi. This is usually Carbocaine/Mepivicaine - the plain stuff. It is what I ask for because I can't tolerate the racing heart. It's just one of my personal "quirks" I guess. I also have a heart condition but the epi is even safe, with that condition, as I've come to find out.

What's worse than having to deal with side effects of medication is having an acute illness such as an abscess.

I have empathy for you and I have been in your shoes - I left a low-lying abscess go for 3 months -but- finally realized that having a chronic abscess is far worse than a one-time dose of local anesthetic! After I had the tooth extracted my overall health improved greatly and I was no longer in acute danger from the abscess.

( ... ) Believe me, being scared of medicine is going to do far more harm to your life expectancy than any drug ever could !

With very much due respect here there are some medications that *are* dangerous in my personal opinion. I have developed seizures and parkinsonian symptoms from psychiatric drugs but that has nothing to do with dental medications. biffo you are very right when it comes to dental medicine being a life saver among other life saving meds. The medicines that come with risks of adverse effects and whatnot need to be discussed with your doctor. I failed to do this when my psychiatric medicine made me sick after taking it longterm. I did not know it could harm me so never thought to ask. This is why whenever a doctor prescribes a medication you are encouraged to talk to him him about the medication. Risk vs benefit, can it cause dependency, is it addictive, what are the side effects, how long will i need to take it, etc etc
.. In the case of a dental abscess however, which is obviously a serious problem, it is a no-brainer that the risk of having an abscess is far greater than the risk of having a little temporary side effect from a local anesthetic to get it removed. cheers to that though my fear is hard to control so I need IV sedation to get me to accept the dental work. I wish I knew where to turn to get over this ridiculous fear but no one around me takes dental phobia very seriously..obviously why I am here at this forum.

To S.O.A.A - Epinephrine (or Epi for short) is very similar to what adrenaline does, as it transmits adrenal hormones that can induce the stimulating "fight or flight" feelings but in dentistry it is used locally in miniscule amounts to help constrict nearby blood vessels in the gums (slows bleeding) and also allows the local anesthetic to work longer as local anesthetics often have a very short halflife/duration of action. It can slow down the absorption of the local anesthetic (making it last longer)

I am not a doctor though so anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong!!

 

[ajrobinson77]

So why do they have epi in them? Would it mean that I would bleed more or end up with medication in my blood stream if I dont have epi?

 

[Camisa]

So why do they have epi in them? Would it mean that I would bleed more or end up with medication in my blood stream if I dont have epi?

You will have the medication in your bloodstream regardless. -caine drugs are metabolized by the liver I believe. and then you pee it out. The epi helps to keep the local close to the area that is being worked on by constricting the blood flow in that "local" area. When it absorbs in your bloodstream quickly then it wears off faster. When I ask for the plain local with no epi they use Carbocaine/Mepivicane because it can last longer without epi (it has a longer halflife).

 

[Clem]

SOAA: Yes, epi and adrenaline are the same thing. Somebody needs to check his PDR.

 

[nadru]

Re: Is local anesthetic safe if i have it once in a week four weeks in a row?

It is obviously that anaesthetic locally is safe if it is done one time per year. However, if I need to fix a few teeth and I go to a doctor every 5-7 days and every time I have local anaesthetic... is this safe?

Thank you
Nadru

 

[carole]

Yes it is, over the last couple of years I have had a lot of injections to numb my teeth. I am fine and you will be too.

 

[penny_e]

I had my work done and I have anxiety and panic disorder, I also get a lot of heart palpitations, I told my dentist no epi and he gave me the shot with no epi and I had zero effects, no anxiety no heart palps at all, it is really short acting under 15 min. the positive is you leave and your not numb. I am so medication phobic its insane, prior to the dentist I had not even taken so much as an aspirin in over 10 yrs. thankfully I don't need meds if I can heal natural that is the way I choose, your not alone this fear is real and its scary when we have to face it, I promise the non epi I think its called "plain". You'll be happy afterwards.
It was horrible to come home and have to take an advil even for me, I had tears when I put it in my mouth, its the first few min. that are the worst,. You can do it, I did and it turned out just fine, just do some positive self talk and know your body can take it,. Put in headphones with music on at the dentist this helped me 100% it kept my mind off what was going on and do some meditation before you go.