Hi and
hi. i HAVE to get iv sedation (we tried without using oral sedation and it went AWFUL. dentist says i cant come back unless i do IV sedation which i know i have to. and he is the only guy who accepts medicaid around here that also offers iv so i hafta keep him.)
Why did the oral sedation go awfully? Did it not feel as you expected it to, or did you not feel sedated enough? Oral sedation can be a little bit hit and miss because different doses and timing work for different people. I've been taking Diazepam (Valium) for quite a few root canals that I've had done over the past few months and once I worked out the right dose and timing for me, it's usually gone really well. In the beginning, I used to get really stressed out and I produced so much adrenaline that it stopped the Diazepam working, but I've since changed the dose and timing so that I take some the night before as well as some before my appointment.
It's a shame that you don't have a choice of dentist. If the oral sedation didn't work out and they're refusing to treat you unless you agree to IV sedation, it doesn't sound as though they're that willing to work with you to overcome your fears. It is a two way thing; you have to help them in order for them to be able to help you and vice versa
.
It depends on what you want from the sedation. Do you want to be more or less 'out of it' so that you go in, have the sedation and the next thing you remember is being told that your treatment is finished? If so, IV sedation may be the best choice for you. Alternatively, do you want to be aware of what's happening, but in a very fuzzy, not really bothered and calm sort of mood? If so, then oral sedation might be the way to go. It could be that with the right dose or a different drug, you'd maybe do better with oral sedation.
anyway im VERY SCARED of being paralyzed and also scared of dying. both are my two biggest phobias.
IV sedation (and oral sedation) do not paralyse you. Depending on the drugs used, IV sedation uses a similar type of drug to oral sedation, it just takes effect a lot quicker and the effects are stronger (depending on the level or depth of sedation). You can still breathe on your own, move about (if you wanted/needed to) and respond to your dentist. It's not like a general anaesthetic. You're not unconscious or paralysed at all. Many people who have IV sedation, usually don't remember much about it afterwards, but they haven't been asleep at all - they just don't have any memory of the treatment because the sedation quite often causes amnesia
.
I've only ever used oral sedation for dental treatment, but I have had IV sedation for various treatments and procedures in hospital, so I can probably answer most of your questions:
No. You might start to feel really dizzy or lightheaded as it starts to work and things start to seem a bit blurry and distant, but you can still move about.
-did you feel like you couldnt control yourself?
Not really. After it starts to work (and you start to feel like the room is spinning and you've had a bit too much to drink!), the next thing you know, you still feel really lightheaded and spaced out, but the treatment is over.
-did you feel trapped in your body?
I suppose it depends on what you mean by trapped. I was very doped, so I couldn't have got up and walked (or run
!) out if I had wanted to, but that's sort of the point of IV sedation - so that you're sedated enough that you don't really care and don't want to run out of the room!
No. As the sedation starts to take effect, any voices or sounds in the room start to sound a bit distant and might echo a bit. It sounded a bit like I was underwater for a little while. But I didn't hallucinate. I didn't see or hear anything that wasn't actually happening.
Absolutely yes. But then again, I need to know that the dentist will stop if I'm in pain or if I ask and that I can also get up and walk out if I want to.
-could you express yourself?
You can talk whilst sedated (depending on the level of sedation), it's just that you probably won't remember it.
Yes. It's not like a general anaesthetic - you're not paralysed at all, so you can breathe for yourself as normal.
-what was the aftermath like?
I was very spaced out and tired. When the treatment/procedure was finished, I was still very lightheaded and couldn't really walk in a straight line (like when you've had a few pints too many!). Most people go home and sleep it off for a few hours and then feel more or less back to normal when they wake up.
From reading the questions you've asked, it sounds as though you're worried about having your sense of control taken away from you. For me personally, this is why I'm not a fan of IV sedation at all and instead prefer oral sedation (which I have more control over). However, a lot of people do have really positive experiences with IV sedation and you can read these in the success stories section on this forum. Most people say that one minute they remember the sedation drugs going in and the next they remember is 'waking up' (except that you're not asleep - you just don't remember
).
Maybe you didn't have a high enough dose of whatever oral sedation drug you took or maybe a different drug might work better - it might be worth seeing your doctor (physician) and seeing if they can help?
When I had my first root canal appointment back in March, I took 6mg of Diazepam and it appeared to have very little effect. I was shaking like a leaf and pretty terrified for most of the appointment and it was only thanks to the patience of the dentist that I managed to cope with the treatment. I've since realised that the reason the Diazepam didn't work was because I'd got so stressed out and I'd produced so much adrenaline that it counteracted it. After talking to a doctor and explaining what happened, they suggested taking 5mg the night before and then 10mg about an hour before my appointment, so that's what I've been taking for each root canal appointment since and it works a treat
. Alternatively, you could give the IV sedation a try - you never know, you might like it
.
