Novacaine Side Effects

[conqueringfears]

Hi all! So I wanted to talk about novacaine side effects. I have had 3 root canals in my life and have had to be numbed. Every time I get novacaine injections, I get EXTREMELY shaky and my heart races, and stays that way for a while after the procedure. I have heard before that this is normal because the novacaine (at least here in the US) contains epinephrine. I already have a higher rate due to anxiety and nerves, so my heart is usually already elevated. My fear is that because I am already uneasy, my heart rate getting so high and remaining high will make me sick or faint, because that's how I start to feel. I am afraid that something extreme will happen to my body, like a heart attack or something extreme. And again, it's because of how it feels physically. Do our bodies just metabolize the novacaine and it can basically withstand that response? I just worry so much about this and it's truly the ONLY reason why I feel being in the dental chair. They also said they have to use novacaine that contains the epinephrine to do the nerve block on the bottom.

 

[Gordon]

Novocaine was discontinued just after WW2... just saying

There are various different local anaesthetic solutions available, some of which have epinephrine and some don't. IMO, there's no particular reason why a block injection requires epinephrine.

Most of the time when we get a response like you describe it's because a little bit of the LA solution was accidentally injected into a vein, this can be mostly avoided by careful technique by the dentist but occasionally accidents will happen.

Yes your body happily will metabolise both the LA solution and the epinephrine.

 

[conqueringfears]

@Gordon OHHHH! That makes sense. I had no idea.

The endodontist said the solution with epi is needed to do a total nerve block. It seems that their choice of numbing solution. Should I ask again? I don't want to bother them with my anxiety but it is such an unpleasant feeling and hard to sit through.

Thank you!

 

[Gordon]

No harm in asking them, as I said, plenty of alternative drugs available. Although unless you're very unlucky you should be fine with the standard local + epi combination.