Paranoid that I will get an EPI reaction

[SJM]

How frequent is a strong reaction to the epinephrine in injectable anesthetic? I am an extremely anxious person, prone to panic attacks, and I've had very bad experiences with pain meds (morphine after surgery) and anesthetics (ketamine when getting a broken wrist set into a cast) so I'm convinced I will have some awful reaction to the epinephrine in the anesthetic when I go in to get some fillings this afternoon. I don't want to take valium or nitrous oxide, I have fears about those meds too. I am really med sensitive. I have had fillings years ago, and don't think I had any kind of epi reaction - mind you, knowledge is my enemy know - I didn't even know epinephrine was in these drugs until I did some research. Any words of wisdom here? Am I freaking out over nothing, as usual? I'm not so stressed about the actual procedure, just am stressing about a potential epi reaction. I can't stand the thought of super increased heartbeat, vision and hearing disturbances... I'm so scared. Help!

 

[Gordon]

Epinephrine is a naturally occurring substance, your body produces lots of it. Why worry about a miniscule extra amount? Less than 2ml of 1:100,000 concentration of epinephrine in local...

 

[DrMike]

I think that some dentists in the past have been guilty of saying to patients that they are allergic to the adrenalin/epinepherine when in fact any increase in heartrate etc that the patient experienced was probably actually due to an increase in anxiety and therefore epinepherine which happens naturally when the 'flight or flight' response is activated.
dr mike

 

[scared0902]

So is it impossible to be sensitive to epi? I've always thought I was, but maybe it's all in my head? I can be completely calm but get a racing heart and shaking after the injection. It doesn't feel like a normal panic attack to me, so I assumed it was the epi--it continues for about twenty minutes or so and then stops? I used to ask for the LA without the epi but had trouble getting/staying numb with it.

 

[comfortdentist]

Aspirate to avoid blood vessels and inject smaller amounts very slow and basically the epi is never a problem