Terrified of numb throat and not being able to breathe

[EmPuff]

Hi!

So let me just start off with some history, I had Bulimia Nervosa in my late teens and then went on to have an alcohol & cocaine addiction in my early to late 20s. I'm now 32 and clean 4 years. The years of addiction and illness have caused me to have VERY bad teeth. I had 11 teeth removed at hospital under GA and now need 3 teeth removed at the dentist. I'm going tomorrow but im petrified. I read that if you swallow the anaesthetic from the needle it can interfere with the ability to breathe & you'll need intubating. I know that's irrational but i can't get over that fear. My teeth are the last part of the physicial I need to fix from my addiction and illness, and i desperately want to be able to smile again! Does anyone have any tips on how I can cope tomorrow?

Thanks.
Em

 

[Julesd]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Hi Em,
I replied to Islandergirl's post above if you want to take a look. I don't know about swallowing the needle, but I had my last 8 teeth extracted at the dentists on Monday and was petrified before. I did everything the day before to take my mind off including going out for a huge Indian meal and staying up late watching trash tv.
I had sedation, although I'm not sure how big a difference it made, but the procedure was totally painless, just a bit uncomfortable. 48 hours later I am slightly swollen and have lots of stitches but have been very lucky and have not had any pain. Fingers crossed for you, you have overcome so much and will feel so relieved when this is over. It is the turning point to a new chapter in your life when you will feel happy to smile and put everything else behind you.

 

[Julesd]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Sorry didn't mean to say swallowing the needle!!! Now that would be scary!!

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Empuff,

Hello.. I wanted to tell you I have a very strong fear of swallowing things at dentist and especially the anesthetic and causing me to not be able to swallow or breath.. well , at my dentist I have now I told him this very early on. and so they are always careful , the assistant to catch anything that would drop but the whole time he has not dropped any anesthetic...to make me feel this way .. One thing the assistant explained to me was the numbing gel they use before the actual anesthetic is the stuff that makes one feel like this and it is easeir to get in your saliva and swallow... so she would be very very careful with the suction to get saliva after this was applied and my dentist didn't put it all over or give me too much. I have had no problems like this.. So.. maybe if you explain this fear , and tell them you would like them to make sure no saliva or anesthetic goes down your throat they will be extra cautious.. I hope everything goes very well for you !! and really great you are taking care of yourself in all ways!! You deserve it!!

 

[EmPuff]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Thankyou for your replies! I've got one of closest friends coming with me & she's such a calming influence on my life lol. I know I can do this, I've already crushed so many fears, it's just the initial one, it's causing me so much anxiety. I'm going to try and sleep early, and have breakfast before i go. I keep reminding myself this time tomorrow it will be done. Can i ask, how long does it take to get a tooth out? My ones were taken under a general so I had no idea. Is it long?

Swallowing a needle! Lol that made me chuckle.

I've explained my fear to my dentist last week & he said about getting the nurse to suction so I dont swallow anything, he also said if it interfered with breathing they wouldn't legally be allowed to put it in your mouth... makes sense lol, but still a huge phobia.

 

[Spider]

Re: Beyond terrified!

I'm not sure if you've been to the dentist yet, but I hope everything goes smoothly and your anxiety stays low! Its going to be such a relief when its over and you're back at home. It sounds like you found a really good dentist too, so I bet you'll be surprised at how fast and painless it is. Update when you can xx

 

[Julesd]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Hi Em, hope everything goes well today. I think you will just feel so relieved once it's all over. Try and think about it being a way to get rid of the anxiety and it will be over before you know it. Nothing can be worse than the worry and stress you are feeling now. As spider says let us know how it goes. Julia

 

[prolix]

Re: Beyond terrified!

If it makes you feel better, I've definitely tasted/swallowed a tiny bit of anesthetic before, and it freaked me the heck out, but it didn't stop me breathing and I didn't need to be intubated.

My throat got all numb and tingly and I felt like I couldn't breathe for a second, and panicked, but it wasn't real! It was just a sensation, not an actual inability to breathe! We stopped what we were doing and I just tried to relax. After a few minutes the sensation passed and we continued. Everything was fine.

So I don't know what kind of anesthetic you've heard about, but while it definitely feels freaky as hell if you swallow it, the one I had didn't cause any real problems, just a few minutes of discomfort.

 

[Enarete]

Re: Beyond terrified!

All the best wishes for today! You are very courageous and trying to see the fear logically, which is great. I am sure you will feel amazing and very proud of your after this is done

As to the extractions - this depends on the state of the teeth, but chances are that it will go fairly quickly. The waiting for the numbing to take effect is usually the longest (and rather boring) part.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[EmPuff]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Hi!

Thankyou for the repkies! So, I went. I cried and had a panic attack but i did it, and i ended up getting 6 needles because my last tooth still hurt when he tried to pull it. It wasn't as bad as if made myself believe, and my dentist was really patient and caring. I now have a partial denture while the gum heals and then I can get a bridge! It feels amazing to be able to smile again. I'm back on Tuesday for a filling & to check healing but i know what to expect now. Thankyou for your kind words and experience.

 

[Julesd]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Well done Em. That’s amazing and totally life changing for you. you should be very proud of yourself. Keep smiling! Julia

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Soo glad for you , you got through it even though it was hard at parts you did it. and super glad to hear you have a patient and caring dentist and can build some momentum for trust going back too knowing they will take care of you well!! So happy!!

 

[Enarete]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Heyyyy, congrats and well done

Crying and having a panic attack and staying there and going through the procedure despite all of that..

Thank you for the lovely update, give yourself a pat on the back, have a very beautiful day and may you recover as quickly as possible. Look forward to your further updates

 

[EmPuff]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Thankyou! I'm healing ok I think, minimal pain and really the pain is centred around the tooth that was broke to the root and it was a bugger for my dentist to get out. I dont seem to have much swelling & im loving the compliments I'm getting. My big brother who is a typical brother and never has anything nice to say commented that my teeth made my whole face look cleaner ?. Just wish id done it sooner lol. Have to go back Tuesday I dont know if I'm getting some fillings or if he just wants to check I'm healing, not sure my gums are ready to be stabbed again just yet.

 

[Zoidberg444]

Re: Beyond terrified!

Hi!

Thankyou for the repkies! So, I went. I cried and had a panic attack but i did it, and i ended up getting 6 needles because my last tooth still hurt when he tried to pull it. It wasn't as bad as if made myself believe, and my dentist was really patient and caring. I now have a partial denture while the gum heals and then I can get a bridge! It feels amazing to be able to smile again. I'm back on Tuesday for a filling & to check healing but i know what to expect now. Thankyou for your kind words and experience.

That's great news. Its very much one of my concerns at the dentist. Choking that is. That the only thing stopping you asphyxiating on your own saliva and mucus is a poor dental nurse who has to hold suction in your throat for hours on end. In fact i'd say that bothered me more than the pain when local anesthetic doesn't seem to work. I had that problem last time i went to the dentist. I could feel the whole thing. I had better luck this time. A little discomfort but nothing like last time...

You'll be mostly healed in a week or two. You should see how you get on with dentures. Its cheaper than a bridge!