Terrified Of Dentist

[gertie]

I'm still trying to talk myself into a root canal. I can't have anything with epi & the caines don't numb me without it. I have meniere's so laying down in a dental chair for any length of time is another nightmare. I have multiple chemical sensitivity so I have a bad reaction to almost everything I come in contact with. Any sedation other than numbing is out of the question. The times I've been put to sleep I was very hard to revive & took days to get over. I have osteoporosis in my jaws so I'm terrified that if I have the tooth pulled they will break my jaw. The tooth doesn't have a cavity but because the dentist drilled into the nerve while replacing a filling I can't chew on the tooth because of nerve pain. I can't think of a positive visit I've had with a dentist in 60 years. My first dental visit ended with me passed out from the novacaine & since then I've had the usual heart arrythmia problems a lot of us have with meds. Any trauma in my mouth always ends up with an infection & I still haven't found an antibiotic that I didn't have severe reaction to. I have said for years I hoped I died before I had to have any more major work done in my mouth & I still feel that way.

Sorry so long but I just had to vent to someone that might possibly understand. Thanks.

[jenwic]

Alicia,

I can completely understand what you are going through! I am so sensitive to the numbing meds that even the ones without epi make my heart race, I feel weak all over and breathless like I might pass out within a minute or two after the injection. I am also putting off going in for a tooth that I think is infected and needs to be pulled or get a root canal. The dentist gave me antibiotics for it about 6 months ago and I still haven't taken them because the last time I took them I get wheezy.

One dr. (Dr. Bernstein) told me he thinks I have multiple chemical sensitivity and another (Dr. Grubb)thinks I have a mast cell disorder. I take one Claritin in the a.m. and one in the p.m. and I also take Zantac.

Before my next dental work I will probably take 50 mg of Benadryl on top of the other meds. I'm going to look for a link to a site about dental problems and post it below.

Sorry I am not of much help, but know you're not alone. I'm sitting here typing with my tooth hurting.

Jenny

[jenwic]

Here's a link on POTS and dental work:

http://jada.ada.org/cgi/reprint/137/4/488

[gertie]

Thanks Jenny! I know if I could take meds without having a bad reaction I could tolerate everything better. I've noticed that when I think things can't get any worse they always do. Hope you feel better soon.