gigimac
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I went to the dentist to get a painful infected tooth pulled today. I asked for epinephrine free novacaine because I read the epinephrine could be problematic for lyme patients.
It did not numb me completely. He then did several low dose shots with epinephrine but it still did not numb completely and we had to quit after a while of him wiggling my painful tooth.
He said it was too infected to pull without pain. I was so nervous and terrified at the sensation of my tooth being pulled out. It was horrible.
Has anyone experienced not being numb with no/low dose epinephrine?
I was given clindamycin but I'm not sure how I will take that now til Tuesday because it makes me horribly ill.
Would doxy work instead?
I also don't know how I will ever drag myself back to the dentist after today. I want to cry thinking about it, I left the office in tears.
I seriously need to be sedated just to get myself to go to the dentist... Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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gigimac
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I HAVE to get nitrous next time or I won't be able to do it.
I read that can be bad too but at this point it feels like I am allowing other peoples' experiences I have read to keep from doing what needs to be done.
I have gotten myself immobilized with lyme fear. Fear of what every thing could do to make my lyme worse...
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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posted
I've had teeth pulled and always had enough numbing agent to not feel the pulling.
Have you ever had a bad experience with the numbing? If not, I think it's best, as it's a big deal to pull a tooth.
Frankly, any dental procedure without numbing is a big deal and I don't go through any without being numbed.
Re handling fear, sometimes you can test things to see if you're going to react. If you pass a little test, you may be able to handle something. That's usually the case for me - I ask for a small amount first, just to make sure I'm not reactive.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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gigimac
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No I haven't had a bad experience before. I had just read the epinephrine was bad for lyme patients.
This is my first time getting a tooth pulled so it's scary to me.
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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poppy
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Are they not using novocaine anymore? I had numbing agents of some kind in recent dental work and had no problem with it.
Nitrous oxide, on the other hand, was a bad experience and I never did it again after that one time.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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gigimac
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why was nitrous a bad experience? what happened? I have to have something for my anxiety or I don't think I will ever be able to do it.
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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Razzle
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Excess Vitamin B12 can cause numbing stuff like novocain to be less effective.
Clove oil rubbed on the gums and around the tooth to be pulled can help with numbing. It burns at first, but the burning will calm down. If the burning is too intolerable, apply olive or coconut oil on top of the clove oil.
If it were me, I'd go ahead and use the Novocain with epinephrine for the tooth pulling. No sense putting yourself through excess pain, as that in and of itself can be too stressful (as you found out).
Also, homeopathic Arnica, Hypericum and Phosphorus taken after the tooth is pulled (I rotated them as needed after my tooth was pulled) can be helpful for pain management and reducing chances of dry socket from the tooth pulling.
Homeopathic Lycopodium can help with anticipatory anxiety about the upcoming procedure.
Be sure to discuss your concerns with your dentist, they may be able to sedate you with something other than Nitrous oxide, or otherwise alleviate your concerns.
In the meanwhile, consider salt water rinses of the infected tooth area to soothe the aggravated tissue (from the attempted tooth pulling) and help control the infection until you can get the tooth taken care of.
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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posted
I do fine with epinephrine. In fact, I sometimes need it to stop an allergic reaction.
I would never go through a painful dental procedure without being fully numbed.
Which leads me to a medical question - I know 10% of Lyme patients get heart complications. Is there a subset of Lyme patients who can't handle epinephrine?
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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poppy
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To answer your question, the NO gave me horrible nightmare like feelings and I was crying my eyes out. I am a very self controlled person, so this was extremely unusual for me.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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gigimac
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Poppy and Lymetoo, did these feelings ( feeling upside down and nightmare feelings) subside as soon as the nitrous was stopped?
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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poppy
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Yes, it went away.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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WPinVA
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Nitrous oxide is bad for those with the MTHFR mutation.
Personally, I would go with the least systemic option that works which sounds like the regular novacaine with epinephrine.
If you need a sedative there is likely something that would calm you down without completely knocking you out.
Posts: 1737 | From Virginia | Registered: Aug 2011
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poppy
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If people keep talking about MTHFR mutations I am going to have to figure out what it is, whether I have it, what if anything should be done about it.
Not really wanting anymore complications in my lyme.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Poppy, re MTHFR mutations, that can be tested for through 23andme. Either they or geneticgenie will interpret results. 23andme's price has gone up and they are offering a discount through the holiday time only.
The results from geneticgenie for me came as a two-page list of all the detox genes and whether I had a -- from both parents, meaning neither had the gene, a -+, meaning one had the gene but I was still protected by the -, and ++, meaning both passed the mutation gene.
Then yes, I have a doctor who interprets the test and knows how to support the missing systems. He gave me a methylation chart which can be seen online, of the various cycles of methylation, where the genes are in each cycle -
there's four or five cycles to look at - and then what supplements to take to boost that missing biochemical ingredient.
If you're interested, I can find that chart online and provide the link.
I don't think this is something that we can figure out easily - it's biochemistry, and my doctor is very well educated to know what's going on. Once he explains it to me, then it's clear. But I wouldn't know this stuff by myself.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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poppy
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Yes, I am interested, but not sure I have the brain power anymore to understand it all.
Chart would be nice, thanks.
Do you find that the supplements based on this have made a real difference for you?
Just checked their website and the price is listed as $199, which seems like a lot more than it used to be. Only special offer is a small discount on additional kits.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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Brussels
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I pulled 7 teeth off, in the last 8 years.
Very badly infected teeth always hurt a bit for me. I did cavitation surgery, so I even felt pain in the jawbone, but it was not unbearable in my case.
the dentist increased the amount of anesthetics, but when the bone and tooth are infected, it doesn't 'work' well.
I heard of many people, bad infection = pain. Even if the tooth is dead (as you can feel pain in the jawbone).
You can pull it with full anesthesia, like I took my 4 wisdom teeth. You feel nothing.
I hope you find a way. It's no fun.
another suggestion would be to go for ozone injections that help control the infection. If they get smaller, the anesthetic will work better!
Posts: 6199 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
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gigimac
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Brussels, what do you mean by full anesthesia?
WpinVA, I think my mthfr is +-. Not sure if nitrous would be bad for someone who is heterozygous. Can you say how the nitrous is bad for mthfr mutation?
I don't believe nitrous knocks you out. The only option they have given me besides nitrous is conscious sedation but that seems much more invasive and more dangerous to me.
Need to get a hold of my doc and discuss this! The abx they gave me to take (zith) has a history of giving me chest pain, not sure what to do. Can't take clinda and dentist said doxy won't work.
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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Brussels
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I don't know how you call that in the US, but here, even common dentists may use the option for children (EVEN to treat CAVITIES!!).
They put the child to sleep, and do all dental work while the child's sleeping.
I pulled 4 wisdom teeth this way too, but all 7 teeth, I pulled with local anesthetics. Some worked better than others, but the most infected ones felt some pain (not unbearable though..., but uncomfortable).
I wish you good luck in finding a solution. I think the PEMF idea is not bad (I use only the violet ray, which is the inspiration from which all PEMF devices originated).
If you still can get some ozone shots there, it will certainly improve healing. Ozone shots cost about 1 dollar each (for the shot).
You basically pay the practitioner fees for the ozone shot, as the cost of ozone is ridiculously cheap (at least here in Europe).
I do think the violet ray (without ozone this time) does something to my infected jaws, but I can't tell you they got better from a day to another. It took me a couple of months to be sure it helped. And it did help, as my teeth health seems to be stable ever since (I started on february). So 11 months on the journey.
Crossing fingers for you! Good luck!
Posts: 6199 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
I did have a tooth pulled with the epi-free novocaine and didn't feel pain(til later).
I was given NO and would not do it again, a lot of neuro side effects, crying, etc.
Posts: 857 | From northern california | Registered: Dec 2009
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gigimac
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Dogmom2 did the neuro symptoms last after the NO was discontinued?
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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gigimac
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I am still trying to figure out how to make myself do this. Terrified of the sensation of something being pulled out of my jaw and the pain.
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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