I’m a little concerned I was given something dangerous and don’t know what to do. I have a highly visible career and take great care of my teeth. I have had to have a few dental procedures that required dental sedation over they have always gone fine. I received a promotion that required a transfer which meant switching dentists. I needed another procedure which required sedation again. I wasn’t worried because it has always been a breeze before. This time, when I got home a couple of things happened which really scared me. The procedure itself went fine, but when I got home I became nauseated. I was trying to get to the couch when I had what I only guess what is a panic attack. My heart started racing. I started shaking all over. I had to lay on the floor I thought I was going to pass out. Eventually, it passed but I had no idea what to do. Should I have called 911 or just let it pass as I did? Do you know what went wrong? I’ve never had that happen.
Name Withheld
Dear Anonymous,
My first concern is that you seem to have been alone after your sedation procedure. Generally, a dentist will make sure you have someone to drive you home and stay with you throughout the day. That’s mostly because it makes you loopy and a tad unsteady on your feet. Your dentist will want to be certain you’re not in danger of taking a tumble by being on your own.
The next thing to do is figure out what was different this time. You said it’s a different dentist than you’ve seen in the past. One thing to consider is he uses a different sedation medication that your last dentist used. This could be why your body reacted differently. It may be that this isn’t the best medicine for you. Have your new dentist call your old dentist to see if what medicine he used that you did fine with. If it’s different than what your new dentist used, he should definitely be willing to switch to the medication you don’t have a negative reaction to.
If it’s the same medication, which I doubt, you’ll want to double check to see if there is any new medication you’ve started since your last sedation dental procedure that you may have taken this time around. Even over-the-counter medication can affect how your sedation works.
What to do When Something Goes Wrong
I don’t think what happened was a panic attack. Dental sedation is an anti-anxiety medication. It has the opposite effect. Sedation is generally very safe. However, our bodies are still mysteries in many ways. We don’t know why reactions happen. If this were to happen again you need to have whoever is staying with you call 911 right away. Then they need to call your dentist.
Never just try to wait it out. If you’d have stopped breathing and lost consciousness you could have died. Or maybe you ended up in cardiac arrest.
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