Okay, so I'm going to the dentist's again tomorrow and am very anxious and need to get that under control so that I can actually make myself go!
Background:
I've been ill for 7 years, moderately for the first 5 years, now severe for the last 2 and housebound other than occasional hospital appointments for the last 15 months. Often bedbound, almost always in reclining chair, standing only to go to the bathroom or sometimes to go into housemate's rooms etc. For things like the dentist I am pushed in a wheelchair and then climb onto the dentist's chair.
Dentist visit 1 in December 2016 - nothing remarkable. Had heard local anaesthetic with adrenaline was not good for people with ME so asked for one without and had one without afaik. Added this info to my records with the dentist. Had my usual expected PEM the days afterwards, extra weakness and being bedbound etc.
Dentist visit 2 in April 2017 - nothing remarkable again. Mentioned no adrenaline at the beginning again and they agreed. They had some trouble numbing me which I suspect could be because between Dec 2016 and then I've started on a pretty high dose of CBD oil. Standard usual PEM the days after.
Dentist visit 3 in May 2017 - I experience an extra jolt of anxiety during the procedure. I mention it to the dentist so that I can have a quick sip of water and she says 'oh it's probably the adrenaline in the anaesthetic'. I'm shocked and said it was supposed to be on the notes that I shouldn't have it and she replied that I'd had it last time. I try to calm myself and get on with the procedure. I'm kind of dizzy feeling after but still not that unusual due to exertion and anxiety.
When I get home I can barely climb the stairs and the friend who took me to the appointment has to help pull me upstairs and once I collapse on the bed has to remove my shoes and glasses for me and cover me with a blanket. I was terrified mentally but physically felt completely helpless and almost paralyzed. I couldn't really move my limbs or roll over. I could barely speak and was slurring and mentally couldn't remember how to speak much. A part of me wondered if I might be dying I felt so awful. Thankfully I fell asleep. After two or three hours my friend woke me up to get me to eat as it was evening and I've only had breakfast that day because of this. It takes a while but I manage to eat some food and rest in bed hazily for the rest of the evening. I'm comparatively fine the next day other than my usual level of PEM.
What happened to me?
I rung the dentist and she assured me she'd never heard of anything like this and that I'd had the adrenaline containing anesthetic that second visit because the adrenaline free one hadn't been working properly. But would she really have done this having agreed to a non adrenaline anesthetic at the beginning? My personal theory is that she's got confused and only given it to me that third time and that that's what caused the reaction.
Basically, I really need to go again tomorrow but am terrified. I do also have issues with anxiety and agoraphobia and have a particular fear of passing out in public. My fear is becoming unwell whilst still at the dentist and being mentally aware of what's happening and panicking but being frozen and unable to move or communicate. The fear of that happening is really high right now and I feel like I need to understand what happened to my body so that I can get a hold on my anxiety and make myself go (the dental pain is really bothering me).
Thanks for reading!
Background:
I've been ill for 7 years, moderately for the first 5 years, now severe for the last 2 and housebound other than occasional hospital appointments for the last 15 months. Often bedbound, almost always in reclining chair, standing only to go to the bathroom or sometimes to go into housemate's rooms etc. For things like the dentist I am pushed in a wheelchair and then climb onto the dentist's chair.
Dentist visit 1 in December 2016 - nothing remarkable. Had heard local anaesthetic with adrenaline was not good for people with ME so asked for one without and had one without afaik. Added this info to my records with the dentist. Had my usual expected PEM the days afterwards, extra weakness and being bedbound etc.
Dentist visit 2 in April 2017 - nothing remarkable again. Mentioned no adrenaline at the beginning again and they agreed. They had some trouble numbing me which I suspect could be because between Dec 2016 and then I've started on a pretty high dose of CBD oil. Standard usual PEM the days after.
Dentist visit 3 in May 2017 - I experience an extra jolt of anxiety during the procedure. I mention it to the dentist so that I can have a quick sip of water and she says 'oh it's probably the adrenaline in the anaesthetic'. I'm shocked and said it was supposed to be on the notes that I shouldn't have it and she replied that I'd had it last time. I try to calm myself and get on with the procedure. I'm kind of dizzy feeling after but still not that unusual due to exertion and anxiety.
When I get home I can barely climb the stairs and the friend who took me to the appointment has to help pull me upstairs and once I collapse on the bed has to remove my shoes and glasses for me and cover me with a blanket. I was terrified mentally but physically felt completely helpless and almost paralyzed. I couldn't really move my limbs or roll over. I could barely speak and was slurring and mentally couldn't remember how to speak much. A part of me wondered if I might be dying I felt so awful. Thankfully I fell asleep. After two or three hours my friend woke me up to get me to eat as it was evening and I've only had breakfast that day because of this. It takes a while but I manage to eat some food and rest in bed hazily for the rest of the evening. I'm comparatively fine the next day other than my usual level of PEM.
What happened to me?
I rung the dentist and she assured me she'd never heard of anything like this and that I'd had the adrenaline containing anesthetic that second visit because the adrenaline free one hadn't been working properly. But would she really have done this having agreed to a non adrenaline anesthetic at the beginning? My personal theory is that she's got confused and only given it to me that third time and that that's what caused the reaction.
Basically, I really need to go again tomorrow but am terrified. I do also have issues with anxiety and agoraphobia and have a particular fear of passing out in public. My fear is becoming unwell whilst still at the dentist and being mentally aware of what's happening and panicking but being frozen and unable to move or communicate. The fear of that happening is really high right now and I feel like I need to understand what happened to my body so that I can get a hold on my anxiety and make myself go (the dental pain is really bothering me).
Thanks for reading!