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epinephrine injections study??

Messages
17
Hello, my friend is a Nurse Practitioner at a Washington State hospital and claims there are doctors there running a study in which they give CFS patients epinephrine injections. Can this be possible? Has anyone heard of this? To me it makes sense logically, but I just can’t find any information online about such a treatment or study. If so, why would this not be tried years ago?
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
a study in which they give CFS patients epinephrine injections. Can this be possible? Has anyone heard of this? To me it makes sense logically, but I just can’t find any information online about such a treatment or study. If so, why would this not be tried years ago?
What would be the rationale behind giving ME/CFS patients epinephrine injections? Most of us react extremely badly to epinephrine.
 

ballard

Senior Member
Messages
152
Hi @ballard what happened for you? I am curious.
After years of using a numbing medicine containing epinephrine, I suddenly reacted to the injection. I started shaking uncontrollably. Actually, I was flopping around in the dental chair. The doctor next door came running in and grabbed my feet and elevated them. Someone put an oxygen device in my nose. The paramedics were called, and they found my blood pressure dangerously elevated and my heart pounding rapidly.

The paramedics loaded me onto a stretcher and took my to a nearby emergency room. I rested in the emergency room until the drug had cleared my system. The dentist sent flowers.

But, there's more. A little time passed. I was doing okay on an alternate numbing medicine called carbocaine,
and I was careful to remind the dentist to use that medicine for numbing. Then, one day I went to the dentist, and the dentist was having an assistant do the injections rather than doing them herself. I forgot to remind the assistant that I can't tolerate epinephrine. So, even though my chart is clearly flagged "no epinephrine", I was given another injection of it.

The same reaction happened. This time, the paramedics just stayed with me until the drug effects had subsided. I have a new dentist now.
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
I have had a similar incident when the dentist who knew better reached out to the cupboard and helped himself with some epinephrine containing freezing. I was livid.

For me, when I had my first reaction, I had major tachycardia, then a horrible migraine for 3 days and a 3weeks long horrible crash.the second time when the dentist screwed up, not as intense but i still reacted. I do not want more epinephrine. Ever.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I also had a horrific reaction to Epi for a simple cavity filling at a dentist office many years ago when I was in good general health. This is why I will do just about anything on planet earth to avoid having to use an EpiPen for my MCAS (and so far have not ever had to use it). If I ever did need dental work in the future, I would request Carbocaine with no Epi.
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
I also had a horrific reaction to Epi for a simple cavity filling at a dentist office many years ago when I was in good general health. This is why I will do just about anything on planet earth to avoid having to use an EpiPen for my MCAS (and so far have not ever had to use it). If I ever did need dental work in the future, I would request Carbocaine with no Epi.
Oh dear. Can't imagine EpiPen. :eek::eek::oops:
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Oh dear. Can't imagine EpiPen. :eek::eek::oops:

I have had doctors tell me that an EpiPen could trigger a heart attack (for me) so unless I was in Stage Four anaphylaxis in which my throat closes to the point that I could no longer swallow or speak, I will never be using it. It is why I am relentless in avoiding food dyes and known triggers. I cannot imagine a study in which Epi would be helpful for someone with ME/CFS or any of our similar disease processes!
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
OMG I cant imagine they doing a study like this using ME patients, this study is likely to send some of the participants to emergency if they are ME people. Many of us react shockingly to epinephrine, ME specialists have known this for years..

I didnt know at the time that it was recommended for us not to have epinephrine so I was given a lidocaine injection at dentist which had epinephrine in it. This resulting in me ending up in a terrible state where I couldnt even walk for about an hour or so, (I refused to have an ambulance rung so was then stuck at dentist after treatment).

The epinephrine caused me to go into severe neurological issues with severe spasms and jerking all over and then I had intense pain as if I was being drilled into at the injection site for days which was worst then any of the 4 areas in which my wisdom teeth had been pulled.

Next time I went to the dentist I had lidocaine again but knowing better by then after some research and finding the warnings on this, I told them they had to leave out the epinephrine... and I was then fine. It horrifies me to think what would happen to me if I ever had to use my epi-pen

I do have an Epi-pen due to a severe ME food reaction which if any worst could of killed me (my tongue, mouth and throat can get affected) but I'd only ever use it if I was actually like dying cause that would be likely to be dangerous for me in itself.

that study should be stopped or they need to be made clearly aware that that goes completely against ME recommendations for us so they'd be knowingly doing it against the warnings.
 
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taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
After years of using a numbing medicine containing epinephrine, I suddenly reacted to the injection. I started shaking uncontrollably. Actually, I was flopping around in the dental chair.

same thing happened to me!!! but on the first time I had an injection containing it. I was almost passing out while having severe neurological shaking, jerking and flopping. I couldnt leave the dentist for over an hour due to this severe drug reaction (but refused to allow an ambulance to be ring cause i hate hospital).
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I also had a horrific reaction to Epi for a simple cavity filling at a dentist office many years ago when I was in good general health. This is why I will do just about anything on planet earth to avoid having to use an EpiPen for my MCAS (and so far have not ever had to use it). If I ever did need dental work in the future, I would request Carbocaine with no Epi.

or you can request lidocaine telling them to leave out the epi.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
To me it makes sense logically, but I just can’t find any information online about such a treatment or study. If so, why would this not be tried years ago?

why did you think that sounds logical?

http://www.anapsid.org/cnd/drugs/anesthesia.html

Up to 97% of persons with CFS demonstrate vasovagal syncope (neurally mediated hypotension) on tilt table testing, and a majority of these can be shown to have low plasma volumes,low RBC mass, and venous pooling. Syncope may be precipitated by cathecholamines (epinephrine),
quote by ME Specialist Charles Lapp

that's what almost happened to me, I almost passed out while having like a near seizure from it.
...

For local anesthesias, I would recommend using Lidocaine sparingly and without epinephrine."

quote above ME specialist Dr Paul Cheney
 
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Effi

Senior Member
Messages
1,496
Location
Europe
Similar experience here: an injection containing epinephrine at the dentist's sent me into a two-week-long crash...
 

bertiedog

Senior Member
Messages
1,738
Location
South East England, UK
The last time I had an epinephrine injection (dental mistake), the paramedics had to take me to the emergency room.

The last time I had one for a dental procedure (way back in 1978) I went blind for a couple of minutes and had severe vertigo. It was a horrendous experience that has made me phobic of injections and every time I have to have an injection I check out with my lovely dentist that it is a plain one with no adrenaline.

Pam