dental fears - anyone ever used ativan?

[punkin413]

i have to get a cavity filled and a deep cleaning tomorrow at my dentist. i know.....simple procedures. but i have a COMPLETELY IRRATIONAL fear of needles. so i don't do well with anything like this, no matter how simple. i talked to my dentist about it and he prescribed me two 2mg tablets of ativan, one to take an hour before the procedures and one to take on the way to his office.

now it's the night before i'm supposed to go and i'm starting to freak out. i mean, i know the ativan will relieve my anxiety about the needle but i'm STILL going to FEEL it, aren't i? even if i'm a little loopy. i was hoping it would just knock me out but the more i read about it, the more i don't think it does that.

does anyone have any experience with this sorta thing???

 

[C.Ann]

Doesn't your dentist offer sedation? As in "laughing gas"? If not, I wouldn't be going.. I had a bad experience with a dentist when I was very little and I ended up with irrational fears of my own..

 

[punkin413]

Doesn't your dentist offer sedation? As in "laughing gas"? If not, I wouldn't be going.. I had a bad experience with a dentist when I was very little and I ended up with irrational fears of my own..

yes, he does laughing gas, but it doesn't do anything for me. i mean, it makes me feel kinda goofy but that's all. ever since i was a kid, they'd put the laughing gas on, but i'd still know that needle was coming and the anxiety didn't go away.

i specifically asked did this dentist do "sedation dentistry" when i called to make the appointment and they said yes. and when i talked to him about it, he said this method of sedation dentistry is becoming more popular. they just call in a prescription and you take the pills before you get there.

 

[C.Ann]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.. From the minute you get in the chair, keep your eyes tightly closed and tell the dentist you do NOT want to know ahead of time when he's going to use the needles..

Good luck!

 

[Poppinsme]

I work in health care.
Ativan or Lorazepam is great for anxiety and short term pain relief and sedation. It relaxes you. I have taken it to sleep and it works great. 2 mg is a normal dose for a procedure and you may not even care about or notice a needle.
We give Ativan to the children I take care of in PICU and they do just fine with it. It makes any procedure bearable for the little ones. I'm sure you will get relief with Ativan also.
Worrying just makes it worse. Take care and try to relax.

 

[LJC1861]

2 mgs of Ativan, if you have never taken it before, should make you good and loopy. It may even put you to sleep, especially combined with laughing gas.

The effect from the Ativan could last for up to 4 hours, but the full effect will last about 1.5 hours. You may want to consider having someone drive you. I occasionally take 1 mg for anxiety, and do not drive when I take it. I can drive on .5 mg, but not on 1. Just a suggestion.....

Linda

 

[OceanAnnie]

I have anxiety over going to the dentist too. Big time. I ask for this topical numbing gel that they swab over the gums (for the cleaning). It really helps. I also take motrin prior to going (that's just me). I have sensitive gums and those two things help me alot. I was so glad the dental hygenist offered the numbing gel. It only takes a min. or so before it takes effect.

ETA- I hope your appt. goes well.

 

[punkin413]

thanks so much for everyone's input and encouragement! i just took the first ativan about five minutes ago. i'm feeling VERY anxious right now but i'm sure in about 20 minutes i'll be feeling a lot better. i wish i could fast forward 12 hours!

 

[tinkntraining]

I recently had a lot of gum surgery and I hate needles, too! Take the ativan -- it will relax and calm you, but yes, sorry to say, you will still feel the needle, but it's not so bad -- the ativan will take away the "anxious trepidation" of the needle. Ask for the numbing gel on the cotton swab. Then the needle will just feel like a little sting and with the ativan, you'll be pretty out of it. And yes -- I think you'll need a driver to get home.

Good luck!

 

[BCV513]

I used it. I have 0.5 mg of Ativan for panic attacks. About a month ago I had a wisdom tooth taken out. My dentist wanted to do it with Novacain. I had never even had a cavity before, so I was terrified. I took an Ativan and was fine.

 

[javaj]

You're probably on your way to the dentist now, and I hope everything went well!

I would love to know how it worked for you. I'm a very anxious dental patient (scaredy cat!) -- so much so that when the receptionist calls and leaves me a voice mail for a reminder appointment, she gives me the calming "now don't worry, this is just a cleaning (or filling), just relax, you can handle it"

 

[punkin413]

i'm home!!! i actually got home around noon and then i slept until 3:00. just ate some french fries and am sipping on a vanilla shake. the left side of my face is hurting and i'm groggy, but other than that i'm fine.

the pills didn't take effect like i had wanted them to. i mean, they definitely relaxed me and helped with anxiety, but i still knew pretty much everything that was going on. the cleaning was uncomfortable and i had to tell her a couple of times to ease up. as far as the shots (i got 2), that part's sort of a blur. i didn't really feel much of anything. i remember drills and weird noises and then his assistant had a glow-looking thing she'd put in my mouth every now and then, then asked me to bit down on a black thing. i have NO CLUE what all that was about!

i'd definitely use ativan again - it's not some miracle drug that takes away the pain of a needle or the anxeity that comes with it, but it DEFINITELY helps!

thanks again for your kind words!

 

[d4est]

I used Ativan today to have a wisdom tooth extracted. It did nothing for me. I was given two 1mg tablets to take an hour before the procedure. I didn't feel relaxed. I was nervous as heck and cried through the entire procedure. I should mention that I had gas, too, and then Novocaine. I could feel the needles, especially the one that went in the roof of my mouth. Obviously, I was numb enough so I didn't have any pain with the extraction, just discomfort, but the entire experience was awful.

I was very coherent and not at all groggy. Strangely, 3 hours after the appointment, I feel tired and groggy, but mildly so.

In the past I've taken Valium, 10mg, for these procedures and that's worked great. I have very little recollection of any of those procedures (where I also got gas and Novocaine.

Next time, I will insist on 10 mg of Valium. Just goes to show that one drug isn't right for everyone.

 

[corndog]

I was prescribed it once for a root canal. It did nothing for me but make me angry.

 

[punkin413]

drugs affect different people in different ways. my husband can take a xanax and be out cold in 30 minutes, whereas it does nothing -- nothing -- to me. it's very odd!

 

[C.Ann]

drugs affect different people in different ways. my husband can take a xanax and be out cold in 30 minutes, whereas it does nothing -- nothing -- to me. it's very odd!

--------------------

I've had the same experience as you with Xanax.. Could never understand why people thought it was such a miracle drug.. I might as well have taken a children's chewable vitamin.. Nothing.. Zip.. Nada..

 

[FINFAN]

glad you did fine, no one should have to suffer in this day and age. If interested in any suggestions for the future~ here are my must do's...I have the hygenist put the numbing gel on area before any shots, and also along my gums for my cleanings..ESPECIALLY on visits where they check gum pockets (thankfully I am all 1's and 2's). I also take a small cloth and lay it over my eyes for any visit. Sunglasses don't do it, I need a cloth. I find not seeing any tools or motion toward me helps immensely. I also dab a little perfume under my nose to help dilute the overall DDS medicinal smell , and of course, headphones lol. Gotta do what I gotta do, lol.

 

[lynxstch]

Wow..this 9 year old Zombie post has a post from C.Ann on it..I miss seeing her around the DIS, and I hope that she is still with us. I used to love her threads

 

[The Mystery Machine]

NV

 

[Kitty 34]

I must have missed this post some how back in the day but I would have to sooooo agree with C.Ann on Xanax!!(bless her soul if she's gone )