Setback Help

[[Co...]]

Hello, I recently had a setback due to local anesthesia from a couple of dental appointments. I posted on the 19th in a different post, but I though I would start one here for support and/or similar experiences. Here is the original post ( I added a few more details):

 

 

" I have not posted here for almost 4 years after my last experience with Ativan. I had been off and on Ativan and Zoloft lightly between 2016 and 2019, but I feel that due to my sporadic use and me already being a highly sensitive person, it caused some issues with my CNS and kindling I believe, which has left my body susceptible to any brain altering substances, legal or illegal.  I felt like I was healed to about 90% with random symptoms jumping in when stressed out, but tolerable and short-lived.

A quick story about an incident back in November of 2022, my wife made a fruit cake with fruit that had been marinated in brandy for 6 week. I have not touched alcohol in decades, and she assured me that the alcohol would be baked out. Long story short, I was sent into a wave for about a month or so with horrible brain, fog, occasional insomnia, and felt like restless leg syndrome throughout my whole body day and night (akathisia?). Anyway, I recovered from that and was grateful.
 

Now to my current situation related to this post about dental work. I recently had a lot of dental work done where I had a deep cleaning and nine cavities filled. There were two sessions of about 3 to 4 hours each over a one week period. I had some insomnia and nightmares after the first session, but didn’t think anything of it. A week later I had my second session. I had five different shots both sessions for a total of 10 shots of lidocaine. After this last session I feel like it has put me back into a horrible wave with old and new symptoms. I’ve had insomnia, brain, fog, restless legs, full body muscle twitching, burning abdomen anxiety, tinnitus, and a new one I have not had before that is most brutal, which feels like body wide itching. The itching feels like when a sunburn is healing and you get those prickly feelings. It can happen everywhere from my head to my toe and feels constant. I do have some periods during the day where it calms down to almost nothing (is this a window?) for minutes to an hour, but I feel like most of the day it is present and very bothersome.  I had no idea that topical and local anesthesia was a big no – no for us withdrawal folk.

I hope I heal from this guys…I’m miserable. 😥 "

 

A couple of questions for anyone...

1. In my head I feel this is a setback again, but I can't seem to believe myself so anyone that can chime in and give their opinion on this would help. Is this a setback from the lidocaine?

2. The total body itching is the only symptom left. I had a window about a week after the symptom started for about 2 days where symptoms were 1 or 2/10 severity. The symptom came back again after that and has been present ranging from 6 to 8/10 daily for the past 2 weeks. I though waves got shorter after a window, but this wave has been brutal and last longer than the first. Is this normal for a window wave pattern?

3. And of course the last one is...Will I heal eventually? I can't even remember if the window I had was really a window anymore

 

Thanks for reading.

 

[[bw...]]

Hi did you use lidocaine with adrenaline? Or lidocaine by itself?

 

And yes you will heal and come back to your old baseline. Im 6 years off and in a setback for 6 months. I took pepcid for 30 days. Destroyed me. I know how you feel.

[[ia...]]

Hi @[Co...] I am SO sorry about the setbacks with the brandy cake and the lidocaine/shots. It's amazing how things we think would be harmless end up sending us into these tailspins. I'm also a highly sensitive person and can relate to much of what you shared. I have to get some dental work done soon... and I'm just... dreading it. Anyway, 

It sounds like, from the dental work experience, the remaining symptom is the total body itching. Is that correct? While I have not had total body itching as a symptom, I know many other buddies and community members have had this - and it has subsided with time. Often, I believe many of our symptoms are caused as a result of a serious hystamine resposne.

A couple questions for you: How long ago was the dental work? After the dental work... how many days passed before the wave started up? Since the wave started, do you feel that the symptoms are at their worst NOW? Or, were the symptoms at their worst previously and have they gotten better at all?

YOU WILL HEAL. YOU ARE CURRENTLY HEALING. Totally normal... completely understandable that we need validation and confirmation, that we will be ok. I promise... things will improve. Also - wanted to ask, are you on a low histamine diet? 

Hang in there. 

[[Co...]]

13 hours ago, [[b...] said:

Hi did you use lidocaine with adrenaline? Or lidocaine by itself?

And yes you will heal and come back to your old baseline. Im 6 years off and in a setback for 6 months. I took pepcid for 30 days. Destroyed me. I know how you feel.

Thanks for responding @bwhittters. Yes, it was each injections was lidocaine with epinephrine. It has really done a number on me. Thank you for the assurance. It does help to hear that from other people. 

 

9 hours ago, [[i...] said:

Hi @[Co...] I am SO sorry about the setbacks with the brandy cake and the lidocaine/shots. It's amazing how things we think would be harmless end up sending us into these tailspins. I'm also a highly sensitive person and can relate to much of what you shared. I have to get some dental work done soon... and I'm just... dreading it. Anyway, 

It sounds like, from the dental work experience, the remaining symptom is the total body itching. Is that correct? While I have not had total body itching as a symptom, I know many other buddies and community members have had this - and it has subsided with time. Often, I believe many of our symptoms are caused as a result of a serious hystamine resposne.

A couple questions for you: How long ago was the dental work? After the dental work... how many days passed before the wave started up? Since the wave started, do you feel that the symptoms are at their worst NOW? Or, were the symptoms at their worst previously and have they gotten better at all?

YOU WILL HEAL. YOU ARE CURRENTLY HEALING. Totally normal... completely understandable that we need validation and confirmation, that we will be ok. I promise... things will improve. Also - wanted to ask, are you on a low histamine diet? 

Hang in there. 

Thanks for responding @iamtheorginalaudigirl. Yes, the main symptom I have is the itchy skin sensation. I have a lot of anxiety and depression I feel is related to the itchy skin sensation as well on a daily basis. I have read about the histamine response and I have thought about trying a low histamine diet, so maybe I should start giving that a try.

The dental work was Aug. 10, 2023 and Aug. 17, 2023. The only symptoms I had after the first appointment was some insomnia and vivid nightmares with the accompanying anxiety, but it settled before my second appointment. After the second appointment, I started having intense brain fog on the drive home from the appointment with insomnia starting that night. That lasted a couple of days. The itching did not start until 4 days after my second appointment. I would have to say I feel like the symptoms are near the worst now after a 2 day window about 2 weeks ago. It has been a rough 2 weeks. 

I appreciate the kind and reassuring words. It does help.

[[bw...]]

Next time use without adrenaline

[[Co...]]

Yes, I will request no epinephrine with my dental work. Thank you for the recommendation.