Novocain injection during cavity filling?

Question

Can a person go into cardiac arrest from novocain injection while having a cavity filled? My heart started racing & I thought I was going to have the BIG one. I am 52.

Answer 1

It could be that the epinephrine in the Lidocaine they used caused your heart to race. You should tell the dentist of what you felt. They should give u and record in your chart that you need Lidocaine with no epinephrine. You should also tell future dentists of your need of Lidocaine with no epinephrine. It often happens, you are not the only one.  

Answer 2

The epinephrine is what causes the blood vessels to constrict to reduce bleeding during a procedure, if you have a reaction it is probably to this part of the anesthetic...

They have available the anesthetic without the epi, and that is what you should request at your next visit.  It works to numb the area just the same but the effects wear off sooner, and there might be a bit more bleeding....but then you would not have that racing feeling...

Answer 3

Yes, a patient can have a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI) by having Novocaine injected into their systems. Doctors are to pay particular attention to their patients who have prior cardiac histories like blocks or rhythm problems.

The reason for this is that the anesthetic contains epinephrine (adrenaline). It activates the body's fight or flight mechanism. Because of this, the body's blood vessels constrict and in patients with cardiac problems can cause an MI because of the decreased blood flow to the heart.

If you're worried about the effects of epinephrine, talk to your doctor about it. You can have anesthetic without the epinephrine. If you're worried about your cardiac health (particularly if your have family history, smoke, have diabetes, are male, have hypertension (or high blood pressure) etc) then I would ask your doctor to check your eligibility for a cardiac stress test. In that test, they check your heart rhythm and any presence of blockage in the coronary arteries.

Answer 4

Hey lol im 16 and i had 5 teeth out today, i thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest! lol. I think its just you and your body being scared of the dentist, because lets face it, it is a scary prospect lol x (and if you take lots of excerise, eat healthy food, and dont smoke, ull be fine) :) x

Answer 5

If you are allergic to novocaine it could happen. It sounds like there might been some epinephrine in with it. That could cause your heart to race.