Folks, need a bit of help! I hadn't thought of this and know that Novocaine is not an opiate but I am a bit worried about the combo of Naltrexone with it. I am having a dental proceedure done on Monday. Anyone had any dental work done with Novocaine since starting TSM. I would greatly appreciate any info. you might be able to share. Thanks

Novacaine is a local anesthesia, not a general anesthesia. It doesn't work the same way as an opioid. I looked this up on the web and found it works this way:
1. Displacement of calcium ions from the nerve receptor site
2. Binding of local anesthetic molecule to this receptor site
3. Blockade of the sodium channel
4. Decrease in sodium conductance
5. Depression of rate of electrical depolarization
6. Failure to achieve threshold potential level
7. Lack of development of propagated action potential
8. Conduction blockade
I'm not going to pretend that I understand the above cited chemistry, but you'll notice that the brain's receptors at not at all involved. A local anethesia works on nerves themselves.

But to answer your question, no I haven't been to the dentist since I started TSM.

Bob

Gee, thanks Bob and WTE, I was really scared about this! Would be my luck to have something horrible happen. WTE sorta glad you have had the experience too! Boy you are brave! I have known my dentist for years and do not want to tell him about the Naltrexone, very ashamed. Most people have no clue that I have a problem! Amazing in fact. Once I wanted to put myself in a rehab facility. I had a second cousin who was big in AA, he was also very involved in a particular rehab facility that was hard to get into. I called him out of the blue and he met me and my then husband and drove up there with us. He was a fall down drunk who was actually homeless for several years before getting straight and becoming a model citizen, had children, wife, brother who was a priest. We were driving to this place and he looked at me and said "You don't need to do this at all in fact I suggest you don't" I saw the place but never went. I definitely was a drunk with a problem but looked like this perfect angel at the time. I gave up drinking on my own shortly after that, not really sure how I managed it! But the point is, ya really cant tell with most people unless ya
see em in action! I hide, lol! I know not funny!

Eh, I had a root canal done cuz I had cracked a molar and neglected it. The anesthesia was incomplete and while he was working I could just tell "this is gonna hurt in a minute". I gargled "I can feel that" and he immediately stopped and shot me up with more stuff. No big deal.

Of course, I have the best dentist in the world. They have my "favorite" gas setting in my chart. I get gas even when they're cleaning my teeth just cuz I like it! It's free and legal - I'd keep a bottle under my desk at work if I could!

N101CS, lol, wish I took the laughing gas but my dentist knows me well and I don't even usually need the novocaine. I wasn't sure if I would need a root canal or not. I didn't so I went au natural! I was a bit worried however! Funny thing SR went to the dentist also, hope he didn't take the pain meds. Think that might just make him very sick as mentioned on here before! Novocaine does not take on me right a way either without Nal. in the picture! Thanks!