Hi Sue,

Thanks for the feedback. My zip is 12578, so I don't live near you.
Too bad. I know all about beta blockers. I use them only as needed. I
take metoprolol, and sometimes I only take 12 or 25 mg, depending on
my blood pressure spikes. My blood pressure is usually normal, but
not when I get anxious from the Valium taper or from going to the
dentist.

Regarding drinking, I can't drink because I'm taking Valium. It's
dangerous to mix benzos and alcohol. When I first had Graves' disease
and needed to get off a benzo, I went to a medically supervised detox
and almost died because the only safe way to get off these nasty
drugs is at home under a doctor's supervision, which is what I am
doing now. I can't drive either, though, because my drug withdrawal
distorts my perception, so my hubby has to drive me everywhere. Like
your husband, my husband also takes high blood pressure pills --
Norvasc and Accupril. He REALLY has high blood pressure.

A few years ago, I got a shot in the back jaw and it was pretty
dreadful. I survived it, but it was bad and I might need one again.
As far as the bridge goes, I'm not worried about that. I am worried
about all the other dental work I need, since Valium dries out one's
mouth -- ugh!

I have a blood pressure machine which I carry with me. It's because
my blood pressure is so unstable. I gather your situation is similar
to mine.

You mentioned musicians. I am a musician -- a pianist and a singer,
and I also worry that the dental work will mess up my ability to sing
well. I sing Broadway music and lots of Barbra Streisand songs. I
even look a bit like Barbra, except that now I'm thinner and my hair
is curly. And, I am 62 years old. I haven't performed publicly in two
years, though, but I made a CD last year before I really got sick.
Now, I am more or less housebound. That really stinks, but that's
life, I guess. You make the most out of what you have.

Thanks for the good advice.

Hugs,
Genie

--- In 000-Fear-Of-Dentists@yahoogroups.com, "suedarn" <suedarn@...>
wrote:
>
> Omg.
> I know where you are at.
> But I don't . If you are in my whole town I'll go with you and keep
> you stable. My zip is 92543. Are you here?
> But if not, here is the info you need: You need a "beta blocker"
> heart BP pill, not a regular BP pill.
> You probably have a beta blocker. A beta blocker wont lower your BP.
> It will only affect and prevent SPIKES IN YOUR BP.
> Mine is called Propanolol 20 mg. It is one of the weakest and it
> works great. (My hubby's is stronger. His is Attenolol).
> You need the weak one I think. Lice mine, the "Propanolol 20mg"
> AND TAKE A SOBER DRIVER WITH YOU ANYWAY.
> And get and keep a blood pressure cuff with you.
> Do gauge (calibrate it) it with your doctors arm cuff, they won't
> mind. See how accurate it is.
> Mine (that is misplaced) was from Sharper Image online. I took best
> reading out of 3, because I saw that some were not accurate. So get
> one, use it, get used to using it so you know it's quirks.
> I don't mess with the schedule and record keep features of it. I
> just keep it simple BP reading only. I keep my charts on my
> computer.
>
> To go to dentist with a BP pill, think like this. (Always have a
> second plan) you will probably be able to drive fine. (I DON'T
DRINK
> AT ALL or take downers. AND--MY DAUGHTER AND HER DAD ARE GENETIC
> ALCOHOLICS. IF ONE IS SOBER I TAKE THEM. Only my daughter is in
town
> now tho. Her dad's been gone for 10 years.)
> It's not personal who is sober, high, crashing, who has anxiety who
> does not. Whatever tapering works for you that is what you need.
> There are tapering drugs too though. And you can obtain medical
> withdrawal (detox it's called although it should not be called
detox
> in your case, lol!) withdrawal services where they monitor
everything
> in patient if you need them.) Inpatient medical Detox usually lasts
3
> days. Non medical (social model) (ie. 12 step model, etc. ) detox
is
> not as safe so stay away from those in your case.
> Let me tell you about tbe beta blockers and they are not addictive.
> Musicians hand these beta blaockers out and share them like candy.
> Shrinks prescribe them for speech anxiety, test anxiety, etc. Look
it
> up. It's candy. (Some people cannot take the written exam for their
> Driver's Test!)
> Don't get stressed out over a beta blocker. It's safe.
> But I'd take a sober driver anyway, if you are not used to the
> blockers. My hubby's beta blocker makes me tired and spaced out.
Mine
> is milder. I have lose thyroid, my BP runs low. But I take ADD meds
> and that can kill you see.... I take an amphetamine. I'm not angel.
I
> have Attention deficit. I have had it since age 6 that I know of. I
> don't not have the hyperactivity part of the syndrome though l I
need
> to have a beta blocker on me at all times,. I carry them on my key
> chain., I'm 5 ft. 4 inches. about 130-135 pounds. I'm 56. I'm a
> grandma. I can tell when my heart is racing, I'm lucky. I stop and
> take my heart meds then. I do this about once or twice a year
> average.
>
> Now the bridge: You had it on too soon. It was before the area was
> healed. It was still swollen and stil swelling up more even prolly.
> I've been there. Done that. Swelling, infection you name it. Ice on
> the face for a week, crying on the couch, 2+3 vicodins at a time
not
> working, wrong antibiotics, dentist 200 miles away, you name it,I
> been there.
> The bridge wont hurt a bit this time. He'll file the bridge down to
> fit with a drill file it will sounds scary but it's the bridge
> getting filed, not you. You won't even need lidocaine unless he's
> doing a masterpiece and it will only be 1 1/26 of an inch of gum
he's
> be working with. HE needs to blow air to dry it so the cement will
> stick (basic dental cement). And the cement smells good, not bad.
> Accept it. It smells good.
> HISTORY ISN'T DESTINY.
> I have to get one of those shots soon that goes into your back jaw.
> Until I can research it, (that takes a lot of the mystery and fear
> away for me) I'm prolly not going. Its some kind of a nerve block
and
> half your face goes numb (better numb than pain I guess).
> Almost any dental procedure can be attached on youtube.com by they
> way!
> Just take someone who is medically literate with you and that
should
> keep you calm, too. The bridge will be a re-cement job. Anybody can
> do those, It is not invasive and it is painless unless he does a
> masterpiece which is still only 1/'2 to 1/8 of an inch of gum!
> Let me know how you are doing, what you are thinking, any more
> questions. didn't know it all, I get busy on Mondays, But I'll try
> to be here! And I do want to read that paper from the UK!
> I'm in th US.
> -Sue
>
> PS. Get a BP cuff, and calibrate it (against an arm one). Get extra
> batteries and get a driver for that day. Ask for a beta blocker.
>
>
>
> --- In 000-Fear-Of-Dentists@yahoogroups.com, "Genie P., Ph.D."
> <genie1moose@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >  
> > I have a pathological fear of dental work.
> >  
> > I also have Graves' disease, and I've been taking Valium for
about
> a year and a half now for insomnia and anxiety related to Graves'
> disease. The Valium suddenly turned on me (i.e., it doesn't help
much
> anymore except with sleep), and, about a half year ago, I had to
> start slowly tapering myself off the Valium at the suggestion of my
> doctor. I think my body just doesn't want the benzo anymore, as I
> keep breaking out when I take it.  I went from 40 to 22 mg of the
> drug, just so everyone knows where I'm at.  Going cold turkey off
> benzodiazepines is not an option, even though some people might
think
> it is. I tried it once and wound up almost dying of kidney failure.
> Slow tapering is the way to safely get off these drugs. If you
don't
> believe this, I encourage you to go to www.benzo.org.uk and read
the
> Ashton Manual.
> >  
> > The problem is that I recently had an abscessed tooth, and I
needed
> oral surgery. It turned out that three of my teeth were bad, and
the
> surgeon pulled all of them. I was in a state of major panic prior
to
> the procedure, since I have become tolerant to the Valium and it no
> longer helps me with anxiety.
> >  
> > To make a long story short, I was put under general anesthesia
for
> the procedure which took two hours, and later the doctor told me
that
> my blood pressure was so elevated during the surgery that he had to
> give me additional medication. My problem is that I need to see the
> dentist next week because the bridge I was given no longer fits in
my
> mouth. My regular dentist inserted it too early and it was painful
> and I had to stop wearing it. I am afraid to see the dentist
because
> I believe the Valium is making my teeth go bad and I am afraid I
will
> need either a filling or more extractions.
> >  
> > How can I overcome this dreadful fear of dentists? I can go to
the
> doctor with no problem. I even recently had a rectal exam and
wasn't
> scared. How can I go through with my visit to the dentist next
week?
> Every time I need to go, I have terrible IBS attacks and panic
> attacks.
> >  
> > My regular doctor told me that, if my blood pressure is elevated
> prior to seeing the dentist, I could take a blood pressure pill,
but
> the problem is that my BP is unstable and sometimes it runs low.
> >  
> > Any suggestions would help. I TELL myself that I am only going
for
> an exam and to have my bridge readjusted, but my logical brain and
my
> emotions are not always in synch.
> >  
> > Regards,
> > Genie
> >  
> >  
> >
> >
> > I celebrate myself today. I am alive. I am growing. I am willing
to
> do all I am able to do to be the best of who I am.
> >
>