Autoimmune disease and sedation

[ChrissyS1]

I have a suspected autoimmune disease and still awaiting testing. I have a dental appointment on Friday which is involving sedation. I read something online that sedation can be dangerous in patients with thyroid disorders is this true.

[Hidden]

Your situation definitely needs risk assessment to be on the safe side. I looked into the dental sedation question as it's pretty much the only way I can have any treatment done. Fortunately I'd just finished treatment that involved IV sedation a couple of months prior to discovering I have Hashi's. However I will almost certainly need it again in the future so I did a bit of research.

It depends on the thyroid condition (hyper has different risks to hypo - i.e. adrenaline in local anaesthetics isn't recommended for the former) and whether you are taking any medications or have co-existing conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular issues. I have also read that the use of laughing gas (nitrous oxide) is contra-indicated, if you will be having that type of sedation.

There's more in this article (relevant part is page 6 onwards):

ugr.es/~jagil/pinto_tiroide...

Possibly relevant: "Patients who have hypothyroidism are sensitive to central nervous system depressants and barbiturates, so these medications should be used sparingly."

It's entirely possible you'll be just fine, but you should certainly flag your concerns up before undergoing any treatment - that's what I'll be doing next time.

[ChrissyS1 in reply to Hidden]

I contacted the surgery this morning and the receptionist spoke to the principle dentist and he said he would not perform the procedure under sedation.

[Hidden in reply to ChrissyS1]

Ooh interesting! I do think dentists may be better informed about thyroid issues than doctors!

[ChrissyS1 in reply to Hidden]

so glad I read this online as I wouldn't have thought to mention this at the dentist. I had sedation back in June and felt ok after but who's to say the next time could have an impact on my health.

[Pookie50]

I am hypothyroid and have had sedation at the dentist on several occasions without any problems apart from feeling very relaxed and tired until the next day. We are all individuals so just make sure you let the dentist know, but my experience was very positive.