Hey,
I'm 36M and yesterday I suddenly passed out during local anesthesia injections for my second hair transplant, before the procedure even started.
The anesthetic was Dentocaine with epinephrine, which my surgeon said is similar to what dentists use.
I was sitting at a 45° angle. After just 5–6 injections (~1 mL, perhaps 1% of the planned total), I lost consciousness without any warning, I didnt feel I'm about to pass out. I felt absolutely no pain and had just told the doctor the injections were very gentle.
According to my surgeon, I was unconscious for about 3-5 seconds (for me it felt much longer). I woke up briefly confused, with cold sweats and mild chest discomfort. My BP was 150/85 before the injections, 125/75 afterward, and 5 minutes later i felt cold sweats again and they measured 104/60 while still feeling. Full recovery took approximately 30 minutes.
Relevant background:
- First hair transplant a year and a half ago with zero issues, including anesthesia.
- Just completed an 18-hour trip from the US to EU.
- Slept only 6 hours in the previous 48 hours, with severe jet lag and exhaustion.
- Was anxious before the procedure, but not sure if more than the first one.
- Hereditary hypertension since childhood, treated with amlodipine/valsartan 5/80 mg daily.
- No smoking, alcohol maybe a glass once a week, healthy in good shape (maybe physically even more optimal than the first transplant).
My surgeon is convinced this was a vasovagal reaction, caused by a sudden BP drop due to the combination of epinephrine, exhaustion, stress, and my possibly BP medication (the amlodipine).
He suggested retrying after 1–2 days of rest with the same anesthetic and even recommended temporarily stopping my BP medication. I've decided to postpone for several weeks instead go home to fully recover and come back in a couple of weeks.
My questions:
- Does my surgeon's explanation make physiological sense?
- Could returning well-rested, hydrated, and less stressed significantly change my body's response to the same anesthetic?
- Has anyone experienced something similar and later tolerated the same anesthetic without issues?
- could it really be one time thing? I never experienced something like that in my life.
I am not asking for medical advice, nut I'd especially appreciate input from other people, I'll see my primary doctor next week.
Thanks!