Severe allergic reactions to local anesthetics like novocaine are extremely rare. At most, they represent less than 1% of the reported adverse reactions to local anesthetics.6 This means over 99% of side effects are mild.
Although novocaine allergies are rare, ester anesthetics do contain para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), which is a known allergen. Notably, a preservative (methylparaben) used in amide-based drugs is metabolized as PABA and may cause allergies. People who are allergic to ester local anesthetics should be treated with an amide-type local anesthetic without preservatives.
A small number of people have a genetic predisposition that makes it hard for their bodies to metabolize ester-type local anesthetics like novocaine.7 If novocaine isn’t metabolized, it causes severe side effects such as being unable to breath or move for a few hours. These cases require immediate medical attention.
Another risk of novocaine is self-injuring the numbed area after the procedure is completed when going about your daily activities. Always exercise extreme caution when eating or drinking if your mouth is still numb. Any body part that is numb from novocaine can accidentally be self-injured.
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