Expert: JM Starkman, MD - 7/12/2009

Question
Hello, I had 3 hours of dental work done on 7/1/09. I've been going to my dentist for years and having general anesthesia for work as I'm very dental phobic. I have never had any issues with the anesthesia and I am a healthy 42 year old male. However, on this last occasion, about a day after the proceedure, I noticed I had several sore muscles around the body, but most of all, the calf muscles were very sore to the point that it was hard to walk when I first got up from a sitting or lying position. Very, very sore to the touch as well. It's over a month later and I'm still suffering from week calf muscles. The soreness is pretty much gone, but the calf's feel like there has been somewhat of a loss off strength. I have read about a common reaction people get to the muscle relaxant succinylcholine, which I've never had until now after repeated anesthesia, and I am wondering if I had some sort of really bad reaction. That my calf muscles could have been "eaten" away by the reaction. I have not had any swelling, just weakness and pain when doing things that would have normally done nothing. I've heard of malignant hypothermia, but I seriously doubt I had anything like that. Is is possible my body has changed and I had a bad allergic reaction that my tissues were more heavily impacted? Thanks.

Answer
You more than likely had the reaction to succinlycholine that you describe. Your muscles were not 'eaten-away'--they're just taking a while to recover. This was NOT malignant hyperthermia, nor is it an allergic reaction.

Let your anesthesiologist know about your complication.  Muscle "fasiculations" caused by succinycholine administration can be prevented if you require anesthesia with muscle relaxation in the future.