Sedated for real medical procedure

Last year I had a metre and a half of tubing removed from my abdominal cavity that was infected under sedation and local. I had the option of no sedation and I did say I didn't want it but next thing I know I'm getting it. The anaesthetist was a bit grumpy with nursing staff but was fine with me especially since I spoke and understand medical jargon.

In the US, receiving optional treatment after expressly refusing it is medical battery, a crime.

BTW, what kind of tubing?

How long ago was this?

Nearly 18 years ago.

Now that I don't take Versed, one thing my cardiologist uses is valium and benadryl by mouth. It doesn't do anything until after the catheterization is over, but I humor him. There's also fentanyl IV during the cath for the nitroglycerin headache.

I was put under to remove a thorn in my wrist. I wish I could have been awake. Though I was in third grade at the time, if it was now I would request to be awake. 😃

When I was 4 years old I had to have curly toe surgery and I was gassed. I want to know what kind of drug was used on me. I remember being on a table in an operating room and being under a big light that looked like a flying saucer and a woman about in her 40's or 50's taking a rubber mask and holding it over my mouth and nose.

I do remember I was scared and I tried to fight her and putting both of my hands up to my mouth to trying to pull the mask off but she was too strong and she held the mask very tightly. I remember a strong musty chemical smell similar to nail polish remover and my vision going blurry and a rainbow of colors then I was out.

My parents say that I vomited on they way home from the hospital but I don't remember that part at all. I dont remember being given any pills or anything else before that or any bags or anything being used on me. I just remember the brownish red colored mask with smoke coming out the end of it and a woman holding it over my mouth and her being too strong for little 4 year old me to fight off. I only remember struggling for a minute or so then I was out.

The VA wanted to give me Propofil to release a trigger finger but I would not let them.

The VA wanted to give me Propofil to release a trigger finger but I would not let them.

Why?

When i was 4 i was sedated very mildy for EEG (electroenechephelogram)

When i was 4 i was sedated very mildy for EEG (electroenechephelogram)

That's a tough one. You wouldn't want to change the brain activity which is what sedation does.

I dont know why they gave me. I guess i was very agressive . He said that sleeeeep why dont u sleep. I didnt wanna sleep it was 10am . And he then gave me something… 😕

Big john sounds like that was ether which you got. I had it for my tonsillectomy and hated it. I puked and had to be given a Phenergan suppository.

Big john sounds like that was ether which you got. I had it for my tonsillectomy and hated it. I puked and had to be given a Phenergan suppository.

I had ether for a tonsillectomy as well. I was four years old at the time. The first time they put that mask over my face, I remember saying that "this stuff stinks and I grabbed the mask (it was like a screen so the ether would vaporize on contact) and threw it across the room. Then a nurse came over and held me down while another nurse held the mask until I was out. I woke up sick and I remember a nurse coming in to give me a shot of something (I am thinking compazine) which burned like the dickens, to stop the vomiting.

Whilst an inpatient at my most recent stay I went to theatre twice . The first time I was having a kidney biopsy, bronchoscopy and a rigid Cystoscopy. My last experience of a GA was really not a pleasant one so I was by no means looking forward to this .

As I have a serious lung condition they decided to use gas to put me to sleep . I was nervous as I was told to relax and that big black mask ( which I hate ) was held over my mouth and nose . I took the deep breaths like I was told to by the anaethetist. The smell of the gas was horrible. I remember feeling like the room was spinning and seeing colours . Their voices became distant. I vaguely remember being lifted and that was it .

On waking in recovery I can honestly say I don't remember much about it . The only clear thing was one of my three consultants saying to me they would come by my room later to discuss their findings. I don't even know which one it was.

The second time was an emergency . Again they used the mask , so I had those exact same feelings . I hate it being held over my face . The smell of the gas ,very unpleasant. All I remember is the mask being held firmly over my mouth and nose and that was it .

On waking I felt very dizzy and nauseous . My head felt foggy the rest of that day .

To flesh out my experience with ether at age 14 I'll tell what I remember. The anesthesiologist put the mask over my face and I was revolted by the smell. He said "go to sleep and dream about your girlfriends". As the induction began I was sucked into a vortex. I hated it. I awoke vomiting.

Sedation does not have to include forcing the patient to have amnesia if they don't want it. Most of the time patients are given Versed (midazolam) and told that it's to "relax them" but it's purpose it to cause "procedural amnesia"...Problem is that many,many patients fnd that the "amnesia" is haunting and sometimes very long-lasting.

I have had many older patients experience long-term, perhaps lifelong memory loss from this drug...I'm a nurse and find it interesting that many of the practitioners whom I work with would NEVER consen to receiving Versed, but they insist that patients receive it (I guess it's sort of a cover-your-ass drug in case something goes wrong, they can claim that the patients memory is clouded by Versed)......and when they complain that they didn't consent to an amnesia drug the "universal" consent is pulled out indicating that they consented to anything.

I just had a badly torn rotator cuff repaired under general; I list Versed as an allergy-difficulty breathing so I didn't get it....On the way to the OR the anaesthesiologist asked me if I wanted some sedation and I asked her what drug and indicated that Versed was unacceptable..she said: "I wouldn't want Versed either; it's a patient-control drug that causes significant memory loss..." insiders like us get propofol" which I didn't need or want. Easy general, woke up clear and went home with a big bottle of narcs.

@Jds4med, First read post below by heidi2011. The VA wants everybody knocked out with Versed so they have no way to recall when a mistake is made or the doctor flubs something and they have to "repair" the mistake. I had Versed once for a colonoscopy, NEVER AGAIN. I had no memory for several days. I feel that the drug is dangerous and it's use should be restricted to Anesthesiologists and only for inpatient procedures where the "victim" will be safe for a few days. Actually I feel that the drug should be banned for medical use. The use of a drug to cover up malpractice is malpractice in itself.

StephenS^^^ "The use of a drug to cover up malpractice is malpractice in itself"--defined to a T...However the administrator of that drug of sedation has to be knowingly aware of its full potential...including memory loss, brief or prolonged which can vary from patient to patient.....Sometimes it gets down to the honesty of the manufacturer within the bounds of their PDS.

I had the first several colon endo scopes under sedation, and did not remember any of the procedures after the drugs.The last two times I did it from anus to cecum without any meds. at all.Watched the monitor as the scope traced it's path.Nurses were freaking out,but it was like a very long and large colon tube insertion.I really kind of enjoyed the "ride" being that I am into enemas and anal.Doctor commented on how well that I had prepped for the exam.3 bottles mag citrate, and deep colon tube enema flushes.R..

@ That Australian. I don't think that the VA is very happy with me. I would love to be able to see physicians notes; they say we can but actually it's all suppressed. I don't feel like paying an attorney to go after the VA, I'm not that wealthy.

Sedation does not have to include forcing the patient to have amnesia if they don't want it. Most of the time patients are given Versed (midazolam) and told that it's to "relax them" but it's purpose it to cause "procedural amnesia"...Problem is that many,many patients fnd that the "amnesia" is haunting and sometimes very long-lasting. I have had many older patients experience long-term, perhaps lifelong memory loss from this drug...I'm a nurse and find it interesting that many of the practitioners whom I work with would NEVER consen to receiving Versed, but they insist that patients receive it (I guess it's sort of a cover-your-ass drug in case something goes wrong, they can claim that the patients memory is clouded by Versed)......and when they complain that they didn't consent to an amnesia drug the "universal" consent is pulled out indicating that they consented to anything. I just had a badly torn rotator cuff repaired under general; I list Versed as an allergy-difficulty breathing so I didn't get it....On the way to the OR the anethesiologist asked me if I wanted some sedation and I asked her what drug and indicated that Versed was unacceptable..she said: "I wouldn't want Versed either; it's a patient-control drug that causes significant memory loss..." insiders like us get propofol" which I didn't need or want. Easy general, woke up clear and went home with a big bottle of narcs.

@Jds4med, First read post below by heidi2011. The VA wants everybody knocked out with Versed so they have no way to recall when a mistake is made or the doctor flubs something and they have to "repair" the mistake. I had Versed once for a colonoscopy, NEVER AGAIN. I had no memory for several days. I feel that the drug is dangerous and it's use should be restricted to Anesthesiologists and only for inpatient procedures where the "victim" will be safe for a few days. Actually I feel that the drug should be banned for medical use. The use of a drug to cover up malpractice is malpractice in itself.

I'm so glad to hear others, especially medical professionals, who share my experience and feeling about Versed. I too list it as an allergy. It's permanently caused memory disturbances - loosing words and can't remember names until repeated meetings. Never again.

I recently was heavily sedated for a closed aortic aneurysm repair. They puncture the femoral arteries in the abdomen and feed the wires and stents up through the aorta. I talked to the anesthesiologist before and told him I wanted Fentanyl and no Versed; that's what I got. I could recall everything post-op and a Fentanyl High is fantastic! They kept shooting Lidocaine inside me to numb everything, but I could still feel the hot blood on my skin and the COLD saline flush on my skin.

At my next colonoscopy, I'm gonna tell them Demoral is fine, but no more Versed.

Thanks for the comments. Interesting story srg rik so you threw the mask across the room. They didn't give me a chance to do that. It came as a total surprise to me and I was caught totally off guard. I don't think I even know I was going to be put under. I knew I was going to have toe surgery and that was about it. I was laying on a table and people were getting tools ready and stuff and the next thing I know this woman comes up and very quickly mask me. She moved pretty fast and I was caught totally off guard. I don't think I was held down but I kept trying will all my might to break her grip and get the smelly mask off my mouth and nose but the gas quickly took hold of me.

There is a possibility that I may have to have surgery for an anal fissure. I have had problems with it for years now and it does not seem to be going away. I have gone to several doctors and tried different medications but nothing seems to work. Has anyone had this kind of operation before? I researched it online and it says it is usually done with general anesthesia. The thought of getting general anesthesia is kinda turning me on thinking about it for some reason.

I had no idea they were giving amnesia medication until my husband had a surgery. They mentioned that when I asked what was that they were injecting him with before rolling him out to the OR. Even though he was awake and talking to me, he did not remember anything that happened following that shot. He still doesn't remember the first days following the surgery. He says it's a complete blur.

A while ago when it came my turn to have surgery I remember I asked the anesthesiologist if they will be giving me amnesia medication and I mentioned to them I did not want that. They said they will give me something to relax and whatever that was, it made me feel as if I did not care about anything in the world. You could have put a starving lion next to me and I wouldn't have objected to the idea. 😃)

After getting that shot, I still remember talking to the nurses that took me to the OR, seeing my surgeon, the corridors, I remember when I was moved on to the operating table. I even tried to make a joke and told the staff that whatever they gave me, it made me feel as if I had a couple of glasses of Cosmo. I remember them laughing about it, being draped, hooked up to the monitors, some small talk they were having in there and the sound of surgical instruments when they were probably laying them out for the procedure. Last thing I remember was a nurse telling me "this is the oxygen mask" and that's when I felt way to tired to even keep my eyes open and I knew it was time to finally let go of trying to be awake.

I remember waking up in the recovery, with an oxygen mask on, something was warming me up and the nurse telling me that I was cold and they had to keep me warm. I don't remember feeling cold, but I'm sure it must have happened.

I certainly like to remember as much as possible and I want be aware of myself as much as I can until, of course the body finally losses the battle with anesthesia medication and at that point there's nothing to remember.

I've had IV sedation for dental and for eye surgery and really don't want to remember exactly what happened. Next step for me is facial surgery and will be completely out for that

Lets see. my dental surgeries might be interesting to have remembered. My colonoscopy would have definitely been interesting but the one I regret the most was when I had my nose worked on because of a deviated septum. They gave me a cocktail shot before wheeling me into the OR. I was laid out on the table and wanted to remain away as I was I think restrained but because the lights were so bright I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew I was in the recovery room with a nasty headache.

I went from the age of 7 until I was 45 without having surgery again. I used to get tubes put in my ears a lot, and my tonsils of course had to grow back, so I had to have them out again. I came to visit my friend two years ago and after a few days, I woke up with a big dark area at the bottom of my left eye. It got worse and worse, like someone was holding a black paper or coin in front of my face. I ended up going to the e.r. on Saturday night. The doctor confirmed what I suspected, a torn or detached retina. He called around to ophthalmologists around the town (small town) and they called him back.

Long story short, I needed eye surgery asap. I was scared to death! I didn't know what to expect. Like I said, I hadn't had surgery since I was a little kid. I am scared of needles too (well, not so much now), and I knew I was getting at least an i.v. and blood work done. I had to go in through the e.r. (was the only way my out of state insurance would pay). I was to be there at 7:30 a.m. I ended up not getting the surgery until like 12:00 (there was a time difference of 2 hours and they were trying to contact my insurance company). They gave up. They took blood, did an ekg, did an ultrasound of my eyeball and started the damn i.v..

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but my hand ached from it. Then the guy came down from the O.R. with a gurney draped in all that ugly green stuff. I was scared. He made sure I didn't have any jewelry on. He didn't want my glasses on and he made me take out my hearing aids too. So now I was going up there blind in one eye (the retina was nearly all the way detached) and I can't see without glasses anyways, and since he made me take out my "ears" I was deaf as well, and scared! I got wheeled up to a waiting/holding area. I can't remember being there long. I remember I had to pee again really bad.

I was already hooked up to the i.v. She helped me up and to my dismay,,, walked me to the bathroom, holding the i.v. pole and held the back of my gown. I know I was barefoot, and I decided that I didn't care (I am a borderline germaphobe). There were no seat covers in the bathroom, and I sat on the toilet seat. Hello, California girl here, you don't set on an uncovered seat! I could imagine all sorts of germs crawling onto my personal parts, but I didn't give a damn. It turns out they gave me something in the i.v. I don't know what it was, but I call it "Don't Giveadamn". I didn't care much at all about things and I wasn't so scared.

Back on the gurney, the anesthesiologist came and talked to me. He stood at the end of the bed asking me questions that I couldn't hear. I told him over and over I couldn't hear or see him well enough to see what he was saying (I rely on lipreading) . I guess he got enough answers for what he wanted because he left. Then my eye doctor came, a very nice, older man. He petted me on the head to reassure me. A little bit later, I was wheeled into the o.r. I was trying to remember every detail of things, because it's been a long time since I have had surgery, and hopefully it would be a long time from this time! I was wheeled under a bunch of big, white equipment. I remember a lot of people around, and them trying to talk to me but I couldn't hear them hardly at all

I remember them having me sit up and they put an EKG thing on my back. It was like a big stiff sticker (it didn't exactly tickle either when they pulled it off later!) and something I had never heard of before. They positioned a pillow under my neck and put oxygen on me. I remember the anaesthesiologist was not the same one that talked to me out in the other room. This guy was young. I couldn't see all of his face, of course, but damn! Those EYES!! I could see just enough to tell he was buff too. WOW!!

He came down close so I could hear and told me he was going to put me to sleep now. I remember wondering how long it would take. I tried to count the seconds, but just as fast everything swirled around, kind of like they make it swirl in the movies. I couldn't even fight it. It swirled and then I was waking up to nurses shouting at me to take deep breaths. I remember I was kind of dreaming something about trees. I could see a bunch of trees, like just the bark, no leaves. My chest felt so heavy and it was hard to breath.

The nurse was still yelling at me (my hearing aids were down where ever my friend was) to take deep breaths. I remember telling her it hurt, but hurt wasn't what I meant. I meant that it was hard to breath. I managed to get out the word "asthma". The air was just dragging into my lungs and I had an oxygen mask on. There little O2 alarm was just beeping away like crazy. She stuck a nebulizer mouth piece up under the mask and that helped a whole lot. I kept going back to sleep. All I wanted was to sleep. I have a feeling I was up there for a long time. They wouldn't let me sleep, lol. They kept yelling at me to "Take deep breaths" and I would and the alarm would shut up until I dozed off again. My mouth was so dry.

The nurse was feeding me ice chips, but didn't keep up enough with it to get my mouth moist again. I would doze, she would wake me up. I remember her saying something about she had never had someone that was so hard to wake up before. Finally, I guess I was awake enough to be taken to the other part of recovery and my friend was waiting there with hearing aids in hand. I got them in, still kept dozing and now I had this new nurse AND my friend telling me to breathe and wake up. I was given some sprite to sip (that sure tasted GOOD) and the nurse told me I could get dressed. I was still to groggy to do it myself, and the "Don't Giveadamn" was still in full force and I let this strange woman dress me like a child!

She even had to put my shoes on me. I think she helped me to the bathroom door too. Somehow, the two of them got me into the car where I guess I slept most of the way home. I remember my friend talking on the phone to my mom and now ex husband. She was told by the eye doctor that with this particular surgery, uncontrolled vomiting could occur. She was thrilled with that news!! NOT! There was nothing that could be done for it. She stopped off at her ex husbands house to beg him for help to get me in the house. She stopped at Walmart to get Gator-aid and Tylenol for me.

Her ex met us at the house, and half carried me have dragged me into the house. His girlfriend (whom I had never met before) helped me to get into pajama's and comfortable. Again, "Thanks Don't Giveadamn!" Somewhere in the middle of all of that, my friend popped one of her Zofran in my mouth. I ended up sleeping in the recliner (I had to lay a certain way for what amounted to a month and a half in the recliner with my head tilted to the left) in the living room for 4 days straight until the what ever they put me to sleep with wore off. I wasn't awake very much at all that week.

Long enough to eat, go to the restroom, drink a little, try to watch a movie, but mostly slept through everything. The last time I had surgery, my friend practically YELLED at the poor nurse "YES" she is sensitive to medications you put her to sleep with! I did much better that time. It was for a cataract that I developed because of the gas bubble they put into my eye to keep the retina in place. I had the detached retina and 8 tears in it, so it was a doozy. Took the doctor about 45 minutes to fix it all. It sure was an experience, that's for sure!!

Yeah, no.

That's why YouTube is around for viewing of medical procedures. You can watch your procedure before, and get freaked out. Then after the procedure, you can watch the same procedure and maybe be just as freaked out.

I have never been sedated nor have had a general anesthetic. I have however sedated a few thousand patients in my clinical environment over the years. We routinely sedate patients for medical procedures as well as for intubation and optimal ventilation. We either use Midazolam ( Versed ) or Propofol ( Diprivan) to maintain sedation . As lot have said Midazolam does have a few unpleasant side effects but you are unlike to stop breathing with Midazolam and that along with its amnesic properties is why it is commonly used extensively for Conscious sedation or Twilight anesthesia.

Conscious sedation is a combination of medicines to help you relax (a sedative) and to block pain (an anesthetic) during a medical or dental procedure. You will probably stay awake but may not be able to speak. Conscious sedation lets you recover quickly and return to your everyday activities soon after your procedure.

Twilight anesthesia is an anesthetic technique where a mild dose of general anesthesia is applied to induce anxiolysis (anxiety relief), hypnosis, and anterograde amnesia (inability to form new memories). The patient is not unconscious, but sedated. During surgery or other medical procedures, the patient is under what is known as a "twilight state", where the patient is relaxed and "sleepy", able to follow simple directions by the doctor, and is responsive.

Versed or midazolam is used in the treatment of acute seizures, moderate to severe insomnia, and for inducing sedation and amnesia before medical procedures.Its the sedation and amnesic (partial or total loss of memory) that makes it useful with medical procedures, but unlike propofol you are unlikely to stop breathing and experience less hypotension. As others have mention it does take about 30 second - 1 min to work and depending on the dose you can be relaxed and awake ( that's why its used in a lot of endoscopic procedures).However most patient experience a "hangover" like experience and can be disoriented on waking which can result in the violence. Versed is in the same family of drugs (benzodiazepine) as Rohipnol (the date rape drug).

A well-documented complication of Versed/Midazolam is a paradoxical reaction. When this occurs, the individual may experience anxiety, involuntary movements, aggressive or violent behavior, uncontrollable crying or verbalization, and this behavior is often not recalled by the patient due to the amnesia-producing properties of the drug.

Propofol or Diprivan is commonly used as an induction agent prior to intubation for surgical procedures or for sedation in the ICU/ITU of mechanically ventilated adults patients ( not recommended for use with children). It works extremely fast (seconds and you are unconscious), however it worse side-effects include, hypotension (drop in blood pressure) and it will cause you to stop breathing (remember Micheal Jackson). The main reason it is use its it ability to be metabolized very quickly, taken about 20-30 mins to become fully awake once an infusion stops if used for sedation, can be quicker if you have a tempearature or can be administered in boluses(IV pushes) to keep you sedated for medical procedures . If used for induction usually 5 mins depending on the amount used. You become fully awake and oriented and its like a light switch , one instance you are fast asleep the next you are instantly awake.

When used to maintain sedation we generally used Midazolam and Morphine combination (known as M&M) or Propofol and Alfentanil ( a potent but short-acting synthetic opioid analgesic drug). The choice depends on how long we will need to sedate the patient, in general Propofol and Alfentanil if its going to be for a relatively short interval, Midazolam and Morphine if its going to be for an extended period. As with all sedation you will find that you will need to increase the dosage to maintain sedation the longer the patient is kept sedated.

When I first started in ITU in 1994 we used to routinely switch between Midazolam and Morphine and Propofol and Alfentanil every 7 days to prevent this , but this was abandoned many many years ago.