Sedated for real medical procedure

[color=#000000]I just had hernia surgery with spinal anaesthesia and got a pill which made me sleepy. I remember when my abdomen was desinfected, then the next thing was that I was placed back on the gurney.

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I was sedated for my colonoscopy, nice doctor,just wish i could have stayed awake just remmember waking up on the trolley

I had a few surgeries but it makes me wonder because many OR staff like to peep while you are out cold.

I've had a few dentist vist that utilize nitrous, but since that military it's all injections (which I HATE), luckly I have a high tolerance for pain because two of my wisdom teeth were pulled in bootcamp and one broke in half though. What I really want to go through is anesthesia through a black rubber mask, but that seems unlikey or scary since i'm already pretty hardy and healthy anything requiring anesthesia would be some thing serious (ie my tonsils are still good and my appendix is fine, anything else I would proably miss, or it would suck if it broke.) I still have two wisdom teeth, but the military said they would use a pill, not gas, so thats out the window too. Oh well good be healthy though.

“Has anyone ever been sedated and wish they could remember the procedure? If so please explain your experience”

During one back operation I can vividly remember hearing the theatre staff talking. I don’t know if it was while I was being put out, during or after the op. I have tried to remember more but never have but over the years it has often popped in my mind & provokes some thought.

I was awake when they did the final repair on the calf of my right leg. I was grazed by a 50 cal. It did't hit the bone but shure tore everything else up.

I had been under so many different pain killers and other treatment for infection they decided to give me a spinal tap.

That hurt worse than my leg did.

The surgeon asked me how I felt and I told him ok.

Then he asked me if I wanted to watch. By this time I was stateside. The hospital also served dependants and they had a delivery room with a mirror so the ladies could watch the baby being born.

I was a corpman so I knew some of the makeup of the inside of my leg.

They positioned the mirror so I could see and proceeded to cut me open and repair things. All the time the surgon was giving me a running commentary as to what he was doing.

As long as I Fooled myself and thought of this as someone else I was ok.

If I started to think this was me I almost freeked out. It took me six months to recover and then I was shipped right back to Nam but this time I was on a ship.

I was sedated recently and had to be told afterwards that I had actually been knocked out - I was in a dream like state and didnt really believe I had lost consciousness.

Procedures such as colonoscopy are almost always done with what is called "conscious sedation" aka "twilight sleep". The patient is given an IV sedative (commonly Versed-generic name midazolam) and a painkiller such as fentanyl or rarely demerol. The Versed causes relaxation and amnesia; most patients are awake but don't remember much of anything; either of the procedure or any pain.

Most patients do well with this combo of amnesia drug and painkiller; some actually fall asleep. But, an increasing (but small) number of patients are reporting memory loss and PTSD from Versed (check out askapatient.com) and some patiens report significant pain; bad enough to abort the colonoscopy. A better option is MAC (monitored anesthesia care) which means that an anesthesia provider monitors the patient and usually administers a sedative called propofol which they can adjust to a much deeper leval of sedation than can be achieved with Versed/fentanyl.

Patients receiving propofol are asleep, unaware of anything and wake up within minutes of stopping the propofol IV. Patients receiving Versed often have a hangover and creepy (to many) amnesia. Many find the amnesia fine, but a fair number hate it. If patients are properly consented, they know in advance that they are getting Versed and it's given to make them forget, not just to "relax" them. I have seen many patients post-procedure who were mad as hell that they got an amnesia drug and weren't told about it.

From a nursing perspective, get whatever you are comfortable, but know what you are getting. Ask questions and make your provider answer them. Nothing makes a patient distrust all medical professionals more than being lied to about their anesthesia options. MAC with propofol is probably the best option for colonoscopy (it's what all docs and nurses get), but insurance may not cover the $700+++cost. I have had several surgeries and procedures and I avoid amnestics because don't want amnesia and the possibility of long-term memory loss.

Seeing patients babble after getting Versed, repeating the same question over and over always bothered me. And having patients go home and stress over the hours of memory that they lost is distressing, not a problem if they were told in advance. I had Versed/fentanyl once and was properly consented, the amnesia was creepy...would not do it again. Had MAC for a procedure that involved bone chipping; it was o.k. Just had my 3rd colonoscopy and did it without any drugs.

My GI doc is a great woman (quite bi) and had no problem with me being unsedated; it was interesting to see my own colon. Polyp removal and biopsies were painless (no nerve endings in the colon), the air that she instilled caused minor cramping..totally relieved my everyone encouraging me to release a huge watery fart. Off my nursing soapbox; I came here to read about enemas! Seriously, if you need a colonocopy (everyone over 50 or sooner with history/symptoms) just get one.......it's no big deal.

I was sedated (with local) for my breast enlargement rather than g/a..... but still threw up afterwards. Not fair!

Ba303

Ba303-sorry to hear that you threw up after sedation; that's uncommon where I work and they do a lot of plastic cases. The newer sedation drugs such as propofol actually have anti-nauses/anti-emetic properties and rarely cause vomiting. They almost certianly gave you a narcotic also such as fentanyl and that makes some people vomit. If you have more surgery be sure to tell the anesthesia provider and they will probably premedicate you with something like Zofran to prevent N&V...Nobody want a patient to vomit after a procedure.

Zofran is a fantastic medication. I credit it along with the bottles of vitamin water sold these days and the doctor/boyfriends physicians only weight loss products as saving my life after my kidney surgery. I was a very sick lady, so sick actually that had it not been for the zofran, I might not have made it.

Not that this post is about zofran, but as a nurse I try to talk all my doc that I work with to get off the phenergan horse and switch to zofran, unless that patient is a pain and I also want the seditive effect also. But if you are not in a nursing home of hospital setting, and you are nauseated and still need to work, ask your doc for zofran instead, it won't make you sleepy, and takes away the nausea. It is the best on the market. It was invented for Cancer patients because their nausea was so severe after radiation/chemo therapy that phenergan and or compazine wasn't touching it. Zofran to the rescue. A few years ago like 5 it was someplace between 500-1000 bucks for an IV dose and about 200 each pill. There is a generic now and I think I pain maybe 32 buck for 100 of them. They were worth every hard earned cent too. They also have ones that melt on your tongue now, they taste like strawberrys and they work in about 10 minutes. BUt my route of choice would still be IM right in the fanny because of 3 reasons. One, if you are nauseated, why put something else in your belly? It's just going to up set it more. Giving it IM makes it work so much faster, and thirdly, hello, I love getting shots in my fanny. Hehehee

But hey, that's just me.

The first time I was sedated was when I was about 5 years old and had my tonsils removed. This was back in the 1950's and they used " either " as an anesthetic ! They put a screen or strainer over my mouth with a cloth on it and poured either on it. They told me to count backward form 100. I can not remember the last number I counted but it sounded as though I was entering an echo chamber !. When I described this method to a nursing student they could hardly believe this method ever existed !

In more recent years I have been sedated for removal of wisdom teeth, and also twice for colonoscopy. I don't know what is in the anesthetic they administer these days but I sure felt great when I woke up from it. I wished they could have done it again right then and there ! No wonder they don't want you to drive yourself home, you could drive right thru stop lights , signs and not really care because you are on such a high !

I've been sedated for a colonoscopy with Versed and Fentanyl. I remember entering the G.I. suite but nothing of the procedure which is probably a good thing.

Medfedcouple2 GF

I have been completely under numerous times.

I had ear tubes when I was 2 and then when I was 8

Tonsils out in high school

Sinus surgery in high school

Wisdom teeth out summer after high school

Laparoscopy for ovarian cyst freshman year of college

Colonoscopy/Endoscopy senior year of college

and laughing gas numerous times in conjunction with these times and also at the dentist.

I usually cry when I have laughing gas and when I come out of anesthesia... I guess it's just the lack of inhibition that makes me let out whatever emotion I feel

I wish I could remember my 2 EGDs and 1 Colonoscopy. FWIW I do have another Colonoscopy on Tuesday. I was out for a Large Cell Tumor Removal from my right hand. Sure wish that I was awake for these things.

Has anyone ever been sedated and wish they could remember the procedure? If so please explain your experience.

i wish i could rember part of it if that counts

hmm i had surgery just a little while back ... nov 4th accualy...

any way it was laproscpic gallbladder surgery and while i am glad i didnt see the procedure. i wish i coulda seen the setup just before they started. all i rember is looking up at the or celling the big puffy mask and then nothing. but i do know they used Propofol. i just wish i coulda seen a top down view just befor they started. but i am glad i wasnt awake for the work...

my biggest wish was that i had slept the night before the sugery... couldnt sleep... cause i cant rember the recovery area after surgery i just rember the statment "hes so pale" im told that was about me and i rember comenting on 2 other statments made around me but mostly i just slept for 3 hours.

I was sedated on November 15 with 2mg of Versed for eye surgery. I remember every single thing about it and since I have to go back for more, I kinda wish I didn't. Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

I was sedated for an upper endoscopy a number of years ago. The doctor who did the procedure WAY overdid it on the Versed, and I did not react well to it. It left a "hole" in my memory that for about three years drove me nuts.

I simply tell the doctors to list it on my allergy list, and remind them whenever there is even the remote chance of sedation or anesthesia that Versed is an absolute no-no with me, and they have other things that they can use.

Had several medical procedures with anesthetics. One following a car accident; remember lying in ER as they cut off my clothes, made me swallow tubes, rushed me to the OR where felt a pinprick in my groin and I was out [woke up during an earthquake!]. Several colonoscopies. First without anesthetic and got to watch thru a training scope--liked that. All others since with various anesthetics.

Last couple have been with dipirivan which acts like a light switch --next thing you know you're waking up. But have asked the anesthetist to administer more slowly so can feel it take effect, which is cool. One colonoscopy [don't know the drug] I watched the anesthetist inject 4 large syringes into the IV line, feeling myself go down further with each until finally went out watching the 4th syringe.

The hernia surgery I think was also done with diprivan--watched the first couple syringes go into the IV line to relax me. Once on the operating table watched the preps but seemed less aware with time. The doc came over to shave me and could hardly keep my eyes open,which couldn't figure out at the time. Woke up in a real daze and they quickly wanted me to get dressed and out of there--needed help as not coordinated enough to do it myself, along with the discomfort.

I had to have an upper endoscope down my throat to see whats going on. I was prepped with an IV and was in the procedure room on my side. The doctor said you ready I said no problemmmmmm zzzzzzzzzzz. I guess in the middle of the procedure I woke up . It was a bit scary having a balloon down my throat along with the scope. The doctor held me down and the attending nurse upped the dosed and it was lights out again. It was really weird that while in the unconscious state I swore I heard the doctor and nurse conversation.

I'm certainly no fan of pain, but I think the whole Pain-free emphasis in our medical practice is going overboard more than a little. I hate returning from anesthesia, so I avoid it wherever possible. For example, I do not use anesthesia during colonoscopies - although I have no problem with having an IV started, just in case. This time, as the nurse entered the prep room, I noticed that she had a syringe in addition to the IV set. I asked what it was for, and she said that it was lidocaine to minimize the pain from starting the IV (She was using a 19 ga. catheter for the IV). She was actually going to administer medication that can sting like heck through 2 or three sticks so the IV wouldn't hurt. COME ON PEOPLE! Has anyone else had this experience? Or is it just me?

I was sedated this morning for an EGD. I was given Benadryl, Demerol, and Valium...good stuff. The Benadryl was administered immediately after the IV was placed in the holding area, and makes for a good 'sleepy buzz' type feeling. The Demerol and Valium were administered after being wheeled into the endoscopy suite and getting set up with O2 monitor, supplemental O2, and a BP cuff. They took effect quite rapidly. I remember the bite piece being inserted and strapped to my face, then a towel was placed over my eyes and I felt the scope being advanced into my throat. The next thing I remember is the scope coming out and bite piece being removed. Fun stuff! This is about the 5th EGD I've had and the first with this particular cocktail, which I found to be much more effective. The previous EGDs I recall the entire procedure (no pain involved, just strange having a tube shoved down your throat).

Tuber, administering lidocaine to advance an IV in the wrist is standard practice in the US. Try it without sometime and you'll see why. While I agree that plenty of minor procedures can be accomplished with little or no sedation, we live in a litigious society and doctors are simply covering their butts. Who wants to be sued for causing mental or physical distress during the insertion of an IV?

For myself, I know that in the next few months, I will have to undergo a diagnostic heart cath in order to continue my walk down the path towards transplant. I know there are plenty of people that have watched their procedures on a monitor, just like colonoscopies. Not for me, no thanks. Just give me enough versed or whatever to send me to the land of unawareness. As for loss of memory, I should hope so. I seriously want to know nothing about it until I'm in the recovery area.

Everyone has different tolerances; mine for stress is at an all-time low. The less I know of actual procedures, the better I am.

I have been sitting on this post for a few days now mulling it over, whether to, or whether not to add my two cents worth.

Again, I see two sides of the coin here because I am a nurse, and because I have been, and will be a patient at sometime or an other again before I take a permanent dirt nap, and God willing that won't be any time soon,(throwing salt over my shoulder, lol).

On the tail (pun intended) side of the coin, which will be my patient side, I can honestly say I hate pain, especially medical pain, whether it's something I have done to myself i.e., falling down the steps and breaking my leg for example, or pain caused by a medical procedure like having a cyst dug out and removed from my backside. Either way, I don't like medical pain, or let me rephrase that, I don't like medical pain when it's real medical pain for a real reason. I happen to like real medical pain i.e., during a play session, injections and the like. (Just had to toss that in there so no one thinks I've gone vanilla or something, lol, hehehe).

I am such a wuss when it comes to real medical pain that whenever any sort of pain medication, or medication is offered to control any pain I am currently having or could potentially have I am first in line. And if I think there might be a chance that I might have any pain and none is offered I always ask, and I am not shy about it either. I am also very picky about the pain medication or sedation medication I am getting too. (You know, we nurses, aside from doctors make the worst patients.)

I am such a wuss when it comes to real medical pain that one time I had to have an ingrown toenail cut out. The doctor stuck me with a diabetic syringe, which the needle is paper thin to start with. He had it filled with lidocaine and also had it buffered with I believe sodium bicarb which is supposed to take a lot of the sting out of the lidocaine, hahaha. He stuck me in the end of my toe once, squirted some in, I actually screamed, he waited a few minutes for it to start working, then stuck me again, and I screamed again, so much so that the doctor from the other side of the office came over and said I was scaring the other patients, so she shut the exam room door, lol. Anyway, the area wasn't getting numb, I have white coat syndrome as it is, so the thought alone of having that done had every nerve in my body standing on end, I was also scared, and really really hate my feet being even looked at much less touched, and even worse having something medically done to them, and I do not handle pain in any way like I should, so in the end, I talked the doctor into partially sedating me to take out my ingrown toenail. I know, pathetic right? I admit it, I am a total baby with real medical pain. Actually, I can handle quite a bit, but not with my feet especially. When I had the cyst lanced and removed from my backside, before he even got near me, before I even had my pants down, I made for damn sure the pain medications/sedatives were already drawn up, where I could see them, and were ready to go.

As a patient, if I have the option of not having to be in pain, you bet your hindend I'm going to take that option, and if there is a chance I might be in pain, then I don't make it a choice. However, on that note, I do have to agree, I think the lidocaine hurts worse than the IV stick itself. I have had a lot of IV's over the years, and prior to my kidney issues I gave blood on a regular basis and the Red Cross uses either a 14 or a 16 gauge needle I believe, and they don't use lidocaine, and so far, I have not minded any of the IV sticks in the past, keeping my fingers crossed. lol.

Now, on the flip side of that same coin, (the head side since I am the head nurse, again, pun intended, lol) the nurse side of me is also a strong believer in pain management. We are taught that pain is the 5th vital sign, and a patients pain is what they say it is no matter what kind of signs and symptoms they are having. And yes, I have seen my fair share of junkies and drug seekers who, after seeing enough of them sort, of make medical professionals judge, disbelieve, and often times automatically cut the pain scale rating a patient is saying they are currently having in by at least half, then medicate to what they, meaning the medical professional, think is appropriate. Which, is a tough call for us, especially when they are frequent fliers in the emergency room always asking for pain medications, rating their pain on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the worst they have ever had, as they sit there on their cell phones yelling at their spouse or SO that they better not be drunk when they get home, and there had better be enough cigarettes left. Unfortunately, for the patients who actually do come through the doors in legitimate pain, or with pain that is not easily seen, or is an easy diagnosis that is hard to detect sometimes, i.e. back pain for example, medical professionals often times also judge, disbelieve, or cut these people's pain rating in half as well so these poor people are not getting the medications they really do in fact need. But, trust me, that's a whole different topic, on in which I could and maybe someday write volumes on.

But back to the topic at hand here, as a nurse I have seen a lot of things over my almost 10 years now, from a nursing point of view. And trust me when I tell you, there are a lot of things you need to be fully or partially sedated for, and have pain management either prior to or post, or both for many procedures. A lot goes on to a patient when they are sleeping, all medically appropriate mind you, but a lot of it isn't pretty. So as a nurse, my best advice is, if they offer you pain medications, a seditive, or what have you, take it. If they are offering these things to you then that means that most of their patients have needed it, and you probably won't be any different.

Another thing I want to point out here is that everyone is different, everyone's body is different. I often read quite a few post on here about people going for colonoscopys and are not sedated. That's great if you don't need some. Me personally have very tight angles, for lack of better terms in my colon. I told my GI doc that prior to my colonoscopy back in July and one of the things she did tell me when I woke up was that I was right, I am smaller than most folks down there and in that part as well, so much so that they had to use a pediatric scope, flip me around on the table more than usual, manipulate the scope and my intestines through external palpation/manipulation, and they were still having trouble advancing the scope. There was no way I will ever be able to have a colonoscopy done without sedation. So, everyone is different.

Long story short, my slogan, "better living through chemistry". It's a good thing.

Mashie

I broke my finger and had to have it set - the surgeon couldn't do it straight away so the gave me an injection not sure what it was but i was on cloud nine for a few hours - wonderful stuff. Cant wait till the next time.

I was given Fentanyl and Versed for a colonoscopy a few weeks ago. Can't remember a thing unfortunately.

@uerate: If your wife was not given some kind of GA, she probably did not have a full colonoscopy, just a look at the bottom third of the colon up thru the descending colon, which is a sigmoidoscopy. If you're not sure, you can ask for a copy of the doctor's records. Under Federal law, they are YOUR records, and the doctor can not legally decline to give you a copy. If you were given a detailed record from your medical insurance, you might be able to check the codes to see exactly what procedure was done.

I've had 2 of them, one with a GA, but after it began I was brought out of it enough to watch the procedure with the doctor on the television screen. It is interesting to see what you look like inside.

On the second, I had the more modern method in which you are put totally asleep during the entire procedure. The problem was that the proctologist assumed I was asleep shortly after administering the GA since I was lying there very quietly, and began the procedure while I was awake. You have no idea of what a VIOLENT procedure this is. He RAMMED the probe with ONE very quick and very hard push around several turns from the entry point in the rectum into the descending colon. You can imagine my reaction !!!!!

ManyOohs4U, you seem to be confused as to the differences between General Anesthesia and Procedural or Conscious Sedation. It is extremely rare and unneccessary to use General Anesthesia for an endoscopy procedure such as Colonoscopy. Flexible Sigmoidoscopy normally requires no sedation at all.

General Anesthesia places a patient only a few steps away from death and must be performed by a trained Anesthetist, who will maintain an airway and artificial respiration throughout the surgical procedure. Procedural Sedation may be administered by the attending physician or a trained NP in an office environment and although not risk free, it is very low risk compared to GA, which must be conducted in an OR environment.

As far as your doctor "ramming" the scope in with one quick and hard push, sometimes that is the perception the patient receives. The scope cannot be intubated unless it is following the natural path of the colon, and it is common to have the scope hang up in flexures and folds. If it does, the scope will not advance regardless of how much pressure is applied, short of perforating the colon. If the doctor was able to accomplish a speedy intubation which felt like one quick push, I would suggest they were very proficient and your colon did not present any difficult flexures.

Rather than condemning the examiner, perhaps you could be commending them for their skill. A speedy intubation results in a shorter overall procedure time, reducing the time the patient is subjected to discomfort. Normally a patient only feels pain during the intubation, and once the scope has been fully intubated, the remainder of the examination causes little more than moderate discomfort for most patients.

[quote author=DrJ58 link=topic=23784.msg434535#msg434535 date=1334241175]

.......General Anesthesia places a patient only a few steps away from death and must be performed by a trained Anesthetist, who will maintain an airway and artificial respiration throughout the surgical procedure.....

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An excellent dissertation DrJ58 on the differences - and the above extract from your post illustrates why we will not permit discussion of anaesthesia or sedation, other than by topical creams etc, in the play setting, on these boards.

A reminder to members: You are only permitted to discuss actual professional procedures experienced by YOU, in a professional environment such as a doctors office, OR, dental surgery etc. All other references are classed as dangerous procedures whether real or fantasy and will be deleted and you may be banned.

I have had many surgeries under general anesthesia, but one that stands out was a few years ago when I was having a kidney stone removed by ureteroscopy (through my penis) and I woke up in the middle of the surgery. I think that time i had had a spinal and conscious sedation The urologist was standing a distance away looking at a screen showing the inside of my urinary track, some female assistants seemed to be holding my penis and there was a good deal of banter going on in the room which I didn't get. I tried to make a comment and I guess they increased whatever they needed to to knock me out.