Rectal Anesthesia and Sedative Enemas before surgery

I had my tonsils out around 3 years old. I remember that gas mask and how terrible it was. I was gasping for

air but it was held on until I was out. After wards I remember peeing and it burning like hell ... Obviously II was

catheterized. The enemas can that night. 3 if I recall correctly. The next day I thought I was going to die

when I started throwing up. Now of days the tonsils are left in.... I why how we survived

In 1993 I underwent a radical prostate excise. As prescribed, I did not have anything to eat for 24 hours prior to the surgery. In the preparation area I received an IV line (with maybe a hit of valium, I have no idea) and then given a very small enema. This enema was described to me as "an antibiotic enema". It was about the size of a large syringe and I don't recall having any feeling to expel it. It relaxed me (or the IV) to a very sleepy state and I and then I was given a spinal injection. I barely remember the spinal and it did not hurt that I recall, only a lot of pressure. I am sure that the "anti-biotic" enema had an anesthesia element. I recall nothing after that. My wife came to wish me luck before I was taken to the OR and I remember nothing about it - she told me. It seems that she thought I was somewhat lucid.

Mike83, a small volume enema would not be hard to hold, especially one designed to be absorbed.

In the early 1980s, I had a couple bouts of colitis. One of the prescriptions I got was for small cortisone retention enemas. As I recall, they were about two ounces. Had to take one every night for a couple weeks. Holding that small quantity was no big deal. By morning there was nothing to return, it had all been absorbed.

They got me over the colitis.

Chloral hydrate is still used as a anaesthetic administered anally. Also a number of anti-convulsive medications and some sedatives as they act very quickly this way. This is usually a suppository or a retention enema and has a lot less side-effects or reactions. All have to be prescribed by qualified doctors. The effects are very quick and the recipient should always have a person monitoring them. Anti-convulisves are common nowadays and given for a variety of symptoms.

Wow, a chloral hydrate enema sounds great, I would love that done to me.

I do not know why I would like to receive anesthesia by an enema since, for me, the whole point of it is conscious enjoyment of the whole process, particularly something going into my anus.

hankb

I know this isn't the way it works. My fantasy would be that the administration of the rectal anesthesia would cause a numbness that slowly spreads from the anus. The pelvic area would slowly go 'dead' then that feeling would spread until it got to my head leading to eventual unconsciousness.

Back in the late 50s and early 60s and having access to many varied medical journals I do recall Sodium Pentothal being used as a rectal anesthesia especially for children. Prior to entering the OR, a rubber rectal catheter was fitted to a plunger type syringe and a small number of CCs were injected rectally. The idea was to spare the patient the trauma of a 'mask induction' as the injection worked quite rapidly and deeper anesthesia would then be given via 'mask' once inside the OR. I have never had this proceedure, however, having had several childhood surgeries before then, and being put out by the drip ether method which was terrifying, the rectal injection would have been wonderful. I have no idea if it is used today.

Back in the early 50s I had 2 surgeries----the first one with the mask that I dreaded and remember putting up quite a fight---the second one a year later everything changed with an enema instead.---As a 6yo for a hernia, that one was sooooooo much better.---of course there was no embarassing a 6yo back then, with his pants off.

I didn't notice it being mentioned here, but it is now generally accepted that Marilyn Monroe died, not by suicide or murder but as a result of having been given a prescribed chloral hydrate enema by her housekeeper. Marilyn had taken so many sleeping medications by mouth that they were no longer effective, so the chloral hydrate, administered rectally, was prescribed, since it would be absorbed more quickly into her system. Alas, the amount injected was, obviously, too much, due to the housekeeper's inexperience, etc. I think injecting that stuff would be extremely dangerous. Stick to more benign solutions and stay 'healthy!'

Zioman, I am convinced that Marilyn was murdered by very slick people. They knew she would be asleep from drugs and alcohol and finished her off with a barbiturate enema. The medical examiner stated that while her stomach contents did not reveal enough pills to kill her, her sigmoid was necrotic from substances that he thought were a kind of poison. Her blood levels of barbiturate were fatal, but she never ingested enough oral drug to kill her.

Who did it? Opinions range from the "mob", to the Kennedy family, who had 2 sons having affairs with her that were going to get embarrassing when the press found out. I don't know who did it, but I know we lost a beautiful lady and a famous klysmo.

Jimmyt44^^^Both the conspiracy theory & numerous debates surrounding Marilyn's exit I don't think will go away for a long time yet...And as we know she had a penchant for rectal remedies which may have led to her ultimate demise....On the subject of rectal anaesthesia it also once did exist...at what point it slipped into obscurity I could not say....Though it's known to have once been a legitimate option pre surgery & to the best of my knowledge is still employed in some cases.

I worked in the medical field and never heard of rectal anesthesia? I've known of numbing the anus with 2% xylocaine. I would think this would be very dangerous. I don't believe any anesthesiologist would perform such a procedure.

Google rectal anesthesia and you will find many instances where it is used.

Diazepam is often given rectally for seizures in a pre-filled syringe with a plastic tip on the end. It's marketed as Dia-stat. It's intended for emergency use by family members, care-givers, teachers, etc to quickly stop a seizure. In our school district, there was a proposal for certain teachers or school staff to be trained to administer if necessary, probably stopping the seizure before EMS could arrive. Most parents of kids with seizure disorders were all for it.

There have been 3 types of rectal anesthesia.

Ether in Oil. The ether dissolves in the oil and is less irritating, however the bowel will absorb the ether, and once the blood level gets high enough, the patient is unconscious.

At least into the late 1960's Abbott Laboratories made a prefilled syringe with Sodium Thiopental (Penothatl®) intended

for rectal use.

Up until about 1960 there was a product called Avertin, Tribromoethanol dissolved in Tert Amyl Alcohol, It provided

'basal' anesthesia. In other words it kept the patient asleep, but didn't do much to control pain, so once the patient was unconscious, other anesthetics could be utilized. Tribomoethanol is a first cousin to Chloral Hydrate (that may still be

available in suppository form). The body very rapidly breaks down Chloral Hydrate into Trichlorethanol, which is believed to be the active drug. Avertin went out of style because to be blunt, it was PIA to use. Tribromoethanol

is still used as an anesthetic for rodents. Tribromoethanol is not a restricted chemical, but it is quite expensive.

I believe Midazolam and Lorazepam (benzodiazapines) are both given rectally sometimes for sedation in very young children.

Benzodiazepine can be used in rectal somministration generally for premeditation not to induce an anstesia 😃

My first experience with this kid of enemas was in the age of 7 when I had my undescended testicle surgery. I came with my clinic bed into a (I don't know the right word in English) anteroom, where I got a tiny enema. The next I remember is to woke up back in my clinic room, with stomach pain and being operated on the testicles.

After this surgery I also got a sedative enema before my bladder surgery and when I got my tonsils and adenoids removed. In both cases the enema just made me tired but I can remember all preperations before getting the general anesthesia.

I never heard of a sedative enema or enemas with anesthesia and when i did a search i found the word sedative enema but the other searches results pointed back to this post i am curious why with the mask that a sedative or enema containing anesthesia was needed defintly a new one for me

When I was very young( like 9 or 10) and was trying to learn what enema experience some of my friends had I asked one of them about the appendectomy he had . He said they gave him an enema and that put him to sleep. He was probably 6 or 7 at the time.

As a 1950 --5 year old, I had a hernia repair and fought the mask, but had the other side repaired the following year and was given an enema instead---no more fighting. Dont remember if it was warm, cold or anything else about it as I was totally scarred to death about the first one a year before

From "Pediatric Pharmacotherapy" 2005:

"For sedation prior to medical procedures in infants and children, the recommended dose of chloral hydrate is 50 to 75 mg/kg given orally or RECTALLY"

Use of chloral hydrate as a small volume enema was very common, especially in patents for whom mask induction or injections were difficult.. Soft rubber tube, a little squirt, and your patient drifts gently off to sleep...

Doc

Had my tonsils out at age 8 in 1953. Was given a bag enema after dinner on the day I was checked in. Then, on the morning of the surgery, I received a shot in my bottom and a suppository, one or both of which made me extremely relaxed and vary sleepy. I vaugely remember breathing in the anesthesia and then nothing until that afternoon when I woke up. Don't remember any vomiting or reaction to the anesthesia, but had a sore throat for a few days. My most lasting memories of the whole episode are the enema (the nurse telling me to roll over on my belly, spread my legs and raise my butt, exposing my naked bottom and the nozzle slipping in) and the suppository, probably because the nurse giving me the suppository put her slippery finger far inside me first. BTW, there has been a persistent rumor for decades that Marilyn Monroe was murdered by an overdose of barbiturates administered by an enema or suppository.

Chloral hydrate, there is a stinky reminder of the past

There was a lot to like about the rectal anesthesia I had back then. After having the traditional cleansing enema and ether through a mask for a first round of leg surgery, for the second round a couple of weeks later I had a cleansing enema and about half an hour later rectal anesthesia. There was no feeling of need to expel the rectal anesthesia and it was quickly relaxing. The best part was not having an ether mask held on my face, which made me feel as if I were suffocating.

I remember chloral hydrate used rectally for seizure. it stunk like hell, could smell all over ER. We switched to iv valium, worked ok and didn't stink the place up

We also had MM enemas ordered, often for handicapped folks who were terribly prone to impaction.

ah the good old days!

I have not had a sedative enema, but I'm sure I could use one and most people I know do too!

In former days, a pentothal enema was used in kids to induce anesthesia.

This discussion certainly jars my memory. I was around 3 circa 1949 and went to a catholic hospital to have my tonsils out. I remember having to wear a hospital gown. When it was about time for my operation two nuns came in my room. One had a tray with a towel on top. Once the towel was removed I saw a rubber hose with a funnel attached. I knew I did not like the looks of this. I started yelling that I did not want an enema. I hated enemas.

One nun rolled me over on my stomach . I started yelling for my mom. One of the nuns suggested she leave the room so that I might become more cooperative. Wrong! I started yelling for my mom. One nun inserted the rubber tube up my rear end and held me down. The other nun held up the other end with a funnel attached and poured in the rectal sedative. I was screaming bloody murder. As it began to work I remember the enema hose staying in but I began to become sleepy I remember the two nuns looking out the window waiting for the enema to take effect. When I woke after the surgery I was told the enitre floor heard me getting that damned enema. Oh well so much for the golden age.

That sounds dreadful, I bet you've never forgotten that one. Funnily enough I was in a catholic hospital for my tonsillectomy but was put out by ether rather than enema! An enema was given though, not to me but to the kid in the bed next to me. I did't see what took place because the nurses (no nuns) drew a cutain around the bed but I sure as hell heard it. It sounded like world war three behind that curtain as he kept screaming out that he didn't want it. He fought it so much that a third nurse was called over to help handle the situation. I'll never forget that (as I am sure he didn't either) and lived in total fear that they were going to be coming over to my bed and draw a curtain around it. Now I know this sounds totally ridiculous but looking back after all these years, I kind of wish they had? As far as that kid goes it wouldn't surprise me if he was now on Zity!