Common Anesthesia Side Effects: How Will You Feel After Surgery?
97General Anesthesia Side Effects
Of all the types of anesthesia, general anesthesia is used most often for surgery. Common anesthesia side effects are annoying but cause no lasting harm. A complication, on the other hand, can be seen as an outcome that is undesirable and causes harm to the patient. Complications are sometimes avoidable and sometimes unavoidable, depending on the pre-existing conditions of the patient and other factors.
So again, a side effect is an outcome that accompanies the desired effect of a medication or treatment that causes annoyance or discomfort, but no lasting harm to the patient.
General anesthesia involves the use of IV and inhaled medicines to induce and maintain an unconscious state. Because these medications affect how your body works, it is not surprising that they are associated with side effects, and less commonly, complications. Given the significant changes induced by these potent, but necessary, medications, the safety record of general anesthesia is particularly impressive.
Side effects though, often cannot be avoided with general anesthesia and most people experience one or more of the most common anesthesia side effects.
Anesthesiologist Placing a Breathing Tube
What Does an Anesthesiologist Do?
SORE THROAT OR SCRATCHY THROAT FROM ANESTHESIA
A scratchy, sore throat commonly occurs after general anesthesia. When you are "asleep" with general anesthesia, you are actually unconscious. Sometimes, you are able to breathe adequately on your own in this state, and sometimes your breathing needs to be assisted or controlled. Some surgeries, particularly those in the abdomen or chest require your muscles, including your breathing muscles to be relaxed.
In order to help you breathe or control breathing, the anesthesiologist can choose among several methods.
Most commonly, for abdominal, chest, brain or other major surgery, a breathing tube will be used. This endotracheal tube as we call it, is placed into the windpipe by sliding it between the vocal cords after you are unconscious. While this is usually an easy, gentle procedure, the back of the throat and the windpipe are super sensitive areas. Most people will have a sore throat from the breathing tube. It usually lasts a day or two, can be relieved with lozenges and ice water and then resolves on its own.
If a breathing tube is not used, another device called a "laryngeal mask airway" -- LMA -- can be used. This is a soft rubber mask that is made to fit inside the back of the throat. There is an opening for oxygen to pass through which sits over top of the inlet to the windpipe. The LMA allows you to breathe on your own and can be used for surgeries on the arms or legs or outside of the body cavities. The LMA may be associated with less incidence of, or lower severity of sore throat, but sore throats still occur pretty commonly with an LMA.
(Side Note: Although an LMA sounds more desirable, there are some factors which make an LMA less advisable, like acid reflux. Since the windpipe isn't blocked off from the esophagus, or food tube, like it is with a breathing tube, acid could potentially enter the lungs if you have this condition. Obesity makes it more difficult to deliver enough oxygen to a heavy chest and abdomen, especially under the influence of the anesthesia drugs. So if your anesthesiologist has to use a breathing tube there is usually a surgical or patient factor helping to guide that decision)
Regardless of the breathing device used, oxygen and anesthesia gases, although often humidified in the operating room, still dry out the mucosa of the throat contributing to that sore, scratchy feeling.
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NAUSEA AND VOMITING
A most feared side effect of general anesthesia is nausea, often accompanied by vomiting. Some people (this anesthesiologist included) are VERY prone to postoperative nausea and vomiting -- PONV. The mechanism of triggering nausea and vomiting almost certainly involves anesthesia's effect on brain centers and interaction with the gastrointestinal system.
PATIENT RISK FACTORS FOR POST-OPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING (PONV)
- Female gender
- Younger age
- Non-smoker
- History of motion sickness
- History of previous PONV, or family history of PONV
SURGICAL RISK FACTORS: Surgeries more likely to lead to PONV
- Any surgery lasting longer than 30 minutes
- Abdominal and gynecologic
- Ear, nose and throat
- Laparoscopic surgeries
- Breast surgery
- Eye surgery
- Some orthopedic surgery
By looking at this list, it seems almost all surgeries are included. In addition, there are anesthesia factors such as use of narcotic and gas medications, which are often unavoidable.
So if we can't change many of these risk factors what can we do about PONV?
PREVENTION OF POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING (PONV):
Patients- Follow preop instructions about not eating and tell your anesthesiologist or the preop nurse about your risk factors (they will probably ask anyway). Some people say they have been helped by the accupressure relief bands that are sold over the counter. Bring one with you and ask that it be applied as soon as it is safe (usually after surgery, but sometimes before). When you get home, even if you feel hungry, start slowly with eating - start with soft, easy to digest foods. Eat little bits at a time and wait to see how you feel before moving on to harder to digest meals. Some people prefer to stay on liquid diets for the first day after anesthesia, and if you have had abdominal or gastrointestinal surgery, your diet will be restricted as ordered by your surgeon and advanced at their discretion. Ginger is often recommended as another over-the-counter nausea reliever. Follow your postop instructions, as well.
Anesthesiologists- We can give prophylactic (preventative) medications to help reduce the risk of PONV. There are various drugs we can give alone or in combination, based on the level of risk and the risk/benefit ratio of each drug, because, yes, they have side effects too. Sometimes, we can alter the type of anesthetic or the medications used if the risk is significant. We also try to make sure you are properly hydrated, especially if you have gone a long period of time before your surgery without liquids.
Surgeons- Surgeons need to get the surgery done and cannot make significant alterations in procedure to avoid nausea and vomiting. Surgeons can, at your request, prescribe an anti-nausea medicine along with the pain medicine that you will be taking. If you are prone to nausea and vomiting from the anesthetic, there is a good chance that the narcotic pain meds will make you sick, as well. So ask your surgeon in preop (before you are too out of it to remember) to prescribe the anti-nausea medicine.
CONFUSION
Most people are confused in the recovery room as a result of the medications. It takes a while for the brain to actually wake up, even after you are conscious. Most people don't remember much after the preop sedative has been given.
But some people remain confused for days or weeks, or longer after their surgery and anesthetic. This is an active field of study right now, called POSTOPERATIVE COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION (POCD). It's interesting to note, though, that this doesn't just occur with general anesthesia. Surprisingly, to anesthesiologists and researchers, even patients who had other types of anesthesia that should not affect the brain profoundly have had POCD. It seems that other factors, such as the stresses of surgery and recovery on the body may also play a role.
We only know at this point that older patients and patients of lower socio-economic status have a higher risk for POCD. Active and diligent research continues to try to pinpoint who is at risk, why this occurs and what, if anything, can be done to prevent it.
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MUSCLE ACHES
If you have a sore throat after anesthesia and you also get the side effect of muscle aches, you may be concerned that you are getting the flu or that you "caught" something in the hospital.
Muscle aches result, in some people, from one of the medicines used to relax or "paralyze" the muscles to make it easier to insert the breathing tube and to perform the surgery. Succinylcholine causes the muscles to "fasiculate" or rapidly contract and relax. This action may make the muscles feel sore for a day or two after surgery.
Heating pads and tylenol can be used for symptom relief, if anything at all is needed. Ask your surgeon before taking medicines like aspirin or ibuprofen as these can contribute to bleeding from recent surgical sites.
Muscle and joint soreness can also result from lying motionless on the operating bed for extended periods of time. Unlike normal sleep, your body can't even make minor adjustments in position while you are under anesthesia. If you have pre-existing problems with a sore or stiff are on your body, tell your nurse and anesthesiologist. If it doesn't interfere with the surgery, they may be able to pad or support that area differently to try to help.
ITCHING
A curious side effect of narcotic pain medication (often used as part of the anesthetic) is itching. Most people complain of itching on their face, especially the tip of the nose. Sometimes, people will have significant, all-over body itching and believe they are having an allergic reaction (and it can be hard to tell the difference), but most of the time, it's just a side-effect.
Luckily, diphenhydramine (Benedryl) can treat this side effect. Make sure it's ok to take over-the-counter agents with the prescriptions you have been give. If you are still in the hospital, special medicines that block the receptor responsible for the itching but not pain relief can be used and are even more effective.
Narcotics are routinely used during anesthetics to block pain receptors and often cannot be avoided. Tell you anesthesia provider if you have had this bothersome side effect in the past.
EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS
A rather curious and common, although less researched, side effect of anesthesia seems to be emotional displays or outbursts upon awakening. It should be stressed that in no way are these displays of emotion under voluntary control of the patient and if you have one of these extreme emotional reactions, it will not be held against you in any way. We know it's the meds.
A young man may wake up combative and in "fight" mode. Very often, their occupation or background gives clues that this may be an issue. In certain people, I have extra medication ready to calm an overly aggressive emergence from anesthesia. This combative, agitated awakening is seen more often in soldiers, marines and other military personnel, those who work in law enforcement and those who have been or are in jail or gangs. Luckily, this usually resolves in less than 5 minutes and as they wake up are able to be 'reoriented' to where they are and settle down on their own. Even when someone is very agitated, I probably give a little sedative less than 10% of the time and only if I feel the patient may hurt himself or someone else (I got thumped in the sternum pretty hard once, so have the medication ready, just in case).
Young women usually are at the other end of the spectrum. Females from about puberty on, seem more likely to wake up tearful and crying. When they are awake enough to talk, they cannot explain why they are crying and don't say they feel particularly sad most of the time. They just can't stop crying. This usually lasts less than 15 or 30 minutes.
Almost all medications have side effects. The very powerful, potent anesthetic agents are certainly no exception. No one, not even your anesthesiologist can predict or tell you exactly how you will feel or what side effects you will have after your anesthetic. If you are having surgery, talk to the preop nurse or the anesthesiologist (or both) about any concerns you have. The risks and benefits of the anesthetic can be discussed with you. Chances are though, even knowing that some side effects are possible, that you will still decide to have your surgery with anesthesia rather than without it.
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Comments: I will try to answer general questions but cannot give specific medical advice. Please call your doctor if you have a concern that needs attention. I Loading...
Hi Kim. I wrote a hub about Anesthesia Awareness or Intraoperative Awareness, too. It's listed above.
Sometimes, it's normal to remember parts of a procedure. It depends on the procedure, the type of anesthesia and the point at which you wake up. Many people wake (and it's normal) while the bandages are being applied and believe they are still having their surgery. Colonoscopies and other similar procedures are done with sedation. It is perfectly acceptable and in some cases, expected, to remember bits and pieces of those procedures.
True intraoperative awareness under anesthesia does happen, but is much more rare. You should let the docs know if this is what happened to you. Please let me know if you have any questions - either here or by message.
Good luck!
One anesthesiologist I had gave me some very good advice once. If you still feel sleepy afterward, then keep on sleeping until it wears off. Don't fight drowsiness! I tried it and it was the best sleep I ever had.
I know, my post-anesthesia sleeps were glorious! No pagers, no baby monitors, no alarms and drugs that made it hard to fight sleep, LOL. Plus your body needs time to metabolize the drugs and sleep is needed for healing. I tell patients that too, don't try to fight too hard to "get awake". Once we know they are conscious, it's all good- go back to sleep :) Sleep is good.
Excellent hub,very informative.
Unfortunately I've had surgery much later in life and was horrified at the thought of being put to sleep and not waking up.
I've since have had several including a c-section to deliver my son.
Thanks for sharing such great info!
Once again, you have given much needed information in an easy to understand way. The most recent surgery I had lasted 7 1/2 hours and because of the efforts of the anesthesiologist and the aggressive post-op care that he directed and I received, I did not develop pneumonia. Prior to that surgery, post-op pneumonia was the norm for me and minus pneumonia, my recovery went extremely well.
Again, the anesthesiologist makes all the difference in any surgery!
I'll be bookmarking this one just in case!
Hopefully, you won't need it Manna, LOL.
Jillian- You don't know how much appreciation like that means. I get so tired of hearing all the negative things that people think about docs. It makes me get all smiley and teary to know that someone realizes we really do try hard sometimes AND care!
Rasta- Hope everything worked out ok. It's amazing how resilient the human body is, isn't it? Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I am trying to find out if a breathing tube is used, can the vocal chords slowly quit working ( 2 1/2 months later)?
Hmmm, usually not, but can't tell without more info. If there is damage to the vocal cords (and this would be rare, depending on circumstances like difficulty inserting the breathing tube, type of surgery, etc), it is worst in the first week and gets better. If you want to send me more info, let me know and I can try to help you figure out what's going on.
If you have to undergo surgery or any type of medical procedure, it is better to be armed with information so you will not panic and you know what to do. Thank you for this helpful tips. :)
Hubnuggets Flash: This hub is a Hubnuggets nominee. We invite everyone to please read the nominated hubs and vote! You have the right to vote...hubbers and non hubbers alike! So what are you waiting for? Follow me right here: http://bit.ly/eb4vTx
Also, participate in the Hubnuggets forum: http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/65375#post1436321 See ya!
Great Hub & Congrats on your Nomination,
Just about everything a person would need to prepare for the experience associated with many medical procedures is listed here.
Excellent educational piece giving a "Heads Up" to patients.
Thanks all and awesome about the nomination! Thanks!!
fyi: all went well on friday, thanks. i told them about my wake up last time, and they apparently had to work really hard and use some strong drugs to keep me asleep this time. Still, I awoke a couple times, but the team was very responsive. it was twilight sedation. they didn't want to do a full sedation because of the risks. congrats on the nomination and thanks again.
Good Kim! It is normal to have some "waking" during twilight anesthesia and I'm glad you were able to work with them to get more medicine when you wanted or needed it. Sometimes, I let my patients who are not under general anesthesia get a little "lighter" on purpose so I can have them take some deep breaths or adjust their position a little bit to make sure they are still comfy.
This is a very thorough hub on the effects of anesthesia. I think this will be a helpful hub to many people. Thanks for all the information.
TahoeDoc, I can't say it was your greatest post; BECAUSE I'VE ONLY BEEN HUBBING A FEW DAYS! But your piece was so informative with just the right mix of interpretation of 'doctor-speak' and science without talking down to anyone. Just downright good information! I will say that your is a must read for anyone about to undergo any kind of surgery. Kudos! Annie
Congratulations on being the hubnugget winner!!! What a great hub. Reading this really brought back memories of my jaw surgery in 1988. It was a 14 hour surgery and after I woke up I threw up somehow, I guess through my nose because my jaws were wired shut. Talk about scary! I also had a huge blister bigger than a half dollar on the heal of my foot from the pressure of just laying there that long and talk about dry lips.. my lips were so dry from being jacked open that long that they were a bloody, peeling mess for weeks BUT it was truly all worth it! I think you've given me an idea for my next hub :0)
AltPrime,Pamela, teamRN, Jamie & anyone I missed Your comments mean a lot- thank you all so much! Yikes, Jamie- 14 hours surgery? I've been in on those. It's absolutely amazing what the human body can tolerate and overcome. Glad you got through it ok.
Here's another contest with some really good reads (yes, this one was nominated for that too) - I'm really honored, but you should take a look at all of them, they are really good hubs.
I am having surgery soon, and have other surgeries. After some of those surgeries I had such pain that was not related to the type of surgery done but possibly the anastesia,has anyone ever experienced that,, I wound up staying in the hospital for at least a week to recover
I would have to know more about the surgery - type, length, etc. Preexisting med condtions, medications, allergies, history of the types of reactions, where the pain occurred, and so on would also be important.
There are rare problems that would result from (general) anesthesia that could cause pain and keep you in the hospital for a week. Most prominently, malignant hyperthermia could cause this but is also associated with high fevers and organ failure. If you had had this reaction, you would have had muscle biopsies to confirm it and would be advised to wear a medic alert bracelet.
Excellent subject choice for a hub - nicely written - pleasant writing style.
Great hub! But I didn't find mention of the greatest (only) side effect I remember from when I got my wisdom teeth out 20-odd years ago: I recall waking up from the anesthesia absolutely sobbing. I turned to the nurse and blubbered through my tears, "Why am I crying? I'm not even sad!" She assured me this was a common enough side effect, but I still remember (kind of fondly!) the strangeness of my mind and body being so out of sync.
That's so funny you mention that. I was reminded last week (by it happening) that I needed to add to this hub that young women often wake up crying and young guys sometimes wake up combative (with some cross-overs). It is fairly common too, just not as 'researched'. I will add a section in the next few days if I don't forget again. Thanks for the reminder!
That's so interesting. I think I was about 18 at the time, so that fits.
Well done Doc!
I have emetophobia (severe debilitating fear of vomiting) due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I'm having dental surgery soon -- a whole mouth reconstruction with dental implants. Because of the PTSD my dentist doesn't think IV sedation will be enough so he's brining in an anesthesiologist. My biggest fear is PONV. So my question is this, what is the best way to prevent nausea and vomiting after this type of oral surgery? Thank you.
The most important thing to do is to tell your anesthesiologist about your fears and needs. Better yet, ask the dentist to talk to him/her ahead of time. There are lots of preventative measures you and they can take. Don't eat or drink for 8 hours before your surgery- or after midnight. Sometimes you are allowed water up to 2 hours before. Follow these instructions. Scopolamine (motion sickness) patches can be prescribed and left on for 3 days. Be careful as they can make you feel 'rebound' nausea when you take them off.
In addition, there are medications, such as metoclopramide, ondansetron and decadron and others that can be given in your IV. Your anesthesiologist will have to review your history to decide which or which combo can be used safely for you.
Go slow with eating/drinking after (you'll have to anyway given the nature of the work). Use the relief bands, too if you want to try everything. They do seem to help some people.
This is going to be hard for you, but practice relaxation techniques. When you find yourself getting worked up, try to identify that you are getting anxious, and work on deep breathing or meditation. Anxiety creates nausea- no doubt in my mind from experience.
I would say 8 or 9 of 10 people respond well to prevention, so know that just by telling them, you are on your way to doing well.
Good luck and come back if you have any other questions.
Doc, thank you very much for taking the time to give me such a thorough response. I really appreciate it!
TahoeDoc, another informative hub. I enjoyed reading this one. I had a colonoscopy procedure performed about a week ago and I went to sleep and woke up without any problem.
had surgery almost a week ago and still feel kind of hung over-trouble thinking of words, slight headache-it was ankle surgery-20 min. procedure but put me out for 85 min. (told me "prep work") Remember absolutely nothing until in recovery where I stayed for 90 min. Had a hard time waking up and extremely dry mouth and sore throat. I'm a 62 year old lady and very healthy-
Hi Carol. I hope you check back here and I hope you are already feeling better.
*The sore throat/dry mouth should clear up in another couple days. It's a common side effect that usually goes away in a couple days, but can last over a week. If it's very severe or isn't better in another day or two, let your doctor know. It would be VERY rare, but occasionally a structure in the back of the throat can have a significant scratch or blister or other probelm from the tube.
*Hard time waking up is also a common complaint. It has a lot to do with an individuals metabolism, how much/how long and what kind of anesthesia drugs are used.
*The confusion/'hung over' feeling can be a couple things. First, if you are taking pain medicine, then the pain meds kind of take over where the anesthesia leaves off, making it feel like the anesthesia never went away. The side effects are very similar (I can't take narcotic pain meds because of headaches/nausea and confusion).
If you are not taking pain meds, there is a phenomomenon called "post-operative cognitive dysfunction"-POCD, which we are just starting to be able to define and are far from understanding. I will eventually write a whole article about this.
Basically, POCD results in mental confusion/slowness for some time period following anesthesia. The people most likely to experience this are those of advanced age - over about 70 or 72 and those of low educational status (you don't have either risk factor), but it can still happen. Interestingly, this seems to occur even with other types of anesthesia (not just general) like epidurals and spinals, so researchers are wondering if it has more to do with the body's reaction to surgical stress and healing than it does to anesthesia (which was always the presumption). Also interesting is that this has been reported even in very young, healthy adults, although not as often, and not as noticeably, so age is not the only factor at work. There is nothing of significance that the doctors can do to prevent this and it is unpredictable in occurence, making it very frustrating for everyone.
The good news is that it generally resolves within one to three weeks. If you are taking pain meds (narcotic), then it should clear up shortly after you stop taking those.
Good luck and hope to hear of improvement soon :)
Thanks so much Doc for your comments. Have been off of the narcotic stuff for 6 days now. I will use your remarks as a handy reference. Sore throat much better but still have a headache and a little nauseated feeling. Really appreciate your remarks! Take care.. :)
Feeling so much better-now 16 days post surgery. Took a full 12 days for the headaches/nausea to subside. Still have a little cognitive stuff going on, but much better. Thanks so much!
Good Carol. I think you should continue to improve. Too bad it took so long, huh? Dehydration is a big problem during/after surgery too and can contribute to nausea and headaches. Rest when you can and keep up the fluids. Let me know if you have other questions or issues that I can help you with. :)
very intersting very well put togeather and well written hub informative and entertaing thanks
i recently had surgery; curvical fusion and i have noticed alot of hair on my clothing and when i shampoo my hair it just keeps falling out. is this normal after anesthesia?
Hi Cantongirl, The stresses of surgery and general anesthetics affect the whole body. The stress response does 'stun' hair follicles. In addition, the body spends its resources 'healing' and non-essential functions get less attention for a while. There are also likely some effects from the anesthesia medications themselves. So, yes, your surgery and anesthesia can contribute to temporary hair loss. It shouldn't last long though, so is temporary and reversible. Oh, one more thing. If your fusion was approached from the front of the neck, your head was in one position for a while. This can cause hair loss from the spot where the pressure was greatest on your head, so if you notice it more from one spot, this contributes as well.
I don't know if this is unusual but I also found that it took months for no longer get tired in the middle of the day.
Excellent hub,Very educative and informative.I really feel for people who undergo such unbearable situation,but I believe they will survive by His Grace.I so much loved this hub.I enjoyed it.
Thank you both. Texagirlfw- Being tired a few months out seems more likely to be from the surgical stress and energy used by the body to heal. It's unlikely but not impossible that anesthesia contributes to that in the long term.
Hope you are feeling better now. :)
I'm 32 and last year had my hip replaced. I remember that for the first four to five days I was so weepy afterwards. I wasn't sad or in pain, just very emotional. It was funny and I kept apologizing because I didn't want the rehab staff to think I was a cry baby . I also noticed I had a breakout on my face. I think it was the anesthesia and pain drugs coming out of the system.
Awesome information! I just had surgery and all went well. But I'm very curious as to why I cry when I wake up. I knew it was normal but it feels strange not being able to stop crying over nothing. I hope more research is done. I would love to know more as to why this happens at the physiological level.
is it possible to light looses of balance after a thyroidectomy, due the anestesia? even there are three months from the surgery?
Is it normal to get sick 2 1/2 weeks after surgery, nauseated all the time
Hi there. It seems several people are curious about effects remote from surgery. It seems unlikely, and our current knowledge indicates that, anesthesia effects should not last beyond a day or two after surgery (with maybe the exception of post-op cognitive dysfunction-see above).
We don't know everything there is to know about anesthesia, however. Effects are more likely to last or be noticeable if related to previous health conditions. For example, people with memory problems may have worse problems with memory after anesthesia. If there are blockages in the arteries to the brain, then it's possible that part of the brain didn't get enough circulation or oxygen for a period of time.
Lasting effects can also be related to the surgery itself. If you had abdominal surgery, you might be more likely to have issues with nausea than if you had your knee operated on. Pain medications can cause both balance problems and nausea as you all have asked about.
After thyroidectomy, I would make sure you are following up with your doctor and getting all recommended blood tests. If your thyroid levels are still adjusting, it can make you light-headed. Also, calcium levels can be abnormal after thyroid surgery and that can affect muscle coordination. These are just examples and obviously, are not meant to diagnose or suppose what is happening in any individual case. You need to talk to your doctors about these concerns so they can do a proper history and physical.
I hope this helped a little and that you all get to feeling 'back to normal' soon!
Hello, great site! I had my Gallbladder removed this morning. It's been almost 8 hrs since I left and most all is well. My only question is my joints and muscles feel tingly at times. Side effect? Thank you
My son had all 4 wisdom teeth removed today and received anesthesia. I was thinking that when he awaken from recovery he would just want to go home and go back to sleep. Well first of all when he awaken in recovery he seemed fine. Then when the Nurse got ready to d/c him became upset saying that the dentist and CIA had taken his tongue. On the ride home he wanted to jump out of the car, he was seeing space ships, etc...He was delusional and having hallications. This really freaked me out. He had a hard time getting him to lie down and rest. Why wasn't I warned prior to leaving he office that this could be a side effect?
This has been a long day. Excuse my spelling/grammer. (Hallucinations)
Hi KAC-RN. First, do call the dentist's office if this is still going on. This is not a typical side effect of most anesthesia medicines. Do you know what type of anesthesia he got? This type of reaction can happen with ketamine, but usually more so in adults than children. How old is your son?
The anesthesia gases typically don't produce this type of hallucination or delusions in the absence of dementia or brain disease BUT sometimes (very rarely), they or the narcotic pain medicines can do this. I'm guessing you weren't warned because it is sufficiently rare as a side effect.
I would hope though, that if this was occuring before you left the office, that they would have kept him and made sure he was ok before sending you home, if you asked them to do so.
Did he get a dose of pain medicine before he got up? We see this rarely with the strong narcotic pain meds. Sometimes one type will cause some hallucinations, but another type will not in an individual. If so, you may want to check to see what was prescribed for him. If it's the same medicine as he got there, you may want to report this effect and ask them to change his script to something else.
Good luck and I'm sorry for what sounds like a distressing and scary event for both of you!
Hi
11 days ago I had a general anesthetic and had septoplasty and turbinate reduction, all went well with the operation but since then I feel Like I have the worst head cold in the world and my ears can't stand much noise....please can you tell me if this is a normal after effect ? Also I have had a few tears every day since but I dont know why...has anyone else felt like this ?
Thanks lis606
Hi Lis606. This sounds like it is more likely to be related to surgery since they worked in/on the head and face areas. There may be some pressure or inflammation. You should call your doc or the doc on call to find out what they recommend. Issues related to surgery would have to be ruled out first before other causes are sought. I have not heard of your specific symptoms being related to anesthesia, though.
I hope you feel better soon!
I had cervical neck fusion surgery. 2 disc fused. This was 4 weeks ago, my left side from the neck down is partially numb. Will this go away.
Hi Mgitzen,
If the numbness on the left side is new and your docs don't know about it, go to the ER immediately. If the doctors are following this, tell them this is ongoing and ask if you should see a neurologist or have an MRI or CT scan to figure out if there is some scar or something pushing on a nerve or some other explanation. The best chance to have this resolve is to figure out why this is happening ASAP. The longer you wait, the less likely to get resolution (depending on the cause).
If it's just the skin of the neck that is numb or is pretty limited, that might be somewhat normal or not unusual after this surgery. But, if your whole left side is numb, you need to get another opinion as to why this is occurring.
Good luck!
Hi
Thank you for gettin back to me so quick. I will definatley ring my doctor on Monday to see what he thinks. I guess I was hoping that this daily crying was just a side affect of anesthetic.
Thank you for your help
Lis606 :)
Hi
Thank you for gettin back to me so quick. I will definatley ring my doctor on Monday to see what he thinks. I guess I was hoping that this daily crying was just a side affect of anesthetic.
Thank you for your help
Lis606 :)
Hi,
I had surgery on my foot one monthe ago. Full anesthetic sedation. Since, I have been feeling scatter-brained, forgetful, and discombobulated. Is this at all normal? (It's been a month!)I am a female, age 57. I was being treated (on antibiotics) for bronchitus at the time I was sedated - making me wonder if that isn't a partial factor. This just feels very strange. One example, last night I folded and put away all of the laundry piled on my bed .... only to realize this morning that I had folded and put away all of my DIRTY LAUNDRY! Now isn't THAT weird!??? LOL And this is only ONE example! Have other people had this kind of side affect? And how long might it last? I return to work tomorrow and I'm hoping that this doesn't continue much longer. Is this NORMAL?
To answer both of the above: I don't think we fully know how the medications we use affect the brain. I don't know of any lasting effects of anesthesia that would cause crying (are you feeling sad, depressed, blue, etc?). It is known that people do have some changes in mentation after surgery. When studies were done testing people for this, it was generally seen in patients over 70 years old, or those who had cognitive deficits to start with. Interestingly, the studies show that it might be more, at least as much, an effect of the stress of surgery on the body as the anesthetic medications.
So, I haven't heard of these types of things happening, but leave open the possibility that they are related to surgery or anesthesia. Can't really conclude that based on current understanding, though.
Hi. I had arthroscopic knee surgery with general anesthesia on Wednesday, arrived home that evening, and made it upstairs to bed and bathroom. It's now about 40 hours post-surgery. I've been mainly resting in bed and taking two hydrocodone-acetominophen 5-325 tabs every four hours when awake. My knee pain isn't too bad, but I'm having awful pain in my stomach muscles and upper arms, some muscle pain in my thighs, and a lot of discomfort from the intubation. The muscle pains and stiffness and pain in my tonsil area are getting worse, so that I can hardly move to get out of bed. Is this from the anestesia or hydrocodone, and what can I do about it? Is it going to continue to get worse?
HI there Boston Bean. Sorry it took me so long to get to this. I hope you are already starting to feel better. The muscle pain is likely from medication we use to help your muscles relax for the surgery and to get the breathing tube in. We will have a lot of people tell us that for a day or two after their surgery, they thought they were getting the flu because of the sore throat and muscle aches. This will be worse if there is some reason that it was harder than usual to get the breathing tube in.
Having said that, there are some other reasons that you can have muscle pain. If it is not getting better, call back the number you should have been given when you were discharged and let them know. Make note of any other bothersome symptoms (like fever). Don't forget to take deep breaths, even if your belly muscles hurt to avoid getting pneumonia or little areas of collapsed lung.
Hope you are better soon!
After my surgery I started sweating to where i was drenched, my temperature dropped to 95 and the nurses said that my eyes were moving rapidly plus i was slow to wake up and lethargic according to them. what could be the cause? I'm a 23 year old male with no existing problems
I just had surgery & I woke up with an extremely sore throat which they told me was common due to irritation from the tube. But the pain was worse than my nose the surgery was on my nose. When I got home I looked at my throat in the mirror with a flashlight and at the back of my mouth next to my throat opening there is a pretty large cut with deep purple bruises around it. I've put salt water which has helped some but swallowing and talk are very painful. What's the reason for a cut there and should I alert my Dr to it.
@wakatsuki- Sounds like you have a strong parasympathetic nervous system (sweating, low heart rate). Sweating dissipates heat and causes your body temperature to drop. We do see people sweating profusely sometimes, although not often, when they wake from anesthesia. Young healthy males often have a strong parasympathetic system - do you also get woozy when they draw blood or put in your IV? That's another sign. The rapid eye movement might have been nystagmus, which can be a side effect of a couple of the medications.
Anyway, it would be really, really hard to know what kind of reaction you had or to what without reviewing your whole record. Please do call your doc and ask if they have any idea if you are still concerned. Hope you are better.
@a24- Sounds like the tube scratched or cut your throat on the way in or out. Usually this only happens if it is more difficult to intubate than usual for some reason, but can also happen in a small mouth or one with different angles (high arched palate, etc). When intubating, it can be crowded with the special light in the mouth and then trying to pass the tube through also. This is an unfortunate complication, although not one that is too uncommon.
The other thing is that during nasal surgery, sometimes the tube has to be moved from side to side or angled differently to allow the surgeon access to the nose. Usually, this would cause irritation, but not cuts, though as there are no 'edges' to scratch the throat.
The lining of the back of the throat is thin and therefore, easily damaged. It is also quite sensitive, so even without having a cut there it would feel pretty raw. With the cut, I'm sure it is QUITE painful. A lot of hospitals and surgery centers will make a check up phone call from a nurse or someone at the hospital to see how you are doing. Tell them then and ask if they want you to do anything else. Also, when you have your follow up appointment with your surgeon (ENT, I would guess), have him or her look at your throat and make sure there is no sign of infection. Also, call them right away if the pain is getting worse instead of better. In any case, make sure they know about this.
see response below in Hubpages.com Common Anesthesia Side Effects...
i recently gave birth 2 weeks ago.... i had my first epidural... the anastesiologist had to insert the needle twice... the numbness took effect immediately... however i still had alittle feeling on my left side.... the right was completely numb... i couldnt move my leg on my own.... i now have feelings in my legs but i have a burning sensation on my upper right thigh... constantly... almost like an (indian burn)... do u know wht this is... could it be nerve damage?
It's possible that the nerve roots on that side were irritated by the catheter or the medicine flowing into the epidural space. This can happen. Sometimes, the nerve can also be irritated because of your position during labor. The side that is more numb is harder to feel so when you pull your legs up to push, you can't tell that the nerve (obturator nerve supplies the front of the thigh) is being stretched and it can be injured.
We even see sometimes what is called a 'foot drop' because of injury to this nerve.
In either case, the irritation is usually temporary. BUT, you should definitely call your ob/gyn or the labor department and let them know you are experiencing this. Sometimes, they want you to come in to get checked and sometimes (often), they will make note of it and tell you to report back in a couple days or a week and let them know if it is getting better.
I hope you feel better soon!! Remember that without being able to do a full history and exam, this does not constitute medical diagnosis or advice. Call your doc.
I had a tonsillectomy yesterday, and since I've got home I have been itching from head to foot. Trust me to have a curious side effect :)
Hi chrissie- Any and all of the narcotic pain medications can have itching as a side effect. If it's really bad, benedryl can help (be careful of over-sedation with the pain meds) or you can ask the doc to switch your medicine.
There are other potential causes as well so be sure to ask your doctor if this doesn't stop soon.
Feel better :)
My Aunt is an active 97 year old who owns her own business and fell 2 weeks ago while working and broke her hip. She had surgery which included an epidural on 2/1/12 but she can not wake up -last couple of days she opens her eyes and responds to us or nods her head yes or no -but then goes back to sleep -cant talk or eat
Continued: Have you ever heard of a patient not waking up after hip surgery? The doctors say it happens sometimes but should be ok in a few days -but is has been over 2 weeks now.
Have the doctors given you anything else to go on? An epidural should not cause prolonged sleepiness.
There is a phenomenon called "post-operative cognitive dysfunction" that affects older people (even those who are healthy). There is often a decline in mental functioning- usually it isn't staying asleep or sleepy so much as it is problems with memory and problem-solving. Interestingly, it happens after surgery, no matter what type of anesthesia is used. It seems that the stress of the injury, the surgery and the recovery is sometimes overwhelming for the body. Older people with hip fractures often see a significant decline in physical and mental functioning as well, for reasons that aren't entirely clear.
It is possible that pain medications could keep her very sleepy as well.
Also, I'm sure that they have examined her by now for signs of stroke or other complication.
Obviously, I can make general guesses about situations like this and cannot begin to diagnose your aunt. (my disclaimer).
I hope she gets better and is improving day by day.
Yesterday I had a colonoscopy done and was put under anaesthesia. I had violent dry heaves afterward and I also took quite a bit of time coming out of it. For some reason I also have large welts on either side of my neck under my ears. I'm assuming that was from the oxygen tube. As of this afternoon I was finally able to navigate the stairs up to my bedroom. I'm hoping that by tomorrow I'll be more functional. If I ever have to have a procedure done again I will mention all this to the doctors and see if there is something that can be used that I will not react so violently to. I never want to go through that again.
Yuck Tina-heaving is awful! Colonoscopies are usually done with just sedation (by the GI and nurse-no anesthesiologist). They do sometimes use a narcotic medicine as part of the sedation and that is the most likely cause of the heaving.
You might think about calling and asking them today, just so they can look it up in your chart and record that you had this reaction, so they can try different protocol next time.
Feel better :)
My 4 y/o daughter had her tonsils and adenoids removed last Friday, she was completely sedated, when she woke up from the sedation she was combative and didn't want to be touched. Here it is a week later and she is doing the same thing. She willl go to bed and an hour or two later she is whinning in her sleep and when I try to console her she becomes combative, telling me not to touch her then sometimes she gets out of bed and storms off to another room. Is this normal? What can I do?
Hi Tenayah- I haven't heard of this specifically happening- where the combativeness recurs at home, but I'll bet it happens a lot. Kids and adults will wake up confused, defensive and combative not uncommonly. I'm not a psychologist, but I'll bet she is confused by the whole experience and that this is more of a psychological effect than a direct drug effect. Kids have such a hard time expressing their feelings and fears and sometimes just act out. Her brain may associate being awakened with the feeling of waking in the hospital.
You can ask her surgeon or pediatrician if there is anything else you can do- like how to ask her if she is mad or confused about what happened to her and how to help her move past it.
I'm sure that the necessary unpleasantness of taking our children (mine have been there too) to the hospital, having them anesthetized, doing an operation on them and waking them up in a strange place with strange people around them has a psychological impact- luckily this seems to be temporary and fades in time.
Good luck- just keep loving her and letting her know you are there for her so she has that security. I think this should get better soon. But, please ask her pediatrician for any other suggestions as I can't give real medical advice on the internet as I cannot see and examine her (disclaimer). Let me know if I can help any more.
I am an anesthesiologist and still working full-time after
30 yrs in the specialty. Your responses were excellent and
I'm proud to have you representing our specialty.
Your answer to Tina did not address the " large welts on
either side of my neck under my ears". It is my humble opinion that those were signs of the effort of her anesthesiologist to maintain a patent upper airway and/or
stimulate her to breathe spontaneously.Many times this
jaw-thrust maneuver is a life-saver.Fortunately , we now
have mandatory ETCO2 monitors in all our anesthetizing locations so upper airway obstruction during sedation
procedures are less common.
Thank you Cynthia, for your comments and input- much appreciated. And it's nice to 'meet' you!
I did neglect to address the welts on the neck- thank you- that was inadvertant as I was answering on my mobile device. I agree, it was most likely from lifting the jaw to open the airway, which can obstruct under sedation.
(disclaimer: As always, no information given or assumption made online should be construed as a necessarily accurate diagnosis. :) )
Hi Tahoedoc. Great hub and excellent, informative information! I'm impressed by your dedication.
I'm a week from my laparoscopy surgery which I had a general anaesthetic for. When I awoke the arm where the canular was was huge and swollen (looked like popeye!). They were fussing around in a bit of a panic and 3 hours later got it back to normal with cold presses and maybe something else (I was in and out of sleep). They said it was a local reaction. I'm not sure if that is relevant to my question, but I've had generals in the past with no problems aside from the odd nausea. I am a very fit and healthy 25yr old and the procedure was no more than an hour. However I felt completely wiped-out for 4 days after, sleeping heaps, nauseated, no appetite, weak, and lightheaded. I am on no pain meds as of day 3 post op. The worst troubling me is poor cognition - feeling confused, unable to concentrate or gather my thoughts, difficulty holding conversations, low energy, hazy unfocused vision. I also feel a little emotional and flat. I've read your above comments about POCD, but not sure this applies given my age nd health status. I am keen to be rid of this drugged feeling I'm experiencing so that I can regain normality/be able to function at work. Is these just normal anaesthetic side effects, and if so how long does it take to feel 'right' again (I'm used to recovering from a general after 2-3 days)? Does anything assist the body to recover faster (surgery wise I'm healing nicely) - exercise, sleeping more, increase fluid uptake?
Your comments much appreciated. Regards, Miss J
Hi MissJay- Sorry it took so long to answer you. I'm sorry you feel so 'blah'.
The issue with your IV and you arm could be a couple things. Either there was some reaction to a medication that was going through there OR the IV 'infiltrated'. This means the fluid and medication that should have gone into the vein, was actually being deposited under the skin. Either way, these things are really (usually) not predictable and probably not preventable.
I agree that it does seem excessive for a healthy, fit 25 year old to be wiped out 4 days after a short procedure. I also agree that POCD, although you describe it perfectly, would also be unusual in your age and health category. But, your description is spot-on for that. Luckily, it should be very short-term in your case.
If your IV was infiltrated, it is possible that there was pain medication or sedative under the skin. This would be important because that medication would be absorbed into the blood stream more slowly. Perhaps that contributed to the prolonged effects you are feeling, especially combined with the pain medications. If it wasn't infiltrated and you did have some local sensitivity, reaction, allergy in that arm, it may be that your body is recovering from that too, as well as from any extra medication that you were given to treat it. By now, you've had a few more days to clear your system. I truly hope you feel better.
I think all of the things you mentioned- maintain your hydration, sleep and rest your brain and your body and perhaps some exercise could help you feel more normal, more quickly.
I would say that if you are not feeling better by now, please report these things to your surgeon or general medical doctor. Give the same descriptions, you gave here as they were clear and descriptive and helpful. If you are still bothered by these symptoms, your doctor may be able to get more info about your anesthetic and experience in the recovery room. Likely, though, you won't find out much that will help you BUT, it might be worth asking.
Good luck! I hope the fog is lifting and you are feeling more normal. Let me know if you have other questions.
Had surgery for 11 hrs face And neck lift now my spine hurts near buttocks and I have huge water blisters on my heels of feet. Is this from anesthesia?
Thanks for your comments. interesting you mention the possibility of infiltration. When the canular was put in it hurt and the anaesthetist said it had bruised (quite a bit) and mentioned taking it out and trying my other arm. Could thar have anything to do with it? I defintely felt much more sedated afterwards. I'm still feeling very spacey today. I'll run this by my surgeon when I see him in a month if it's still bothersome. Thanks again!
Hi Patti- What you describe sounds more like pressure sores from being immobilized for that long, rather than from anesthesia, directly. When you 'sleep' under anesthesia, your muscles/joints are not able to make even small adjustments in position to compensate for pressure placed on areas. Further, your brain is not even able to perceive that you need to move. Also, many people will have low back pain after laying flat on the OR table for so many hours. Sometimes the anesthesia provider or nurse will place pillows under the knees if we know you have low-back pain, or during a lengthy surgery. Sometimes, we just can't get to it though because it would disrupt the surgery or the sterile table is in the way, or for whatever reason.
We use special padding made of foam or gel to pad these areas, but they aren't as effective for such a long surgery.
Hopefully, you will get better quickly. If you are still having problems in a couple days, let your surgeon know. Also, if you develop any fevers or pus in the blisters, call immediately!
Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Hi! I had some a breast reduction 2 weeks ago today and am still feeling nauseous. I haven't taken a pain pill in two days but am taking Tylenol for discomfort. I'm eating regularly, resting, etc. Any reason you may have for the nauseousness???
Thanks for the information! I just underwent dual knee surgery about 15 hrs ago and ever since I can't stop itching!! Especially the tip of my nose which is getting quite annoying! Thanks to your article I am off to get some Benadryl as long as it isn't effected by the codine in the pain killers as I will ask my pharmacist! Thanks again!
@Dee- Two weeks is a long time to have continued nausea. Anesthesia agents are sufficiently short that they should be gone by now. Breast surgery tends to produce more nausea (my theory- it's because 'female' hormones are released by disturbing breast tissue) than other types of surgery. Pain, itself, leads to nausea as do the pain meds until they are out of your system. Dehydration can contribute as well. If this is not resolved in another day or so OR if you have fever, shortness of breath or other unusual symptoms, call the doc right away. Feel better :)
@Ian- so glad this was helpful. This is exactly why I write. There are some things that happen to some, but not all, people and it's hard to know what is unexpected and what is not that unusual. The itching can be pretty annoying- hope the benedryl works. It WILL add to any sedation you get from the pain meds, so start with lower doses until you know how it will affect you. Wishing you speedy healing!
Let me just say first off GREAT SITE!!!
I want you to know that my post op muscle pain is horrible. I am post op day 1 from kidney stone removal. I have had anesthesia before and no muscle pain... This is the absolute worst! Any advice besides the Tylenol and heating pad?
Tuckerfoo, Thanks for reading and commenting!
I'm sorry the muscle pain is so bad. I have heard from a few people that it feels like a massive workout soreness all over the body.
Really, the only good news is that it will go away in a few days. I don't know if you were given pain meds for post-op. If so, do not combine them with tylenol as they frequently have acetaminophen (Tylenol) in them. Large doses of acetaminophen can cause liver problems and liver failure.
In addition to pain meds and a heating pad, make sure you stay very well hydrated (unless you have orders to the contrary from a doctor who knows you or medical problems that make it a bad idea - renal failure, heart failure, etc). Hydration helps flush out the byproducts of muscle metabolism.
I hope you are feeling better. You should call your doc right away if you have a fever.
If you have to have surgery again, tell them that you had bad muscle pain. There may be other medications they can use to treat (or pretreat) you to prevent that side effect from being so bad.
Feel better!
Hi Tahoedoc,
I had a Hernia surgery last thursday and and discharged two days later. Since then I am suffering from severe headache and muscle stiffening around shoulder and neck. Yesterday I went too see the doctor again and he told me it is related to anesthesia (Anesthesia was in lower body only). He said its related to lower spinal pressure and I should lie down drink lot of coffee and to keep hydrated. He has also prescribed codomol which I take three times a day. Since this morning my muscle stiffening has gone but my headache keeps coming back. I feel better only if I lie down.
I have just moved here nepal for work and would be really happy if you could give some advice.
Thanks
A severe headache that is worse when you stand up and is better when lying down does sound like it could be a spinal headache. It sounds like this is what your doctor is saying he thinks you have.
We believe this occurs when spinal fluid leaks out of the sac surrounding the spinal cord which can happen (although is pretty rare now) after spinal anesthesia. It is more common after spinal taps done for diagnosis because the needles are larger, but can definitely happen after spinal anesthesia.
The treatment prescribed is correct. Hydration (and A LOT of it), caffeine and lying down do provide relief and may speed healing.
If you are not better in a couple more days, an epidural blood patch is another option. If the anesthesiologist is available and there is no contraindication (for example, taking blood thinners, etc), this may be possible. In an epidural blood patch, blood is removed sterilely from a vein in your arm and then injected into the epidural space. This involves putting another needle in your back, in the epidural space, and injecting the blood there. Because this procedure involves further risk, some choose to treat spinal headaches with fluids, caffeine and rest only, so I'm not sure this will be available to you.
Most often, the spinal headache will resolve within a week. Certainly, call your doctor or the anesthesiologist (office or operating room, recovery room, etc) if you are still suffering and find out if there is anything else you can do.
I'm sorry you are in pain, spinal headaches are severe.
(*The information here is not meant to diagnose or treat or recommend any course of therapy for any particular condition. This info is meant to provide general information only)
Thank you very much for your insight, it gives me an idea what is happening. I am going to see the doctor on Thirsday and hopefully this pain will be subsided then.
appreciated
I had breast surgery on Friday and today is Tuesday and I am still feeling dizzy, confused, having night sweats, disoriented, blurred vision, tingly. I have not taken any pain medications at all. What can I do to feel better? Is this a result to the anesthesia?
Thank you
Hi Melissa,
That's a long time to suffer effects of anesthesia. I think the more we learn about surgery , anesthesia and the body's response to both, we will find that these types of 'hard-hits' that some people take are from a combination of all. That is just my opinion or feeling and is NOT based in current knowledge.
Having said that, you do at least need to let your surgeon know that you are still having these symptoms.
Did the anesthesiologist, by chance, put a motion-sickness patch behind one of your ears to help prevent nausea. Some of the symptoms you describe can definitely be from a medicine called scopolamine in the patch. The patch can stay on for up to 3 days and the effects can take a day to go away after it is off.
Call your doctor, HYDRATE yourself (unless you have kidney, heart or other issues that make this inadvisable), and rest as needed. Hope you feel better soon!
Had a laparoscopic appendectomy a little over two days ago. Procedure went well - in and out of the hospital in less than 24 hours. Worked through the soreness and tightness associated with the surgery pretty well. Pain tolerated well - pain medication discontinued after first day. Only remaining side effect is difficulty sleeping. Have a very hard time getting to sleep and when I do it is fitful with rapid pace dreams - not very restful. I am sleeping only about an hour at a time. Get up for a while then have to try to get back to sleep for another short sleep segment. Is this general restlessness and sleep difficult a side effect of the anesthesia? Thanks.
Hi,
I had all of my wisdom teeth taken out last Saturday under general anaesthetics and half of my tong is still numb and swollen. Is it normal for the numbness and swelling to last 5 days after the operation? Thanks
I just had surgery about a week ago and since then I've noticed that I'm losing a lot of hair. Is this normal? I've had the same procedure 2 times before and all I remember then was that my hair went from curly to straight back to curly I don't remember shedding this much. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Hi,
I am having my 4 wisdom teeth and 2 other teeth pulled tomorrow under IV sedation. I do get pretty bad anxiety at times especially with the dentist. Should I take a xanax prior to the appointment...also I'm worried about after the procedure as well. Also I was told if you have a cold the could possibly postpone the procedure. Thanks for your help!
Will- I don't doubt that the anesthesia, the illness that requires surgery, the surgery (and the body's efforts to recover) and pain meds can cause sleep disturbances. Unfortunately, not much is known about the specifics of each component's contribution or expected duration, partially because there are so many variables that can play into this (pain, medications, changes in metabolism, inflammation, hormone and inflammatory mediator release). I hope you feel better soon. Do rest when you can and be good to yourself as your body rebuilds itself and heals.
Agata- Your tongue should not be numb in most cases 5 days after the surgery, but some people do experience this for months or even permanently. It is possible that a nerve was stretched or injured during the course of the operation and may be a normal 'side effect'. However, you should definitely call the surgeon/dentist who performed the surgery and let them know that this is still going on. They may want to follow or examine you to see if they can determine why you are still having this. Or they may be able to reassure you that this can happen and tell you what to expect as far as recovery.
That has to be a weird and annoying feeling and I hope you return to normal soon. Take care and do call them. This isn't my area of expertise so you should talk to them for sure.
Michelle- Thank you for your question. This is one that I get a lot more than I expected. I didn't realize that this happened more than I thought. So thank you and the others who ask about this for my education as well.
The stresses of surgery and general anesthetics affect the whole body. The stress response does 'stun' hair follicles. In addition, the body spends its resources 'healing' and non-essential functions get less attention for a while. There are also likely some effects from the anesthesia medications themselves. So, yes, your surgery and anesthesia can contribute to temporary hair loss. It shouldn't last long though, so is temporary and reversible.
Take care and thanks for visiting.
Bill- Good luck to you. I'm not sure what time your surgery is scheduled, but you might want to call in the morning before leaving the house or on your way there.
Surgeries CAN be rescheduled for illness. Usually, it is safe to proceed unless you have a cough where you are coughing up phlegm or have a fever. BUT, different institutions and doctors have different policies depending on the surgery. The risk is that the lungs will be more 'reactive' if you have a URI. If you have asthma or are a smoker, you have additional risk for having lung or oxygen problems and may increase the chance of being rescheduled. They will probably want to see you and at least talk to you in person or listen to your lungs before making that decision. Some institutions have more strict policies and will reschedule for any illness. All of these are acceptable if based on history and physical by a qualified provider.
Also, ask about the Xanax. This is also up to the institutional policy or the personal preference of the anesthesiologist or whoever is providing the sedation.
Personally, I prefer that my patients take the meds that they usually take or will help them. BUT, I cannot tell you what you should do as I don't know what they will want you to do. I'm so sorry I can't help. Call them before you go or on your way there and ask if you can take your Xanax.
Good luck. I hope you get the answers you need!
Thanks again Tahoe Doc!! I called and they said it should be fine. They gave me valium i believe to relax...felt like i was in the matrix. Everything seemed to go great...just the bleeding from the teeth is kind of a pain but overall not swollen just sore. Thanks again this site is a huge help for getting great info. I'm the kind of person that likes to know everything as it helps ease my anxiety. Not sure if you ever heard of it but I was told to take homeopathic arnica for the pain and swelling and I have to say it worked wonders on the swelling for sure. All mine were impacted and two were sideways and right on the nerve so I was expecting the worst but everything went great.
Thanks again
My two year old under went dental surgery yesterday and was given anesthesia..today he almost feels feverish with a very red face but doesnt seem sick at all...i know the nurse told me when we left yesterday he would feel feverish just didnt know for how long.
Hi Brittney,
Usually, post-op fever is just a sign of inflammation and healing, but you have to make sure it isn't anything else, like infection. The only way to really do this is to see your doctor if you are concerned that it is more than a regular post-op fever.
In adults, a common cause of fever after surgery is atelectasis. This means that parts of the lungs aren't fully expanded. During and after surgery and when taking pain meds, breathing becomes more shallow, leaving parts of the lungs unexpanded. This usually isn't such a big issue in kids, but make sure he is taking big deep breaths if he can/will cooperate.
Other things can cause fever and redness of the skin, too, such as reactions to medications, influence of prior medical problems and so on, but most commonly, it is a normal post-op increased temperature due to the necessary inflammation that happens after surgery.
Kids are amazing in their ability to bounce back from these things and I hope he is already starting to feel better! And good job to you- it's never easy to watch your child undergo surgery.
Hi, Tahoe Doc,
Reading of all these side effects from anesthesia would it help to take some supplements before and after the general such as milk thistle, ascorbic acid, and activated charcoal (after the surgery)? I'll have my lap hernia surgery next Monday. Thanks!
Hi Vlad. This is a great question. I have some initial thoughts, but want to double-check a couple things, so please bear with me. I will get back to this question in the next 48 hours. Thanks for reading :)
I had surgery yesterday morning and being my first time ever having general anesthesia, I am not sure what to expect. I took a nap yesterday when I got home and when I woke up... Every muscle in my body hurt! After moving around a little while... The pains went away. This morning it was even worse when I woke up... Took me twenty minutes to try to get out of bed and I feel like my muscles "froze up" and hurt emensely. Muscles from my calves all the way up to my neck really hurt and I am not sure that this is normal. Waiting for day surgery to open up to ask them what is going on but figured you would have some answers... Seems to happen only when I sleep. It scared me because trying to walk after finally getting out of bed hasn't been easy and the pain meds haven't worked for this.
Hi Jessica,
This is likely a side-effect of a muscle-relaxing medication used during anesthesia combined with the fact that you were laying still on the operating table for the duration of your surgery. I'm sorry you seem to be one of the people who get this side effect more severely. It can be a normal side-effect of this medication. I think it is worse after sleeping because the muscles get stiff and you aren't moving when you sleep.
The good news is that it should get better day by day and be gone in a few days if this is the cause (seems likely, but without knowing what meds they used and how long your surgery was, I can't be absolutely sure, so still call them as they have your records). Usually, the pain meds will help and I'm sorry they aren't helping you. Heating pads can be a huge relief too - just move them around and keep them away from any areas that may be numb from your surgery.
I really hope this gets better today and that the worst is over.
Hi, I am 26 yof and I had a hip labral repair 6 weeks ago. I have been breaking out in a sweat (my whole body) very easily since then. Could this be a side effect of anesthesia? I have had several other surgeries and remember this happening before, but not for this long. Thank you!
Hi TahoeDoc,
I am still having the headache and it keeps coming back, its been nearly three weeks since the surgery. It is not that severe as it used to be. But I am wondering if this pain is permanent?
or should I have to have another medical intervention.
Thank you for your opinion
appreciated
My 83 year old Mother had back surgery almost a month ago. After the surgery she was tripping and we just thought it would go away .It lasted for about a week she was out of it Scared ,hallucinations ,disoriented , totally not my Mother in any way .She is also totally deaf we have to write everything . She has been on heavy pain meds for two years but the doctors had a list of all meds before surgery. I would love to be able to help but how . They even asked me yesterday if I thought she was faking and could really hear. It is obvious to all she is not and what for? Any thoughts please This whole thing has been a nightmare and nothing good has come out of it
Hi Megan- The sweats are more likely a result of the inflammation and healing going on in your body than from an anesthesia side effect this far out from surgery. There is a possibility that you have a reaction to a medication that affects your temperature regulation. Interesting that you have had the reaction before. I haven't heard of this, but I'll bet others have experienced it too. If you have a fever or are concerned that something isn't right, call your doctor. This seems like it probably isn't causing you serious problems, but it's never bad to make your doctors aware of what is going on.
Hope you are getting better fast.
KnubelZ- It is unlikely that this will be permanent, BUT, it has gone on long enough that your doctor may want to do some tests of your head or spine, do another exam or something. You should see your primary doctor or surgeon and ask if there is anything else they should do.It may just still be a waiting game, but 3 weeks seems to be on the long side for this to go away. Good luck and I'm sorry you are suffering.
Post-operative cognitive dysfunction can take time to resolve (if it's going to) in older people. BUT, I have not heard of deafness as being part of the syndrome. Your mother might need an evaluation by an ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor or neurologist to help figure out what could be causing the deafness. Some medications can do it and so can viruses and ?? I wish I could help more, but she needs to see a specialist if she hasn't already. Please come back and let me know what, if anything, is found.
I had a colonoscopy & an egd done on march 13 . aprox . 8 hours after procedure i was covered in hives, this has happened before with other procedures but not to this extent, the hives are gone but i still have extreme body itching. I am now being refered to an allergist. what could be the most logical reasoning behind the extreme body itching and is an allergist really going to help.
i was given a script for benadryl and pepcid to cut down on itching and hives but i need to work so i cant take the benadryl. any info is most appreciated
Hi Linda G. Sorry I couldn't respond earlier. It seems like this has happened more than once. It's possible that if they knew about the previous reactions, that they tried to change the medications around and you still got a rash. In this case, they probably would like an allergist to help to figure out what is going on. It probably is a good idea at this point since it wasn't a one-time event.
The itching can be a normal side-effect of narcotic medications that were likely part of your sedation. The hives, however, signal an allergic reaction.
Perhaps you can take the benedryl at night? and the pepsid during the day. Might help you get some sleep and hopefully, get better faster.
Good luck to you!
I had surgery on 3.20.12, two days ago on my abdomen involving general anesthesia. I have had a very difficult time breathing. My breath is very shallow and feels like I cannot expand my chest or diaphragm muscle. Also, it seems as if I'm gravity elimated, there is not nearly as much pressure but when standing against gravity, it is very difficult to breathe. On top of this I have been experiencing cramping/stabbing sensations under my rib cage down both sides of my flank
I'm assuming these are air pockets.
Hi Farrah. It does sound like this could be from the gas used to inflate the abdomen (IF you had laparoscopic surgery). If you did not have laparoscopic surgery, then it could still be related to surgical changes, depending on what you had done. Either way, call your surgeon's office, just so they are aware.
Any problems with breathing should be addressed immediately by your doctor or an ER. I think I know what you are saying, and it is probably just the gas/air given that it changes with position BUT, to make sure it is not a blood clot or developing pneumonia (which you will be at risk for if you really can't expand your lungs), or something else, you need to call your surgeon, at least. They may advise you to wait another day or so before coming in, but it's best they know. If you really have trouble breathing, you should be evaluated right away so that your oxygen level can be checked.
In the mean time, even if it hurts, do try to take deep breaths at least once in a while. Hold the breath for a few seconds and repeat a few times. Did they give you a 'spirometer' to breathe with? Sometimes they will send you home with one- it's an instrument to help you measure your deep breaths.
Hope you feel better. :)
I had Mixture of General Anesthesia and an Epidural Pain Pump for a Tendon Repair Surgery for my Right Ankle.
Back in November! And when I woke in the Recovery Room I felt like I was Choking and Could NOT breathe! I was Given breathing treatments and oxygen.
What I want to know is: was that a Complication of the Anesthesia mixture?
Not only that but I got Post-Op pneumonia from it as well.
Which delayed my recovery through January.
Hi Rebecca- sounds like you had a bumpy recovery!
There are many things that can cause the feeling you describe. Either type of anesthesia itself if 'leftover' in the recovery room can do it and so can preexisting medical conditions. I have no idea what happened in your case, however, as this can be a complicated issue with reasons and explanations that can't really be guessed without knowing the whole story. I'm sorry I can't be of more help. Are you able to call the anesthesiologist for a better explanation? There are just too many variables to pin it down.
Unfortunately, post-op pneumonia is always a risk (and not a terribly unusual one- although we still don't see it THAT often) of surgery, anesthesia and post-op pain medications. I'm really, truly sorry that you had a hard time. Again, sorry I can't be of more help.
Good Morning,
On Tuesday of this past week I had outpatient eye surgery (correcting ambleyopia). I arrived home about 12 noon. That day I had trouble urinating. I felt like I had to go but it was difficult emptying my bladder. On Wednesday morning I woke-up with really bad back pain on the right hand-side under my rib cage. I've been using heat and ice and doing TONS of stretching. It is better but stil quite painful. Might there be some kidney infection or something resulting from the general anesthetic? I'm very healthy (no chronic health problems, athletic, 138 lb, 5'7", don't smoke, social drinker)
Is it normal to not even remember the anesthesia being given to me before colonoscopy. The last thing I remember was being in the room and them adjusting my pillow. Then I awoke as I was rolled into recovery.
@Goldenla-
Sorry, for some reason, my answer didn't post. Urinary retention is an after-effect of both anesthesia and pain medications. Usually, infection won't result unless you have retention for quite a long time. I hope that this is either resolved or you have sought medical attention for this by now. Good luck to you.
@ Rebel- Yep, any amount of remembering or not remembering can be normal for the sedation they use for colonoscopies. It depends on what medications they use, what doses you require, your own tolerance and metabolism. Your experience sounds kind of ideal for a colonoscopy! Take care.
had anesthesia in janurary have not stopped itching could it be from that.
Thanks TahoeDoc.
Hi Shirley. There is no reason that itching for this long should be related to anesthesia. However, itching can be a sign of so many things including issues with the liver or gallbladder. You should mention this to your primary doctor. Also, dry skin and other simple problems can cause itching. There are too many possible causes, so best see your doc. Hope you feel better- I'm sure that's annoying!
Hello, I'm 19, and female, I had general anaesthesia last year to remove 4 wisdom teeth, as well as a lot of local anaesthetic, so much that I couldn't move the right side of my face; I became combative at this realization. Many things I experienced post surgery are consistent with the descriptions of POCD. I was experiencing memory lapses, and felt 'out of it,' although I hadn't been taking pain meds. I was doing oddities like trying to dry my hair even though I had not washed it. Other things were struggling to write sentences for an email 3 days later. Throughout the week, and following weeks I'd get lost, have difficulty writing shopping lists, felt very strange in myself. I noticed cognitive decline, in terms of depth of thought and topics of thought, interests and executive functioning, problems with simple decision making. I tried to go back to university, only to notice difficulty studying and reading, processing information and remembering what I had just read. In all my attempts at seeing doctors about this, I was dismissed, and still don't have an explanation for this. I'm guessing I had no complications during or immediately after the anaesthesia, but I don't have anything else to blame.
Thanks very much! I'm feeling (mostly) better
Hi Lucia- How frustrating- not only to have that happen, but to not have a good explanation! You are correct, that does sound like POCD. It is more unusual in your age group, especially since you are likely mostly healthy and did not have emergency surgery.
I also don't have a better explanation BUT I will not dismiss this as being your imagination or suggest that you are mistaken or exaggerating. I think docs lose sight of the fact that things CAN happen that we just can't explain. Doctors don't like to say "I don't know", so often their replies either are -- or feel like -- a dismissal or minimization of your experience. This happened a lot with intraoperative awareness until enough people reported the experience that it got some attention. Patients also don't like to hear "I don't know" from a doctor and may not be so satisfied with that as an answer anyway.
I will be publishing a hub today on POCD. There isn't a lot of info known, but it's a start. We are just beginning to understand and study this, but hopefully, if people keep speaking out like you did (even in the face of being dismissed), we will start to understand more about it!.
Keep 'exercising' your brain if you are still having problems. Do crossword puzzles, math problems, read, etc... It does help your brain re-establish itself.
Good luck and keep in touch if you have other questions.
Hi TahoeDoc, what a useful page. I wish I'd found it before my surgery!
I had general anaesthetic for a knee biopsy recently and recovered pretty well (apart from some short term disruption/extra mobility with my teeth which are mostly crowns - something I believe happens a fair bit but is not mentioned on your page so far).
I had started my period the day before surgery but got another (short) period two weeks later. A friend who used to be a nurse said this was because of the anaesthetic but looking online (which is how I stumbled on your page) I can't find anything much about this. Have you heard of anaesthesia causing menstrual irregularities or is my friend mistaken?
As I'm 45 I thought perhaps this was the start of the menopause so it would be know if it might be related to my procedure!
Hi TahoeDoc, what a useful page. I wish I'd found it before my surgery!
I had general anaesthetic recently for a femoral bone lesion biopsy near the knee and recovered pretty well (apart from some short term disruption/extra mobility with my teeth which are mostly crowns - something I believe happens a fair bit but is not mentioned on your page so far).
I had started my period the day before surgery but got another (short) period two weeks later. A friend who used to be a nurse said this was because of the anaesthetic but looking online (which is how I stumbled on your page) I can't find anything much about this. Have you heard of anaesthesia causing menstrual irregularities or is my friend mistaken?
As I'm 45 I thought perhaps this was the start of the menopause so it would be good to know if it might be related to my procedure!
I don't know of anything that would cause mobility of teeth related to anesthesia. I also don't have specific information about disrupted menstrual cycles after anesthesia, BUT that is not to say they don't happen. Either we don't know enough about them or they are insignificant enough (on a critical event type scale, not a personal experience scale), that we don't study them.
I don't know about loosened teeth. I guess, if the stress of surgery or anesthesia or one of the medications interfered with connective tissue structure or function, then this could be a potential result. Theoretically, anything is possible. I have had several people ask about hair loss, too. Not a highly reported effect, but seems to be asked about a lot.
Also, I don't think it's a stretch to say that surgery and anesthesia are disruptive to the body. Interference with hormones acting on many body systems most likely occurs. It is speculation as far as I know, but since we know that other kinds of stress can cause irregular menstrual periods, I don't see why this type of stress couldn't have the same effect.
I think some of us are more in-tune with our bodies and therefore, notice these things more than someone else might. That's not a bad thing as it leads us to ask questions that may help someone else too!
Thanks for reading and commenting. :)
Thanks for such a quick reply.
Just to let you know what I've been told the teeth problems (especially for front teeth) are caused by the tube being put in and out when teeth are already compromised. I have bone loss which means my teeth are quite delicate. Also I clench or grind my teeth so if the tube isn't removed early enough problems can be caused by the patient biting down on it as they come round. My dentist warned me to make certain to speak to the anaesthesiologist about it before the operation as he was concerned. I think he has had to make repairs to people's crowns and veneers after surgery.
Apparently teeth damage is the most common reason for anaesthesiologists being sued in the US (I'm in the UK) and my internet research beforehand seemed to bear this out. I was asked about crowns and told they could not guarantee not to damage them!
Hi. It's great to have someone who may give an honest answer. My son had his septum repaired yesterday and I was told by the anesthetist his anesthetic would be given iv unless there were complications. I was in the theater when they induced him and that was definitely iv. However, on return he was in agony with his throat. He has had surgery before and as would be expected he's had the usual dry sore throat. My son has a high pain threshold usually, so when he declared the paracetamol ineffective and asked for morphine (He's only 14) I became curious as to what was happening. They gave him endone which worked well, and I'm not sure why he wasn't given that initially as that is the drug he was bringing home for post op recovery. Nothing was mentioned to me about a problem with anaesthetic, but I'm always very cautious of allergies of any description as he suffers a lot with very serious symptoms from inhaled allergens. I didn't give him an antihistamine in the morning as he was fasting for surgery. When he returned from theatre I noticed his eyelids were very swollen which concerned me as it looked the same as one of his severe allergic reactions. I was expecting to see swelling under his eyes from the surgery, but couldn't see why his eyelids would look like that. The nursing staff assured me he was fine, but seriously, previous personal experience has proven to me there is often little to no communication between theatre and wards. I also never got to see his medical file, as it was always in the hands of the nurse or back in the nurses station. I'm not wanting to point fingers at anyone but am curious as if he has an allergy to anything in theatre I think it's important to know. Using my knowledge of my own children and veterinary anesthetic background, I am wondering if he had an allergic reaction to something that compromised his airways, making it necessary to insert an endotracheal tube through a restricted airway. He didn't have hives or vomit after he was returned to the ward, but I can't think of anything else that would've caused the sort of pain he was in. To elaborate on his pain tolerance, he left hospital 13 hours ago and hasn't wanted even the paracetamol, let alone the stronger painkillers he was given. I'd appreciate your input, and I'm definitely not looking to point any fingers, I just hate being in the dark.
Hi Purple- Sorry it is taking me so long to get to this. I will get back to this tonight or tomorrow morning and try to address as many of your concerns as possible- I can sense your frustration at not knowing what went on.
Hi Purple- Let me know if I don't answer all your concerns adequately, but I will try.
First is the sore throat. It is possible that the endotracheal tube was a planned part of the anesthetic even if IV medication was to be used. General anesthesia can be given IV or via endotracheal tube (gas). Further, general anesthesia can be given with or without a breathing tube.
I would actually be very surprised if anything other than general anesthesia with a breathing tube or LMA (special mask that goes inside the mouth) was planned for septum surgery. I have never done one with anything other, but it is possible, I suppose that the practice could be different elsewhere if they have developed techniques for doing so. My reason is this: In doing septum surgery, the surgeon is working in the airway. If there was a change in respiration, it would be harder to deal with it if the surgery was already underway. Also, any blood that was created from the surgery would drip to the back of the throat. This can be aspirated or would cause spasm of the vocal cords- again, causing airway issues.
If there is something I don't know about the type of surgery he had or the standard practice at that hospital, there may have been a way to do this with sedation and no breathing tube, I just don't know.
So... the sore throat was possibly caused by the breathing tube or LMA. This doesn't necessarily mean that anesthesia gas was used. The anesthetic could still have been done IV. During septum surgery, I expect the incidence and severity of sore throat could be higher than other surgeries. The lining of the throat is so, so sensitive and the nature of septum surgery dictates that there will be movement of the head before and during surgery with the breathing tube in place. Even a little movement causes the throat to be quite sore from the tube or LMA. This could be why it is worse than in the past.
It seems your other concern is the possibility of an allergic reaction necessitating a breathing tube and causing eyelid swelling.
I hope I answered the part about the breathing tube. I will say that even if a breathing tube was already in place, if he did have a severe reaction, the sore throat would still be worse than expected due to having had swelling there.
There will be no way to know if a reaction happened or was suspected unless you can get a hold of the anesthesia provider who was there. I would HOPE that if something happened like that, they would alert you so you could have that info for future care.
If there was no reaction, I have seen the eyelids swell after nasal surgery. Also, if he is sensitive to many things, it's possible that he had a local reaction/swelling to any tape used to keep the eyes closed during surgery. Does he have sensitivities to other adhesives or was there redness at the IV site or EKG pad areas from adhesive? This might be a clue that he has an adhesive sensitivity.
I'm sure this must be so frustrating. Based on the medications you cited, I'm guessing you are in the UK or elsewhere (not in the US), so I'm not sure what the procedures are to getting the records. If you can get the anesthetist to take a look at the chart and answer these questions, that would help a bit.
If you approach them as 'just curious', they will likely be more willing and able to help you. I know it's instinct for medical professionals to become defensive if they feel like they are being accused of something. If you approach them like you did here with "I just have a few questions, I'm not angry, just curious", you will probably hit less resistance. I know personally, I LIKE being a partner in health-care and answering questions and providing answers, but even I become a bit more defensive if I feel like a target. Does that make sense? That's my way of saying, I like your approach and you have asked legitimate and good questions and should be able to get answers without being put off.
Good luck and let me know if I can clarify further.
Hi, Dr.
I would very much appreciate your help.
I had surgery yesterday under general anesthesia using an endotracheal tube. When I awoke from surgery I found myself with extremely blood shot eyes. Is this a side effect from anesthesia and will this go away on its own
Thank you
Hi City
There are many reasons why your eyes might be red or bloodshot after anesthesia. This could be an effect or side-effect from the medications, irritation from the tape used to make sure your eyes stay closed, dryness from lowered tear production, etc.
If they are itchy, painful, scratchy or watery in a way that is uncomfortable, you need to call the contact number you were given. Corneal scratches are an occasional problem after surgery and anesthesia that may require follow-up. In this situation, the eye is usually quite uncomfortable and watery.
If it is both eyes and just redness without other issues, it should be mostly gone tomorrow, I would suspect. If not, do give them a call.
Hope you are all better soon.
hi Doc i have got to have surgery on my torn crutial ligament and its mu first time under the nife is it possebal to stay awake during this pocidure thanks
Hi Rudd. The answer is yes...and no.
For surgery on a knee ligament, there are techniques such as spinal or epidural that can be used. These procedures used to be done with these types of anesthetics more often before general anesthetics became more safe.
While theoretically these sound like good options, there are factors which may make them less likely to be used.
1) Spinal may not last long enough
2) Epidural may not cover the area to be operated on
3) You may not be able to stay 'awake' anyway during the procedure. If you are, you probably won't remember that you were awake due to the sedation used with the spinal or epidural. Even if you have a spinal or epidural, it is difficult to lay on the operating bed comfortably for the time needed to have the repair. Often, after a an hour or two of laying flat on that bed, the amount of sedation needed to keep you comfortable borders on general anesthesia anyway. This is the main reason I default to using general anesthesia and a femoral nerve block (for post-op pain relief).
4) ACL surgery (if that is what you are having done) is an outpatient procedure in most places. If you have a spinal or epidural, you may be more likely to be in the recovery room longer or require admission to the hospital for issues like urinary retention.
Some places will simply not place these types of anesthetics in patients who are scheduled to go home, due to the long recovery time needed.
The main point I would make is that if you are not offered/given a spinal or epidural, there may be good reason. The providers may have learned from experience that they are not great choices with your surgeon, in your hospital or for that procedure.
If you are interested in these techniques, please ask the anesthesiologist if they have a strong preference for one type of anesthesia and why. I hope this question helps you understand why being awake may or may not be an option for you.
Good luck with your surgery!
Hi doc I'm going into surgery for my knee and wonders if you can feel the tube in your throat or if you know your having surgery thanks
No and no :). If you have general anesthesia, you are unconscious when the breathing tube is placed and stay unconscious for the whole surgery. You may have vague memories of the operating room for the time you are going to sleep and waking up, and you may have a sore throat from the breathing tube afterwards, though. These things are normal.
Thank-you for this information! My surgery was two weeks ago, and it is very reasuring to read that the psycological effects I have been experiencing are not all that uncommon. I was a little worried there for a bit. Your article is extreamly helpful, Thanks! You are a Gem! :)
First, let me say that this is a very interesting hub. It's so informative. Thanks for doing this!
Last year I had surgery for breast cancer: bilateral mastectomy with tissue expander placement. I don't know what anesthesia I was given, but surgery lasted about 5 hours. In recovery, I experienced severe muscle spasms in my arms and legs. I slept through much of it but remember the nurse telling me about the various things she was doing to try to stop the spasms like applying heat, for instance. It wasn't painful but the spasms were intense. I was aware of the spasms each time she woke me, but I'd fall right back to sleep. Eventually, a doctor came by (the anesthesiologist, I assume but i was too groggy to really know) and prescribed some drug to administer. I ended up being in recovery for 3 full hours before I was allowed to be moved to my room. Later, my muscles felt like I'd run a marathon!
Was that reaction unusual? Do you think this is something I ought to know more about to share with an anesthesiologist should I ever need to have a long surgery again? There were no lasting effects so maybe it's no big deal. I'm just curious.
Hi doc I wanted to know if acl surgery was major and if I would be in hospital long after the procidure thanks doc
Hi Kay,
This is hard to say. Muscle soreness is not unusual after anesthesia and can sometimes be intense, but if you were actually having spasms, I wonder if you had more of a reaction? or what we call myoclonus to one of the medicines. Still, this may not be recurent on future anesthetics, but it is good to know.
It seems like it was probably a one-time event BUT I would always wonder what they thought. Usually, if it's something that will affect future anesthetics, they will tell you before you leave the hospital. On the other hand, sometimes 'anesthesia stuff' gets dismissed (because there is so much else going on) without much attention. If you weren't admitted to the ICU with high fevers or organ failure, it wasn't malignant hyperthermia--the most dangerous of the reactions that cause muscle spasms, so that's good.
I would try to call (I know it's been a while) the preop or pacu or whoever you have a number for. Tell them you have vague memories of muscle spasms that needed to be treated in recovery and ask them to find out if there is any issue or if they believed this was a one-time event. It seems like it probably is, but I would want to be sure, if it's possible to still get the info.
Let me know what you find out. Start with preop/pacu or the contact number they gave you 'in case of problems or questions'. If you don't still have that, have your surgeon's office staff start tracking the record down for you. Or, they should at least be able to direct you to another number to call to get the info.
I will say, after a year, it's unlikely you will get a lot of info. You can always request your medical records (easier to do if they know you are just curious and not prepping for a lawsuit) and specifically, the anesthesia/pacu record. If there is nothing remarkable in there, then they weren't concerned that this was an issue to be worried about.
Good luck and glad you feel better. Hope you don't have any more surgeries in your future!
Hi Rudd,
It is different in different places. Where I work, ACL surgery is an outpatient procedure. The surgery takes about 2-3 hours at the most and is done with a general anesthetic plus a femoral nerve block to help with pain relief afterwards.
Again, this may be different in your facility. For example, some places still have an overnight stay (I think) for this. Also, some places will not place nerve blocks on patients who are going home rather than staying in the hospital.
Compared to abdominal surgery, for example, the ACl surgery causes less systemic (all over the body) disturbances. It is less traumatic than knee replacement or other major orthopedic surgery. So, overall, this is a medium-length surgery of average risk, I'd say.
Good luck!
Hi doc what is the difference between anesthesia and anaesthetic thanks
Hi Andy,
Anesthesia and anesthetic are the US English spellings.
Anaesthesia and anaesthetic are British English spellings.
Sometimes the words are used interchangeably. Anesthesia is more often to refer to the state of being unable to feel all or part of the body.
Anesthetic can be used as a noun to describe the same thing, but it can also be used as a term to describe the medications that cause anesthesia (lidocaine is a local anesthetic agent, for example).
The semantics, sometimes, are really determined by tradition in some cases.
Side effects also include very dry in you mouth , not easy to read small letters just for while. I had my first surgery. Happy with all doctors and nurses and the anesthesia. No problem.
.
I had to have a revision of a spinal stimulator about 3 weeks ago, when i woke up my legs ans stomache were hurting a severly. My legs were stiff and i could not walk. this went on four hours. My surgeon said it was from the anethesia. When they came to program my machine the pain stopped and i could walk again in about fifteen minutes. have you ever heard of anethesia doing that.
I have not heard of those specific things being caused by anesthesia. Some muscle aches are normal.
It would seem odd to me that adjusting the spinal stimulator could fix something that was caused by anesthesia or that general anesthesia could cause problems just below the waist. It's possible, they just needed to adjust the stimulator, but I can't say for sure (?)
TahoeDoc, if I did not have any allergic reaction to anesthesia the first time, am I likely to react during a second surgery? Thanks!
Hi CR,
Allergic reactions can happen after any exposure BUT are rare in any case. People usually tolerate anesthetics the same way they did in the past.
Good luck!!
I was interested in your comments on POCD. I had a hysterectomy 5 weeks ago, and for the first couple of weeks post-op just couldn't concentrate on much of anything. I felt normal, but, as an avid reader, was surprised to find it was an effort to read anything and that I didn't retain info very well. It was the 3rd week post-op before I could read a light novel and follow the plot line. Now 5 weeks post-op, I'm doing much better, but still find it difficult to do mentally demanding work (such as sorting through the stack of statements from doctors, hospital, labs, imaging center, insurance compannies!). I've wondered whether this is from the overall physical stress of recovering from the surgery, or whether it is also contibuted to by the after-effects of general anethesia. As I feel physically better, I also feel stronger mentally. I suppose to separate out the effects, one would have to have a controlled experiment with people undergoing anethetic without any surgery!
I had radical resection surgery with repair yesterday due to melanoma. This was my first time under general anesthesia. Today I have noticed my urine has a green tint to it. Is that normal? It's not anything that I was told to expect after surgery.
Hi Tahoe Doc! I had hernia repair surgery 3 weeks ago. They also had to repair my small intestine that had embedded in a mesh plug from a previous hernia repair surgery. Surgery was about 2-2-1/2 hours long. I was in the hospital for 5 days and all went very well. However, I am experiencing headaches everyday in the back of my head/neck area. I have to take tylenol or advil to relieve the pain but they return after a few hours. Also, my voice has not returned to normal since the surgery - very raspy. Is this normal? I am a little concerned because it has been 3 weeks since the surgery. Thank you.
I think what we will find is that there is a complex healing and recovery process that affects mental function. I feel that these types of effects are a combination of both- recovery from anesthesia and surgery AND the healing process. With all the physical work that the body has to do and all the chemical changes that go into healing, this doesn't surprise me when I actually think about it.
You are right about the type of study that would have to be done. It would be hard to standardize since more anesthesia needs to be given when there is actual stimulation from surgery, than when you are just lying there anesthetized, so it would be difficult to have controls that got the SAME anesthesia at the same depth for the same time.
Hope you continue to do better!
Hi CarolA- It is possible that you had an injection of a dye to locate certain types of cells. Methylene blue and indigo carmine, etc will make the urine blue or green for a couple days. You should call the surgery center and ask if you got this dye.
Propofol, the drug used most often to induce (start) general anesthesia is also sometimes used continuously during surgery. This medication has been reported to cause green urine discoloration. This should not cause long-lasting problems for you.
If this doesn't clear up by the end of the day or tomorrow am, call your doc.
(You may want to call anyway, just to report that you have this and see if they have any other instructions for you).
All of the things you describe can be normal. But, I agree 3 weeks seems longer than usual for these effects. I would give the surgeon or hospital a call and let them know. They will probably just note it and follow up with you on your regular visit, but do let them know.
Hope you get better quickly!
You get put asleep for ankle surgery?
Hi J19. It depends on the kind of ankle surgery, but usually, yes, at least in most places where I've worked.
If I was to get it, it would be for the cartilage in my ankle. The doctor told me that I completely tore the ligaments in my ankle, but the swelling continuously stays and never fully goes down. As soon as I have soccer or any other activity the swelling comes right back in my heel. Do you think that this could have something to do with cartilage damage? That's what the doctor is thinking right now.
I wish I had any idea about orthopedic issues, but I really don't know. Is your doctor a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon? If so, and you trust them, they are probably the best ones to make that call. If it doesn't sound right to you, or your gut says to investigate more, then you could get a second opinion before committing to surgery. It doesn't sound like it's getting any better on its own, though. :( Good luck to you- and most likely that would be a general anesthetic.
He actually works in the Trauma department, but he also specializes in sports injuries.
Hi,
I have had 3 c sections with spinal block. Each time I almost fainted (low blood pressure?) and nauseous to vomit as the block was administered. During the last c section I also felt the Dr stitching. I'm about to have my thyroid removed - am I likely to experience nausea prior and/ or post surgery?
Hi there I had a rhinoplasty and when I woke up I had a pulmonary edema which seemed very serious emergency but they cleared it up with Lasix in IV over the next couple of hours then everything was fine. The reasoning given is that I bit down on breathing tube. What does that mean and how does biting on breathing tube give the negative pressure pulmonary edema? For next surgery I had the anesthesiologist said he would use a mouth guard. Are you familiar with this and why does it all happen? I am also an asthmatic but they don't think that was a contributing factor.
Thank you
Hi AB,
People who are prone to nausea are always prone to it, unfortunately (me, included- yuck).
Having said that, most surgeons and anesthesiologists are aware that vomiting after thyroid surgery can lead to swelling and bleeding that nobody wants to happen.
When you go for your preop, and when you show for surgery, tell them you are very sensitive and prone to nausea and vomiting and that your blood pressure is low/drops. They have so many options to prevent and treat this and I'd say it works well 9/10 times.
Coincidentally, I had my entire thyroid removed in 2007. I did not vomit until about 6 hours after surgery because I waited to long to ask for the anti-nausea medicine.
I wrote a hub here about post-op nausea and vomiting.
mark2d2
This is a GREAT question- although I'm sorry that happened to you.
Negative pressure pulmonary edema is a lesser-known, but not that uncommon complication of general anesthesia. I have had 2 cases of it in my career and both patients are fine.
The idea is that when a breathing tube is in, it is the only pathway for oxygen. This mostly occurs if you bite down on the breathing tube at the end of surgery before you are fully aware of what you are doing.
What happens is this. When you breathe in, you generate negative pressure in your chest cavity to draw the air in. If you are biting down on your tube, there is no ability for the air to move. The negative pressure is still generated, however, and transmitted to the chest cavity. This causes the fluid that is in the interstitial (not the open airway spaces-the alveoli) to be drawn into the air spaces. The effect is like a temporary pneumonia with just fluid (not infection) or like when heart failure causes fluid in the lungs.
Lucky for all of us, it does resolve over a few hours and there are almost never any long-term effects. My first patient was a man having knee surgery. The second, just a few years ago, was a woman who was laying on her side for shoulder surgery. I now almost always use a bite block to prevent biting on the tube right before wake up, but couldn't reach her because the surgeon was working from above the head at the time. I spent six hours in ICU with her to make sure she was ok! (although I knew she almost certainly would be). I think in her case, her asthma caused her to cough before she was awake, and she bit down as a reflex.
I will add this to the topics to write about.
Thanks.
thanks very much with the answer! It helps clear it up thank you :)
Hi I am actually going to go through a mini - lap to remove an endometriosis cyst in my left ovary of 9cm by 10cm and 2 smaller cyst in the right ovary. This is the first time I am going for a surgery and am feeling extremely nervous and I can't eat and sleep well. I am actually on medication which is diazepam 2mg 2 times a day and Xanax as I have a history of Panic Attack and anxiety. I was just wondering if these medications would interfere with the surgery as I will be on GA. I am really feeling really stress about the whole situation and don't know what I will expect. Hope you can give me some advice. Appreciate lots
I have question about being put to sleep.I had an endometrial ablasion done with a D & C with a scope 2 weeks ago. I have done great and woke up fine. I have been very concerned though as ever since the procedure I have felt funny.have had mild headaches and feel sorta weird,like lightheaded a little like I am looking in a tunnel.I am also having some anxiety and nervousness. could this still be caused by the drugs used? I find it hard to explain, I just feel nervous and really strange. I would really appreciate any help I can get. I will add I was very very nervous about the surgery and what they might find while doing it. I cried all the way as they took me down for surgery.
FI- Sorry I haven't gotten to your questions sooner. The most important thing is to make sure you anesthesiologist knows you are on those medications. Most anesthesia docs will prefer that you take them as usual leading up to your surgery. BUT, some may have other plans so ask the preop office of your facility what their instructions are. If the doc knows you take them, they will not cause bad effects during your anesthesia. In fact, the sedative that many of us give right before surgery (midazolam, Versed) is a very similar medicine. That medicine may not have as much effect on you if you take the others, but again, the anesthesiologist can adjust the dosage if they know about the Xanax and Valium.
Good luck to you!
It would be unlikely to be a direct drug effect at this point. Honestly, it sounds like you have a bit of post-traumatic stress type-reaction from the whole ordeal - mostly from the anxiety about the procedure and potential findings. (That's not a diagnosis of PTSD, just a description). Stress can cause a LOT of physical symptoms!
Talk to your doc about interventions like biofeedback, relaxation therapy and possibly medications if needed.
I hope you get (got) good news and that you start to feel better soon.
Hi I had a micro discectomy yesterday and now today my face is hot and red but no fever. Is that normal?
Hi, I've had three major spinal surgeries and one more minor throat surgery to remove my tonsils. All three times I had seizures and my airway closed. Why is this? They even had to intubate and put me in a drug induced coma for days in the ICU. I got tested for epilepsy, but everything was normal. It is the most odd thing, and nobody has answers for me. Now I'm so scared to have surgery, because I fear not being able to breathe. Please help!
I had a scope today on my throat, gall bladder, and Liver. They chipped one of my teeth and put a tube in my throat to open my air ways, I guess they are going to leave it in????. But also the doctor told my fiance he is worried about the gall bladder....But I have to have an ultrasound and Hidascan next. What usually takes place after a Hidascan..And what should I do about my chipped tooth...I also have the worst sore throat and I am so tired still from the anesthesia. What should I take for pain....Sorry if this does not make since, still graugy...:)
Jamie- Sorry I didn't see your question sooner. When you have spine surgery, you are laying face down for the length of the operation. The anesthesia and pain medicines can also cause blood vessels to dilate. Sometimes, this can cause redness in the face. However, if you are remotely concerned, you should call your doctor. Allergic reactions, fevers, some medication (?antibiotics and others) side effects can also cause redness of the face.
It doesn't sound like you have anything else with it, but let them know you are experiencing this.
(Obviously, without examining you and seeing your whole medical/surgical record, I can't begin to guess what is actually going on with you and the info here is general info only, and not medical diagnosis or advice).
Gabby- that sounds awful!! It sounds like some information is missing or unclear (not your fault), though.
Do you know if the seizures happened first? Or the airway closing, then seizures? Did they think you had an allergy? Did anyone in your family ever have a similar problem? Did you have high fevers or muscle rigidity?
All of these things will be important clues for them to help you figure this out.
If you haven't had a CT or MRI of the brain, maybe you should (although, if the EEG for epilepsy was normal, it might not show anything).
Did a neurologist see you after these episodes? In followup after all the testing was done? That sounds like a good place to start.
I'm not sure what to tell you except that I've never seen what you have described. If you were in the ICU, I'm sure they did appropriate tests.
As usual, I have to say that neither this article nor these comments should be construed as medical diagnosis or advice - just thoughts on what might be generally helpful.
Good luck. I'm not sure there will be any more useful info, but maybe check out the article I just wrote on seizures and anesthesia. Although, I think yours is unusual and likely won't fall into a common category or pattern.
You had a scope and were intubated (breathing tube) if I understand correctly, yes?
And at some point they chipped your tooth? Is that right? Did they say your tooth is in your airway? Is that what you mean by leave it in-I wasn't really clear on that part? Usually, the tooth isn't swallowed or inhaled, but I'm not sure if that is what you are saying.
In any case, you need to report back to them that the tooth is chipped and ask them what you should do. Did they know about it before you left?
Each level of testing will determine what they do next. If the ultrasound and HIDA are ok, they might do nothing but watch. If they find something wrong with the gallbladder, like stones or inflammation, they will either recommend diet/lifestyle changes or refer you to a surgeon to see if it needs to come out. If there is something else going on- and I have no idea why you had the scope in the first place - then each step will lead to the next (or watching/waiting or whatever). Does that make sense?
For the sore throat- usually lozenges or ice chips help. You will have to ask your doc about pain meds. If you have risk of bleeding, they won't want you to take blood-thinning meds. If you have elevated liver enzymes, they won't want you to take tylenol (acetaminophen), so it really depends.
Sleep is your friend! Rest will help all of this seem more clear and help you get better faster too. Feel better!!
I had acl surgery on Thursday, ever since I feel nauseated and vomit whenever I lay down and it feels like something is in my throat. Cant fall asleep.What is happening.
My 16 yr old son had his appendix out laparoscopically 6 weeks ago. Wasn't burst and not too bad aaccording to the doctor. A month before that, he had to be put under to repair a broken nose (HS basketball game). We was cleared to return to playing sports 2 weeks after the appendix surgery. Runs track and plays travel bball.
Question is that he has no stamina and often feels like he's going to throw up. He used to be able to go forever and now can't. He's frustrated. We set up an appt to get his blood tested and go see the surgeon but any idea what it could it be?
My son had gallbladder surgery 6 days ago - has/is having a strange uncontrolled gasping deep breath randomly that causes stabbing pain in his right rib cage area..... any ideas or concerns?
Jrtisme- Take him to the doctor/ER. Pain with breathing can be related to the surgical incision BUT it can be a sign that there is an infection at the site OR that there is something going on with the lung as well (like partial collapse or a blood clot).
There is no way for me to diagnose based on what you tell me. He needs someone to SEE him, listen to his lungs, etc. Does he have a fever? Any swelling in a leg? Does he look grey or have any blueness to his lips or fingers? Does he breathe shallow and fast otherwise? All of this and MUCH more info is needed by someone who can see and evaluate him.
Hi Tahoe Doc. I was wondering if a swollen uvula in normal after a surgery. My throat hurts so bad, but i cannot speak because if i try, the the uvula moves to the back of my tongue and is very annoying. This was my first surgery.
Hi Fee. This is not really 'normal', but it's not that uncommon either. It can be from the breathing tube or mask irritating or rubbing against the uvula.
If it has been more than a couple days since your surgery, you may want to let them know. Also, can you see the uvula? Is there any ulceration? Is there any sign of infection (pus)? If so, call right away so you can be seen and possibly get antibiotics.
In the meantime, probably chewing ice or drinking cold fluids will help if anything.
That sounds very annoying!
Nausea and vomiting after surgery are not uncommon. However, that it is associated with lying down makes me wonder if you have some reflux (especially with the feeling of something in your throat).
Are you taking anything for the nausea? Is it helping?
You should call your doctors (I have to advise that because I can't possibly get the whole picture without seeing you). In the meantime, take something for acid reflux (Tums, zantac, etc if you have them and don't have a contraindication) before you lay down and see if that helps.
See what the surgeon says and what the blood test shows, but it might be his body saying "I need time to heal from all of this", even though he feels like he should be past this already. If he isn't staying well-hydrated, that can lead to fatigue and nausea, as well. And his fluid needs might be increased after surgeries while healing.
Good luck- I'm sure he's ready to 'get on with it', but might need more time.
Hi doc I have got to have surgery on my knee as I have torn my acl and the ligament that holds your knee in place as well as tearing the knee cartridge is this serious
befroe 5 years and after that period i had an acceptable headache. then i made a surgery in my nose before a year and it lasted two hours under complete anesthesia and then my heaache got so bad that i can't do my jobs well.
when i read i forget what i read, i sleep 15-16 hours a day and other bad effects, then i read and can't understand what iread. does the anesthetization do this?
I'm nineteen years old and about to have surgery on my nose. I'm scared because my sister and my aunt had hard times returning to consciousness after receiving anesthesia. I'm worried that the same thing will happen to me. =[
Hi Lani,
It's normal to be scared and reaction to anesthesia can be similar among family members. Discuss your concerns with your surgeon and if possible, the anesthesiologist.
There is a really wide range of 'normal' responses to anesthesia. How long it takes to wake up and/or feel awake is dependent on so many factors and is very unpredictable. I think if your family members just took a long time to wake up and weren't having a 'bad' or dangerous reaction to anesthesia, then this is a normal variant of reaction to anesthesia. If there is a history of dangerous reactions to anesthesia, then this needs to be investigated further before you undergo the procedure. They should have been informed or been admitted to the hospital or referred for testing if they were in danger.
Hi Luke. Usually ACL surgery takes anywhere from 1.5 to several hours depending on the technique used for repair and how much other work is done. Cleaning up a meniscus is pretty quick but REPAIRING the meniscus takes quite a bit longer.
Your orthopedic surgeon would be the best person to answer your questions. I want to help you, but this is outside the scope of my practice.
Hello Yazan Ahmad. It's difficult to know what is causing your issues. Anesthesia alone would not cause that result. The combination of surgery and anesthesia can cause problems with memory and concentration. This is called postoperative cognitive dysfunction and I have written about it here.
hi, i go in for surgery in the morning and my friends are scarying me with stories about people who vomit while they are under and they inhaled it and died. is this a possibility? can it be prevented?
Hi Casey- Aspiration of stomach contents is a risk of anesthesia. HOWEVER, those at significant risk are those with a full stomach, a history of severe acid reflux, people with history of stroke or other dysfunctions of airway.
So, nothing to eat or drink after midnight or whatever your instructions were. Tell your anesthesiologist if you have acid reflux or a hiatal hernia. Otherwise, this complication is very rare.
Hello Tahoedoc,
I am having ankle ligament and joint repair surgery. Am very narcotic sensitive. Are there any pain meds without narcotics that assist me with post-op pain?
had surgery on the 1st may general ana 1hr (knee) feeling really low, shortness of breath, and lots of crying could these be side effects?
Hi, I'm looking for help/info/advice for my particular problem and this looks like the best place to ask so far.
I panic when coming out of anesthesia. Badly, completely terrified, the recovery nurses don't know what to do with me. They give me drugs, brush my hair, talk to me and every time (4 procedures to date) they've given up, gone and gotten my husband and everything calms down as soon as I hear his voice. Blood pressure drops to normal, same with heart rate and respiration. Is there anything I can try or do to avoid this? I have another surgery coming up and want to not have this happen again.
Thank you!
Hi KM- Emergence agitation is not that uncommon, although it is seen more in children as a common occurrence. In adults, I usually see it in people who have one or more of the following
1. Career in law enforcement
2). Military history
3). Some other traumatic event (history as a victim of violence, assault, rape, etc)
4). Fearful or other personality that makes trust difficult for whatever reason.
The best thing to do is to talk to the nurses and anesthesiologist BEFORE you go to sleep. Tell them that this has happened to you repeatedly, not just once. Some people (me included, most of the time) think that using a little propofol (diprivan) near the end of the anesthetic helps smooth the transition from anesthetized to awake. Not sure if your anesthesiologists have tried that.
Usually, family members are not allowed in the recovery area as you are awakening (only allowed for children) due to privacy issues, hospital policy, space concerns, etc. Some facilities are able to make exceptions, but that is really an issue for the individual institution. They usually are not trying to be 'mean' if this is not possible, but it can't hurt to ask if your husband could be there earlier than usual in recovery if needed.
Good luck! We don't really understand why this happens to some people. We do know that it is NOT your fault as you are not really able to process your environment accurately and have rational thoughts while waking up from anesthesia.
I stumbled on this by mistake ~ thank goodness. I have been wondering and trying to make sense out of why my Mom is so different after her surgery. She fell and broke her right hip. It's been nearly a month since the surgery. They gave her an epidural instead of putting her under. She is 84 years old. Lately I have been noticing how weak she appears to be. She has not had pain meds for several weeks. I started her on Vit B12, D3, coenzyme Q10 and D Ribose but her energy level is so low. Today during her Physical Therapy they had her standing (with a walker) for nearly 2 minutes. She was exhausted and had to sit down before resuming the next set of exercises. She weighs 120 pounds so she is not overweight by any means. And for the past few weeks she has lost interest in things that generally give her pleasure ~ her little dog, her Dr. Oz show, even her visitors. Do you have any suggestions? Many thanks.
Aww, I'm sorry for you and your mom. Unfortunately, it is pretty well-known that hip fractures in older people are often very difficult to recover from.
It seems that the stress of the fracture and the surgery are quite difficult on the body and mind of the older person. We don't know why hip fractures are so difficult to recover from (physically and mentally), but it likely has something to do with all of the stress hormones, inflammatory mediators and other chemical changes that occur in the body.
I did write a little about post-operative cognitive dysfunction. Don't know if it will help, but check it out.
http://tahoedoc.hubpages.com/hub/Post-Operative-Co
With the hip fractures, the only thing worse than having surgery to fix them is NOT fixing them. The prognosis for untreated hip fractures is pretty bad. :(
Stop back in a day or two. I will try to find you a good,reliable resourse to get some more info.
I had triple by-pass surgery at x-mas . Since then my
sense of taste seems compromised . Even water tastes
"off" . my surgery took 9 hours . Some associates advise
that it takes 1 mo. for each hour of surgery to fully
recover . Any thoughts ?
Mike- Interestingly enough, patients who have had open heart surgery, especially with a perfusion pump (heart-lung machine, bypass machine) report loss of taste, bad taste in the mouth or other alterations in taste a/o smell.
I don't know about the recovery rule, but I will say that more physiologically disturbing surgeries (those on heart/lung/brain, etc) definitely take longer to recover from.
Other people do report changes in taste after general anesthesia for other types of surgeries, so it may be a combined effect. It is not as commonly reported for other types of surgeries as it is with open heart surgery. Some surgeries, like nasal or mouth surgery would be expected to produce more of this effect.
I don't know of anything that can be done to speed recovery, although most people do get their taste back in a few weeks to a few months.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
I had surgery a little over a week ago and am still having issues. I had the general anethesia with tube down throat, I believe, since I could barely speak afterwards. Now I am still trying to shake it to get back to normal. I am light headed when I stand up right away and feel tired and sleepy most of the time. Sometimes I almost lose my equilibrium when walking. I feel like my brain is in a fog. Also my sense of taste is off but I think that it is slowly coming back. How long is it going to take to get back to normal? I know by the way that I am feeling that this not normal for me. BTW, I had a procedure to remove a large kidney stone that would not budge.
Hi concernedpatient- I can certainly understand why you are concerned and I'm sorry you don't feel better than you do. Unfortunately, it's hard to say how long it will take you to recover. Part of what you describe sounds like you could still be dehydrated. If you had a kidney infection or any change in your kidney 'labs' with the stone or other kidney or heart disease, consult your doctor first, but you may need to up your fluid intake for a while (unless, again, you have a contraidication to it).
Otherwise, rest when you can and keep exercising your body and brain as tolerated. The taste should get better soon- Most people recover that inside of a few weeks, at most.
Actually, I would expect most of these things to clear up soon. Your body and mind have been through a stressful time. If you haven't read it yet, maybe my hub on POCD-postoperative cognitive dysfunction would provide some insight.
Hope you get back to feeling like yourself soon!
Hello Tahoedoc,
I will be having ankle instability surgery Friday. I have a history of nausea and low tolerance to pain meds. They make me pretty sick and I never take anything stronger than Tylenol because of my SLE. I exlained to my surgeon and he said he will speak with the anesthelogist. I wanted to know if you could offer me advice about any pain meds that do not have any nacrotics in them so I can questions him about them on Friday.
Hi Scaredstr8- You sound like me with the intolerance to pain meds. I puke, no matter what. Usually, if the anesthesiologist gives you ant-nausea meds, you can have minimal nausea in the recovery room. The problem might be later, at home, when you take pain pills.
Unfortunately, given the type of surgery, they aren't going to want you to have NSAID-type drugs (toradol can be very helpful), most likely.
My experience as a doctor AND patient let me experiment with lots of combos for pain meds and anti-nausea meds.
After trying EVERYTHING, I finally found that if they (surgeon) prescribed me phenergan to take about 20-30 minutes BEFORE the pain pill (percoset worked, vicodin made me nauseous without relieving pain), I could tolerate it if I laid still. Some people do well with Zofran taken pre-pain pill. I would just fall asleep with the combination and the nausea was minimized. Ask if they have motion sickness patches (scopolamine) and if so, put it on before surgery. This helps me a lot, and can be left on for up to 3 days. You might have a little rebound nausea when you take it off, so be warned.
Good luck! I really do sympathize as a doctor and a narcotic-intolerant patient!!
See also...http://tahoedoc.hubpages.com/hub/PONV-Post-Operati
I had a nerve block done today on my face. I was given anesthesia w/ a breathing tube. When I came too, my tongue was numb and I couldn't taste anything. My tongue is no longer numb, but my taste is still off and now my tounge is itching. Is this a common thing or should I be more concerned? I also have a sore throat.
Hi Buttrfli-
The sore throat is normal from the breathing tube.
It sounds like the block is wearing off and it is normal for different sensations and functions to come back at different times.
However, as always, I cannot say for sure since I cannot see and evaluate you and don't have your medical records with the type of nerve block done, the medications used or the procedure you had done. All of these things help determine whether this is normal or not.
If you are very concerned or if you are having other symptoms (like trouble breathing or tongue swelling rapidly or to the point that it is uncomfortable or interferes with breathing, call your doctor right away).
I wish I could help more, but I cannot give specific medical advice online; I can only provide general information.
Hope you are feeling better every minute and hour!
I had an appendectomy a few weeks ago, and since the surgery my thyroid has become enlarged. Would this have anything to do with being intubated?
Thanks Doc. I am feeling a bit better after sleeping almost all day. The block I had done was for severe migraines that I was getting on a daily basis. I will try to call my dr's office and see what to do about my tongue, it is still itching, but I haven't noticed any severe swelling. My face is still swollen and bruised even with ice.
@Kim- I cannot think of any reason your thyroid should be enlarged after anesthesia with a breathing tube for an appendectomy. Has a doctor taken a look at your thyroid?
@buttrfli- I'm glad you are getting better. Migraines are HORRIBLE and I hope the treatment helps. Whether your reaction is normal or not depends on whether they used numbing medicine or botox or something else and whether they were targeting muscle, blood vessels or nerves.
Probably (and I have no way of knowing for sure), they are going to tell you that it will improve with time, but definitely still call them!
Feel better!!
Hi there! I am
Due to have breast augumentation
In a weeks time, but i seem to have mucus in my throat constantly, i have in the past and recently had problems
With my sinuses. During my pre-op consultation with the anesthatist i had the flu, and she told me i could not have the surgery of there was any mucus, so we had to postpone a week, i have since been to the doctor and they have given me sum meds to try and dry the mucus up but its not going at all, is it dangeous to go ahead with surgery if i have constant mucus present in my throat? Is it likely to block the airways? Im terrified of the thought of being put to sleep, and am pretty nervous anyway without anything possibly contributing to being a
Complication. This is an op i have wanted done
For sooooo long and now I have the chance there seems to be problem after problem.....we do think i may suffer from post nasal drip, any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, thankyou.
Hi Kylie. That's so frustrating to have to delay something you really want!
If you have the flu, or have had it in the past 2-4 weeks (depending on other factors such as history of asthma, smoking, surgery setting, etc), you should usually wait to have elective surgery. The lungs are reactive for a period of time after having a significant respiratory illness- especially if you smoke or have asthma - so there is no justification for putting you at risk. Same goes with any respiratory illness accompanied by fever, wheezing, or a productive cough. Otherwise, it is up to the anesthesiologist and surgeon to determine whether your risk is minimized enough to proceed.
If you just have post-nasal drip (without having been sick in the past month), then talk to the surgeon and anesthesiologist. This, by itself, is usually not a problem. BUT, they may have other reasons that they want to wait under those circumstances.
I hope you get to and through your surgery quickly and safely. Remember, like I tell my patients, it is the responsibility of the anesthesiologist to protect you, whether or not they give you the anesthesia!
My 91 year old mother had surgery for an oral cancer. Mental functions are fine but seems to have lost her ability to walk after only one full day in the hospital. Will this come back? It has only been two days since her release.
Hi Sherri- Was she having problems walking in the hospital too? (ie: do the docs already know about this?) Did they recommend anything before they discharged her? I would certainly call the surgeon's office or the hospital where she was and report that she is having this issue.
If she is deconditioned and weak, she may improve. I wonder if you could request physical or occupational therapy to help, or home nursing. Report this issue to the surgeon and perhaps ask if that's possible.
If this is NEW difficulty walking, or she seems weaker on one side and that is causing the problem, she needs to be evaluated for stroke or other problems. Take her to the ER immediately.
It's very hard for anyone, especially the elderly, to recover from surgery. Longer surgeries that are more involved are even worse. But, even minor ones can take all the reserve that older people have. I hope this is just a "time" thing and she gets better day to day. Call the doc in the meantime (or take her in if this is new).
And give her a nice Mother's Day hug.
This is a wonderful site. Your expertise has helped many. My husband is (finally) scheduled for his screening colonoscopy. During the pre-op evaluation an EGD was also recommended due to his abdominal pain, frequent belching and bloating after eating. He is not sure this test is necessary since this has been his lifelong pattern. Moot point,I don't expect your opinion on this, however he has a concern about the scope passing his vocal chords. He is a singer and is naturally concerned about his voice. My question for you is: can the anesthesia or the passing of the scope damage the vocal chords? If so how big a risk is there?
Thank You!
I have a couple of issues. First, I am one to get sick from anthesia and I mean really sick. I get the feeling of spinning and then I'm sick for hours. It seems to occur as soon asI sit up. I've been given nausea meds before surgey and after and I still get sick .. Anyway my real question is I was put under last August and as I was going under a lost my vision temporarily in my left eye. When I woke up it was fine.. Any idea to why that happened?
Thanks
I just had laproscopic surgery and removal of endometriosis about 11 hours ago. I am very nauseas when I stand up? Is that normal? Also I have a stinging feeling at my navel every once in a while that's a quick sharp pain. Also is there a way to get rid of the gas that builds up in my abdomen as its hard to pass it. Just found this hub and love it-very informative. I'm 26 never had kids, non smoker, overall good health
@Connie- Hi there! If your husband is just having an EGD with sedation, then nothing will be put between his vocal cords. If he is going to have general anesthesia with a breathing tube, then the breathing tube goes into the windpipe between the vocal cords.
In either case, the throat will be numbed with numbing medicine (usually spray). I don't know any evidence of the spray causing permanent damage to vocal cords. There is probably someone out there who believes it has happened.
For the EGD, the scope goes only into the esophagus, which is in front of the opening to the windpipe (where the vocal cords are located), so the vocal cords should not be damaged during EGD. The scope IS in the vicinity though, so the actual risk can be discussed with the GI doc if this is an EGD with sedation, usually an anesthesiologist isn't used (nor is a breathing tube) unless there is some reason the GI doc requests it.
Does that answer your question? I'm not sure I explained that well.
@Goingunder- I am the same way with the nausea and dizziness, so I understand! Ask if they are using a scopolamine (motion sickness) patch with the other nausea meds- sometimes it helps.
I have never heard a description like that about the vision loss. I wonder if it's just the way, the order in which the brain goes to sleep and you remember it and most people don't (or others have different experiences.). If you have any risk for cardiovascular disease, be sure to get checked out since a difference in blood flow to different parts of the brain could cause temporary visual loss (although the meds are probably a better explanation given the fact that it was fine when you woke up).
Mention it to the anesthesiologist. If nothing else, they may find it interesting (but probably not too concerning if you are otherwise healthy).
Thanks for sharing that. I LOVE to get feedback from people about their actual experiences with anesthesia!
Kala- Hi there. All of the things you describe sound normal or variants of normal. For the nausea that is worse when you stand- make sure you are well-hydrated (as well as you can given the nausea). Some nausea is normal or very, very common.
The stinging is likely incisional pain. One of the ports for laparoscopic surgery usually goes through the navel. Do you have a bandage there?
For the gas buildup- there are 2 kinds of gas after laparoscopy. There is intestinal gas that builds up because your GI system slows down. Walking and taking warm beverages might be the best therapy for that.
The other kind of gas is outside the GI system in the abdominal cavity. This is carbon dioxide which is used to inflate the abdomen for surgery. There isn't a lot to do about this. Walking, heating pad and time with position changes help. It can be uncomfortable, but it will resolve. If you also have aching in your shoulder area, it is more likely this second kind of gas.
It just so happens that I wrote about this not long ago...
@Connie- Hi there! If your husband is just having an EGD with sedation, then nothing will be put between his vocal cords. If he is going to have general anesthesia with a breathing tube, then the breathing tube goes into the windpipe between the vocal cords.
In either case, the throat will be numbed with numbing medicine (usually spray). I don't know any evidence of the spray causing permanent damage to vocal cords. There is probably someone out there who believes it has happened.
For the EGD, the scope goes only into the esophagus, which is in front of the opening to the windpipe (where the vocal cords are located), so the vocal cords should not be damaged during EGD. The scope IS in the vicinity though, so the actual risk can be discussed with the GI doc if this is an EGD with sedation, usually an anesthesiologist isn't used (nor is a breathing tube) unless there is some reason the GI doc requests it.
Does that answer your question? I'm not sure I explained that well.
What is the difference between these two? Breathing Tube and laryngeal mask airway? I notice it depends on what type of surgery you are having to able to choose one these two during the general Anesthesia ? or is it depends on patient to make right decision to use one these equiment during the process of surgery? My wife is always scared of Laryngeal Mask Airway. is it common for some people to be fear of Laryngeal Mask? is it part of their panic or Axeity attack? do Anesthesia try their best to comfort the patient during undergoing Medication that puts them to sleep with other medication to stay away from getting nausea or vomiting after wake up from any performance of surgery? or it indivual on certain patients? just wanted know more about Anethesia and the difference between the two different breathing that supports patients during the surgery.
James
TahoeDoc! Good Morning. Thanks for the feedback. I'm due for surgery in a week so I will let you know how this one goes (fingers crossed)
I do what to let you know that I am very impressed with your responses. To be honest I was guessing it would be a week or so before I saw a response if any at all. We need more docs like you that are willing to take the time to educate us! You are doing a fantastic job and thank you!!!!!
Yes you explained perfectly the distinction betweem "tube down your throat" as the surgeon's intern stated (meaning the scope) and general anesthesia which would go into the windpipe. Twilight sedation is planned so hopefully this will aleviate his concerns. Thank you for your time.
I had an outpatient procedure 3 days ago (GA). I'm still feeling a little dizzy and sleepy... Dr doesn't seem concerned at this point. Anything I can do to speed up this stage and feel "balanced" again. I don't feel safe enough to drive.
Hi Cyn- if this is just the usual sleepiness/dizziness, then all you can do is get A LOT of rest and fluids as much as is tolerated and allowed. I'm sorry it's taking so long and hope you feel better really soon!
my sister's son had endoscopy operation in trachea
to remove crumblings of peanut
Now he have pigment in his eyes
Is it a normal thing or not ?
I had surgery recently, and I was sick to my stomach for a few days. I also was left with missing gum on my lower right side, you can see the bone! :( Now eleven days later I'm in agony! Is there a chance the next time I have surgery with a tube that the Anesthesiologist can use a smaller tube?
I had surgery a week ago and took myself of the painkillers two days ago due to them making me feel sick and drowsy all the time, now I can't sleep at all and although am going to bed exhausted have spent the last two nights staring at the ceiling for two hours, could this be related to the g.a at all or mess? It's driving me crazy!
Hello, I read the information and still trying get use to this first time i ever had laprscopy surgery done recently may 11th and the anesthesia that i had was totally different from my past previous surgeries i had. Since i had Breathing Tube during the surgery as sleeping in dreamland and dont remember that it was there , i woke up crying for my mom which is embrassing, after recovery and send home same day it been nearly almost a week hasnt healed my throat from breathing tube what does work for this throat to get better than thinking it might been torn inside from breathing tube? I had Laprscopy Surgery for to find out what causing my chronic pain i had for 6 years in the lower pelvis/adnormal area. ( sadly the doctor found nothing from the surgery view the cam inside me) i am still struggling frustration with this chronic pain on top of my surgery now... any suggestion what could really be wrong with me with this serious chronic pain? please help me ~ i dont want to suffer this chronic pain for life ~ thanks
This is strange- sorry everyone- it seems some questions I thought I answered never posted, so I will go back and cover them.
Pixie- The crying is a very common side effect of the anesthesia gases. I had a patient just yesterday who woke up crying and couldn't stop. She was also embarrassed and ended up laughing because she had no control over it. It's really just the anesthesia.
It is possible that if the throat is still sore that there is an actual abrasion or cut in the back of the throat. Losenges, cool liquids and time will usually heal it. If you have any signs of infection (fever, pus, etc) see your doc immediately.
Pelvic pain- I'm so sorry that this was not resolved with the laparoscopy. Sometimes, the only thing they find is some adhesions where strands of connective tissue abnormally stick to organs or their lining. This can cause pain. If they find these, they cut the abnormal connection and the pain sometimes will get better over the next couple weeks.
Unfortunately, very commonly, they also find nothing. I wish I had more info or ideas for you because chronic pain is definitely hard to live with :(
Good luck and I hope you get some relief.
Hi Sarah. All of the things you have been dealing with can disrupt normal sleep. Anesthesia (usually only for a few days) will definitely mess it up. The pain medicines and then removal of the pain meds, the stress and inflammation of surgery -- all of these things change the body's chemistry and balance for a while and can change sleep patterns.
The good news is that you should return to normal soon!
Sweet dreams (I hope)
Wow! Missing gum? Rather than the size of the tube, it might have been that the tube rubbed on that spot while it was in place or scraped it on the way in or out.
Be sure to tell the anesthesiologist about it next time. Take a picture if you can now to help explain what happened.
As always, if it isn't getting better or if you have signs of infection, let the doctor know right away.
Hope you get better fast.
Hi alaa - He should not have pigment in his eyes after that procedure. But, I'm not sure what you mean by pigment. If you mean that the eyes are red, then that's probably normal. If something else is going on, you need to take him back to the doctor. Hope he gets better soon.
Hi James. A breathing tube is a hollow tube that goes between the vocal cords into the windpipe. It has a small balloon encircling the end to help keep it in place and protect anything (like saliva or acid) from entering the windpipe.
An LMA is a small, soft rubber device that inflates in the back of the throat. It sits over the opening to the windpipe but does not enter it. The oxygen and gas anesthesia enter the lungs through a hole in the mask that is connected to the gas supply.
With both, you are either able to breathe on your own or be assisted by a ventilator.
There are various reasons why one or another would be chosen and you would need to discuss those with the anesthesia provider. Usually, the LMA is less bothersome to the patient at the end of the surgery.
I will write a hub soon on the differences. Thanks for the inspiration!
I always talk to my patients and remind them that they are going to do great and feel good when they wake up, as they are going to sleep. When people are calm going to sleep, they tend to wake up feeling better. Some anesthesiologists don't have great bedside manner (thus they chose a profession where their patients are asleep most of the time.)
Hope that helps.
Hello TahoeDoc and what a great forum.
Im in Brisbane Australia and two days ago my 22 year old daughter had a procedure in hospital under general anaesthetic to remove a dorsal ganglion cyst from the back of her hand.
She was discharged one hour after surgery and we took her home. Later that night the onset od intense pain from her mid section through to her back. So intense she required an ambulance.
We thought given her general good health and uneventfull history that it may be related to the anaesthetic she had only hours earlier.
After two days in hospital it was suggested that the only explaination was that it was a mild pancreatic attack due to the Anaestetic. Does that make sense? Thanks Mark
Hi Mark- Thanks for your comments and for your excellent question. I'm sorry your daughter had such pain and hope she is better. If the docs found nothing else wrong and diagnosed pancreatitis, they are probably right.
There are case reports (meaning they are rare enough to get their own article in medical journals) of people developing pancreatitis after receiving propofol anesthesia. Propofol is a drug often used for both induction (going to sleep) and maintenance (staying asleep) of anesthesia. But, most of the people who had pancreatitis were sick, older people in the ICU who had been on propofol for days or longer.
It seems to be reported, but very, very rare in otherwise healthy young people. You should contact the anesthesiologist (through the surgeon) and let them know that this occurred. They may want to report it to the FDA or the manufacturer or another database that may be tracking the info.
I hope she's better. Make sure you tell future providers. There is no info on whether this can recur or not, so they may not avoid propofol (there aren't great substitutes now), but it will be important to know about.
Thanks again for reading and commenting.
I had a sigmoid colectomy last November and my hair is thinning out terribly. I heard it could be due to the anesthesia or trauma. Will it grow back??
Hi Maureen - Likely, the trauma of the whole thing affected your body. A sigmoid colectomy is unlikely to cause significant nutrient loss, although some dehydration is possible, so it's probably not from the missing piece of colon.
Most of the time, people report the hair does start growing back. If you haven't had your thyroid checked, it is a good time to do that. Sometimes the stress of the procedure can bring out a deficiency that hadn't been detected. See your doc and mention the thinning hair. Let him/her know if you have other low thyroid symptoms (fatigue, dry skin, constipation, etc) to see if you could benefit from a test. Otherwise, there isn't much you can do besides ensure you get a balanced diet and generally take good care of yourself. It's annoying and frustrating, isn't it? I had the same thing happen to me after a significant illness.
Good luck & hope the problem gets better!
I just have to thank you a bazillion times. I never had a problem with anesthesia, it was always "heavy MAC" for outpatient procedures (bartholin's marsupilaization, colonoscopies, excisional biopsy, lumpectomy...). I had a horrific experience in February (hysteroscopic resection), the anesthesiologist began by berating me for my lack of easy veins, she insisted on "at least seeing" my lymphedema-risk arm... but my whole body was dehydrated from not drinking for 17 hours so I let her see it, and it was safe. She stuck the back of my hand and missed, ok fine, then she stuck it again and this time caused agony. I told her to stop, that she was hurting me, but she held me down saying "it only hurts for a moment". I tried to protest but another on her team covered my face with a mask, little air, I tried to protest again and this masked team member repeated the mantra: It only hurts for a moment. It was terrifying. When I awoke I was in more kinds of pain than I understood, and as you explained, I woke up as terrified as I went down. My throat and mouth and tongue were dessicated, I had two catheters (one for uterus) I was given a variety of excuses as to why I was switched to GA, nothing made any sense.
Then I needed surgery again, there was more fibroid left to resect. I found another surgeon and she told me right off the bat that I would probably have GA with LMA. I appreciated her giving me the correct information, and in researching the night before the surgery, I found your hub page.
This time, I got to meet the anesthesiologist before surgery and discuss the anesthesia. Thanks to this page, I understood that I really did need an endo trach tube and GA. As I discussed my concerns with this great anesthesiologist, she asked about the side effects and had great understanding. She said something like perhaps she'd use the drugs that were used for heavy MAC, but as GA. I told her about the dessication and what I read here about moisturizers, she had that covered. She also mentioned Tiva and not needing a catheter. (yay!)
This surgery admittedly was a much smaller job (just cleaning up what was left, as opposed to the big job of removing an enormous fibroid) but at a different (and oh my stars so much better) hospital, with a caring talented surgeon and what I consider this brilliant angel of an anesthesiologist. Plus, armed with what I learned here, I was prepared.
The nurse set my IV, and having trouble finding a vein again (sigh, what can I say, my veins pack a suitcase for parts unknown before surgery) she got on her knees which let my hand drop down and I guess fill with blood, so she got a vein, no pain no problem. In the OR I went down in a good mood and confident. I woke up feeling GREAT, and comfortable. I read (I think here) that I should not bother hurrying to wake up, so I enjoyed the soft sleepy feeling as the nurses came by, and asked if I was OK. Yeah, I am great! And my mouth and throat were perfect- better than when I woke up that morning!
My friends and family were stunned after seeing me this time, practically dancing out of the recovery room.
I just can't thank you enough, and I think I will build a small shrine for the anesthesiologist... no seriously, I did send her a card and a small gift to thank her.
Thanks to both of you, I am no longer afraid of anesthesia, GA etc. And I will make sure to have this sort of conversation with any anesthesiologist in the future. If they wont talk to me, I will reschedule the surgery.
Rachel- I am SO sorry that you had the bad experience. I am just as glad that you found someone (the whole team) after that who treated you the way you should be treated.
I get a lot of comments on here, but I have to say that yours made me tear up a little. I never thought anyone would ever read my 'hubs'. To hear that they actually do help, well that is just so incredibly rewarding!
So, thank YOU for reading and being thoughtful enough to come back and comment and let me know how this helped you. You made my day...no week, you made my week by doing so. I can say with some certainty that your anesthesiologist feels the same way- people don't usually remember us at all, let alone in such a kind way.
Oh, and you write very well- have you considered starting your own hub pages account to tell of your experiences?
kimh039 Level 6 Commenter 16 months ago
Interesting. I'll be having anesthesia this friday, so this was very timely. I don't recall any after effects from last year when I had the same procedure. I do remember waking up during the procedure and feeling the procedure for awhile.