What is anesthesia like?

[Togath]

First, I'm not going to have any surgery any time soon, so this is just pure curiosity on my part(largely due to not having ever had a surgery before).
So... What is non-local anesthesia like?
Like, being knocked out, or woken up.
Do you dream while under general anesthesia?

I've also read a few places that part of the process involves chemically induced amnesia for the duration of the surgery, which always seemed perplexing since, like, for general anesthesia, aren't you unconscious?

I've also been somewhat confused about what I've read regarding twilight anesthesia. On one hand, I've read a few places that said that you are conscious, but remember nothing(which personally sounds very strange), but also read a few descriptions by people who have supposedly had it and remembered the surgery.
(now, personally, I find medical stuff too fascinating to ever want to experience twilight anesthesia[well, if the "you forget the procedure despite being conscious" thing is true], since I'd much rather remember the procedure so I could better sate my curiosity, but I can understand how not all people would want to know that kind of thing:smallwink:)

Also wasn't quite sure if this would fit better in science/technology. It seemed more like a friendly banter topic though.

[Ifni]

For me, it's always just been a matter of losing a chunk of time - like falling into a very deep sleep when you're very tired, so you don't actually remember falling asleep, you just open your eyes and realize there's sunlight outside and thus you must have been asleep.

My first time under anesthesia was when I was eight, and I literally felt like I had blinked and suddenly a heavy plaster cast had appeared on my arm.

Second time was in my late teens, and I remember seeing swirly red patterns behind my eyelids as I went under, and then I remember waking up feeling a bit groggy.

Third time was last year, and I remember chatting to the anesthesiologist, and then being wheeled into the operating room, and then opening my eyes to the recovery ward.

I almost always dream when I sleep, and I remember my dreams (I'm a lucid dreamer), but I have no memories of dreaming under anesthesia.

Provided everything goes well, it is pretty anticlimactic :smallwink:

[Slylizard]

I've only had the amnesia style one (impacted wisdom teeth removed), so it also involved local anesthetic (which is just the numbing injections). I recall it was something about them needing to know if they went too far, hit a nerve or the like, thus needing me awake to advise them.

They stuck an IV into my hand and asked me to count backwards from 10 (just like the movies), I think I made it to about 7. That whole part just felt like getting incredibly sleepy incredibly fast. Next thing I remember was waking up in the recovery room, felt exactly like waking up, a little dopey, drool all over my face... same as every other morning.

No dreams, during the time I was under, really it's like I just completely forgot a period of my life.

[Togath]

Ah? Interesting.
Also, I've been sort of curious, is the process of getting knocked out just a quick shot? A few breathes of gas? or is there usually more steps to it before you're asleep?(like, I know once you are there's plenty, but I've never been sure what the initial part is like)

[Grinner]

I don't remember ever needing anesthesia (not that I'd remember getting anesthesia, but I'm getting ahead of myself), so what I'm about to write is hearsay.

I've read in two places about the effects of anesthesia. One I'm pretty sure was the author's comments on a webcomic called Whomp!, and I don't remember the other one. According to those two, it's like waking up, but the last thing you remember is talking to the nurse. I guess it knocks out your short-term memory, so it's quite sudden.

I've haven't read about twilight amnesia, but if I were to speculate, I'd say you might be able to compare it to sleep-walking.

Edit: Triple-ninja'd. :smallsigh:

[Slylizard]

Ah? Interesting.
Also, I've been sort of curious, is the process of getting knocked out just a quick shot? A few breathes of gas? or is there usually more steps to it before you're asleep?(like, I know once you are there's plenty, but I've never been sure what the initial part is like)

Popped an IV in my hand, asked me to count back from 10, did so and started to get incredibly tired incredibly fast... said 7 and remember nothing more.

[Togath]

Edit: Triple-ninja'd. :smallsigh:

As was I ^_^;
Still, it's been interesting to hear people's experiences so far.

[cobaltstarfire]

You just fall asleep without even realizing it, I don't feel tired or anything unless the anesthesiologist gave me something else prior to relax me. The actual anesthesia though puts me right out. No dreams, not that I can ever remember anyway. I've never managed to count as far as three, well there was one time I might have had I been counting, I had enough time to tell the nurse that it was hurting my whole arm going in and to hear her ask after it before I conked out.

It apparently takes me much longer than usual to properly wake up from anesthesia as well, it actually annoyed the nurse last time cause it took me about 30 minutes longer to wake up than she would have liked. Sometimes I'll bounce in and out of sleep for a long time afterwords, sometimes I just wake up suddenly and am really groggy for the rest of the day.

I've been under 5 times, 3 times for GI related stuff, once to set broken bones, and once to have my wisdom teeth removed. Whatever anesthesia they use for GI stuff must be a different anesthesia from what I've gotten for the other times because it always hurts way more than anything else I've gotten via IV.

[Remmirath]

It's only happened to me a handful of times in my life, for which I am glad. I hate the experience, and I hate the painkillers they give you after surgery. Anything that makes me feel like I'm not really in control of what I'm doing is anywhere from alarming to horrible to me.

Anyhow, let's see. The first time back in 2012, I had been lying around in the ER for many hours by the time I was taken in to surgery, and I was already extremely tired. The last thing I remember before waking up that time was asking my mother and the nurse wheeling me around whether it would be okay if I just did the local anaesthesia, because the idea of not remembering anything freaked me out, but I was told it was more dangerous that way and relented. The second time was only a few minutes after I came out from under the first time, so I was already still groggy (the first surgery was for an external fixater to keep all the bone pieces of my broken leg in place until the swelling could go down enough for them to put the rod and screws in, but they found even more bone fragments after the first one, so they had to right away fix that) and I only remember feeling clueless and mildly panicked about why they were wheeling me back the wrong way. I'm sure they told me what was going on, I just don't remember it.

The third time (one week after the first two) was when I went in for the rod/screw surgery for my broken leg, and that time I remember being in the operating room and them asking me to count down from twenty (I don't believe I made it very far). I felt basically normal as far as my memory goes, but there must have been some moments of feeling tired. All three of those times I remember absolutely nothing while unconscious.

And then, at the very end of last year, I had two impaced wisdom teeth out. That time was a bit different; they gave me a mask with some sort of gas to breathe before sticking the needle in, and I remember them talking about it much longer and also remember feeling more and more tired. Then I woke up, wondering if it was already finished. However, I do remember flashes of stuff from the procedure, or at least I think I do; so either way, it wasn't the same blackness as the other times. I'm guessing this was a less high-strength anaesthetic, though, since obviously there's a pretty big difference in opening up someone's leg and rearranging the bones and in removing two teeth.

The creepiest part, to me, is the way you don't remember things that you surely must have experienced. Not dreaming isn't so bad; I don't always remember my dreams when sleeping (although I typically do, and I almost always at least have the sense that I had them).

[Togath]

The creepiest part, to me, is the way you don't remember things that you surely must have experienced. Not dreaming isn't so bad; I don't always remember my dreams when sleeping (although I typically do, and I almost always at least have the sense that I had them).

This is part of why I've been glad I haven't needed it yet:smallredface:.
*err, well, haven't needed it that I know. Might have needed it a few times as a young child.

[Douglas]

I've had general anesthesia twice that I know of.

The first time was for removing all four of my wisdom teeth. I remember stumbling out to the car afterwards, supported by my brother who then drove me home, and being very groggy for the next several hours. For those several hours, keeping a bloody swab of some sort in my mouth was about all I did, and all I felt up to doing. I'm sure I remembered the setup before the operation too, but I seem to have forgotten that part in the years since then.

The second time was for a colonoscopy. I remember a nurse setting up an IV for the anesthetic, I remember a few seconds during the operation where I clenched in mild pain (which came from my innards, I assumed from something the scope did), and I remember waking up after. I was fully alert after that one a lot faster than for the wisdom teeth.

[TechnOkami]

I had Anaesthesia for some Wisdom Teeth I had pulled out a while, while ago.

I remember being on the operating table, slipping in and out, then I immediately remember waking up on one of those dentist chairs in a completely different room.

No pain, just trippy.

[Peelee]

I've needed several surgeries, including spinal surgery just a few months ago. Every time is the same; you get prepped, you're on the table, they wheel you around, you talk to the surgeon and anaesthesiologist, and next thing you know, you're waking up because everything is done. I don't even remember them putting me under, ever. I don't find it disturbing in the least; I kind of like it.

[Lanaya]

Terribly uninteresting, actually. I slept through the whole thing.

[Comrade]

For me, pretty uneventful. Went in to have my wisdom teeth taken out (the bottom ones). Not only do I not remember anything of the procedure, I don't remember anything before and after it, either. I was hoping I'd do or say some totally off-the-wall **** while I was all loopy as you sometimes hear of people doing after getting their wisdom teeth out, but apparently all I did was stagger around and say 'I know what I'm doing' over and over again to everybody.

[Brother Oni]

In my case, it was falling asleep so fast and quickly, you don't have time to react or think 'hey I'm getting sleepy'. I felt the IV tube start getting cold on about 8/9 on the count backwards from 10, I remember saying 7 then falling asleep.

The next thing I properly remember is groggily waking up in pain, apparently while they were wheeling the trolley out of the theatre because I vaguely remember someone's voice telling me to go back to sleep.

No dreams and thankfully none of those horror stories where you're awake and lucid but paralysed while they operate on you.

[Dodom]

The previous replies are too reassuring, now's the time for the inescapable horror story!

I was put on conscious sedation when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. They said I needed it because my jaw is small and the sedative would act as a muscle relaxant and avoid TMJ injuries.

It was one of the scariest experiences in my life. At first my legs started to convulse. After my legs stopped kicking I was able to calm down and they started the extraction, but I got more and more anxious until I was fully bad tripping. Then I think they injected me more sedative because my legs convulsed again.
I was both panicking and lucid enough to know that the fear was not real and just my brain on drugs, so I just tried my best not to move, but I still hyperventilated from times to times and never completely stopped shaking, and the dentist threatened to just stop the operation there and send me to get my gums stitched up at the hospital if I didn't cut it out. I got confused and tried to talk but I'm pretty sure it didn't make sense.
Then I convulsed again, and the monitor's saturation alarm went off. The dentist ordered me to breathe and I did, but as soon as I got distracted (and there are a lot of distractions during a bad trip) saturation dropped again. Then the operation was thankfully over (it seemed like forever!), but someone had to stay next to me to talk, because despite being all shaky and nervous I kept forgetting to breathe, and you can't forget to breathe when you're talking.

After this was all over, I looked up the drugs they gave me. Turns out Versed is known to cause paradoxical reactions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradoxical_reaction) (Wiki link for quick explanation) and they are just that scary.
The two times I convulsed during the operation were indeed because they had injected me more sedative. What they did not think of was that just because the Versed was ineffective, didn't mean the Fentanyl in the mix was too. The "forgetting to breathe" part was a good old opiate overdose, disguised by the agitation from the Versed bad trip.


I kept two lessons from the experience:
1) No more private medicine. They do oral surgery at hospitals, and there they have anesthesists to call when something goes bad. Longer waiting lists, but safer.
2) Always look up drugs' mode of action before accepting one. I'll be avoiding all GABA agonists if they can be done without at all.

[factotum]

I've only been under general anaesthesia maybe twice in my life (once when I was at a dentist having work done 30 years ago, before local anaesthetics became popular) and once when having a procedure done at a hospital a few years ago, and they were both of the "dreamless sleep" variety. The second one I remember waking up back in my hospital bed still half-asleep, getting up and walking for a few seconds before being bundled back into the bed by a nurse--I was then out of it again until something like 9pm that evening.

[Lettuce]

Nice timing--I actually underwent a microdiscectomy a little over two months ago where I was completely put under, so the experience is still fresh in my mind.

They wheeled me into the pre-op room in a wheelchair (this was largely because I couldn't really walk at the time, I suspect) and a team of like 3 anesthesiologists helped me up onto one of those wheely-beds. They laid on my back; I asked for a pillow to put under my leg because laying my leg out flat was painful (the slipped disc had pinched and inflamed a nerve at L4/L5 and certain positions were uncomfortable). They were very nice about it all, and it was pretty obvious from the heart-rate scanners that they hooked me up to that I was kinda nervous about the surgery, so instead of having me count down, they just chatted with me about what I'd normally be doing on a Friday afternoon, where I used to work, etc. I remember realizing when I came to that I passed out in the middle of the conversation and I felt shamefully rude... even though I know that was kinda their intention.

As for the application of the anesthesia itself, they sprayed a slightly-stingy topical numbing agent on the back of my left hand, waited a minute, then slipped the IV in. That itself didn't particularly hurt, but I remember when they started slipping the medicine into my veins, the pressure was a little past uncomfortable. But that was the only pain I felt for basically the entire procedure... when I woke up the pain that had been in my leg and hip for the better part of a year was completely gone, and I was walking again that day, which was completely miraculous. I remember being vaguely roused at one point after the surgery and the surgeon and my husband talking, and I'm TOLD that I seemed cognizant during the meeting, but I basically don't remember a single thing about it. It wasn't until my second waking a good few hours later that I really 'came to' and kept any kind of memory of what was happening. Once I was awake that second time, I didn't really have any lingering drowsiness and I didn't go back to sleep for like another ten to twelve hours. And I definitely don't remember anything about the surgery or anything in the operating room/theatre.

Oh! And I guess I had a bit of nausea for the next day or so, which I'm told is probably from the anesthetic. I didn't throw up or anything, but I took even my very-plain-ham-sandwich-dinner very slowly.

(And for whatever it's worth, this was at a private hospital in the UK.)


Prior to that, they'd also put me under general anesthesia for when I had my wisdom teeth out. That was something like ten years ago, and is much, much fuzzier by now. But I think they had me count down from ten in this one like others have mentioned, and I didn't even make it past nine. :smalltongue: I'm definitely a lightweight when it comes to this stuff.

But I DO remember specifically requesting that I be completely knocked out instead of under laughing gas. I wasn't afraid of the pain or squicked out by the surgery itself or anything; like the TC, I kinda would have liked to have seen/remembered it out of curiosity. But I decided that I'd rather be completely unconscious rather than awake but "not myself".

[Comissar]

Only time I remember (for a given value of remember) is when I was maybe 7-8. I knew and understood I was going to be put under, and I think I was being wheeled into the theater. I was given a mask and told to count backward, as many previous posters have already mentioned, but I think I also had an IV put in. I remember starting to panic at the thought of having something put in me (I'm uncomfortable with needles), then I began to calm down. At the time, I remember someone (I think my mum) was trying to keep me calm, and I chalked it up to that, but in hindsight I think it was the effects of the anesthetic starting to kick in. After that, I don't remember anything other than waking up when it was already done.

[Shpadoinkle]

I had surgery about a year ago, for which I received general anesthesia. It was the first time I'd had surgery. All I remember about it (not counting the rest of the hospital stay) is that I was wheeled into the prep room, someone put a mask over my face, and the next thing I know I'm awake in the recovery room. It just felt like I'd closed my eyes for a couple seconds. Personally, I actually thought that was kind of cool. I didn't dream (that I can recall,) but I almost never remember my dreams anyway.

[qechua]

So, I've only been under once, when I broke my arm as a child about 20 years ago, and it's still all a bit of a blur punctuated with sensations of how much breaking your arm really hurts. The last clear memories I've got are being at home when the ambulance arrived, then an ambulance trip, laying on a trolley being wheeled into a room (which I can't describe, it's too blurry), a male member of staff saying something (I'm guessing the anesthetist, but I can't be sure, I can only just remember he was male), noticing my arm didn't actually hurt any more, and finally a brief sensation of being *really* tired (you know when you get close to passing out and you've got minutes at best to find somewhere to crash), all in the space of what seemed like 30 seconds. Then I remember waking up in the ward with a not-so-shiny arm cast and still being pretty tired.

Then I remember throwing up. Lots. Throwing up with a still healing left arm that you keep rolling onto and/or banging on sinks and bowls is not fun at all. Be ready for lots of that, particularly if you can't/don't follow advice about not eating/drinking prior to the operation. Not eating/drinking for x hours isn't fun, but that much throwing up is a lot less fun.

[Lissou]

My experience was similar to other people's: I was asked to count, I started counting, I fell asleep. I woke up much later with nurses around me. I have very weird bits and pieces of memories of talking with the nurses as I was getting back from the operating room, telling them where my clothes were, things like that, so I must have been conscious by then but I was completely out of it and remember very little of that.

However, one thing that scared me, is that whatever they injected inside of me burned. I could feel it go through my veins and one of my last thoughts before I fell asleep was "oh no, I must be allergic, I'm going to die". I was not allergic, I guess it's just the way it normally feels. It wasn't super painful (if it is, definitely speak up) but yeah, I felt it burning as it entered my arm and then the burning spread throughout my body, pretty scary stuff at the time. Now that I've experienced it though, and that I know what to expect, I wouldn't panic like I did. Which is why I'm sharing this, so people don't freak out if it happens to them.

[enderlord99]

One time when I was undergoing surgery, I woke up during the middle of it, thought it must be over (because if it weren't, clearly I'd still be asleep... which, indeed, I was supposed to be) and tried to get up. While I had an IV in my arm, a breathing tube down my throat, and surgery actively taking place on other parts of me.

In retrospect, it's a good thing the nursses held me down like that, even though it was terrifying.

By the way, I remember three of the surgeries I've undergone; my wisdom teeth hurt less than the others.

[Killer Angel]

In my case, it was falling asleep so fast and quickly, you don't have time to react or think 'hey I'm getting sleepy'.

Pretty much my case.
"OK boy, this will taste as bland garlic flavor".
"Wow, that's true, I feel the taste of garl..." ronf.

[factotum]

Then I remember throwing up. Lots.

Definitely wasn't like that for me--in fact, I was very hungry when I woke up (not having eaten all day, since I had the procedure in the morning). Was way past dinnertime by then so the night nurse got me some sandwiches in.

[Bobblit]

I needed surgery a couple of years ago, and had general anesthesia. Prior to it I was also wondering how it'd be :smalltongue:, so when the moment came I tried to pay attention to the process. They brought me into the operating room, chatted with me for a minute, then put a mask on my face. Then I lied there for a couple of seconds, listening to the nurses talking (about how the doctors that had to conduct the surgeries the next week had barely any experience in that field, of all things) and thinking "ok, not asleep yet... not asleep yet...".

Next thing I remember, I woke up in the post-anesthesia unit with a huge IV sticking out of my wrist, labelled "ART". Fun times. :smallbiggrin:

[Insane Trystane]

I had shoulder surgery back in like '09, general anesthesia. I was afraid of needles, so they knocked me out with a gas and then inserted the IV to keep me under.

The gas was really tough to breathe, but after two breaths I was out. The next thing I remember is someone struggling to put sweatpants on me. Then I remember slowly shuffling up the hill to our house because I didn't trust myself to not trip up the stairs.

It wasn't unpleasant, I was just reeeeally sleepy for a while after. No dreams, nothing like that. My mom's pretty bad with anesthesia; she vomits every time she comes out of it unless the anesthesiologist gives her medication beforehand to avoid that. (It's in her medical file, so they know to.) But I don't think that's a common thing.

[Peelee]

Nice timing--I actually underwent a microdiscectomy a little over two months ago where I was completely put under, so the experience is still fresh in my mind....... (the slipped disc had pinched and inflamed a nerve at L4/L5 and certain positions were uncomfortable).

Hey, that's what i went in for too, and also around that same time! Surgery bros!

[Remmirath]

Then I remember throwing up. Lots. Throwing up with a still healing left arm that you keep rolling onto and/or banging on sinks and bowls is not fun at all. Be ready for lots of that, particularly if you can't/don't follow advice about not eating/drinking prior to the operation. Not eating/drinking for x hours isn't fun, but that much throwing up is a lot less fun.

When that happened to me, it was actually because of one of the pain medicines they gave me afterwards rather than the anaesthesia. I noticed that it was happening more soon after every time I took that medicine, so I stopped taking it and called them about it and they switched me to a different one (I had a lot of pain medicine for that, all of which I was happy to stop taking as soon as humanly possible, but a leg that broken is pretty painful). I was fine after that.

Not eating and drinking prior to the operation is still good advice, though!

[Domino Quartz]

I remember having the needle stuck in my arm, being conscious for a few more seconds, and then waking up from a kind of deep darkness (like a dreamless sleep) with the operation having been done. I felt sleepy and slightly out-of-touch with reality for the rest of the day.

[Jeff the Green]

First, I'm not going to have any surgery any time soon, so this is just pure curiosity on my part(largely due to not having ever had a surgery before).
So... What is non-local anesthesia like?
Like, being knocked out, or woken up.
Do you dream while under general anesthesia?

It's like nothing.

I've been out four times. The first time, when I was seven, I had a kaleidoscope effect, with multiplying doctors and nurses. The second and third times, when I was eighteen, I was sedated before hand (and in any case was exhausted, since it was early in the morning and I didn't sleep well) and don't remember going under at all. The fourth time I just was out.

The difference between sleep and anesthesia is that there's a sense of time passing during sleep. During anesthesia that isn't the case, and it's very weird. It's like jumping from the OR (or wherever they knocked you out) to the recovery room and suddenly being groggy and in pain.


I've also read a few places that part of the process involves chemically induced amnesia for the duration of the surgery, which always seemed perplexing since, like, for general anesthesia, aren't you unconscious?

It's uncommon, but you can wake up during surgery (this is more common if you have red hair). In this case the anesthesiologist ups your anesthetic and you go back under, but don't remember the episode. This is a good thing, because I, personally, would rather not remember the feeling of someone poking around my organs.

[Togath]

So the temporary amnesia inducing stuff is to prevent that issue, rather than a mechanic of knocking you out?

[Ebon_Drake]

I had general anaesthesia for a knee operation several years ago. It was just a case of deep breathing in through a mask, everything going white and blurry, sounds drifting away and then waking up without any recollection or sense of time passing. It had been daylight outside when I went in and was suddenly dark when I came out again.

One weird and embarrassing side effect was that when I came to, my internal censor was all on the fritz and I was burbling out every random thought that came into my head. I distinctly remember that one of the nurses there was Filipino, and I specifically know she was Filipino because I just blurted out "where are you from?" without any sense of tact. It was about 19th December at the time, so I then decided to follow that humdinger up by asking her if she celebrated Christmas. She saw the funny side, but I was absolutely mortified once the drugs had properly worn off. I can confirm that she did in fact celebrate Christmas :smallredface:.

I had a couple of wisdom teeth out last year, which needed local anaesthetic plus sedation. I remember everything being dark, rather than white like with the general anaesthetic, but I think that was because I was still conscious and purposefully keeping my eyes closed. I can remember the dentist rooting around in my mouth, but it only seemed like a few minutes when in fact the procedure had been complicated and had actually taken over an hour - the teeth were at odd angles and one hadn't fully come through, so he'd had to drill into my jaw to get it out. I can sort of remember stumbling out of the surgery and into my parents' car, but it was all very blurry until a few hours afterwards.

[ko_sct]

I think I've been under anesthesia twice in my life. I'm not 100% since it was when I was a kind and I got pretty bad memory overall.

The first time I was talking to the doctor and she said I was gonna be put under anesthesia. Then I woke up, no delay or anything, no memory of going under anesthesia. Not even memory of waking up, like when when I do normally and I'm groggy but still kind of conscious. This was directly awake, kind of if there hadn't been any sleep or moment of unconsciousness in between, like if I had jumped forward in time.

Second time I remember the doctor putting the gas mask over my head and telling me to count backward from 100. I got down to like 90, then the doctor and nurse exchanged a few word, the nurse hand touched a valve and I woke up. (I was very skinny as a kid, they probably gave me a lower dose on account of my low body mass but it was too low so they increased the dosage.)

Both time, there wasn't really a waking up part. It's really like if your awake talking to the doc/nurse, then your awake in bed. No delay, no falling asleep, no waking up. Kind of weird.

[Unity]

I've been put out a couple of times.

#1: Went fine. Was for Wisdom teeth removal. Asked me to countback from 10... I'm pretty sure I didn't even get to 5 before I passed out. Woke up after it was done and actually asked the doctor when he was going to pull them out :)

#2: Didn't go so well. Was for an emergency appendectomy from a rupture appendix. They didn't even ask me to countdown, threw a mask on me then I passed out. Woke up in a different room, FREEZING cold and finding it hard to breathe. Wasn't sure if that was due the surgery itself or the anesthesia though. This lasted about 30 minutes.

[Peelee]

#2: Didn't go so well. Was for an emergency appendectomy from a rupture appendix. They didn't even ask me to countdown, threw a mask on me then I passed out. Woke up in a different room, FREEZING cold and finding it hard to breathe. Wasn't sure if that was due the surgery itself or the anesthesia though. This lasted about 30 minutes.

I had an appendectomy. Appendix didn't rupture though. Didn't have any of the issues you had, especially post-surgery. Maybe it was an effect of the bursting?

[Unity]

I had an appendectomy. Appendix didn't rupture though. Didn't have any of the issues you had, especially post-surgery. Maybe it was an effect of the bursting?

I think so. It was the first time I was put under in a hospital/major surgery setting. When I had my Wisdoms out it was just in the dentist's office.

Could have been mild sepsis and the powerful antibiotics they were running through me to be safe about it. Either way... never ever want to go through that again lol.

[Peelee]

I think so. It was the first time I was put under in a hospital/major surgery setting. When I had my Wisdoms out it was just in the dentist's office.

Could have been mild sepsis and the powerful antibiotics they were running through me to be safe about it. Either way... never ever want to go through that again lol.

May also have been an effect of the painkillers? When I went in for my appendectomy, I coulda sword it had burst, it was so painful and had been steadily growing more painful all day, even though the docs said that they usually never even see anyone come in that early on (I think I'm just really in tune with my body, and incredibly susceptible to pain). Anyway, they pumped some dilaudid into me, and holy crap that stuff was amazing. I could feel exactly where in my body it was, and how fast it was moving; it was like a wave of calming, pain-free numbness slowly washing over me.

Maybe the painkillers they gave you had a much more unsettling feeling?

[monomer]

I had an appendectomy. Appendix didn't rupture though. Didn't have any of the issues you had, especially post-surgery. Maybe it was an effect of the bursting?

I had my appendix removed a couple years ago. Going under was neat.

First Breath: Nothing
Second Breath: Maybe I should close my eyes to help this out
Third Breath: Out

Waking up was really weird. I felt like I was in a complete struggle to get out of my bed. Like I was thrashing around. When I fully came to I apologized to the nurse for behaving so erratically, and she told me I had just laid there the entire time. I was basically fighting myself to wake up completely.

[Unity]

Maybe the painkillers they gave you had a much more unsettling feeling?

Hehe... the reason my appendix ruptured in the first place was because apparently I had thought I only pulled a muscle or developed a hernia from weightlifting. I had a really bad "stomach ache" (probably it exploded at this point) then the pain localized into a dull, sometimes sharp throb in the lower right abdominal quadrant. I was hobbling around for days with a ruptured appendix and an abscess (which was unpleasant but ultimately saved my life). So I wasn't on any painkillers at all before and after surgery.

The doctor thought I was insane or had an uncanny pain tolerance for waiting this long to come in. But I've been living with chronic pain for years from two car accidents where I was rear ended at high speeds so that was probably why the appendix rupture didn't hurt as much as it should. Brain is just numb to it all now :smallbiggrin:

I wish I had your experience! I'm glad everything went smoothly for you - I'm still pretty gummed up with scar tissue from the rupture + surgery. Appendectomies are super common but what you don't hear about are the ones that go horribly wrong or the people that develop adhesions (scar tissue) easily have their lives turned upside down after. Stories on the dark corners of the internet break my heart when I read about it.

[Douglas]

Hehe... the reason my appendix ruptured in the first place was because apparently I had thought I only pulled a muscle or developed a hernia from weightlifting. I had a really bad "stomach ache" (probably it exploded at this point) then the pain localized into a dull, sometimes sharp throb in the lower right abdominal quadrant. I was hobbling around for days with a ruptured appendix and an abscess (which was unpleasant but ultimately saved my life). So I wasn't on any painkillers at all before and after surgery.

The doctor thought I was insane or had an uncanny pain tolerance for waiting this long to come in. But I've been living with chronic pain for years from two car accidents where I was rear ended at high speeds so that was probably why the appendix rupture didn't hurt as much as it should. Brain is just numb to it all now :smallbiggrin:
Reminds me of my teenage niece. She thought she just had some kind of stomach bug, and several days later when my sister brought her to a doctor because it hadn't improved they were rather surprised to find out she'd been walking around with a ruptured appendix.

[Peelee]

I wish I had your experience! I'm glad everything went smoothly for you - I'm still pretty gummed up with scar tissue from the rupture + surgery.

Conversely, i wish i had your pain tolerance. I mean, as god-awful as a burst appendix must be, i woke up at 5 with a bad stomach ache, drove to work at 8 feeling like I'd been stabbed, had to lie down in our gravity chair by 9 because i was in too much pain to sit down anymore, and by 11 my wife finally let me go to the hospital. Where the ER doctor did some scans and seemed honestly amused that i had come in so early on the "your appendix is going bad" process. The only time i felt worse pain was.... well, I'd rather not mention it, but the doc at the time said it was the pain equivalent of giving birth to twins at the same time. Unpleasant, to say the least.

And my back has been screwed up for years. Constant pain, but the painkillers help some. Wife makes sure i don't get too dangerous with them (she's an RN). Even with that, though, it's a mild annoyance at best and slightly less pain at worst. I wish my brain could shut it off.

[Kymme]

Last time I was under anesthesia was a few months ago when I had my wisdom teeth removed. I fainted as soon as they put the IV in. I'm unsure if it was the knockout-juice or just my own horrible fear of needles that caused me to faint, but I know the anesthesia kept me asleep for a couple hours. When I woke up I was in the recovery room. I don't remember dreaming or anything like that. Just blackness.

[Temotei]

They told me to count down from 10 to 0. I got to 2 according to the nurse who woke me up afterward. She said she was impressed.

I don't remember if I dreamed, but I do remember that I had a lot of trouble waking up. They had to wake me up four or five times before I was able to stand and walk out.

[factotum]

And my back has been screwed up for years.

I'm with you there...pain in my back isn't constant, admittedly, but it seems to go with the weather, so it's particularly bad at this time of year when the weather is very changeable.Added to my kidney issues, I spent years not being able to get a full night's sleep due to pain waking me up. It's not so bad now, fortunately.

[Peelee]

I'm with you there...pain in my back isn't constant, admittedly, but it seems to go with the weather, so it's particularly bad at this time of year when the weather is very changeable.Added to my kidney issues, I spent years not being able to get a full night's sleep due to pain waking me up. It's not so bad now, fortunately.

Have you ever tried a TENS unit? They're delightful, when i can remember to put it on.

[Togath]

All this talk of not realizing how badly injured you are reminds me that I really should keep an eye on that kind of thing myself. :smallredface:
I... Have a bad habit of having way too high of a pain tolerance. It's not been anything too serious yet(jaw injuries, a torn muscle or two, and various ear issues), but I really should work to keep myself healthy(and learn what various levels of pain really mean for me. In the case of the torn muscles, I waited about a week before visiting a doctor, despite being unable to move my arm for the duration and having it hurt bad enough to reduce my sleep >_< ).

[Unity]

Reminds me of my teenage niece. She thought she just had some kind of stomach bug, and several days later when my sister brought her to a doctor because it hadn't improved they were rather surprised to find out she'd been walking around with a ruptured appendix.

Oh gosh I hope she recovered fine. The chances of complications, namely adhesions/scar tissue after a ruptured appendix+appendectomy are very high. I have to live with this for the rest of my life now.


And my back has been screwed up for years. Constant pain, but the painkillers help some. Wife makes sure i don't get too dangerous with them (she's an RN). Even with that, though, it's a mild annoyance at best and slightly less pain at worst. I wish my brain could shut it off.

Pain sensitivity can be a blessing sometimes :) Your appendectomy had no complications because they got to it early. Also for your back pain, check out Curamin by Terry Naturals. It's made from Curcumin (a compound in the spice turmeric) and works better than Naproxen or any other oral painkiller I've ever used and it's completely natural with the only "side effect" being it prevents cancer and gives you a little curry flavoured burp now and then. All allopathic painkillers for chronic pain murder the liver and kidneys when they need to break down the chemical compounds and detox them from your system.


All this talk of not realizing how badly injured you are reminds me that I really should keep an eye on that kind of thing myself. :smallredface:
I... Have a bad habit of having way too high of a pain tolerance. It's not been anything too serious yet(jaw injuries, a torn muscle or two, and various ear issues), but I really should work to keep myself healthy(and learn what various levels of pain really mean for me. In the case of the torn muscles, I waited about a week before visiting a doctor, despite being unable to move my arm for the duration and having it hurt bad enough to reduce my sleep >_< ).

Yes, health first always. I learned that lesson the hard way! Listen to your body :)

[Knaight]

I've been under anesthesia twice, once general once local. In the general case, I remember being about to be anesthetized, then it was over. I didn't perceive any changes - it's like I was sitting in a chair awake the whole time, and some point during that time the sun moved, the clock moved, and all medical stuff was done.

The local one I remember a bit better. It was for dental work (on baby teeth, thankfully), and while I could feel pressure while it was being done, I couldn't feel pain. Afterwards, my lower lip felt really swollen, with one bit in particular (likely a tiny nub) feeling like a big outgrowth. So, I bit said outgrowth off. It took a few tries, but eventually I got it all. After it wore off and I had mouth sensation and the swelling feeling was gone, I realized I'd actually chewed off most of my inner lower lip, down to the sturdier central layer. Eating really sucked for the next month or so.

[Aedilred]

I've had general anaesthetic four times that I can recall, and local a couple more times. Local anaesthesia is fairly straightforward: it just numbs the relevant area.

General anaesthetic, as people have said previously, is more like "losing time". It's not quite like sleeping, because when you wake up you have no real sense that time has passed. In my cases, they stuck a needle in my hand, told me to do the counting thing, I felt incredibly tired, closed my eyes, and hey presto I was awake again in a different room. It's momentarily jarring but I soon remembered what was going on. I'm pretty sure there was no dreaming involved, but obviously can't guarantee anything. In one case they had difficulty getting my blood pressure to normalise after I woke up, so they had to get me to lie flat (directly on the body part that had just been operated on!) which was, obviously, not very comfortable - but that was down to the surgery rather than the anaesthesia.

The first time I had general anaesthetic I woke up screaming. I was about thirteen, it was emergency surgery following a car crash, and something must have kept the shock and pain alive there even several hours later. It's possible too that the normal nil by mouth procedures hadn't been followed for as long as possible, given the emergency nature of the treatment, which might have had some impact. I felt pretty bad for a while afterwards, but again I suspect a lot of that was down to the surgery and the overall situation, rather than the anaesthetic per se. My subsequent experiences have generally been fine.

[Deprox]

I've been under general anesthesia about 10 times. Three times for surgery, six or seven times for endoscopy, one time for colonoscopy. All of those were via mask with gas, never got an IV for anesthesia.

Most of those had the "losing time" effect people have been mentioning. Whenever I have to be under anesthesia for endoscopy, I also seem to remember everything that happened during the procedure in a very blurry way (probably because the dose is small and you're meant to wake up in like 30-40 minutes). Like remembering the endoscope going inside my mouth, a weird movement in my stomach or the feeling of the endoscope being removed on my throat.

The colonoscopy one was the worst, they had to give me a stronger dose than usual because the regular dose was only getting me very groggy but conscious. It was a very weird feeling, because I could feel people around me but couldn't speak properly and I was trying to say I was still awake, but they seemed to realize it before starting the procedure.

On my adenoidectomy (which didn't work at all since it grew back), I remember reganing conscience at the table and resuming my previous conversation with the doctor, completely unaware that I had been sedated during that time. Luckily, the surgery was over, but the doctor seemed surprised I was up so soon.

[Kalmageddon]

To me, it always felt more like missing chunks of time than falling asleep. One moment you are awake, the next you are still awake but in an entirely different situation. Actually, you don't really "feel" that you are missing anything, at least I didn't. I realized I must have missed chunks of time because I didn't remember how I got in the situation I woke up in and teleportation isn't a thing yet, so obviously I must have gotten up from the hospital bed where I was being operated upon, sat on a chair and put a blanket over myself.
But I didn't remember it, in my mind it was all a continuous experience, only one that made no logical sense.

[Elderand]

Twilight anesthesia is fun. You don't fall asleep but you never remember it. One of the drug they give you actually prevent you from remembering the operation. You black out and when it wears off you don't remember a thing so you assume you were asleep. But you weren't. You were conscious, responsive, relaxed.

[Togath]

Isn't it kinda creepy to forget a period of consciousness though?(I've also heard that they often don't numb you, and that a lot of patients have to be held down, or scream in pain during it, which sounds... alarming :smalleek:)

[Kalmageddon]

Isn't it kinda creepy to forget a period of consciousness though?(I've also heard that they often don't numb you, and that a lot of patients have to be held down, or scream in pain during it, which sounds... alarming :smalleek:)

It's not creepy because the context is a safe one. You know why you are in that situation and you expect to feel a little weird afterwards. You know the doctors just did their job and that was it.
As far as being held down screaming in pain, that sounds like the aesthetician messed up. I guess it's not unheard of, but it's most definitely not the intended procedure. Anesthesia exist exactly so you don't have to operate on a patient that's moving around in unbearable agony.
If you're going to include borderlike cases like that, I'd be more worried about the surgery failing alltogether or the doctor forgetting a piece of garze or a pair of scissors in your innards. It's highly unlikely.

[thorgrim29]

Never been under general anesthesia. My mom was twice and remembers waking up during the surgery both times though. Since an uncanny resistance to painkillers, alcohol and other stuff in that vein (which I seem to share) runs in that side of my family I'm not looking forward to it.

I had local anesthesia for my wisdom teeth removal.... I don't remember the pain being too bad at the time but a few hours after was another matter. They took all 4 out, I think one was starting to pierce, and the dentist nicked the inside of one cheek so I was hurting pretty bad for a few days afterwards. At least I didn't get an abscess like my brother. I mainly remember the smell of the drill going through the teeth.

[Peelee]

Isn't it kinda creepy to forget a period of consciousness though?(I've also heard that they often don't numb you, and that a lot of patients have to be held down, or scream in pain during it, which sounds... alarming :smalleek:)

Nope. Not creepy at all. I mean, you're expecting to go in for some sort of surgery; it's not like you're walking down the street and suddenly blink and eight days have passed. You're in the hospital, you meet the anesthesiologist (at least, I always have; I'm also lucky enough to live in a place that, for all its faults, has a world-famous, first-rate medical education system), and then you're waking up and everything's all done and taken care of. Hell, I find it comforting.

Also, they don't numb you.... for the numbing you? I've had the gas once (told to count down from ten. I don't even think I got to 8), and all the others I've already had IV hooked up, and I assume they just inserted the stuff into the line. No restraint needed, no screaming in pain, no horror stories at all.

[Knaight]

Isn't it kinda creepy to forget a period of consciousness though?(I've also heard that they often don't numb you, and that a lot of patients have to be held down, or scream in pain during it, which sounds... alarming :smalleek:)

In this context no. If a period of consciousness was being forgotten because of some brain defect, then I'd have a problem, this is just an indication of the anesthesia doing it's job. Plus, you forget most periods of consciousness eventually. I've been conscious for about 15 years, by my estimate. Do I have 15 years worth of memories? Not even remotely, the vast majority of those 15 years of consciousness have been forgotten, as tons of it is going to be information like the entire breakfast experience on a particular day 17 years ago, repeated over and over. Very few people have the sort of recall to store that.

[acire]

I've underwent surgery a total of 14 times, once as an adult and 13 times before I was thirteen.

The gas smells unpleasant (though at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital they added smells like root beer to the anesthesia) but not terrible. The doctors told me to count back from ten after administering the gas; I was awake for a couple of seconds after the count, long enough for them to call out to see if I was still awake and put the IV in. I couldn't answer because 1) there was a mask over my mouth 2) I felt too groggy though not out yet. I didn't feel any pain when the needle went in, though I did feel pressure as the needle penetrated my skin. Every time that I remember (some surgeries were when I was a baby or otherwise too young to have very many memories), I have woken up after the surgery a bit groggy and dry-mouthed.

As far as memory issues, not remembering the surgery is no more disturbing than not remembering what happened around you while you were asleep.

I've never underwent "twilight" anesthesia, so I can't describe it.

[Togath]

At least it sounds like patients asking for the operation to stop/screaming in pain while under twilight anesthesia is not a real/common thing.:smallsmile:
But... If you're numbed enough for surgery, why do you have to have memories of it blocked? Are a lot of people just too nervous to want to remember being conscious during it?

[Peelee]

But... If you're numbed enough for surgery, why do you have to have memories of it blocked? Are a lot of people just too nervous to want to remember being conscious during it?

Local and general anesthesua differs.

Local is numbing a certain part of your body, like mouth for oral surgery. You're conscious the whole time, and generally remember everything, so long as you're not incredibly loopy from it (I've never been).

General knocks you the hell out. It's usually for bigger procedures, and that's what gives you the time loss sensation.

[Togath]

I more meant specifically twilight anesthesia, where you are supposedly awake, but forget the experience when you "wake up".

[Peelee]

I more meant specifically twilight anesthesia, where you are supposedly awake, but forget the experience when you "wake up".

Aha.

Yeah, this thread I'd the first I've ever heard of that.

[Togath]

Maybe it's not actually very common?
I only heard about it a few weeks ago for the first time, so it might be an obscure/not real thing perhaps.

[Kalmageddon]

Maybe it's not actually very common?
I only heard about it a few weeks ago for the first time, so it might be an obscure/not real thing perhaps.

A quick Google search plus remembering that I was actually subjected to it once reveals that it's a real thing.
It's not used for any complicated procedures and you are still sleepy and numb during it. It's used when real, hardcore anesthesia would be overkill, since twilight anesthesia is safer and has a much shorter recovery time.
It is also used when patient's feedback during the operation is useful.
I was subjected to it when I had a cyst removed. I formed fragmentary memories of the event but I didn't feel any pain. It's neither as bad nor as creepy as you seem to assume.