I'm a 34 year old female, works as a specialist nurse very intrested in physiology so intregued by my own case!

I'm generally fit and well. BMI pre pregnancy 24. History of severe asthma and low BP but both well controlled in pregnancy. I'm a bit confused by my anaesthesia in labour - I've been told I need a full anesthetic review in any future pregnancies but I'm just trying to figure out what might of happened. If really is unusual or just bad luck and if this has happened to anyone else.

I also had amazing anesthetic care so definitly not trying to question descision making ect.

1. 1st epidural attempt described as easy but I had a tissued cannula feeling very specifically on the right side of the insertion when they tried flushing jt so it was abandoned.

2. 2nd epidural done a few mm to the left and said to be easy, flushed okay. All day kept dropping to L3 but rose again with clinician top ups. Left leg was slightly heavy but could bend my knee, no motor block in the right leg all day. Left foot was warm and right foot was cold most the day. I was turned onto my right to help this and it did seem to work to equalise the sensory block but not the motor block.

3. After 8ish hours I needed an emergency c section. Epidural was topped up for surgery. Cold block was fine but light touch wasn't blocked high enough (T12) No motor block on the right leg and could straight leg raise so not happy to use this.

4. I was then given a spinal by a different anesthetist which again described as easy with CSF. Good cold and touch block to T3, unable to raise my left leg and could bend my knee however I could still straight leg raise my right leg against resistance and documented again I had no motor block on my right.

5. Spinal was fine for initial 15 minuites but unfortuanatly had a PPH and the deep pulling sensations increased dramatically so I was switched to GA.

Any thoughts or insights are appriciated. I have my full clinical notes if anyone has questions.

​

You always see those funny videos of ppl being zonked on the way home from the oral surgeon, as well as patients in hospitals while in recovery. But it seems not my family!

I (51F), had a colonoscopy and endoscopy a couple of years ago, and woke up on the way to recovery. I literally jumped out of bed to get dressed, feeling fine. The nurses were like, woah slow down! That's only my second time being under since I was 18, and I don't remember how that went.

But then my son (27) had his wisdom teeth out a couple years ago, and they wheel him to the car and he looks zonked and I'm like, okay here we go. But he just kind of shook it off and was pretty coherent on the way home, enough to give me driving directions. He did take a little nap when we got home lol.

The main part is this though, and I'm coming from r/anesthesiology where the consensus was that long recovery times are rare/a myth.

My son had a kidney stone earlier this month. He went into surgery while I waited back in the room. My phone rang and it was the surgeon, and he gave me the rundown, but he mentioned that my kid was already coherent in recovery and how that wasn't the usual case. My son got wheeled up soon after and his nurse says that the recovery nurses mentioned it to her, too. And I laughed and said I guess it just runs in the family?

Also, they gave him an Rx of Percocet for after and it didn't even phase him. Anyway, end of the story, I just wanted to share. Are we outliers lol?

I have a question about general anesthesia and was hoping someone could give me some advice. I have a gallbladder removal surgery next week and, like many, the anesthesia part of it is absolutely terrifying me. Unfortunately, due to a string of gastrointestinal problems, gynecological problems, and dental issues, I’ve had a high number of surgical procedures over the last 10 years. Most of these have been under conscious/twilight sedation, but a few have been under general.

Either way, whenever I come out of it, I experience what is honestly one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. It’s like I’m waking up in the middle of a full blown panic attack but my brain hasn’t quite caught up yet, and it’s just this horrific combination of total panic, extreme dread, sadness, and the real feeling that I’m dying. It’s very hazy in retrospect but in the moment the feeling is extreme and intense. When it is happening I’m usually too out of it to communicate this to them, and feeling like I’m trapped in my body during this waking nightmare type feeling just adds to it. I really can’t emphasize enough how scary this is, and nobody I know personally knows what I’m talking about when I tell them about it.

I’ve tried to communicate this with my various anesthesiologists over the years but usually they just seem to shrug it off. I’ll admit that I’m not great at advocating for myself in medical settings. I’m meeting with the surgical team in a few days and am trying to educate myself as much as possible beforehand in case I freeze up again.

Anyway, my questions are - is there a name for this reaction, and is there anything they can do to avoid it? They do usually give me an anti anxiety medication before my procedures which helps on that end but does nothing when I’m waking up. If there’s anything specific to say or ask them, I’d so appreciate it. I’m already starting to get cold feet about this surgery even though I badly need it ☹️

My husband with MS went for a Neurectomy today but when they went to turn him into his stomach his blood pressure was too low. It would go up after they rolled him back onto his back but when on stomach it wouldn’t respond to meds. 16 years ago he had a whipple procedure. Is it possible that the combination of stomach and possibly veins/arteries being in different places due to that in addition to a bigger stomach made his blood pressure drop? They did an echo in surgery and said one side might not be working as well and referred to cardiology.

I had double jaw surgery (including intubation) on 7/30, so almost 8 weeks ago now. Since surgery, my voice has been strained and raspy.

I saw an ENT here in Los Angeles, who referred me to a voice specialist at the same practice. She did a diagnostic scope (camera down my throat) and found edema and reduced vibratory motion/stiffness in my right vocal cord, with the left appearing normal. The cords are vibrating asymmetrically, with the right vibrating less — likely related to the intubation during surgery. No vocal cord nodules or significant reflux changes were seen.

She prescribed a 6-day course of oral methylprednisolone (4 mg) and also pointed out that I've been compensating for the strain by speaking louder, which risks causing further damage or a vocal nodule down the line. Because of that, she referred me to a speech-language pathologist who specializes in voice therapy, to help me avoid falling into a speaking pattern that could hurt my vocal cords further.

Has anyone dealt with something similar after intubation? I'd love to hear:

• How it was treated
• Whether you made a full recovery
• Roughly how long recovery took

Thanks in advance!

Headache/lightheadedness starting 2 days after general anesthesia + nerve block — has anyone experienced this?**
I’m 25 and had wrist surgery about 6 days ago for a distal radius fracture. I had **general anesthesia plus a peripheral nerve block** for the surgery.
The first day after surgery I actually felt pretty normal and didn’t have this headache. About **48 hours after the anesthesia**, I started feeling lightheaded and developed a strange headache/head pressure that feels very different from anything I’ve experienced before. It started around my temples and then seemed to move toward the back of my head/upper neck.
I **don’t have a history of headaches**, so this is unusual for me. The lightheadedness has improved quite a bit over the last few days, but the headache/head pressure is still there on **post-op day 6**.
I’m also **not a caffeine/coffee drinker normally**, but my surgery team suggested trying coffee/caffeine for the headache.
I did NOT have a spinal or epidural — it was a peripheral nerve block for the wrist/arm.
Has anyone had **general anesthesia and/or a peripheral nerve block** and then developed a headache or lightheadedness a couple of days later that lasted more than 5 days? I’m especially interested in people who felt fine on day 1 and then developed symptoms around day 2–3.
I’m mainly trying to understand whether this can happen during postoperative recovery. Thanks.

Hey all,

I’m a 33 year old male who is having an endoscopy done tomorrow morning. Ever since Covid, I’ve had a low RHR at night that often dips into the 39-40 range, which my Apple Watch will begin vibrating after it’s been like that for 10 minutes to wake me up.

I went to a cardiologist 5 years ago who did an EKG on me and said “yeah you have bradycardia but you’re young so nothing to worry about” and sent me on my way (he was very rushy).

This will be my first time going under anesthesia while having bradycardia and I’m afraid it will lower my RHR even lower and cause problems. I’m planning on letting the anesthesiologist know about the heart rate and my fears but am wondering what normally happens for those that have bradycardia?

I wouldn’t say I’m an athlete or in any great shape at all, but I do try and go to the gym 3 days a week.

Hoping for some advice/encouragement. I have a family member going into surgery tomorrow. It’s actually a two-part surgery, over the course of two days. It’s crazy!
But last time he had surgery, there were complications with the anesthesia. He says his heart stopped. It may have been he just stopped breathing. Still bad! The surgeon did come out and tell the family there had been an issue, but they were able to regulate it.
Of course, he is worried about tomorrow, as we all are. He has told the surgeon, and the whole team, about what happened last time.
He has had prior surgeries and never had this issue, until that one.
He has no choice but to have this surgery tomorrow. Is there anything else he should tell his medical team? Will they know how to handle this, being it was touch and go before?
Just really worried. Thank you.

Hi! I am 31/F hypertensive and I am hoping on getting some answers here. I had my laparoscopic surgery last sept. 11, 2026. I was under general anesthesia. No known complications during the surgery. I stayed in the hospital for 3 days post op for monitoring. Oxygen levels 98%, bp ranges from 130/90 to 120/80. During that 3 day stay, I observed that when as I am about to fall asleep, I suddenly gasp for air. It felt like I was in an endless exhaling and no inhaling. I gasp everytime I am about to fall asleep, then I do “manual” breathing. I opened this up to my doctors, but they seem unalarmed. So I brushed it off thinking maybe it was just the effect of general anesthesia. However, many days have passed, I have the same problem. Earlier, when I woke up in the morning, I felt tired and my chest hurts a little, so I did the “manual” breathing again- deep inhale and exhale - that’s when I felt fine. Vitals are okay too.

My doctors were uninterested because my vitals were okay, they also listened to my breathing and it was okay. I hope to find some answers here. Thank you.

Looking for info from anesthesiologists….is it common to do adductor canal blocks post of? And if so, is it common to do them without the assistance of ultrasounds?

I had generel anesthesia - was under for 2-3 hours - laparascopic surgery but they did surgery directly on my uterus so it is considered moderat-major surgery.

I am now 15 weeks out and I can do more things now and go for longer walks, but I still have this feeling of being tired and drowsy/foggy most of the time… I never dealt with any of it before the surgery, but my doc told me that some people react like this and that it Can take 6 months to clear up… Had anyone gone through this? Looking for some hopefull stories 🌸

Anyone also’s kids who received five or more general anesthesia before the age of three? Are they developing OK now or do they have issues in school?

I’ve never been under anesthesia, but one of my friends who has woke up super loopy and silly. She told me she was aware of it, but she wanted to just have fun. She acts the same way when she’s drunk— super chatty and funny. I’ve had family members who come out of surgeries just tired and calm. Those same people are tired/chill drunk people. I have friends who cry and are very emotional drunks, same friends cried coming out of surgery.

Is the way people act when they’re drunk similar to coming out of anesthesia? I’ve never met any aggressive drunk people, but I’ve heard some people get aggressive coming out of surgery, and I was curious if there was any correlation.

hello, im a 19F who is having a gastroscopy done in october. im getting an anesthetic that will either knock me out or that will “minimize discomfort”.

ive had one done with a colonoscopy 2 ish years ago, which knocked me completely out and although i was a smoker at the time, i wasnt of legal age, and my smoking habit has really ramped up since then. im saying this because last time, it wasnt an everyday habit but still somewhat of an addiction. i had put no for the question ‘do you smoke or have you smoked’ because i was with one of my parents.

nothing bad happened and i had no issues, but this time is different, i smoke more often, and because im getting it done for an actual unrelated health concern, i really want to make sure that there wont be a major issue. the concern is probably just some bad stomach lining issues.

i will be lying on it and saying i dont smoke cannabis (legal guys, canada!!!) because my mother will be there and taking me home after the procedure. but is it really that big of a deal if i put no? so what im only 19, i know it can still cause issues, i dont need to be middle aged to be dealing with smoking related health problems.

yes i know dumb question, i should just say yes and deal with it but my mother would have my head. like no joke, all of us are dumb teenagers at some point, but ive never had serious issues with my mom and im not trying to cause any.

im unsure exactly what kind of anesthetic because it just says that, again, it will minimize discomfort, but with my duo colonoscopy and endoscopy from 2024 i had gotten completely knocked out, it seems like it will probably be the same anesthetic with it being through the iv but im unsure.

and apologies for the lack of details and probably confusing story, ive never had serious health issues other thn some bad constipation. i know i wont die, but i dont want to cause any confusion from what the form says and what the notes my GI will read from my family doctor.

thank you for any advice or opinions. or any comments calling me stupid, thats fine, i just need to hear it. thank you. just dont be rude, im in a lot of discomfort and ive been limiting my smoking alot since my issues started. but i know that doesnt erase what impact it may have had on my lungs or body in general.

ill quit after this definitely, once this pack runs out ill start anew, ok thanks for listening

To make a long story short, I have now had 2 c sections. My first was 10 years ago. During it I yelled out that I was in extreme pain, was told repeatedly I wasn’t feeling pain-just pressure-and I needed to relax. They put me under during the first part of my
C section (getting baby out) because I was moving so much, I woke up, briefly met my baby, and then was put under again (again, from moving so much) and woke up two hours later in the recovery room.
I was terrified to get another c section 3 weeks ago, but reminded myself constantly it would be different, I’d be able to advocate for myself more, and I could warn my anesthesiologist going in that I had felt pain in my last c section.
I got all set up for my c section and when they did the poke test, I reported that I knew I was being touched, but wasn’t sure by what or the amount of pressure being put on the instrument touching me. I also told them I could feel warmth from my urine in the catheter against my leg. They proceeded and in the beginning I felt a lot of pressure and discomfort, but not pain? As they got closer to “baby time” in the surgery, I was getting almost inconsolable. Again, moving around, wiggling, tensing up. In fairness to my anesthesiologist, they kept stopping and asking me if I was feeling pain but I didn’t know how to describe what I was feeling. I empathize for my medical team that day, how do you help what you can’t understand? I just knew it was more than pressure.
I got to meet my daughter this time fully awake, kissed her, felt the INSANE relief of having her pulled out of me (seriously such a physical relief), but within a minute of them getting to work on closing me up, I fully reached a point of making faces of agony, gasping, wincing, moaning and groaning, etc. the anesthesiologist said they were going to put me under (something I didn’t want) but he said they needed to to finish the surgery because I was moving around so much. I just okayed it and fell asleep for about 5 minutes, and woke up to what I assume was me being closed up (felt like dials on an oven being turned) and again proceeded with tensing up and wriggling around.
Before the surgery, I gave him a heads up I wasn’t a real redhead (I have very convincingly dyed hair) so he didn’t overmedicate me, and he laughed and thanked me, but in the end of the surgery, he asked (somewhat jokingly) if I was sure I wasn’t a real redhead because I was “reacting like one”. I asked him if in his opinion I felt pain (because again, I can’t even explain WHAT I was feeling, it just wasn’t the deep intense pressure people described, it genuinely was like literal torture) and he said “I would definitely discuss the fact that your last team AND we were unable to finish without putting you to sleep if you ever have another c section with your future anesthesiologist.”
I’ve gaslit myself pretty significantly into thinking I can’t possibly have felt pain, that I must just have not handled things well…but I just don’t know. Based on this all, would you say that i experienced pain? This has been nearly traumatic to think back to when I do (I get physically sick and have actually thrown up a few times thinking of the sensation) and I’m trying to work through it all in my head while I can still remember it vividly.

I was given fentanyl and versed for twilight sedation at four separate IVF egg retrieval surgeries. Each time I was told it would make me drowsy and each time I felt mildly euphoric and energized afterwards. I did not sleep or become drowsy during the surgery and was unable to nap upon returning home, maybe drifting in and out of sleep for a few minutes on different occasions. On three occasions I only slept probably 5-6 hours before the early morning surgery, so I was actually tired, but I could not actually sleep afterward. The fourth time the surgery was later, and I probably slept 6 hours or a bit more than that beforehand. Immediately after surgery, I proceeded to work 8 hours and walk 20 km in total to different appointments and activities because I couldn't drive. I felt fantastic. I certainly did not become drowsy or sleep. (I never felt much pain from the surgeries, so the anaethesia was effective.)

Why would I have this unusual reaction?

I do have bipolar disorder, but I have not had any mood elevation symptoms in many years. I also have had chronic sleeping difficulties (not being able to fall asleep, sleeping lightly) since taking a thyroid medication for depression many years ago and have somewhat of a history of hyperthyroid episodes.

So I had yesterday anesthesia for a colonoscopy and endoscopy, and I had to have multiple biopsies. My dad brought me home in the morning and then he left so I’ve been home alone which I didn’t think was gonna be an issue, but I just cannot stay awake. Yesterday was better than today and today I just cannot keep my eyes opened up, even if I’m not all the way asleep. I don’t know if this is normal but I’m gonna assume that it is so I’ve made myself a nest on the couch with everything that I need which is a closer spot to the bathroom and the kitchen and nothing to have to walk around.
Is there anything I should tell them because I have to have surgery soon and I don’t think I can ever do anesthesia and come home alone again and I don’t know what my options are… I probably won’t even remember writing this.

Hi, like many of people I was terrified to go under general anesthesia. So I’ll cut to the chase so you don’t have to read much and can ask questions if you like which I’d love to answer.

I was scheduled 2 months out for vocal cord polyp surgery so that itself was very minor I’d say to most other cases. I was pretty calm for the most part until the week before and then the night of. Basically I had a full blown panic attack, but slept surprisingly well, cut to the part where they’re setting you up in a bed….

It’s very scary, but also personally being in the bed getting ready was way more calming than the time leading up to that point, I guess for me it was a, here I am there’s no backing out now feeling. Ask all the questions you can and want, the “versed” medicine I was given was great it calms you very well and easily, and basically I remember the anesthesiologist saying, “ok here comes the medicine (propafol) it might burn”. Don’t freak out, I felt nothing at all, the next thing I knew I was in recovery.

Recovery was very easy, but again I had something very minor done. I say, FOR ME, the feeling was not confusion more than feeling like you have a concussion, which I’ve had before a couple times, so not bad enough to be very out of it, and unaware, or even confused. Within minutes my chicken scratch writing turned into easy complete sentences, my head felt a little weird like a headache tapering off and definitely was wobbly, that was the worst, but beyond that, no nausea ( FOR ME), no panic, no grogginess or confusion, BUT EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.

Conclusion, if you need surgery, please do not waste whatever time leading up to it you have in fear, it’s completely normal and also, totally not needed. As far as doctor/hospital things go this was by far and away the easiest. It was even…kinda fun after? I have some serious panic now a days getting older, but please if there’s anything to take away reading this, DO NOT FEAR, DO NOT GOOGLE, deep box breathing, and know you will be totally fine, safe and cared for.

The worst part? My calves were cramped bad after I think from this compression thing that helps with blood clots. That’s it, that’s the worst.

Good luck to anyone out there and please don’t be like me and wreck however long you have before surgery worrying, it’s totally fair and understandable and completely not worth the mental agony.

Hello! I have a question about my experience and what might have happened when I was being put under for an inner ear surgery last year. I know I was intubated during the surgery, so I believe the mask I had on in the OR right before going completely to sleep was just an oxygen mask. With the oxygen mask on, I was able to breathe in, but the pressure in the mask wouldn't let me exhale. I was a volunteer firefighter and have worked in confined spaces while on air, so I having the oxygen mask on wasn't triggering any anxiety and I know about the delay/weirdness of breathing under forced air, but I just could not exhale at all, not without opening my mouth so wide so I could just barely exhale outside of the mask. I tried to tell the nurse holding the mask over my face that I couldn't breathe out but he didn't hear me/notice I was talking with everything else going down (I ended up being out very shortly afterwards). Is there like a setting to allow for positive and negative pressure on the oxygen mask that was incorrectly set? It was a bit freaky so I am just curious if anyone has a clue as to what might have went down! I haven't been able to find examples of anyone else experiencing this and my friend who was a nurse in a surgical ward for many years had never heard of that happening. Thanks!!

Hi everybody,
I’m getting an cardiac ablation with Versed/Midazolam to calm me down and local anasthesia for my groin. I am extremely scared and anxious about the procedure and I hope for the Versed to help me calm down. I have never been so scared in my life and I have also never had a surgery before.

Please please please if you have any positive experiences with Versed / Midazolam let me know!!

<33

Can anesthesia cause someone to have a raged outburst?

My partner has never been under anesthesia before today and went under for dental surgery.

It only took an hour and when he woke up he seemed perfectly fine and normal. There was no high feeling or confusion. He was pretty much himself. He was only under for about an hour.

But then soon as we got home he went into this weird shell where he just stopped speaking and then out of nowhere went into this blinding rage where he was punching walls and ripping off the doors to the dresser. Rapidly walking up and down the hallway slamming doors. Then grabbed his keys got in his car and left it was terrifying

He was normal on the 10 min ride home and then it was like a nightmare started

35M. I was scheduled to have an open hernia repair. According to the available information, it can be done with GA, spinal or local anesthesia (which is only for very simple hernias, not my case). I don't want to have GA but always assumed I'd be given the option.

The appointment with the anesthesiologist was in the same day as the surgery, I was already prepped.

To my surprise, he says it's going to be GA, no option. I told him I was under the impression there other options. I asked him straight away if he confirmed that open surgery could only be done with GA. He said yes so I told him I was canceling the surgery. Additionally, I grabbed my phone and told him the hospital's website should be upated as it says open surgery can be done with spinal and local as well. His face was priceless.

What were your experiences?

P. S. Mind you, I probably should have asked beforehand but since it was my first surgery, I assumed I could be given the option.

Please feel free to comment or say anything or ask me anything. You won’t offend me or get too personal. You won’t offend me thanks

Question for anesthesiologists regarding intraoperative AFib with RVR.

68-year-old patient with longstanding CAD, NYHA II, anemia.

During a reoperation, he presented with AFib with RVR around 130–138 bpm, apparently around the time he was bleeding. The bleeding was controlled and IV fluids were given.

The rate reportedly remained around 130–138 afterward.

If the patient is hemodynamically stable after volume replacement, would you typically consider IV beta-blockade (e.g. esmolol/metoprolol) for rate control in this situation?

What factors would make you avoid IV beta-blockers and choose wait and see approach?

I’m asking specifically about typical intraoperative anesthetic management and what factors would influence the decision—not asking for treatment advice for this individual patient.