Bad general anaesthetic experience anyone.

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I am mildly autistic but normal intellectually and am very fit and healthy. I had an unpleasant experience at a school/ children’s dentist in Norwich the uk in the 80s. I had an intermediate tooth removed. This was when I was about 7 or 8. I was given a general anestetic very much under protest when I wasn’t being told what was going on. I had a bit of a meltdown which continued when I came round. I had I pneumonia shortly after and needed a chest X-ray in the local hospital then was sent home with antibiotics shortly following this. I had hardly eaten for a week during the pneumonia as I was coughing to the point of throwing up and felt ill. Unlike me as I am never ill. I have really hated the thought of GA in the future. I now have this fear that a GA would do something horrible to my brain after reading that a few people have had problems although i don’t think I experienced any cognitive issues. The pneumonia and bad experience was enough. I would probably not have thought of it if I hadn’t had this experience. My experience obviously as I work in IT so a not medical but this prompted me to look it up online which is a bad move. Haven’t had a GA since, the only operation I have really had since was having 2 wisdom health under only a local. I still don’t get why the person administering the GA couldn’t have just spoken to me like a human being which I am.

I wouldn't say it was bad, but back in 2005 I had general anaesthetic 8 times in three weeks due to having ECT. Every time I woke up with a headache. I don't think it was the anaesthetic though.

When I was five I had an eye operation. When I woke up, I threw up spectacularly everywhere. All over my bed. Since then I've always asked the anaesthetist for an anti-emetic before the surgery so that doesn't happen again. I've been fine since.

You had a general for a tooth extraction? Wow. That's crazy imo. Even when I had all four of my wisdom teeth out I only had twilight sedation. I've had GA several other times though, during major surgery in hospital. The first time was a badly broken wrist which needed to be reset and they knocked me out. I was only ten. I woke up afterward and told the surgeon I'd had a dream about the Bee Gees. He said that was impossible because people don't dream with GA, but I definitely had. He was rude and hostile about it as if I lied. Maybe the sedation wasn't strong enough or something.

Years later I had a very lengthy surgery. When I woke up I was hysterical and wanted to go back under because I'd seen my dead dad during the operation. I don't remember seeing him but I remember screaming and crying for them to knock me out again so I could keep talking to him. They sedated me with some kind of tranquilizer when I was being moved out of the operating theatre to recovery. Again I was told it was impossible that I had a dream or "saw" my father.

In terms of physical reactions no, I haven't had any problems. I can't do nitrous oxide / laughing gas because I can't metabolize it and I can stop breathing, but GA has always been OK.

the kinds of drugs they use and the medical and scientific knowledge professionals have gained since you were a child are tremendous. there are many options today for GA and "coming out" is much less difficult and dangerous once the procedure is over. Of course talk to your dr if you are concerned but I am pretty sure you will find today's processes and the way it is handled is much different and not as hard physically or emotionally. You can even get meds today to help anxiety before you begin .

As an adult I had 2 wisdom teeth out with just a local around my late twenties. I was concerned that if they sent me to the hospital they would try to get me to have a GA so I thought I would get it done at the general dentist and not mention my autism. It appears that these days they would probably not encourage you to have one after all.

Hmm... well this is not gonna be a pretty one ..After a head on collision ..And the leg got broke... in order not lose
any more leg length .. It was decided , my spiral fracture ,Had to be set with a external fixator . To keep the leg inline
Which was not clearly described to me that for 8 months would have three ten inch rods stuck through the bone above and below the fracture . And two more rods that attached the two sets together outside ,each side of the leg.
Anesthesiologist must of decided to turn of the IV of knock out meds before the fourth rod had been drilled through .
Was surreal to wake up with a tube in my mouth down my throat . With Doctors yelling at me dont pull the tube out of your mouth.. And stay still. GIVE ME A BREAK ! anyway was strapped down to OR table . And they continued to drill and insert another rod..And I started screaming .. And they said be quiet...OMG , the crazies are doing surgery .
I cannot stop yelling .. they start increasing the morphine .. After conciousness, did little for the pain..Slipped in and out of consciousness , every few seconds ..screaming then queit ..but During intermittant consciousness was in a instant dream state back and forth..similiar to a dream of flying a biplane in the clouds . But shocking back to conciousness
from pain....That was surreal too. Apparently finally lost conciousness after moving to the recovery room. Some 8 months later. They did a much better job of putting me under to remove them. Almost 5 months more still in a Walker.
Dtart to practice learning to Walk independantly again , with much long physical therapy ...hmm. maybe I got an excuse , TO NOT be trusting of doctors

If you're lucky the muscle relaxant will be given early and you can be a bit woozy before they start wheeling you around .
Halothane was fun...and you can remember everything before you go under.
Propofol is boring and like the fluranes, pretty much erase your memory from a little before administration.
Don't fear a general...talk to your anaesthetist..Tell him you have woken up mid surgery previously.
I guarantee you they'll have something better now.

That Doctor should have lost his license, for even suggesting that to a patient .....I might have stopoed the surgery right then and insiste on a better anesthesiologist..