General anesthetic. What's it like then?

Like everyone else says, they put a needle in your arm and give you oxygen, you feel a warm tingling sensation then you wake up feeling a little groggy. It passes within 30 mins or so and then you're just sat there twiddling your thumbs 'till they let you out.
 
Had a general and a neural block during Xmas week for two operations related to the same accident, the general was painless besides the lies about banana flavour (I don't remember being groggy), the neural block was quite peaceful and surreal while my hand was repaired... But ~12 hours later it was scarey having a dead weight arm that I had no control over!
 
The ga will be fine although you may feel rough for a few days afterwards.

You'll go into the anaesthetists room and they put some stuff in the cannula that's in your arm and then you'll awake in the recovery room.

Ever wondered what being dead is like? Having a ga is pretty much the closest you'll get to it - it's so unlike sleeping it's untrue - it'll be like a missing gap from going under to coming round - it's most odd.

When you come round you'll pull out the intubation from your throat, but you'll have no recollection of that. You may have a sore throat, although that is uncommon. You'll be pretty weak for a couple of days, plus you should expect your emotional levels to be all over the place too.

You'll be fine - good luck :)
 
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Attu90 said:
I have always felt like crap when waking up ��, if they would let me sleep if off I'd be OK but they always insist on waking you up.

Saying that its a long time since I've been under so things could have changed since then.
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Same here. Got put under about 20 years ago and awoke to a mega hang over. Also remember the anaesthetist telling me I'd fall asleep in 10 seconds and trying to fight it.. I lasted about 3 seconds.
 
My top tip (as an ex anaesthetist) is to take a bag of salt and vinegar crisps with you. Due to the way it works your body will be craving salt when you wake up - just don't eat em straight away or they will come back even quicker! Hide them from the nurses though they disapprove of such things.
 
It's also worth remembering you're not insured to drive a car within 24 or 48 hours (I can't remember) of a general anesthetic.
 
Barry McFungus Pants said:
Ever wondered what being dead is like? Having a ga is pretty much the closest you'll get to it - it's so unlike sleeping it's untrue - it'll be like a missing gap from going under to coming round - it's most odd.

When you come round you'll pull out the intubation from your throat, but you'll have no recollection of that. You may have a sore throat, although that is uncommon. You'll be pretty weak for a couple of days, plus you should expect your emotional levels to be all over
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Felt same as sleep except I went off faster than usual. I never remember anything from sleep anyway so no difference.

I also woke up perfectly normally, no ill effects. I'm sure it effects people differently, and there are different anaesthetics, but just wanted to point out for OPs benefit it can be as uneventful as a nap.
 
ISTR commenting on a similar matter in the past.

Mostly it is fine!

But If it isn't (About 1% of the time), you might experience Drug induced Psychosis!

Though this condition is mostly associated with recreational narcotic abuse. It can (And most definitely does!:() occur with legitimately used medical anaesthetics!

(Go on, ask me how I Know? ;) :( )
 
Only time I had a general was about 17 years ago for a cataract operation.
I remember a momentary feeling of not being able to move, then waking up.
Did have a sore throat through.

Not sure if it still happens but I was also given a pre anaesthetic tablet that relaxes you.
I don't like needles and this just made me not care. No idea what it was!
 
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"I want you to count to 10"

1, 2....

It was like flicking a light switch, no sensation of going under at all, 1 second the anaesthetist is leaning over me & the next the nurse is telling me its time to wake up now. very bizarre. :D
 
had keyhole surgery on my knee.
remember the stuff being administered via canular, I felt quite euphoric for a few seconds, then I was woken up whilst being transferred from recovery ward to visiting ward and wondering what the hell was going on for a few seconds.

felt a bit crappy for a bit as I got up too late to have breakfast and I passed out a little later on whilst they were taking blood pressure, they then panicked and wouldn't discharge me, even though I explained it was just a combination of anaesthetic in my stsem and no food in my stomach,I was absolutely fine after I had stuffed my face with hospital sandwiches and biscuits :D I ended up self-discharging around 9pm, (I hate hospitals, they really depress me :( no way I was going to stay when I felt fine)
 
I've had a general anaesthetic 4 times in the last 5/6 years.
Never had any problems just feel a bit groggy when I've come round. As others have said it's not like sleeping your just completely out.
My record is getting from 10 down to 6 before I've ko'd :p
 
MassiveJim said:
theoretically could you fight it ?
if you went on a crank-esque rampage could you stay awake or would you just drop anyway ?
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It isn't the going to sleep that is the problem! The problem is when your body wakes up before your mind! (And your mind can see all that is going on but has no control over it! :eek:)
 
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