general anaesthetic

[scuba52]

Hi - Ive just joined. I think I am probably a lot older than most of you fellow sufferers but just wanted to say that I have suffered with emetophobia since the age of 11 and I am now 53. However since 40 when I had a new doctor who prescribed Seroxat which turned my life around. For the last 14 years my life has been so different and from not being able to travel outside my front door, I have been all around the world including Australia. However my fears have raised their ugly heads again as I am due to have a minor op in 2 weeks time and horror of horrors, am having to have a general anaesthetic - and one of the things you can get on coming round is nausea and vomiting. Needless to say this has set me back and am currently in a spiral of nausea and panicking. I do not know how to cope with this as have forgotten what this phobia was like. The fact that I am typing this at 1.46am will tell you that it has completely disrupted my sleeping!


Has anyone else had to contend with an operation and being emetophobic? Would welcome any help as am scared stiff.

[sillygirl]

Welcome to the site!


THe only experience I have had with anaesthtics was when I had my wisdom teeth out. They called in conscious sedation, so I wasn't totally out, but as far as I was concerned I was. They even gave me the maximum dose for my size because I kept setting the blood pressure monitor off! I guess I was more nervous than I realized! Anyway, I never v* or even felt n*. I had friends that told me when they woke up they v*d, so I was prepared, but I never even felt sick to my stomach. Luckily this happened during a period when my emet wasn't as bad. If I were you, I would just expalin your fear to your doctor and ask for something to help with the n* just in case when you wake up. I am pregnant right now and am already planning on asking for something during labor because I have heard that some women get n* and/or v* during labor and delivery.


Again welcome to the site! Everyone here is great. I'm sure you will find a lot of reassurance here.

[falon_17]

What is seroxat, if you don't mind me asking? I'm willing to try anything, and it sounds like good stuff! Anyway, welcome to the group! Everyone here is sooo supportive.

[missmls]

Hi Scuba. Im new to the site too. I've had general anaesthetic and when I awoke I had absolutely no problems. I have emet and informed my nurse of the severe panic attacks I get in fear of v*. She added an anti-emet drug to my IV as soon as I was in the recovery room. I work in the OR sometimes for x-ray and I've only seen a few people get sick. For the most part if you follow the NPO instructions, you will not be sick. Good luck with your operation! Dont worry yourself too much over it, worrying is usually the worst part!!

[65roses]

Welcome to the site. I've had over 35 ops and have general anesthesia about that many times. I've never once v' from it-- and some of the ops were intestinal issues. I've gotten nauseous, but usually if you tell them they will give you medications right away to make you feel better.


Good luck! If you have any other questions, let me know. I consider myself somewhat of an expert.

[junglemonkey]

Hiya,


I've had two operations with general anaesthetic(though I wasn't emet at the time) and didn't have any n*or v*!


Speak to the nurse or doctor about your fear and they should load you up with meds to help any n* you might get.


Good luck! I hope everything goes well [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[dord]

Hi Scuba,


I've been under a general more times than I wish to count and I've never even felt a twinge of nausea so please don't worry!! If it would set your mind at ease then tell the anesthesiologist (sp) about your fear. I know you'll be fine!!

[kate1966]

Hey...I am 40 and I just had a colonoscopy and endoscopy done and my doc asked me if i had any problems getting sick after anestesia and i said yes so he gave me zofran and phenergan...which are anti-emetics...just ask your doc for them and they will give them to ya....good luck..i was terrified of that very thing..and once i knew i would be ok with the meds ....then i was perfectly fine...good luck to you.

[peely]

Hey!! There's nothing to worry about, When I had a general
anasethic, I refused to co operate with anything until they had
given me a 12.5mg shot of stemitil in my bum!!! When I woke
up, the last thing I felt was sick and was more confused than
anything, f'ing n blinding at the nurses!! Just explain you are
emetophobic and they should come up with the goods!!!
xxxxxxx Good luck you'll be fine

[rasogommato]

I had some oral surgery done and was freeking out about getting sick from the meds..they gave me something, I think it was Keflax in my IV and I was good as gold...woke up feeling really out of it, I even hugged the doctor my girlfriend told me...definitely no nausea at all!

[scuba52]

Dear All


Thanks so much for everyone who came back to me! How nice that everyone knows what it feels like to have this fear and can sympathise.


Regarding Seroxat - this is Paroxetine and is a Serotonin uptake inhibitor. It can sometimes work very well for obsessional thoughts and feelings (stops your mind from playing the same thoughts over and over again). It worked very well for me and certainly on a normal day to day basis it works extremely well. I have heard that if it works for you it works really well, but other people just do not get on with it. With me I have no side effects from it whatsoever and got rid of my obessional vomiting thoughts and fears. As I said I eat out all the time (eat and drink too much really) and have flown all around the world. Whilst I still get a little nervous about flying, I think this is no more than a normal person would. Having flown to Australia and being 25 hours in the air pretty much cured me of any residual fear of flying. Also in the last 10 years I have taken up Scuba Diving which was quite a big deal - although I love this and have a diving holiday at least once a year. Again my love of diving exceeds my fear of being on boat - although I still worry about getting seasick!


The only downside of getting better is that when I was emetophobic I did not eat or drink much and studied everything I ate and drank. Once I got over it I put on quite a lot of weight. However would rather be overweight than have the phobia rule my life. Anyway once again thanks for everyone who came back to me with regard to anasthesia. I am having this done privately and have already sent a letter to the anaesthetists letting them know my fear, so hopefully they will write back to me and put my mind at rest.

[rasogommato]

Just out of curiosity, have you been sick (V) since you began the medication, if so, do you think it helped you deal with the incident?

[belle]

I had an endoscopy last May and was terrified about n and v. I was told they would give me an anti emetic in the iv. I woke up groggy and a tad bit queasy, nothing to even worry about(no n or v) but that could have justbeen from my nerves. Just be upfront withall you are dealing with aboutwhat you want and all ought to be ok!Hope it all goes well for you!

[happyteacher]

I had gallbladder surgery several years ago. I wasn't nauseus when I woke up, but I was later. I didn't vomit, but I did gagand faint on 2 separate occasions. The nursegave me aGravol shot and I was fine. I think the nausea was from the Demerol they gave me for pain rather than the anesthetic. Bear in mind I was very weak before my surgery.


A year later when I had my wisdom teeth out, the doctor gave me a new kind of anesthetic and I literally got up off the table half an hour later and went home! NO hangover, nausea or vomiting!


You'll be fine!

[tanyarn]

Hi Scuba. I have had 2 major operations in the last 10 months and I did not get sick with either of them. I was sure to tell the anestesiologist to put all the anti-nausea meds in my I.V. and he told me that todat that is standard procedure, wantng them or not. When I awoke from the first operation I did feel a bit nauseous but it was because the nurse in the recovery room had given me strong pain meds. and I do not tolerate them well. I told her I was very nauseous and she administered some anti-nausea meds. Took it away fairly quick and was fine after that. Same thing with the second operation. I had a cyst removed from my left ovary the second operation and it was less invasive (laproscopy) but it hurt a hell of a lot worse than the first. So I begged for some pain meds only to beg for some anti-nausea meds after they gave me the p ain meds. I have a strong stomach to begin with and my history with emet probably keep my from v*. Some people v/8 off of anything, even a simple headache.


So my advice is make sure the anestesiologistputs anti-nausea meds in your i.v.(which they do) and get them after your awake if your nauseous or not. It won't hurt you and they will prevent you from getting nauseous if you aren't already. Good luck and you'll be fine:O)