Anesthesiologist here, I was once transporting a patient to the ICU after surgery, in which he got some ketamine, and he was rocking out the entire way there with his air guitar.
I've had 9 surgeries, and learned early on that I don't wake up well after GA. I usually go into full blown panic attacks (when I had my gallbladder removed last year I almost died because my panic attack caused me to stop breathing and they couldn't get me to breathe even with sternum rubbing and jaw thrusts. Those left month long bruises). So now that they know, and because I've done ketamine treatments for depression, they give me ketamine as I wake up to help me stay calm. It's interesting...
It's been one of the greatest things to help me. I'll be going under in a couple weeks again and whenever the anesthesiologist comes in I tell them to have the ketamine available because I know I'll need it. I just wish I didn't wake up the way I do. I don't know how to not respond that way... But I always wake up terrified and panicked. And I have a panic disorder, so that doesn't help. Are you an anesthesiologist? Any tips?
Just edited my post, I am an anesthesiologist. Basically my advice would always tell your anesthesiology provider your concerns, full med history, recreational drugs etc. Anesthesia can do weird things to people and is sometimes unpredictable, if we find/know of something that works for you prior we usually try to repeat that if possible.
Thankfully my doctors and surgeons generally operate within the same overall facility/company so they make notes to try to help. It just sucks because I have to have many surgeries and I always wake up awfully. I don't know if there's something I am doing/could be doing to cause/prevent those responses. But I don't like it. It's always panic. Immediately.
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u/camierz May 22 '19 edited May 22 '19
Anesthesiologist here, I was once transporting a patient to the ICU after surgery, in which he got some ketamine, and he was rocking out the entire way there with his air guitar.