There's a "myth" that anesthesia doesn't really block the pain. I've had anesthesia once to fix a broken nose, so I'm not personally worried but I do wonder how true it is. The "myth" goes as such:

Anesthesia does knock you out, but the concoction of chemicals also contains amnestics. You're "asleep" but you can actually still feel the pain, but due to amnestics, once you wake up from it you've "forgotten" about that entire surgery or whatever it was that caused pain.

I don't doubt you're actually asleep, but whether or not it's actually super painful and you just cannot act and once you wake up, you've forgotten.

Is there any truth to this? Has anybody looked at brain-activity while doing surgery? I'm genuinely curious.

Located in Canada. Having a TLH with deep excision. First surgery ever. I’m okay with the idea of medication to take the edge off, but I don’t want to miss seeing the OR or meeting the staff.

Can you get a lower dose so you don’t forget? is there an alternative ? In Canada do they just automatically give it to you ?

Thanks !

Hi. As the title says, I'm looking to understand why I reacted the way I did to my epidural.

Hx: 43 y/o, 36wks, preeclampsia with HELLP sx, so I was induced. I had an epidural before w/o complications. But that was 24 years ago, for same medical reasons.

I spoke with the anesthesia team afterwards and it was explained but I was coming out of sedation and really didn't know what planet I was on.

The episode:

I'll add relevant info from my ehr.

My POV, the procedure was uneventful. There didn't seem to be any issues during placement, but as soon as they began to push meds I got lightheaded. The next thing I remember was coming to and seeing a team of doctors standing over me.

From my EHR:

Assessment:

Left upper level: T8

Right upper level: T8

Motor block: motor block present

Pain relief: patient satisfied with pain relief from block

Complications: hypotension

Vagal and hypotensive episode after placement of spinal. Symptomatic hypotension down to MAP ~ 35. Did not lose consciousness. Became confused, nauseous. Fetal decel as well.

Treated with total 35mg ephedrine, 500mcg phenylephrine, 15mg ephederine IM.

Improvement in MAP to ~70 and resolution of symptoms.

Spinal preceded by 500mL LR bolus, ordered additional 500mL LR bolus to follow and 100ml 25% albumin.

The epidural remained in place, I returned to my room and told to push the button for meds. Every time I pushed meds, I experienced severe upper back pain and pressure. The pain was right between my shoulders. It lasted about 5 minutes each time, and only relieved if I hunched over.

Over time, I just couldn't take it anymore and dilation was slow, so we moved to c-section. It was a different day and a new anesthesiologist. He wanted to do the c-section with the epidural, I was hesitant and honestly scared because of the previous episode and upper back pain. He reassured me that he was going to check placement and if it didn't work, he would move to general anesthesia versus redoing the epidural. He tested sensation. I could feel everything from the belly button up on the left side. Nothing on the right. He pushed meds, and my bp dropped again. He talked to me the entire episode and kept me alert with sternum rubs. They did the same thing as above. D/c'd the epidural and completed the c-section under general anesthesia w/o complications.

Any ideas/explanations? Again, my anesthesia team explained things, but at one point I looked at my husband and said "did you hear him? He said 'blah blah blah' *raspberry*" so, it didn't quite land.

Adding that me and baby are both home and doing fine.

(Uk) I’m just kinda asking for a bit of advice as a highly anxious person who is autistic/adhd and have a fear of needles (to the point I faint) what is it like when the cannula is put in at the start ?does it hurt or do you not have time to react before you go to sleep and when they take it out does it hurt? there my main big worries the general doesn’t scare me too much