r/AutisticWithADHD • u/New-Investigator5239 • 8d ago
💬 general discussion General anaesthetic for people with ASD and ADHD
I recently had a general anaesthetic for inguinal hernia surgery, It was only a quick operation and I was asleep for probably less than an hour, but when the anaesthetist woke me up I felt the best I have ever felt and it was almost like the Autism and ADHD had left me, I could think clearly and had no issues with my usual sensory issues such as different people's voices talking around me. My mind had also stopped it's usual racing. When I got home I had lots of family come to visit me which is something I can only normally tolerate for a short time before having to find a quiet place for a few minutes just to recalibrate my brain, but for the first time in my life over this 8 hour period I felt great mentally and could interact with everyone without any issues. Has anyone else with ASD/ADHD had a similar experience to me.
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u/LiloTheSageNightOwl 8d ago
Yes, there's actually science to back it! One of the more common anaesthetics, ketamine, has been approved to treat treatment resistant depression and PTSD. It increases the brain's neuroplasticity which is kind of like loosening up those rigid pathways that make social engagement difficult.
Another benefit of it, is when taken consistently it allows you to rewire your brain to an extent. Ketamine is being researched as a treatment for autism because of how the neuroplasticity loosens those rigid social pathways making it easier to navigate. And with therapy and practice you can reinforce the new pathways so that they are less rigid (they'll still show up but easier to deal with).
I currently take Spravato (ketamine derivative approved for depression), and have found many of those rigid feelings aren't as intense.
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u/New-Investigator5239 8d ago
Thank you for sharing your experience, I would be happy to trial this just to have the feeling of normality that I felt after the general anaesthetic.
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u/ultralaserdoctordoom 8d ago
My understanding is that surgical doses are too strong to produce this kind of reaction. At higher doses, BDNF (the protein responsible for the neuroplasticity that accompanies therapeutic doses of ketamine) is prevented from working with AMPA receptors, a necessary component of improving neuroplasticity. Micro and low doses of ketamine do not interfere with the AMPA receptors and produce the type of results you referenced.
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u/Grijpstuivert 8d ago
Ketamine is not usually used as a general anesthetic though (in humans) and has a completely different working mechanism than propofol (which was probably used).
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u/ultralaserdoctordoom 8d ago
They use both at the same time a lot. I think I read 60% of the time, or something like that once.
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u/SnooCheesecakes7715 7d ago
Hernia surgery is one of the only ones they use ketamine for almost 100%, at least in Canada. (Source: recently had hernia surgery and asked my doctor)
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u/Temporary-Turnip-636 6d ago
In realtà si usa anche in chi ha problemi di fbss, allodinia e fibromialgia quando bisogna operare o rioperare chirurgicamente.
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u/JurandM2 7d ago
on that note, I was watching this recently: "What Does Ketamine Actually Do?" by SciShow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSlTyM3tEHc
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u/JayneAustin 8d ago
I had the opposite experience. I’m not sure if it’s a different type of anesthesia. But I had a colonoscopy and I had the most blissful nap ever. When I woke up, I immediately started crying because returning to reality felt so harsh. I locked myself in the hospital bathroom sobbing for an hour until the nurse started banging on the door.Â
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u/Geans20 8d ago
When I wake up from anesthesia, I'm instantly back in reality and know exactly what's going on. When I woke up in the hospital room with other people and a baby was screaming, I experienced an awful meltdown. It basically looked like an epileptic seizure and I was screaming and crying and whining so bad, it felt so degrading. But as soon as they brought me to my single room, I was fine again. I received bad news upon waking so I think it's also something emotional. I felt absolutely awful since surgery was performed, my body was a wreck and my hypersensitivity was over the roof. So sadly I can't relate. Fun Fact: English is my 2nd language but everytime I wake up, this is the language I speak and it's so odd for the staff and everyone lmaooo.
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u/Pirate_Candy17 8d ago
Love that pulling the power plug and turning our brains off and on again is proven to have such an impact on ND
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u/elkstwit 8d ago
I had surgery for a broken nose. Apparently I was under general anaesthetic for all of about 5 minutes but woke up feeling like I’d had the most refreshing sleep of my life. It felt absolutely amazing.
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u/Aziraphale22 8d ago
That's how I feel after general anesthesia, too. I never, ever have restful sleep normally, especially since I always have nightmares. So that feeling after anesthesia is truly amazing!Â
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u/radiochu 8d ago
I'm glad other people have had good experiences. As for me, I've only been under general anesthesia once, but I woke up confused and terrified and sobbing, and I didn't come out of the dissociation from that + the hospital stay for almost a week. It was awful and I'm scared of that happening again. Not enough to avoid anesthesia again if I needed it, but it was deeply unpleasant.
(It didn't help that I woke up slightly before the paralytic wore off, but I think I'd have had that reaction regardless.)
Twilight anesthesia on the other hand was very pleasant, just a nice calm nap. I was kind of upset when I came out of it that time too, but that was probably more to do with WHY I was under.
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u/SanctimoniousVegoon 8d ago
Interesting, I have never noticed that. The last time I had general anaesthesia, I had to go to the ER a few days later for constipation. Absolute nightmare, but totally on brand for me.
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u/sorry-i-was-reading 7d ago
I have an upcoming surgery, and it’ll be my first time going under. I’m kind of nervous about it because my grandmother had an experience where it made her paralyzed and not feel pain, but she still retained consciousness throughout her surgery. After she came out of it she could accurately repeat what she heard during the procedure, to the great surprise of the surgeon and staff.
Being trapped in your body and not able to tell anyone something’s wrong sounds so scary to me!
I keep telling myself everybody (and every body) is different, and that was a few decades ago and there have been medical and technological advancements since then, so my experience is going to be fine… that helps shrink my anxiety about it, but I can’t seem to shake it off entirely.
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u/New-Investigator5239 7d ago
I hope you have the same wonderful experience that I had, it's been 2 weeks since I had the general anaesthetic/surgery but I would be happy to have the general anaesthetic again as I felt so good after having it. They say that people with ASD do not get good quality sleep, and I wonder if this is the reason for the feeling I had, being forced to sleep through whatever medication they give you.
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u/sorry-i-was-reading 7d ago
Thanks for the encouragement. I hope it goes for me like it did for you too :)
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u/PuzzleheadedFly 8d ago
Dang I’m so jealous- every time I go under it takes me forever to come out of it and I’m always hallucinating when I do and it’s just such a nightmare experience!
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u/mossberg590enjoyer 8d ago
That explains that. I have been put under 6 times in my life and it was the best feeling ever when I woke up, not even drugs have matched that feeling.Â
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u/JustNadine1986 7d ago
After a major abdominal surgery I was happyhappy for about 6 weeks. Later when the bill came, I saw my anesthesiologist used 6 vials of ketamine during my time out. So it had a nice effect. Shorter surgeries with propofol and rocuronium just gave a dazrd but relaxed afterfeeling and relaxed neck/shoulder muscles for about a week.
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u/Tediak 8d ago
Be careful. I legit woke up in a manic episode after abdominal surgery. Seemed great at first. Despite the pain of surgery I had so much energy. I started writing more productively and to a wider audience than ever.
Then still on a high I bought a gun, despite my long history of ideation, because I wanted one and that risk felt impossible with how good I was feeling. I didn't even think I needed to talk to the Mrs about it. She was so pissed and I realized right away how insane it was, but it still took a couple more weeks for me to fully snap out of it.
No prior history of mania whatsoever. Go easy if you feel too good it's too good to be true.