To ask you what general anaesthetic is actually like?

Anesthesia is completely different because its a combination of medicines. The first one completely relaxes your muscles so they can move you around without you fighting them. That's my favorite. It's like instant relief. The second knocks you out. You're not really asleep, you're not conscious which is bit different. You will not have dreams or feel like you've been asleep when you wake up.

I had a GA a few weeks ago. I don't remember the needle going in at all, but I remember them saying it would feel cold when the anesthesia went in and I remember thinking "that feels quite nice actually". I also remember that everyone was very kind. I can't remember going to sleep really, I just remember them putting the oxygen mask on me and then next thing I knew I was waking up in the recovery room, still feeling very sleepy.

I did start to feel very, very sick a couple of hours after waking up. The hooked me up to a drip with anti-emetic meds and within an hour I felt much better. They also gave me the same medication in tablet form to take home and I did have to take some the next morning. It takes a while for everything to leave your system.

On the whole it was ok. I felt really tired for a couple of days afterwards but I was told to expect that.

Can't comment on the mounjaro part but I also struggle to fall asleep and had no issue when I had a GA. Mine was an emergency procedure (ruptured ectopic) and it all happened pretty fast but the NHS were fantastic. Recovery was fine, I just felt a bit groggy for a few days.

Remember, the team do this day in, day out so you'll be fine.

I've had a GA 3 times, I actually love the feeling of going under, I realise from this thread I'm not the only one. My mum was quite teary once after a GA, I've felt a bit groggy initially on wakening but no real after effects, you do talk rubbish initially though.

I honestly would just sit and stew on them, write them down, bring them with you, better to stew on them, then get a bunch of wrong info or not relevant info and go in expect something very different.
You will have time to ask aftercare question and stuff before you discharge

I have had GA 4 times. I hate being out of control and asked would they just numb me instead. Major ops so no chance could they just numb me.
I was so scared every time, they used to give pre-meds on the ward beforehand but this has stopped. You feel a scratch, then wake up and it’s all done, you may feel sleepy and sickly afterwards.

I loved it 😂 felt like a big deep sleep and felt very rested and then they gave some cracking drugs after for pain that I quite liked 😂 recommend 10/10

I was terrified the first time, in floods of tears. I even asked my Catholic MIL to pray for me and I’m not religious!

I’ve had three now and they’re fine. They’ve never asked me to count down, they put the initial medicine in and you feel like you’ve had a large gin, they tell you to think of something nice and then you wake up in recovery.

It can make your blood pressure drop and you may be very cold when you come round. This is normal. They may put an insulated blanket over you and a heater blowing air.

The nurses in recovery are very switched on and remember, the anaesthetist has one job and will be focused entirely on you the whole time. You’ll be grand xxx

@RainSoakedNights the NHS website has lots of useful guides for patients, which is going to be your best source of information about what to expect in general. Your specific NHS trust and hospital website will have more detailed information with more specifics as well.

ChatGPT attempts to synthesise all that information and summarise it for you, but it will also misunderstand context, include irrelevant information, misunderstand factual information, "hallucinate" information that just isn't true, and so on. Just not a reliable source of information about something as specific as this.

I had one and it was very uneventful, my sister also had one which was uneventful except when she woke up she massively and totally out of character flirted with the doctor. He was utterly unfazed by it.

Not my experience at all. The IV has always been placed for me well before the operation.

I had my first last year aged 53. I was really worried about, shaking a bit when I went into the theatre. But it was fine. I was talking to the anaesthetist about holidays, then I woke up a few hours later with a sore throat and dry mouth. She was absolutely lovely.

You should tell them when you go that you've never had surgery and are a bit nervous. They will be nicer lol. If you're asthmatic, take your inhalers. Also try no to wear nail polish as some places don't like it.

Exactly this! I don't understand the whole 'best sleep' stuff as I'm awake, then I'm out, then I'm awake again with no sense of the time loss.
I had a tooth out as a teenager and came around absolutely furious that they hadn't done it. I told them it was impossible as they hadden't had time to do it! The nurses and my dad could convince me otherwise

Yes, maybe. I've always been asked!

But it's not giving you useful or accurate answers in many cases. Yes, it's your first operation and naturally that is a bit scary for you. But it sounds like you are spiralling about all sorts of things that you might just have to accept not knowing right now. An incorrect answer from ChatGPT or Mumsnet is no more help than not knowing.

Pholcodine cough syrup was withdrawn in the UK some time ago.

Look on your hospital website there maybe patient information leaflets available for you too read. Your anaesthetist will see you before you come to theatres that will give you a chance to ask questions. If you have been told it’s ok to continue on Mounjaro that’s fine just remind them on the day.

I've had six surgeries under general anesthetic. For some reason, anytime I have something wrong with me, I need surgery :(
The IV placement is the worst. It hurts. Most times they then take you to a sort of staging room, where they will tell you that they are injecting x to relax you, and then the next one to put you to sleep. These drugs are incredibly strong and you will feel it immediately. I max blink about 3 times and then was out.
You will wake up feeling like approximately 1 second has passed and there's no way they could have possibly performed the surgery so quickly.
You will be fine!
Follow the instructions not to eat or drink. I found it helpful to swish my mouth out with water if I felt thirsty, and sometimes the wait to get into the operating room is very long. I hope you get in and out early.
Do not be vain and lie about your weight. The anesthetist uses it to calculate dose. Weigh yourself the morning of the procedure and tell them the number.

it takes about 10 seconds. It’s a lovely warm feeling going under tbh, like a heavy blanket over you. I’ve had lots and lots, one time I was sick upon waking but I’d been under a long time. The most recent ones I’ve had I’ve just really REALLY needed to wee very quickly which has been an issue because they didn’t want me to move for a while. But everyone’s different, I’m sure you’ll sail through

You aren’t ’going to sleep’ you are being anaesthetised and they give you enough for your body weight so it isn’t within your control. I’m usually out within 3 seconds and then you are awake and the procedure has been done.