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Original poster

Do you think I was over-drugged giving birth?

56 replies

LemonOrangepea · 28/04/2021 14:51

I had pethidine which did nothing whatsoever. Then I was given my first epidural & as time went on, eight further top-ups. I also had vast quantities of Entonox. None of this touched my pain & I felt like I was being torn in half & at the point of dying. What it did do was make me badly hallucinate to the point I had no idea where I was, who I was or what was happening. In my first pictures I look like I have zombie eyes. I bit so hard my jaw hurt for 3 weeks after. Is this normal? There were no interventions like forceps etc.

OP posts:

normalsaline · 28/04/2021 14:51

Of course not 🙄

ShutUpAlex · 28/04/2021 14:52

Sounds pretty normal to me.

dragoncena · 28/04/2021 16:20

Entonox has a really profound effect on me, I thought I had already given birth several times and my DH had to push me back onto the bed as I kept sliding off. I felt very, very drunk!

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Fightingfirewithfire · 28/04/2021 16:28

My epidural required a top up and I was still in huge pain so was on gas and air as well.
They said they could resite the epidural but no guarantees it would give any relief, and the thought of the pain worsening for me meant to told them to leave it.

Next morning anesthesiologist came in and muttered something about my epidural had come out of my back, hence the lack of pain relief. Mind you at that point it was over so I didn't care as much but I was a little narked as they didn't check.

Interestingly I also had a sore jaw for weeks after and it clicked, I even went to dentist for x-rays.

So no I don't think you were over medicated.

SemiFeralDalek · 28/04/2021 16:53

I hallucinated my first birth on gas and Air, thought I was having a dream and I'd already given birth. Hugh as a kite. Second birth was similar, but I was on it for a much shorter time. Pethidine both times made me incredibly drowsy and spaced out.

It's just the effect of the drugs on you. My friend had the same medication as me during birth and was absolutely fine while I look like I'm smacked off my tits.

JackieTheFart · 28/04/2021 17:17

I’m not sure what you mean? If you were still in pain and asking for relief what would you expect them to do differently?

elliejjtiny · 28/04/2021 17:21

Ouch, that sounds really painful. I'm not a medical professional but it sounds to me that your epidural didn't work properly. With the drugs you can have in labour they can all have unpleasant side effects. Some women think that the side effects are worth going through to get the decent pain relief while others prefer to be in pain but not have the side effects. That's why there are different choices of pain relief. Personally I would rather have labour pains than not being able to feel my legs, that really scared me. I know some people think epidurals are brilliant though.

I had this problem after my c-section. I was given 30mg morphine afterwards as well as ibuprofen and paracetamol. Brilliant for pain relief but I kept hallucinating, kept throwing up and nearly dropped ds as I was so out of it. I was scared I was going to fall over and burst my stitches as well.

Twistered · 28/04/2021 17:50

Sounds like my first birth!

AnyFucker · 28/04/2021 17:56

Thatwentbadly · 28/04/2021 18:00

You were in pain and you asked for pain relief. The drugs are commonly used in birth and unless they have you inappropriate amounts for your body weight then no they didn’t give you too many drugs.

Jijithecat · 28/04/2021 18:10

I had pethidine with my first. It did nothing for the pain but it did zonk me out. I came to every time I had a contraction then swiftly passed out again. The joys of a back to back birth.

Maggiesfarm · 28/04/2021 18:12

It sounds to me as though you would have been better off with no pain relief. What's the point of giving you anything that has no effect? At least without you can stay in charge of the situation, move about as you choose.

Your experience was horrendous, op.

gamerchick · 28/04/2021 18:12

I saw spiders running about with the gas and air. Brilliant stuff.

But no, you weren't overdrugged OP. You could say you don't want anything next time though.

Heyha · 28/04/2021 18:18

Sounds more like your epidural wasn't a great success than you being 'over-drugged'. At one point they asked me if they could take blood from my foot and I told them they could cut it completely off and I wouldn't have noticed thanks to the epidural.
Gas and air is patient-controlled isn't it but I guess they can take it off you if they think you're going a bit mad with it?
What do you perceive should have happened differently?

stressbandit · 28/04/2021 18:20

I loved gas and air I must of hallucinated as I thought the midwife was Micky Flanagan.
She was trying to break my waters and when she was up there with the hook I thought she said are you going out? or out out?.
I started roaring with laughter and everybody was uncomfortable.

I had tears in my eyes and couldn't stop laughing. My partner kept telling me to stop laughing but it made it come out even more. I kept saying thanks Micky. I'm so embarrassed even 2 years later
Was even worse when my waters did pop and it flowed out and I remember saying oh that's lovely thank you 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️.

minniemomo · 28/04/2021 18:28

I had entenox plus pethedine with dd1, hated it so was drug free for dd2 and it hurt far less

YellowGlasses · 28/04/2021 18:30

Entenox makes lots of people hallucinate and for many women, giving birth is very painful.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 28/04/2021 18:30

No.

Entonox made me puke and did FA for me.

Twistered · 28/04/2021 18:30

@stressbandit

I loved gas and air I must of hallucinated as I thought the midwife was Micky Flanagan. She was trying to break my waters and when she was up there with the hook I thought she said are you going out? or out out?. I started roaring with laughter and everybody was uncomfortable.

😂

DMCWelshcakes · 28/04/2021 18:34

I was in labour for 3 days so had a chance to try the full menu of drugs offered by the NHS. Paracetamol, entonox, pethidine (can't remember how many doses) 2 failed epidurals and then a successful one. Was lovely. 😄

I had electric shocks up and down my spine for 3 months afterwards but that was due to DiddyDragon being back to back and the fact that I have scoliokyphosis.

Doesn't sound like you were over drugged. It just sounds like you were in labour for bloody ages and that takes a bit of recovering from.

Theneverendingcleaningcycle · 28/04/2021 18:37

I saw time move on gas and air. Great stuff.

Iampicklerick · 28/04/2021 18:37

I hallucinated with all three of mine. Some people do and some don’t. I remember seeing my bed crawling with bugs and thinking oh dear, bugs, how funny gahahahahhaa!

DMCWelshcakes · 28/04/2021 18:37

Second time around labour was too fast for anything (DiddyCakes was a child on a mission) and it was excruciating. God bless the drugs!

I got entonox for the stitches afterwards and was convinced I was Barry White. DH and the midwife were trying to convince me that I was still me but I knew they were lying.

Newmama29 · 28/04/2021 18:39

God I was on a fentanyl infusion & was absolutely out my face for my entire labour 🤦🏼‍♀️😂 it worked a treat until I needed a forceps & episiotomy, it didn’t touch that pain 😂😂

Lollypop4 · 28/04/2021 18:40

I only had Gas and air...Felt v.v drunk, hallucinated , I was in pain but it took the edge off so well.
I wouldnt say you were over drugged though.

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