To be terrified of having a general anesthetic?

[goatbame]

I need to have an endoscopy and they're giving me a general.

I've always been pretty hospital phobic and very needle phobic. I actually had a home birth because of it.

I'm terrified. I just burst in to tears when the nurse called me for my pre op phone call. Every time I think of it I start shaking and feel sick. I'm crying several times a day.

I know generals are very safe these days. My bil went in to the same place for one recently and said he woke up clear headed and felt fine.

I'm terrified I'll die. I know it's irrational and stupid. I'm going to be a blubbing mess and I'm so ashamed and embarrassed. I know a few people who work there and really don't want them to see me like that.

Someone please hand my ass to me and tell me to get a grip.

I don't have any good advice, but I didn't want to read and run.

I hope everything goes well for you and you get the result you want.

Yanbu to feel like that, but you will be fine

Please don't feel ashamed or embarrassed - many people (me included!) are frightened of having a general.

Please do speak to the anaesthetist on the day -they should be able to help.

Good luck

It is scary having a GA for the first time, it’s honestly over so quick, GA is very safe these days. Good luck OP

I had it three months ago and I enjoyed it as it makes you feel all happy and also waking up it feels awesome - enjoy it!

Can you ask for some oral sedation to take prior to admission?

Sorry you're so worried. As you say, GAs are very safe, so you'll be fine.

But that won't stop you being hyper-anxious.

I love having a GA- it's uninterrupted sleep! It really won't be as bad as you think

I needed emergency surgery, (A&E admission at night, told I'd be NBM at midnight for op first thing in the morning) and I told nobody! I told my husband I needed IV antibiotics overnight, which was true, I just neglected to mention the op!

I suffer from extremely bad anxiety (bipolar), and I thought that of other people were stressing, it would push me over the edge! So I definitely understand!

I told the nurses as soon as I was taken down to theatre in the morning, and they were amazing! they changed the surgery schedule, putting other people in ahead of me, so they could talk to me, calm me down, I could see people fbefore they went in and after they came out, which actually helped, (I don't know why!)...

When it was my turn to be put under, they put the mask over my face and told me to count backwards, I did, but I was still really alert, and I said "I don't think this is working" and the next thing I remember was waking up in the recovery room after my operation had been completed!

I highly recommend telling the nurses how anxious you are ASAP!!! xXx

I know exactly how you feel goatbame
A couple of years ago I broke my collar bone. I refused to have an operation to have it sorted. I was extremely lucky that I was in no pain eventually.
I now face having to have a gynae procedure under a general anaesthetic and am bricking it.
For me it's the fear of leaving my daughter behind. Have you talked about your fears with the team. Would you be able to have a sedative in your pre-op? I don't know if that is possible.

I'm not needle phobic at all but the need to have a GA terrified me. I needed surgery to fix my broken arm. The anaethetist who spoke to me on the ward listened to my fears and was very understanding. It was a different one by the time they had theatre space but I said I was scared and again they were really good. I was told to think nice thoughts. Don't be afraid to tell them how you feel.
I had a second op a few months after and somehow felt less scared once I'd had one.
I did feel quite naseous and was sick afterwards both times but felt better once I'd puked. This was in 2007 so there may well be advances in anaesthesia since then.
I hope all goes well for you.

Assuming you want to have the endoscopy [and you could decline it, against medical advice], you could consider discussing with the team why they're recommending a general anasethetic for you. Is that how they always do endoscopies? Would you prefer sedation and painkillers (if that'll work for the bit of your body they're looking at)? Could you be referred to a different hospital clinic where they're more geared up to sedation rather than general anasethetics?

If you're going in to see them prior to the procedure (and it would make sense to try to arrange to do this if you can, given you're really worried about it) you could ask about gas induction for the general anasethesia and/or EMLA cream or alternatives, if they help with your sort of needle phobia. You could also quite reasonably give them a list of the people you know who work there and explain you don't want them to see you whilst you're a patient. You could ask for a friend to stay with you until you're taken to theatre/the procedure room.

You could try to see your GP for anti-anxiety medication to take the night before/on the day of the surgery.

Have a look at some of the templates for "hospital passports" and maybe write yourself one - they're aimed at people with learning disabilities/dementia/ASD, but there's no reason you can't use one to give you a structure to write down the stuff that's important to you in hospital, so you've something to refer to if/when you're too distressed to talk about it.

Good luck.

I genuinely love GA’s (only had 3). As PP said, it’s just some uninterrupted sleep and your brain gets to completely relax. I’m having one in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait.

I know this won’t help if you have a phobia, but just wanted share. GA’s are very very safe and anaesthetists are always so lovely (in my experience). You wake up and feel like it was seconds since you went under.

Good luck.

You will be fine! Trust the anaesthetist they do know what they are doing.

Is there a reason they're giving you a GA for an endoscopy, OP?

Only asking as I had mine under sedation and I would also be reluctant to go completely under unless it was absolutely necessary.

Sending good vibes either way

Hi OP

It’s perfectly normal to be anxious about a GA. I’ve had a few and I was really scared too.
Tell your medical team, trust in them. They know it’s perfectly natural and normal to be nervous and they will work with you to reassure you.
You will be under for such a short amount of time' too, you will be in recovery before you know it.

Good luck, come back and tell us how it went. 👍🏻

It was one of my greatest fears, and then I had to have emergency surgery after my daughter was born. It was genuinely fine - I have no fear of them now. You go under so quickly, that you don't feel it happening, and then it feels like you wake up straight away. I coudn't believe the surgery had actually happened, and was worried I was going to have to do it all again! The absolutely worst bit about it all is that you can't drink straight away, and you are really thirsty. You will be fine.

I think it’s natural to be nervous about having an operation. Personally I really like GAs, I’ve had 7. It’s a complete full sleep if that makes sense and then you wake up not realising that time has passed. I wouldn’t mind another, but I know that sounds a bit odd!

I was a complete state before my first GA. I got off the trolley and started packing my bags to go home
The anaesthetist asked if they could give me something to relax me and I said yes (if it's midazolam, take it!) and soon was feeling like I had a bottle of wine but very happy and laughing a lot
They started to give me the anaesthetic and I went to say it's not working and I remember nothing after that until I woke up
I was terrified of waking up with a tube in, or something going wrong and the anaesthetist told me he had far too much paperwork to do to let anything go wrong

Tell them, I found them so helpful. My second GA they used exactly the same meds. Also asked for extra anti nausea meds

I’ve had two general anaesthetics and I agree with others here who found it a nice experience. It’s like falling backwards onto a fluffy pillow very fast and then you wake up seconds later to find it’s all over.

Anaesthetics nowadays are ever so safe, and the teams are always so well-trained. There’ll be someone specifically watching your breathing and heart rate and all that right the way through the op. I’m not a medical professional but the only person i’ve known who died under anaesthetic was having an emergency procedure for a v severe heart problem, and had a heart attack, so they were properly life-and-death I’ll when going under.

Tell them you’re nervous and they’ll be able to reassure you. Otherwise I hope you find it relaxing and it goes well!

I was nervous too - I was worried it would feel like dying - but actually you don’t even feel yourself go under, you just go out like a light. It was a bit trippy, but I quite enjoyed it in the end.

*properly life or death ill

I’ve had a fair number of GAs and honestly they’re fine. All the anaesthetists I’ve had have been lovely and so reassuring.

You’ll be fine but don’t be afraid to tell the staff how nervous you are. They’ll be well used to it.

Poor you OP my sister was the same, and she's otherwise a very strong and capable woman.

As PP's have said, you really don't even realise it's happening. You'll feel a bit cold where the liquid goes in, then a bit woozy, then BAM you're awake.
It sounds like you're having a tough time of it so definitely speak to the doc/anesthesiologist to see if they can give you something to calm your nerves.
Remember they do this day in day out, and it's much safer than lots of other procedures as you have a highly trained doctor giving you their undivided attention throughout it all, checking your oxygen levels, adjusting the anaesthetic where necessary.

I'm also surprised at a GA for an endoscopy - my mum was just sedated for hers. Are you sure it needs to be a GA?

I just remember the anaesthetist saying he was going to count to ten - he only got to 4! Next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery!

I've had GA 15 times. You will be perfectly, absolutely fine.