I’m a redhead (this is relevant) and painkillers and anaesthetics barely work on me at all!
I was well into my 20’s before I ever needed a GA but when giving the history to the anaesthetist I gave the information that painkillers don’t touch me pain wise (not even really strong opiate ones) and I’d had lots of problems with locals especially at dentists.
I got the usual eye roll and dismissal , especially as I was tiny then and these things are calculated by weight usually, that I had always got at new dentists and GPs too
Basically he didn’t listen.
Had the GA - right at the beginning they had trouble putting me under. I don’t remember but I was apparently wide awake quite a bit longer than most patients and answering quite complex questions while they tried to make adjustments. Had the surgery and then was already coming around and aware of my surroundings before I even hit the recovery room - I remember that bit.
Anaesthetist was bewildered! Came to talk to me the following day (I had more surgery to come it was a complex situation) and this time he listened - and apologised.
He’d done some research the night between and discovered that a seeming “anaesthetists old wives tale” about redheads being resistant to anaesthesia and analgesia was starting to be “officially” recognised as true - it’s a genetic thing.
Had 2 further surgeries in following weeks and he insisted on being the anaesthetist as he was worried others would either not listen or go too far the other way and luckily the surgeon was ok with that.
What’s weirdly stuck with me is that he commented I was the 1st patient he’d had in over 20 years of practice that when asked to count back “all the way from 100” that did! 😂
I was talking about it with my mum later after it happened and she was like “well of course, you remember me telling you how I came round during my appendectomy as a kid? And your brother was the same during his tonsillectomy” I was like “errr no! You never told me that!” She hadn’t but thought she had. Bro is blond but very fair very Celtic blond and he has same issues at dentists etc.
Weirdly my sisters the total opposite - she’s groggy for days after even a local and gets very nauseous and disoriented.
@clientqueen - are you redhead/Celtic heritage? You’re like my dad is. He goes under ok ish but is wired in the immediate aftermath and drives everyone mad making like the sodding Duracell bunny!!
@yabadee I’m guessing as a fellow Scot you likely have the same gene. I too am allergic to codeine. I was ok on it for years but now can’t have it at all after a very bad instance of taking it.
world peace by the means of Button Moon and Mr Spoon. I would SO love to see that happen 😂