To say that local anesthetic is complete garbage?

[goodbooks]

I've had a few procedures in various parts of my body under local and every time I can still feel everything and it's painful.

Today I had a minor operation again under local and I'm feeling completely traumatised about how painful it was even though I complained twice during the procedure (and was given more doses). Even after 3 it was still incredibly painful. No one actually checked at the beginning either that it was numb, they just assumed and made a start.

I feel like a lot of the time doctors don't actually wait enough time for it to kick in. Usually they start pretty much straight away or give it a minute tops. Anyone else had bad experiences with local? Today's op has completely put me off from having anything under local again if I can help it.

And no I don't have Ehlers Danlos syndromes (I know LA doesn't work for people who do).

My dh has hyper mobility and he has to have far more LA injections when having dental work.
I’m very dark haired and they work on my (never heard that theory) but I find the actual injections traumatic, my dentist always books in extra time for me to have a little sob!

I didnt know about the adrenaline, my legs shook uncontrollably when I was being stitched up after giving birth, that’d be why!

i would also say op that they should offer you sedation, I’ve been given day surgery under GA before because I couldn’t tolerate an intimate LA injection.

I've read something about redheads needing more local anaesthetic? I'm a redhead and it's true for me! They didn't give me enough when stitching me up after having my first so I felt everything 😬

When I had my first procedure with local anaesthetic I couldn't believe how much it hurt. I could feel EVERYTHING. I told the doctor but think she thought I was being overly dramatic. I was only 12 at the time so thought maybe this was how it was meant to feel.

Then when I had another one a few years later I couldn't believe how painless it was! It definitely didn't work properly or wasn't a high enough dose the first time.

I hope you're OK. They really should have stopped if you were in pain.

Thanks, @SamVimesFavouriteDragon! It was completely traumatic! Have been mainlining chocolate ever since.

Although I also had a local the other week when having stitches and it worked, didn't feel a thing.

Many sympathies. I always warn medics that I need much more time for it to take effect, so have never had a problem since my first surgery. I'm fair haired so busy that theory, but I do have very bad circulation, as did my Dad, who suffered the same. No idea if that's a known factor, but makes sense to me, anyway. And to pp who mentioned Adrenalin, my dentist knows to give me a different sort of local without it as it gives me palpitations. Do make sure it goes into your notes next time and for your own sake as well as others', complain!

Sorry to hear that @RunAwayNow. When I complained about it afterwards, they said we didn't realise how much pain you were in. My literal words to them the first time: That's painful!

Anything gynaecological for which I am offered a “local anaesthetic” I just do a tinkly laugh and book in for GA. You only fall for that line once. I felt the biopsied bit come away fgs. And yes, I was screaming medieval style.

Seems to work fine in dentistry, presumably because the menz have teeth. .

I'll tell my DH (who is neither particularly darkhaired nor a readhead) about the non-adrenaline locals if he has to have one again.

Fair enough @Kite22! This was only my second/third time with LA over many years so it's only just today that I've connected the dots that maybe it just doesn't work for me. Will definitely bring it up next time (if there's a next time...).

This is interesting because I'm the opposite - I've walked on broken feet bones for weeks without realising, opted out of painkillers post surgery because I felt fine yet my hair is jet black.

I do struggle with locals though.

I couldn’t get a LA to work at the dentist … so I went back a second time, and they used one without adrenaline, and it worked really well

@Deguster I had a hysteroscopy under local where they had to cut off a fibroid and god that was painful. Barbaric that women are pushed to do that under LA.

My epidural wore off before my c section finished too, like previous poster they said to endure it or have general anaesthetic. They were about to lift me onto trolley, I said 'its ok, I can move ' and transferred myself.

Yep me too. That was my first anaesthesic and I was obviously knackered ao didn’t question it but the day after I thought hang on that can’t have been right.

Yes @XenoBitch! I always opt for injections over numbing creams.

@goodbooks same! The doctor sniffly said “most women tolerate it” and I asked whether he’d ever used the word “tolerate” to a male patient.

Counterproductive really because I now need a Valium just to have a smear test. My vagina sees the white coat and goes “fuck that”.

Sorry to hear that @Unseelie and @StrictlyAFemaleFemale. I do also think it's hard to advocate for yourself when you're lying on an operation bed with people rummaging inside your body.

I've had it a few times, first time was a nightmare, felt it and shouted, doctor immediately stopped and was baffled I needed a higher dose, did this and I could still feel it, did it a third time and it worked. She said she couldn't believe how much I needed for my height and body weight, so some people just need more. She was very considerate and made sure to ask each time. The times after that they've always made sure I have enough in my system and given me a higher dose than usual. No issues thereafter. Sounds like you just don't take to it well and need to discuss with your doctor beforehand.

Urgh, he sounds awful @Deguster! I also complained after that one and they said I felt it because the LA didn't reach that far up. Great.

I have a rare gene that means I metabolise local anaesthetic abnormally and need much, much more than the average person. Every doctor I've come across thinks I'm a liar (including the bitch doing a lumbar puncture who, point-blank, refused to stop when I told her repeatedly to stop). I now take a print-out of the BMJ article with me to anything where I'll need local anaesthetic so they have to accept it's real and I'm not a crazy person. You may well have this gene!

This is it: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1362956/

@greenerfingers I will definitely discuss it properly with the doctor next time but I think I might be too scarred to attempt LA again! It's crazy that so many posters have said their doctors don't believe them when they've complained during the procedure.

Oh, wow @Mummbles. How did you find out you had this gene?

😳

I've only ever had it for dental stuff, but my dentist always waits 10 minutes then checks I'm numb before he proceeds.