Did you feel dizzy/strange/faint during csection?

[Reastie]

Am having elcs for dc2 after a failed induction leading to csection with dd. It was a few years ago but I’ve been remembering the experience and how awful I felt during the csection and wondered if my experience was normal or not.

Effectively I felt very faint and perculiar during the entire procedure. I kept saying tk the anaesthetist ‘I don’t feel right’ and ‘I feel strange’ and ‘I feel nauseous’ but he said I was fine. I really wasn’t expecting that, I was expecting to feel the washing machine in my tummy (which I did) but I wasn’t prepared for a weird sort of drugged mental nauseous haze throughout. I haven’t read anywhere else where people describe this so I’m not sure if what I experienced was normal or not. I just imagined I’d feel normal but numb and wasn’t prepared for the strange ness of not feeling right. It was fine when they did the spinal at the beginning, it was once I was lying down.

If it’s not the norm I’d like to look into causes of it (?drop in blood pressure) and how to minimise it happening again as I felt awful.

How did you feel during your csection.

I had this really horrible sinking feeling with my first CS. It was my BP going though my boots. I’d had an epidural top up. I was at my local District General Hospital. This was 2007. Since then I’ve qualified as an Operating Department Practitioner and regularly work work in an Obstetrics theatre at a major trauma centre/teaching hospital. We have a a handbook which aneasthatists are to follow the same treatment regimens of anaesthesia for each and every obstetric eventuality. Eg are a drug called metraminol which increases your BP is started via a continuous infusion pump as soon as the spinal is in. IV fluids are also given throughout. This all helps to prevent or reduce the big drop in BP caused by spinal anaesthesia. Also anti emetics are given routinely before and during surgery and a whole array of drugs to help the uterus contract. OP if you have another CS speak to the anaesthetist before stipulating your concerns and they have a duty of care to do as much as they can to help prevent hypo tension and resulting sickness. A good hospital will have these treatments regimes set in stone, tried and tested so the aneasthatist has to follow it. Sometimes however no matter what we give CS patients will still be sick. Try and stay relaxed so your BPs not high to start with and then it’s got less to fall by. Shaking/shivering during a CS can sometimes happen and is a reaction again to spinal anaesthesia and eases off by the time the CS has finished.

Just that’s a good idea, I’ll ask to meet the anaesthetist beforehand but I don’t know if they will know who it will be until the day, but I guess if they have written notes about the issue to show at the pre op bit that will be something. I’m definitely going to request I’m first on the list for other reasons as well as anxiety. I’d they can give me something for the anxiety to help me through it so much the better. I just know how stretched the nhs is and how busy and hectic everything is so all the best plans can be in place but will it actually be possible to follow them. It does sound as if my last experience was unfortunate and knowing how I reacted last time will help them this time make things go better.

Just at the beginning after the spinal. I kept telling the anaesthetist my BP had dropped and he kept saying yes I know
Once it came back up I was ok.

@Lalaland44 that’s really interesting, thank you. I think I was actually quite relaxed last time, I’d had 5 days of failed induction and was happy just to get it all over with, I wasn’t feeling much anxiety as I thought I’d feel fine during the procedure. Do you know which anti emetics can be given and if I can request specific ones? For example I’m on ondansetron atm and know it works for me so ideally would like that IV innthe op but I know it’s more expensive than other alternatives so they may be unhappy giving it to me.

You’re welcome Reastie. There are other anti emetic medications. Ondansatron can be give via IV maybe in a higher dose to what you’re taking. There’s also cyclizine and dexamethasone too and others. If like you say you’re having an elective CS this time you will be seen by an anaesthetist first for a pre op. Tell them you’re concerns. Ask them what they’re plan is if you start to feel sick. You may even be treated by a consultant and the junior anaesthetist if it’s day time. Really be very firm re your fears. There will be an ODP like me there too and they are your advocate so ask for them to stand up for your concerns. Hope it all goes well.

@Lalaland44 what’s a ODP? I remember a ?nurse? Being in the op last time who was really lovely but didn’t really seem to do anything, they are there for the mother? I’m worrying as I saw consultants last time and was very up fromt about my anxiety and mental health issues. Every person I saw said they would make a note in my notes I had requested it but no one could tell me it would happen as they said it just depended on who I got on the day.

Your whole experience sounds very badly managed to be honest. The doctor lied to you?! Wtaf.

I had 2 sections and didn't feel how you have described.

Halfwit yes the anaesthetist lied to me. I was going to make an official complaint to him afterwards but with the exhaustion of having a newborn etc I just didn’t get around to it. Knowing what I know now about him fleeing the country to avoid prosecution and that he had a number of failings I wish I had complained.

Yes I did, drop in bp as other posters have said. I had to close my eyes as I felt unpleasantly dizzy. They gave me meds/fluids and it passed. I did feel very shaky though and didn’t want to hold dd until in recovery as I thought I’d drop her.

I felt really weird during mine too. The surgery coordinator person came to see me afterwards to ask if they could have done anything differently as they were concerned as I hadn't wanted to hold DD straightaway. It just felt really surreal I think, more like a dream. I'm also really squeamish so that could have contributed to the feeling.

Yes same here, EMCS, drop in BP and on the verge of haemorrhage and I felt awful and was sick and couldn’t hold my new DD.

With DS I had a planned CS and when the anaesthetist spoke to me beforehand I explained I would really like to hold DS this time so if he could please help me not to vom I’d appreciate it! He was great and I did get shivery but overall the experience was miles better.

Hope you get the experience you’d like this time.

I also have emet! Haven't been sick for 24 years and as soon as they lay me down I was convinced I felt it, they were telling me to just turn my head over a bowl if I needed to be sick but I couldn't cope being sick like that when I'm so scared, the anaesthetist gave me anti emets but I was still convinced I felt it, he said it was the drop in BP too that causes it and said mine was fine, I went on that much about it they ended up sedating me a bit which helped.

I do think it was in my head due to panic as as soon as I lie down and can't move I'm convinced I feel sick, I do it at the dentist/getting my eyebrows done/having pregnancy scans and when I had an MRI scan

Yes, I felt totally exhausted and then this feeling as though I was being pulled away. But, I had a BP crash and it all got rather crazy.

I read that 8 out of 10 c sections involve some drop in BP so if you can pre empt this with some research might help?

Hope it all goes well.

Yes we’re not very well known about. ODPs Operating Department Practitioner is a relatively new profession. See link
www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/allied-health-professionals/roles-allied-health-professions/operating-department-practitioner
We are there for our patient. Amongst all our other duties. We act as their advocate when for instance if the patient is under anaesthesia. The ODP should introduce themselves to you ASAP. You’ll hear the team doing a WHO World Health Organization surgical safety check. Introductions are done then as a team. ODPs work with Anaesthetists. We’re like their assistants but not doctors and the same grade as a nurse. It’s a very interesting job.

Talking of ODPs (they do a fab job I agree) there was one in my CS who someone introduced as working as bank staff where I work, I said hi but couldn't see him and was too busy embarrassing myself flapping about feeling sick, every time I see a male ODP in work now I cringe a bit, must make the effort to find out who it was!

I'm due another section in June and feeling sick is my biggest worry I'm panicking already

Very coincidentally I have been through the exact same scenario as you - failed induction c-section followed by second c-section. The first time I felt nauseous, was sick, and passed out briefly, second c-section I outlined by concerns with surgeon and anaesthetist and they were right on top of it. I had anti-emetic on iv. Slight faintness when bp dropped but it was very quickly corrected.

Good luck with your c-section, I hope it goes well.

I had a massive panic attack as I was lay down straight after the spinal. Hadn't been able to lie flat for about 5 months previous & had been having panic attacks during pregnancy. It sounds daft now but I hadn't actually thought about having to lie flat on the table & how I'd manage, I should have warned them. When I was crying and panicking on the table (felt like I couldn't breathe) the doctor very kindly said 'We can't give you anything till baby is out" . Didn't feel a thing, no pulling/tugging. Whatever they gave me was fantastic, was stoned for most of the day, I remember thinking 'This c-section malarkey is easy!" But boy when 'it' wore off I bloody knew it. Felt like insides were being ripped out, oramorph didn't even touch the sides.

Were you given Fentanyl?

I've had four sections and always react badly to the anesthetic. I've had varied experiences with anaesthetists including one truly shocking one but one of the better ones told me that Fentanyl can make people woozy and nauseous. He informed me as he was administering it and instructed me and instructed me to tell him and he would give me something to counter it, which is what happened.

I'm always cold and shaky as it wears off (same with a general anesthetic) and suffer from BP dropping into my boots. As others have said, ask for a consultation with your anaesthetist and talk through your concerns.

With my first I had GA so nope:

Second I felt awful and was sick throughout and afterwards in recovery.

Third I felt awful and I went really sleepy, it was a traumatic one though(3 hours in surgery) so to be expected I guess. I refused GA.

I had an emergency c section the first time and was asleep. I had an elective the second time round. In my trust you go in the day before and have a meeting with a booking in midwife and the anaesthetist. Is your trust the same?

Same as the others, dizzy and felt sick due to drop in BP but felt better very quickly when they gave me something to sort it out. Just tell them if/when as soon as it happens good luck

Random I don’t know as I’m yet to have apt with consultant to discuss it. I just wanted to get info before going in to know what to ask.

First one I was hallucinating, felt I couldn't breathe and passed out. It was a cat 1 though and I'd been in labour a long time.

Second one, I felt really weird, dizzy etc as soon as I laid down after the spinal. As I was slurring out "I feel odd", the anesthetist did something and I felt absolutely fine for the rest of it.

Hope this goes much better for you and I'd recommend getting them to drop the drape, watching them come out is amazing.

I felt really sick during mine, I had a magic potion and felt fine again, but in recovery I felt terrible then when I thought I was better I had a cup of tea and biscuits then was promptly shipped sick all over myself. It wasn't until 24hours later that I was normal again.

During my 2nd, I was very faint and slightly out of it. My BP was low in my pre op checks but the nurse said it was fine. However during the op I had to be sedated slightly as things got a bit out of control which I feel was down to my low BP. I'm not sure what I would want to have done differently though as I would never have agreed to a GA.