When did you feel normal after a GA?

[theotherfossilsister]

I'm one week past it and still feel dizzy and sick just walking down the road. On fragmin too.

Took me about 10 days and that was for an operation of about 35 mins - complex wisdom tooth removal, so the impact on my body of the actual surgery was relatively minimal. I remember struggling to walk around asda about 6 days in!

Last GA I had it took me over 10 days. I had to call the GP out as I was so worried! (Also after a fairly short/minor op - around 10 minutes under anaesthetic)

I've had several GAs , I'd say that normally it takes me about a week before I am able to function fairly normally. I wouldn't be attempting to walk down the road though - for the first week I stay home and just potter around . Take it easy - your body has been flooded with very strong drugs so it needs time to recover.

At least a week. But each time mine have been operations of an hour ish and I’ve had to stay in hospital afterwards for much longer. Felt dizzy and hot cold flushes. Excessively tired and very wobbly emotionally.

As I've aged my ability to cope with general anaesthesia has dropped.

It now takes me about 2 weeks to recover. I find I have brain fog and feel fluffy for a few weeks.

In my youth I'd be right as rain the following day. I'm in my mid 50's now.

I've never felt that bad, even after fairly major surgery I was out n about after a week. Although I didn't drive because my neck was too stiff from the surgery. I had a minor procedure (less than an hour under) and walked 2 miles to go out for lunch two days later.

I've never noticed the effects past the actual day, to be honest. I've had 3 or 4 I think, all day surgery so home the same day.

Thank you for all the answers. What a wide variety.

I think I was out for an hour or thereabouts and afterwards my blood pressure wouldn't go up and I was sick every time I sipped water, or took an antiemetic. I'm thirty six and just thought I'd hold up better.

They did let me go home that night but asked repeatedly if I was sure.

What @Beachbreak2411 said resonated. A huge sense of wobbliness and vulnerability.

I had GA on Wednesday and I’m just starting to feel ok. Only stopped feeling sick yesterday. Managed a short walk today but it’s tired me right out. I’m hoping I’ll be back to normal again in a weeks time.
The body goes through so much when you have surgery. Hope you feel better soon.

Oh yeah, a week at least. Was still doing a zig-zaggy walk on day 7 and still had dizzy spells for a few days after that.

Oh, wow, I didn't expect these responses. Last time I had one I was ok within a few hours, then really tired that evening but totally normal the next day. Freaked out about my hand that they operated on.

I had a huge op 4hrs long 8 days ago. Im very wobbly and my voice is hoarse. I'm not near right yet.

@Ganhame1 ah I hope you recover soon, and you @EthelsAuntie. Four hours sounds really difficult.

I was so hoarse afterwards and my lungs hurt. It sounds stupid but it didn't occur to me I'd be intubated .

When I woke up I was a bit wobbly at first but hungry. I felt fine after a couple of hours- that was a few decades ago. I was tired and slept well when I got home but apart from soreness from the op I wouldn’t have known I’d had anaesthetic at all. I’m shocked by some, well most responses.

I remember seeing on a programme that for every hour that you are under GA it takes your body a month to recover. I’d agree with that.

@DixiePeach

I remember seeing on a programme that for every hour that you are under GA it takes your body a month to recover. I’d agree with that.

What a load of nonsense.

I'm shocked too @Suzi888 Like I say, I've had at least 3 and never had any issues bar feeling a bit tired and emotional the same day. I'm surprised to be honest!

My friends DD had to have a GA every day for a month. Wonder what the impact was on her!

Any Anaesthetic will be so far out your system 10 days down the line. There is unlikely to be anything a few hours after, and definitely gone by the morning if a longer operation.

What can make you feel awful is your bodies reaction to the surgical stress of the operation and healing. There's lots of research at the moment looking into surgical stress etc. lots of steroid release etc. So I'd say OP that what your feeling is due to stress hormones and your bodies reaction to the surgery itself rather than the anaesthetic which are very short acting.

Last time I was under general anaesthetic I felt physically basically normal that evening, but was absolutely consumed with depression for about a week afterwards until it suddenly lifted. I googled it and it seemed that it wasn't common but wasn't unknown.

I've only had one GA as an adult, for a hysteroscopy and insertion of a Mirena coil. I was honestly absolutely fine the next day.

After sedation for a endoscopy and colonoscopy though, I was fragile and weepy for a couple of days. Give me a GA any day.

@CornishGem1975 Her poor DD. Wonder if it’s something that takes longer to get over with age.