I prepped on Tuesday for a colonoscopy and endoscopy on Wednesday. Preparation went fine and I felt as good as I can feel, given this illness, when I arrived at the hospital at 12 noon on Wednesday.
The nurse blew two veins trying to start an IV in my hand and I had what looked like mini super balls on the top of my hand...this started my HR to increase a bit (about 94) and it remained around there until they took me to the procedure room.
They hooked me up again to the vital machines and my HR was still in the 90's, BP elevated 140/94.
I was talking to the two nurses and the doctor, asked the doctor to take multiple tissues samples etc.
all of the sudden, I felt the meds squirt into my brain (best way that I can describe it). It was a horrible feeling..and nothing that I've ever experienced throughout my many sedation procedures throughout this journey.
They gave me Versed and Demerol. The procedure(s) were barbaric. I was conscious and gagging and wretching as the endoscope was inserted...i felt everything...same with the colonoscopy.
i'll spare you the gory details:)
anyway, I heard the doctor say: "here is a polyp" and remember watching the screen...
my heart rate was like 145 the whole time..It went up as soon as they shot the meds into the IV..same with my BP..it was now 152/105.
I was in ambulatory recovery (do not remember being taken there) and my BP and HR still the same as above. I couldn't think, move, sit up, my eyes were wide and pupils fixated..horrible.
the other people who had colonoscopies AFTER me were up and laughing and leaving to go home...
my HR only dropped to 140 and my BP was still elevated when the nurse disconnected me from the machine. I asked whether or not I had had a reaction and if I was stable. She said she didn't know about the reaction, but as far as she was concerned i was stable.
They released me without my being able to walk on my own. The release papers that they had me sign, I dated 1-6-2009. Clearly, I wasn't thinking properly.
Anyway, I was a mess for the rest of the day, couldn't speak properly, eat, and was very weak. Yesterday a bit better. Today, I have horrible neuro sx...
face pain, head pain, eye pain, pressure......
Now for the question: anyone else have such a horrific reaction to minor sedation? Anyone have neuro sx. go haywire after sedation? anyone feel a 'brain squirt' when medication was introduced to the bloodstream?
I am at the point that i don't want to put anything into my body to either treat this illness or undergo procedures because of horrible reactions.
thanks for any input, feelfit
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
OMG Feelfit. I'm so sorry you went through all that. I have never heard of something like that before. I never had a colonoscopy, but several endoscopy procedures. Once the Versad wore off, I was fine. No recollection of the procedure at all.
That is beyond ridiculous they let you walk out if unable to function to that level. It seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen if your cognitive abilities were that diminished, especially when coming in totally not like that.
Regarding those blood pressure readings, the scary part is your 'high alarming' is my normal at times. Not good, huh? That heart rate was sure high though.
It seems like you have a major blood flow issue - probably like me.
At this point, have you spent any time treating the mold issues/detox? That's one area I remember you said you haven't really addressed. I wonder if it could be key.
I really hope you feel better soon. Believe me, I relate 100% to the fear of treating issue. I feel like everything causes problems and rarely is there an upside. It's a fruitless adventure and depressing when I read so many here who take their meds and get to 95% functioning in 3 months. I'd KILL for that.
Posted by sk8ter (Member # 8671) on :
Sounds like you have genetic methylation defects...combining meds when one has this can be dangerous...get the Genelex genetic test done or te cheaper Great Plains Detoxigenome test to find out. Then those results can be taken to the surgeons and the have to follow the recommendations of the results. It has saved my life many times..
Posted by wiserforit2 (Member # 18286) on :
I had an endoscopy three weeks ago and the Lidocaine that they put into the IV before Profenol is what made me ill.
The "caine" drugs often have norepinephrine in them so that they last longer; that addition causes me to have rapid heart beat and ear-ringing.
The ear-ringing plus killer headaches (migraine-like with ear pain) have persisted ever since, although I'm starting to feel a little better now... 3 weeks later.
I think that the aenesthesia just over-sensitized me in a wacky and unpleasant way. Might that be what happened to you too?
Hope you start to feel better,
wiserforit2
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
Thanks for your thoughts/responses. Sk8ter- will look into the testing that you recommended.
wiseforit, yep, migraine here too...just very, very sick...my experience may very well be similar to yours..but it felt/feels extreme as compared to any other procedures that I've had.
and i don't understand the 'brain squirt' and the fixated pinpoint pupils....perhaps the testing that sk8ter mentions will help explain.
seek, thank you for the support, I know that you struggle so much too....i know, that 'normal' bp must be scary for you.....
I too put a lot in with negative results most of the time...and any positive is short lived...grrr.
Posted by ukcarry (Member # 18147) on :
I'm really sorry you had such an unpleasant experience all round, including their releasing you so soon.
I had a colonoscopy recently and was lucky that, apart from the horrors of the prep, it all went smoothly. The doctor listened to what I said re. Lyme and the drugs that I metabolise differently [detoxigenomic test results, as Sk8ter mentioned] and she chose Pethedine for my sedation, which worked very well for me and I had very little after-effect.
Hope you recover quickly from your experience, Feelfit,
Carry
[ 07-09-2011, 08:12 AM: Message edited by: ukcarry ]
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
Really scarey situation and feelfit isn't how your are feeling now?
I've had both done and did not experience anything like that. Wow I was out cold and woke up okay. Exhausted for a few days.
But exhaustion is normal stuff for me. My mother had colonoscopy and she wasn't out. She could feel the pressure and whole process. She thought that was how it was suppose to be????
She couldn't talk, she was just aware of everything. It made her nervous I know that. I was angry that she had to endure that feeling.
She didn't complain because she thought it was the way it goes. I told her that she needed to make docs very aware that whatever they did, didn't work.
I asked her to please make sure it was known. Feelfit, do you think the stress of all that just threw you into an anxiety mode?
Pam
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
thanks carry....
Pam- heck, I'm open to the anxiety thing...anxiety could contribute to the HR and BP...I have a history of becoming anxious during procedures.
But! how would that explain the pinpoint fixated pupils? The inability to walk, talk, think?
I have had a boatload of surgeries (intubated anesthesia) and sedation procedures since becoming ill and never, never had a reaction like this....
and I've had my share of crushing anxiety too...this felt waaaay different. I have also had a endoscope and colonoscopy in 2007 and do not remember a thing about it...went out to eat afterwards....
I'm stumped.
Posted by MichaelTampa (Member # 24868) on :
Gosh, how terrible, don't have any real ideas or suggestions as to what it's all about ... I have had two colonoscopies and one endoscopy and they all went fine. Really sounds like the anesthesia didn't work -- maybe they used different anesthesia than your other surgeries and there are some you just react very badly too?
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Oh feelfit, sounds like you had an awful experience.
I wonder if they didn't allow enough time for the versed and demerol combo to take effect. Because you remember part of the procedure and do not remember being taken into recovery. The medication was supposed to relax you and make you not remember the procedure.
The increased heart rate, BP, anxiety, not being able to think clearly, not remembering things, not being able to walk well are all side effects of the versed demerol combo. They didn't let you recover long enough to clear the meds from your system.
Unfortunately, versed did not work for me at all. They gave me 5x the normal adult dose before my colonoscopy and it did not make me drowsy. It freaked the nurse out. I was completely alert during the whole procedure. The doctor talked me through it all and I remember the whole thing. At least I didn't have to go to recovery afterwards.
Another time I had to have an endoscopy without any medication or sedation. That was rough. At least I knew it was going to be unpleasant. I remember very clearly gagging and crying, I couldn't help it, the tears just came out. It was truly awful. I know they weren't trying to torture me though. I couldn't have any meds because I needed another type of test immediately afterwards.
I've not had the testing done that sk8tr recommended. Maybe I should look into that. It scares me knowing that anesthesia might not work when I really need it. What if I need emergency surgery? I don't wan to be awake for that! Does insurance ever cover methylation testing?
feelfit, I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience. Maybe they gave you more medicine or a different medicine combo this time. Or maybe your body was more taxed before this procedure and you've had a harder time clearing the anesthesia. Whatever the cause, I hope that it was a fluke and you never have a problem like this again.
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
thanks sammy, makes me go hmmmm. your comments. I had a heart cath and they used Versed and it didn't work for me either.
I talked to the cardiologist the whole time. He kept telling them to give me more until I guess he must have felt that it was enough to sedate an elephant.lol. Again, I was aware of the whole procedure, watched the images of my heart, felt the cath being threaded into my groin- all of it.
I will check out the link on Versed, but maybe it was the combo of the two drugs.
anyway, suffering like crazy today, it does feel like I am not clearing the meds or it made me flare.
oooh that is awful that you experienced something similar..endoscope and being aware was horrendous.
I called the first lab that Sk8tr listed. The testing is interesting and the person that I spoke to said that it is usually covered by insurance + 70% of time. And if ins. denies, they go to bat for you and try to get payment out of medical necessity. He went so far as to say that if I received a bill, do not pay!
It may be something that you want to look into Sammy, given your response, or lack of one...
BTW, I had just come out of a massive herx the day before...maybe that had something to do with my reaction too???
thanks for caring sammy....I owe you a pm I haven't been good with keeping up with my friends lately.
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
@sammy- just looked at that link...it said : Versed should not exceed 2.5 mg in a normal healthy adult..I know I had way more than that. I remember the surgeon speaking to me in recovery and I asked why I felt so horrible and he said he had given me ....either 10mg and 15 mg or 15 and 5 mg...can't remember which...
I think i will get the records to be sure. In any case, I had a lot of drugs!
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
quote:Originally posted by feelfit: @sammy- just looked at that link...it said : Versed should not exceed 2.5 mg in a normal healthy adult..I know I had way more than that. I remember the surgeon speaking to me in recovery and I asked why I felt so horrible and he said he had given me ....either 10mg and 15 mg or 15 and 5 mg...can't remember which...
I think i will get the records to be sure. In any case, I had a lot of drugs!
It shouldn't exceed 2.5mg over a period of two minutes. You can have more but it is recommended to push it in increments...not all at once. I've given up to 6mg for conscious sedation to reset fractures. Some people just require more to get the desired affect but 10-15mg does seem like an awful lot!
Sorry you had such an awful experience. I had a colonoscopy done last year but didn't remember a thing. They gave me propofol and ketamine.
Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :
feel, i was worried about the sedation for my colonoscopy a few years ago so I just had the procedure without sedation. It was a breeze
However, I can't imagine running an endoscopy without some good stuff
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I never had a colonoscopy, but several endoscopy procedures. Once the Versad wore off, I was fine. No recollection of the procedure at all. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I haven't been good with keeping up with my friends lately.