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So, I woke up during my colonoscopy

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/28/2015 12:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

I had my third colonoscopy today, and woke up during the middle of it. Has that happened to anyone else? I remember the nurse was holding two vials of sedative, but only gave me one. When I woke up, I saw them taking biopsies. My doctor started talking to me, but I don't really remember anything she said. I remember it hurt at one point, but I did fall back asleep. Weird.

The inflammation is still left-sided. Since I'm bleeding again and having quite a bit of pelvic pain, she switched me from Balsalazide to Delzicol. I just took my first dose (6 pills twice daily). She said we can try a different 5-ASA before moving on to immunosuppressants. I'm glad she was open to that.
Posted 3/28/2015 12:59 AM (GMT 0)
I was under sedated during my first scope. I was also flaring very badly, and it was quite painful.
Posted 3/28/2015 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
What sedative did they give you?
Posted 3/28/2015 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
I woke up during my first one when i was sixteen! The doctors were bad mouthing the front desk lady. I didnt want them to be mad so i just pretended to be asleep. I wasnt in any pain though. Just felt like a snake was moving inside me!
Posted 3/28/2015 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I woke up during my last one. Didn't feel anything. I started crying because "they lied to me" but I couldn't explain that concept for some reason. They kept asking if it hurt and I said no over and over (and it didn't). Said some nonsense, they tried not to laugh at me, and I fell asleep.

When I was normal again the doctor said if I want, next time they can give me more, but I said no. Would've been fine, but I had been told I'd be asleep the whole time and it just surprised me. And to drugged me, it was a big surprise! haha
Posted 3/28/2015 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
I'm glad I'm not alone! It was such a surprise...I was completely out for my other two procedures. It was interesting seeing what was going on, and my fiancé told me that it was comforting seeing me so "with it" afterward. He was afraid to leave me alone for a second the day of my procedures in the past.

Judy2, I'm sorry that yours was painful. I remember only part of it was painful for me, but then I fell back asleep.

Andrina, my report shows they gave me Fentanyl 125 mcgs and Versed 7 mgs. Is that a light dose?

Bananagirl, it's funny that you overheard that! I just remember my doctor was explaining to me what I was looking at, but I don't remember anything she said. Speaking of overhearing interesting conversations, when the nurses were getting me ready for the procedure, they were bad mouthing one of the other nurses who wasn't there. They were so loud!

ElephantPipe, that's too funny! I remember after my first procedure I was so out of it that my fiancé said I asked the doctor the same questions several times. When I woke up, I looked up at my fiancé and said "you're my hero" or something like that. He had to help me put on my yoga pants and practically carry me out. I was so out of it, but I was flaring pretty badly at that time.
Posted 3/28/2015 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
I'm so glad this has never happened to me...bad enough for me when I wasn't sedated for a sigmoidoscopy (people generally aren't for that procedure) but when you've got pain diseased bumps of inflammation on the outside of your butt-hole anything going in there is killer pain. It seems the more/worse inflammation one has internally as well can make those scopes all very painful for most people.
Posted 3/28/2015 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
I always wake up. I often have a conversation and see them taking biopsies - it sucks to wake up. I metabolize the drugs more quickly than others I guess.
Posted 3/28/2015 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure about the dosage but they give me propofol and I never woke up.
Posted 3/28/2015 3:49 AM (GMT 0)
I also always wake up. It sucks. You feel everything while you're awake. Often you don't remember but sometimes you do. I remember a lot of things...
Posted 3/28/2015 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
colitis32--you received "conscious sedation" since you were given versed and fentanyl. It's not uncommon to have moments of awareness or be able to have a conversation. It's usually administered by a GI nurse under the direction of the GI doctor. It's inaccurate to be told that you will be asleep. The truth is that you will be sedated but not asleep. Versed provides the amnesia and fentanyl is for the discomfort of the procedure.

For those patients that receive propofol, it's called "monitored anesthesia care" and is administered by either a nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist. Propofol allows for a "deeper" level of sedation. Many providers will also give versed and fentanyl in addition to the propofol. While it's more unlikely to have moments of awareness, it's always a possibility.

I'm not just a patient like all of you but I provide anesthesia. I've also had both types of sedation and had an unpleasant experience with conscious sedation. In my case, I was given versed and demerol and remember a portion of the colonoscopy. I remember the nurse was pushing on my abdomen and it was very painful and I was trying to get her to stop. At that time, the GI doc told her to give me more medication. It's very common for the GI doc to ask for "pressure" when he/she needs a little help directing the scope into a certain portion of the colon and that's what was happening. Anyway, it was really painful and later in the recovery room, my nurse was bullying me into drinking juice even though I felt sick. I drank it and then threw up. I will never again have a colonoscopy with conscious sedation. I always have anesthesia provide my sedation now.

Many patients tolerate a colonoscopy with conscious sedation but IBD patients as a whole will experience more discomfort because we have inflammation. I'm not saying everyone needs monitored anesthesia care but am letting you know your options. I hope this was a helpful explanation.
Posted 3/28/2015 11:36 AM (GMT 0)
In the old days I had some bad experiences waking up. Nowadays I just make sure I'll get Propofol. You'll never wake up!

Just make sure you tell them before you absolutely don't want to wake up.
Posted 3/28/2015 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
I remember waking up with my first one. I just said, "ouch, that hurts," and then I went back to sleep, so they obviously gave me more sedation. I have had two more since then and didn't wake up.

Thye used Propofol for my last colonoscopy which was very nice. I was very alert immediately and didn't get sick like I did with the other.
Posted 3/28/2015 4:39 PM (GMT 0)

platinumpixie said...
I'm not just a patient like all of you but I provide anesthesia.

I have a question for you! So my first time ever getting anesthesia was when I got my wisdom teeth out and I threw up all day afterwards. Then I got colonoscopies and I was completely fine. Do they use a different anesthesia for wisdom teeth? Because it did not agree with me at all lol. Then my first 2 colonoscopies I was really good. Felt like I could drive home, totally with it. For my 3rd I felt completely drunk after and had to be wheeled out in a wheelchair lol. Did they use a different type there or did they just use more? I didn't see anything on the reports saying what type of anesthesia I got, I don't know if it was there or not, but I never paid attention if it was. Just curious! :)
Posted 3/28/2015 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
Through pretty much all the scopes I've ever had (due to there always being plenty of inflammation, I cry and moan a lot even though I'm completely "out" and don't ever remember a thing or why I'm even crying...they usually stop when I get to balling and moaning cuz they think I'm actually feeling the pain at that moment, but I explain to them that I don't and that I'm not even aware what' going on until a while after they let me wake up, So I got into the habit of warning them about this happening and not to pay any attention unless I'm clearly awake, then I'm crying cuz I'm actually conscience about what's going and do feel the pain. I wake up every time asking them why am I crying???
Posted 3/28/2015 7:19 PM (GMT 0)
I remember my very first one back in 97. I got to watch it on video screen while being done.
Posted 3/28/2015 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
I had my first colonoscopy in '92 with just twilight sedation. It hurt so freakin bad! I guess I was pretty inflamed. But since then I've had stronger sedation and as far as I know I never woke up thank goodness!
Posted 3/28/2015 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
mcfarl---all of my comments are speculation:-)

Wisdom teeth: many dentists use nitrous for dental procedures which can cause nausea; everyone is different so some patients do fine with it and others get sick. The other possibility would be if they used an opioid, another offender for nausea/vomiting. Did you have this done in a dentist's office?

Colonoscopies: the clear headed experiences you probably received only propofol; the drunk experience you probably had a combination of versed, fentanyl and propofol and possibly other meds. Anesthesia providers vary in their practice and it also can depend on what type of facility you had your procedure at. The surgicenter type places want a fast turnover and the ability to get patients out the door so the sole use of propofol is a great way to do this. Patients are comfortable for the procedure and wake up clear headed.

Your anesthesia record is separate from the colonoscopy record so you would have to ask for it. It's possible that you had conscious sedation which you could find out from your GI doc. In my experience, most GIs now utilize anesthesia for sedation services instead of providing the sedation via the GI nurse. I hope this info was helpful!

FYI for those of you prone to nausea: propofol has anti-nausea property
Posted 3/28/2015 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks platinum! My wisdom teeth were taken out in an oral surgeon's office. Not the typical dentist office, but similar. Isn't nitrous a gas? Like laughing gas? I didn't have a mask. It was an IV in my hand like colonoscopies.

My first colonoscopy was done at a hospital and my 2nd and 3rd were at surgicenter places, but the weird thing is that it was my 3rd one that I felt drunk. My sedation at my 2nd and 3rd (don't really remember my first colonoscopy, been a while lol) was provided by an anesthesiologist. Or maybe a nurse, but the anesthesiologist was the one who met with me before I went in, told me who he was, and had me sign the papers. He wasn't in the room though so I'm guessing he just made my cocktail based on my weight and other stuff and then gave it to the nurse in the room. It was the same anesthesiologist both times. That's what has me so confused lol. I wasn't sure if they changed what they used or something. Not gonna lie, I kinda liked waking up feeling drunk. Couldn't stop laughing, felt all warm and sleepy, it was nice lol.
Posted 3/28/2015 11:32 PM (GMT 0)

platinumpixie said...
colitis32--you received "conscious sedation" since you were given versed and fentanyl. It's not uncommon to have moments of awareness or be able to have a conversation. It's usually administered by a GI nurse under the direction of the GI doctor. It's inaccurate to be told that you will be asleep. The truth is that you will be sedated but not asleep. Versed provides the amnesia and fentanyl is for the discomfort of the procedure.

For those patients that receive propofol, it's called "monitored anesthesia care" and is administered by either a nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist. Propofol allows for a "deeper" level of sedation. Many providers will also give versed and fentanyl in addition to the propofol. While it's more unlikely to have moments of awareness, it's always a possibility.

I'm not just a patient like all of you but I provide anesthesia. I've also had both types of sedation and had an unpleasant experience with conscious sedation. In my case, I was given versed and demerol and remember a portion of the colonoscopy. I remember the nurse was pushing on my abdomen and it was very painful and I was trying to get her to stop. At that time, the GI doc told her to give me more medication. It's very common for the GI doc to ask for "pressure" when he/she needs a little help directing the scope into a certain portion of the colon and that's what was happening. Anyway, it was really painful and later in the recovery room, my nurse was bullying me into drinking juice even though I felt sick. I drank it and then threw up. I will never again have a colonoscopy with conscious sedation. I always have anesthesia provide my sedation now.

Many patients tolerate a colonoscopy with conscious sedation but IBD patients as a whole will experience more discomfort because we have inflammation. I'm not saying everyone needs monitored anesthesia care but am letting you know your options. I hope this was a helpful explanation.

I've always had a nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist and since I know I wake up (and often am not happy about it I told them last time about me waking up and the nurse anesthetist told me its because I take oxycodone and Xanax and therefore have a high tolerance. So, she ignored my plea for more medication.
Long before I took any narcotics (talking '84 through 2010) I always woke up. Two GI's told me it startled them as I woke up unexpectedly and very alert with the dang thing deep inside and started asking questions about what was on the screen.

Seeing the biopsies being taken (you do feel it) is not fun. I do realize their goal is to give me as little as possible in order to get my butt out of the bed to ready it for the next patient but I would love to know how to communicate to them that I just have always metabolized things much quicker than others I know. I have red hair and read we require more on average - is that true?

Thank's for offering professional advice
Posted 3/29/2015 12:17 AM (GMT 0)
Burli - I don't think they're not giving you more in order to get your butt out and get ready for the next patient. I think they're not giving you more because they can't just take your word for it. Anesthesia can be very risky and there's a chance of people not waking up from it. I've always heard the saying that most people don't die from the actual surgery, they just never wake up from the anesthesia. I know that's probably not true, but it's still a scary thought. I escorted my dad to a surgery in December and when we were in the recovery room after (he had to stay for like 4 hours post) there was a lady they were trying to wake up. She was older (I think my dad saw on the screen that she was 80) and they kept saying "she should be awake by now." They went over and did all sorts of things to try and wake her up. It was really scary. People running around, rushing to the phone. When she finally did wake up (about 20 minutes or so after actively trying) she still wasn't with it. Kept telling her they needed her to keep her eyes open and talk to them. Luckily they hadn't called her family in yet. I would have freaked out if that was my dad. Hell I freaked out and I didn't even know the woman.

I don't know the actual number of anesthesia complications in the US, but I think they'd rather take it safe than sorry.
Posted 3/29/2015 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
Burli, I'm sorry you have had unpleasant experiences with your sedation. It is true that red heads require more sedation and yes, you would have a higher tolerance because of the oxy and Xanax. There are still enough drugs in our arsenal to sedate you adequately. When I sedate patients, my goal is to keep them comfortable and unaware of the procedure. From a business perspective, I realize the need to get patients out the door but it's not my priority. If you have your colonoscopy at the same facility, next time I would request that they pull up your previous anesthesia record to see what drugs were administered. Explain that it was not adequate and ask what changes can be made this time around. Without knowing all of your medical history, that is my best suggestion.

Mcfarl, elderly patients are often disoriented and slow to wake up from anesthesia but it's very uncommon for someone not to wake up from anesthesia. I know it seems scary but it's very safe. The bad things you see on the news are rare. As far as your colonoscopies, you made me laugh about waking up drunk. My guess is that your anesthesia providers gave their preferred "cocktail" to you and that's why you had different experiences. The wisdom teeth, I can't really say why you had n/v the next day. Did they send you home with any pain meds?
Posted 3/29/2015 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
no one can ever sedate me enough. I usually don't remember much but I am always conscious according to everyone. The weird part is that I rarely ever take any type of drugs that would cause me to have a tolerance - pain killers give me awful nausea so I avoid them. I was in the ICU and the doctors were giving me the maximum amount of sedatives and I was still conscious. Apparently I was writing notes on paper...
Posted 3/29/2015 4:27 AM (GMT 0)
I actually had one without any sedation. The sedation they give me is not strong enough to put me to sleep anyway so I stay awake and stare at the screen. Later most of these memories get lost or blurry but most of the times I'm able to remember the start and the end of a colonoscopy. Pulling the colonoscope out is quite a relief.
Posted 3/29/2015 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Platinum - Yep I got all the pain meds. Like 3 bottles lol. And I don't think I took any. They told me to take a vicodin when I got home with some jello, but I threw up twice before even taking anything. Once before I even got to the car and a second time in the garbage can in the garage. Then I tried eating some jello and applesauce and taking a vicodin but I threw up again like 2 minutes later. After that I didn't take anything. And I don't understand why they give you tons of prescriptions of like 30 pills. What a waste. Pharmaceutical companies should put together a "wisdom teeth" package or something. Like a punch out thing like birth control with like 3 of each pill. I don't need 30 vicodin, 30 motrin 800, 30 motrin 600, and whatever else they gave me.
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