Bored and concened while really groggy

January 26, 2015 6:12 PM

Hi, This morning I went for an endoscopy with sedation (my first time). Every thing went fine, as far as I know. Now I still feel groggy and really really bored. I'm also uneasy about what happened. I'm watching cartoons on TV now but I don't know what else to do to not be bored and take my mind off of it. I think I slept all I can earlier. Any suggestions? More details under the cut.

They gave me an IV in the procedure room and a few minutes later, the anesthesiologist told me to lay on my side while the doctor put a mouth piece in my mouth. And then the anesthesiologist put some medicine in the IV, and then I woke up in the recovery room. I still felt dizzy leaving even though I waited awhile. Now I still feel groggy too, and really really bored. And still uneasy about what happened. I feel like I didn't even get the procedure done. The fact that I got anesthesia still weirds me out because I don't remember anything. Also I've always had some nervousness about being put to sleep by medical means.

I'm watching cartoons on TV now but I don't know what else to do to not be bored and take my mind off of it (even though I'm groggy).I also think that I slept all I can earlier. Any suggestions?

posted by starlybri to Health & Fitness (35 answers total)

It's not unusual to feel unease following a procedure like this, in no small part because your body is going 'hey, something happened to me.' But the feeling will pass as your body returns to 'hey, I'm OK' status. Give it a day or two.
posted by zippy at 6:18 PM on January 26, 2015 [4 favorites]

Having some anxiety after anesthesia is totally normal. You're going to feel so much better tomorrow.
posted by dawkins_7 at 6:19 PM on January 26, 2015 [22 favorites]

And to put your mind at ease about whether it was done, you probably have a sore throat, right?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:23 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Unease and anxiety after anesthesia isn't unusual as far as I've heard. It almost sounds like you're in the wrong sleep cycle -- weird boredom and the odd memories are what I get after ill-timed naps. I would drink extra water and take it easy, then call my doctor if the feelings persist tomorrow. You could be having a reaction to the anesthetic that your doctor would want to know about.
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:26 PM on January 26, 2015

Yeah, to clarify: Your question is "I'm bored, what should I do?"
posted by Justinian at 6:26 PM on January 26, 2015

The whole point is to not feel pain and to not remember it.

To calm yourself down, try a warm beverage, cocoa or herbal tea, maybe a bath or shower.

Read your favorite book until you feel sleepy. It'll take about 24 hours for you to clear the anesthesia, then you'll feel better.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:27 PM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

Drink lots of water to flush the anesthesia out of your system. Don't make any important decisions.
posted by janey47 at 6:29 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: poffin boffin: no, I'm not concerned that it didn't get done. I was just wondering if it's normal to feel weird after getting the procedure done. And yeah, maybe it could be considered an I'm bored what should I do question.

dawkins_7 and zippy: Thanks so much for the reassurance! I'm glad that I'll probably be feeling better in a day or two. My grandparents were saying when theyes got the same thing done, they were back to normal right after they were done so I thought it was just me being weird.
posted by starlybri at 6:31 PM on January 26, 2015

Best answer: "I'm bored, what should I do?" should be translated with empathy to,

"I don't feel like myself, I feel alone and scared, and I don't know how to deal with my current feelings. Can you help me?"

Sheesh.

Agree with other posts -- drink, relax, it's normal not to remember that anything was done to you. If you still feel bad or weird tomorrow, call the doctor.
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:32 PM on January 26, 2015 [27 favorites]

ok then yeah, it is totally normal, and also you will probably realize you are SUPER HUNGRY after all the horrible fasting. i am here to tell you not to eat a bacon cheeseburger as your first post-endoscopy meal. definitely don't do that.
posted by poffin boffin at 6:32 PM on January 26, 2015 [3 favorites]

This seems totally normal based on my experiences. Relax and amuse yourself the best you can. If cartoons aren't doing it for you, you can try reading or maybe some simple computer games. If you feel like resting, shut your eyes and you might fall asleep again for a bit. Everyone has different reactions to anesthesia, so I wouldn't be too concerned it's not exactly like it was for your grandparents.

By the way, chances are pretty good you weren't actually out for more than about 15 minutes. It feels weird I know, but really, you were just sleeping.
posted by zachlipton at 6:37 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Also, they should have told you that not only will you not remember the endoscopy itself, but you are likely to not remember anything that happens for the first 30 minutes or so after you awaken. That can be very disorienting.
posted by janey47 at 6:42 PM on January 26, 2015 [3 favorites]

Anesthesia is weird, and it takes quite a while to fully work its way through your system, so you might be feeling residual effects.
posted by empath at 6:42 PM on January 26, 2015 [3 favorites]

It's pretty normal to feel a bit agitated and out of sorts from anesthesia, even twilight. If it makes you feel any better, I remember part of my procedure & it involved waking up confused, agitated & scared half way through & taking a swing at the doctor. Your body/brain underwent something weird & is trying to process it all, even if you don't physically remember it. Be kind to yourself tonight & you will feel better in the morning.
posted by wwax at 6:43 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

I feel like I didn't even get the procedure done. The fact that I got anesthesia still weirds me out because I don't remember anything. Also I've always had some nervousness about being put to sleep by medical means.

Yeah, that's how it works. The first few times I went under I was incredibly creeped out. It didn't help that the first time was for really major surgery and I woke up in recovery in the middle of the night super disoriented. It's just kind of an unsettling thing to happen. It's totally normal to find it kind of weird. I completely hated having to go through it every single time, until I wound up nope'ing out of a dental extraction when I couldn't get numb after like 17 injections, and I finally started to look on it as "well it's weird but at least I don't have to go through THAT". Disruptions in consciousness are creepy, full stop. It's normal to be unsettled by that.
posted by The Master and Margarita Mix at 6:44 PM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

Yeah I had my gallbladder out on Thursday under general anesthesia and I felt totally weird for the next ~24 hours. I also couldn't pee for a long time, even though I really really needed to pee.

I found sleeping and playing videogames to help take my mind off it.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:44 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh, I also hung out in the chat room for a bit after I got home before I could fall back asleep, so you could come say hi to us there. We're very distracting.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:47 PM on January 26, 2015 [3 favorites]

I have read that simple video games are also good for pain control. Not sure if that's an issue for you, but it definitely helped after my emergency abdominal surgery with pretty disturbing anesthesia a few years ago.
posted by jeoc at 6:58 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Having some anxiety after anesthesia is totally normal. You're going to feel so much better tomorrow.

Cannot favorite this hard enough. This is so true. I have had to be sedated very very few times but they were always so horrible. Felt exactly like you feel now. You're gonna be ok.

For right now, make sure you're hydrated and just let your brain shut off and turn on this youtube channel. It's my favorite thing to watch when I need to check out. Just watch those videos at full screen until you fall asleep, don't worry about anything else. A night of sleep and things will be just fine.
posted by phunniemee at 7:00 PM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

Last time I had twilight anesthesia, I watched episodes of the first season of Gossip Girl which is the same thing as watching cartoons.

Also, the last time I had full on anesthesia, I about quit my boyfriend for not being organized about picking me up from the hospital.
posted by janey47 at 7:02 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Every time I've had anesthesia, I've woken up sobbing, and continued with racking sobs for hours! In the middle of the sobs I always tried to put the nurses and others at ease... explaining (almost incomprehensibly because of the heaving sobbing and tears!) that it was just a thing that always happens to me when I'm put under. But it doesn't make it any less scary or confusing. It is absolutely a thing, to feel very strange and not normal after anesthesia.

But if you still feel bad in a day or so, I would actually go back to your doctor, because post-anesthesia issues can be more serious. I definitely wouldn't be worrying about it right now, unless it feels truly extreme (hearing voices, etc.) I am no doctor, but have some experience with family members and post-anesthesia psychosis. But I'd bet it is more like the sobbing thing, than anything more serious!
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 7:03 PM on January 26, 2015 [5 favorites]

Came in to say what Janey47 said. I had an endoscopy a few years back and couldn't remember any part of a conversation I had hours afterward. You've gotten some really good advice. Try and get some sleep, you'll feel much better tomorrow. And yes - no major decisions for a few days!
posted by onecircleaday at 7:07 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Yeah, this is well within the realm of normal (in my experience). The type of anesthesia they use for this type of procedure causes some amnesia, so you will not remember the procedure. Your brain is telling you "we took a nap" and your body is telling you "something happened!" and that incongruity is messing with your head. You will feel better tomorrow. To distract yourself now, maybe try watching one of your favorite movies, one you've seen many times. It's enough to keep your brain occupied but not something you'd have to give your full attention.
posted by bedhead at 7:23 PM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

It's a good idea to get up and move around as much as possible after a procedure. Try a nice big walk!
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:24 PM on January 26, 2015

If it makes you feel better, I'm a doctor, and I felt very uneasy coming out of anesthesia after a minor procedure I had done. I don't like the idea of things happening to me that aren't stored as memories - and that's in spite of knowing intellectually that the medications received during the procedure cause amnesia as part of their mechanism, and also that there are many other things that have happened to me that aren't stored in my long term memory because they weren't important enough to remember (or for whatever mysterious reason my brain chose not to remember them). It's the same sort of unease I feel when someone refers to an event or conversation we experienced together, but I can't recall it happening. It seems inappropriate that someone else should have a memory with me in it, but I don't have that memory.

After the procedure I had, my next memory is being in a chair in the recovery room. At the precise moment I 'regained consciousness', I was sitting there holding a glass of water. It is exceedingly weird to 'come to' while bringing a glass of water to your mouth, as if you woke up while sleepwalking. My doctor apparently talked to me after the procedure to tell me how it went - I'll never know what she said. This obviously is not how memory and thinking usually work, and so your reaction is normal from my perspective..
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:24 PM on January 26, 2015 [9 favorites]

I'm not concerned that it didn't get done. I was just wondering if it's normal to feel weird after getting the procedure done.

Very normal. You will probably be cold and hungry because of fasting, for example. Most of the time when we lose consciousness we have the feeling of time passing (like sleeping) and anaesthesia is more like off/on switch and your brain feels weird with missing time in addition to everything else. Some anti-nausea meds can also have dissociative feelings associated with it specifically. I remember when I had mine I felt really blah and awful for about half a day. Just could not be pleased, did not want to do anything. It sucked. Once I'd gotten back on my schedule and had a good night sleep I felt a lot better. I am sorry you feel crummy but I think it's within the range of normal responses.
posted by jessamyn at 8:17 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks again everyone for the responses, I appreciate it. I feel less concerned about feeling "off" today. I'm trying to take it easy tonight and hopefully I'll be back to feeling better. :)
posted by starlybri at 8:49 PM on January 26, 2015

I have to have an endoscopy done on Friday and no one at the doctor's office told me anything about the procedure besides "don't eat after midnight". So I googled. NEVER GOOGLE.

I nearly had a panic attack because everything I read said "you'll be awake and you'll have to swallow a tube, but don't worry because you can't feel anything in your stomach!" If that were the case then I wouldn't be having a EGD. And a pretty active gag reflex plus a near-constant state of nausea (also why I'm having a EGD) means I'm having trouble swallowing at all, to say nothing of a camera.

So after some reassurance from my mom earlier and this entire thread I am feeling much MUCH better about the whole thing. Thank you thank you thank you!

And to answer the question, yes anxiety and restlessness after anesthesia are normal and pretty common. As is depression/sadness/hopelessness, so keep watching cartoons and take it easy on yourself.

(THANK YOU!!!!!)
posted by elsietheeel at 9:21 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: You're very welcome! I got worried too after I googled on mefi, so I'm glad you feel reassuredo elsietheeel.
posted by starlybri at 9:54 PM on January 26, 2015

Elsitheel: Pro-tip: Have someone else Google. When you google for someone else it's easy to take a detached view and ignore the extreme and unlikely stuff. So someone else googles, tells you what you have to know and you're good. If you google yourself, the worst will jump out at you and consume your brain.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:01 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

You seem pretty reassured by now so that's good. But came in to say that like thegreatfleecircus, 2 out of 3 times after having a general, I've woken up crying. Not because of pain, just some kind of other weird reaction to it all. I definitely feel out of it, a bit spacey and surreal as well.

Things that help: someone you know and love to talk to you and reassure you that it's okay. A shower, if you're allowed to take one. Fluffy blankets and nice pajamas. All the reassuring things you need to comfort yourself that something major happened but it will be okay, because that's exactly what happened.

One of my friends, post-endoscopy, has been known to be seized by insane energy and wash all the windows. So if cartoons and reassuring stuff gets boring you could always give that a go!
posted by Athanassiel at 10:01 PM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

Just go play Angry Birds and Candy Crush. If you don't have a smart phone to play on, you can play them in your browser. This is what I do when I have some health related thing going on (illness, injury, post surgery, it works for everything) and it's amazingly effective.
posted by anaelith at 5:21 AM on January 27, 2015

From the comments here it seems that post-anesthesia weirdness is pretty common, but it also sounds like doctors and nurses are often unaware or oblivious. Just curious: was anyone forewarned by their medical team about these effects?
posted by mpark at 7:24 AM on January 27, 2015

I think doctors are so used to it that they don't think about it. When my dad came out from under sedation after a case of actute pancreatitis, he was in the midst of full blown ICU psychosis. Hallucinating, terrified, babbling incoherently, repeating himself, unable to remember anything for more than 5 minutes. It was absolutely terrifying to watch, and the doctors and nurses were all like 'whatever, this happens all the time.'
posted by empath at 7:30 AM on January 27, 2015

It's entirely possible for general anesthesia (and twilight sedation, which is what this sounds like) to cause physical restlessness along the same lines as Restless Legs Syndrome. If you're feeling restless in addition to boredom, the only thing you can really do is let it pass. Drink plenty of fluids. If you haven't been advised to eat lightly for a while, a decent amount (but not too much!) of bland, gentle food, like a bowl of Cream of Wheat, can calm down your nervous system.
posted by WasabiFlux at 8:27 PM on January 27, 2015