Conscious Sedation?

[JenniferInOhio]

Is it safe? I'm scared. They will be using conscious sedation with my colonoscopy.

[cardiactec]

It is very safe. safer than general anesthesia. I have had it, it basically blocks your ability to remember any of the procedure and puts you in SLEEPY LAND! I'm sure you'll do okay with it.

[flop]

I've not had conscious sedation myself but it is used regularly for procedures like endoscopy. Essentially you will be drowsy but the staff will be able to talk to you and make sure that you are ok. After the procedure the drugs cause an amnesia so you don't remember the procedure even though you were able to talk during it. Sounds like a good option as you won't usually remember having the test and usually have a good sleep afterwards to get the med out of your system.

Flop

[Lukkychrm42]

I would imagine that it makes sense for it to be safer than general anasthesia, although I believe it can be supervised by nurses rather than anasthesiologists, which might possibly mean trouble..I would advise them to have you on saline and oxygen during the procedure as well as really watching your HR and BP. Some people here have had unremarkable procedures with conscious sedation, and that's great! But I think you would want the docs and nurses still to be on alert in case your BP crashes, because then they have to wake you up, and demerol isn't always enough for a colonoscopy.

[dawn]

Hi,

I had a colonoscopy on Monday. I anticipated it much worse than it was.

I did have it in the OR. I am fortunate that my friend does my anesthesia.

He said with my low BP he needs to give me a drug that RN's aren't allowed

to give.

I was asleep but not under general anesthesia and don't remember a thing.

I had 1 mg of Versed and then he uses a drug called Propofol.

You wake right up after, no drowsiness. I left the hospital within the hour.

Oh, I had a new prep too called Moviprep. You only have to drink 2 liters.

It is loaded with Vitamin C so has that taste. Not that it is wonderful but

was able to get it down.

Here is a little info about propofol if you want to ask your doctor-

Propofol?s popularity is due to several characteristics that render it superior to other sedatives in terms of side effects and duration ? these include:

* Rapid onset and short duration of action

* Shorter waking and recovery times

* Reduced need for opioids, resulting in less nausea and vomiting

Wish you all the best.

Dawn

[flop]

I just wanted to say that the reason propofol has to be given by an anaesthetist not a nurse if because it is a general anaesthetic drug. What Dawn describes sounds like being given a "light anaesthetic". Anaesthetists carefully control the amount of druge they give to control how deeply asleep you are, I think Dawn probably had a smaller dose that would cause full anaesthesia but still enough to make her sleep.

Having that type of sedation/anaesthesia needs very careful monitoring as it would be easy to induce a state of deep anaesthesia, especially as some of us seem to be very sensitive to medications.

If you are worried the best thing to do would be to phone up the hospital and ask to speak to the person who will be in charge of your sedation and explain your POTS and blood pressure issues.

Flop