sleeping gas for surgery?

Question

I'm having my tonsils out on friday and they said they will make me fall asleep by breathing in a sleeping gas cuz im scared of needles. I was wondering if anyone here ever got put to sleep from breathing in sleeping gas and what it feels like when ur breathing it. Like to you get dizzy or do you feel sleepy? What happens if you just decide to try to keep your eyes open. Thanks for helping me out.

Answer 1

Well I had it done a long time ago, but from what I remember it smelled a lot like strong peppermint and knocked me out very quickly, within a minute or so.

Answer 2

LOL i doubt that you would be able to keep your eyes open for 3 counts. The gas smells like saffron. You don't really feel your breathing it its just like walking into a room that has airspray sprayed.

I had two operations in the last 6 years the recent one was End of last year. Becuase i'm really scared of needles i always ask for gas first.

Its kinda funny. You just get very drowsy ( remember you get these tablets to make you more relaxed and that in itself makes you drowsy.
Lets just say you feel like you are really tired and just want to close your eyes. And then it feels like you have hardly slept at all when they bring you round.

The last time i actually asked the doctor when they are going to begin the Op and he said it was finished. It felt like i just nodded of for a minute

Answer 3

sleeping gas surgery

Answer 4

dude i always ask the same questions cuz im so afraid of getting dizzy and im really afraid of needles and lol im 18 alot of people are afriad of needles it doesn't mean your being a baby well anways my sister actually had sugury in the summer and i asked her what it's like and she said nothing you don't notice anything theres nothing to be afraid of the doctors make you feel real comfortable and before you know you even fell asleep you wake up it's really not as bad as you think

Answer 5

i have had surgery a couple of times. it feels really cool. it smells a lil funky but you start to feel like your floating around the room and then the doctor asks you to take a few deep breaths, and then the next thing you know your waking up in the recovery room. really no big deal

Answer 6

For this type of surgery, the doctors will be giving you what is called general anesthesia anyway. This means that you will be getting a mixture of oxygen ( which is what we all must breathe to stay alive) and an anesthetic, which in this case will most likely be nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas" as it is also called. You will be given that until you are fully asleep, and at that point, you will be given another anesthetic by injection to be sure that you remain asleep for the surgery. That will probably be something like succinylcholine, which is a paralytic tranquilizer. This is one procedure that your doctors may follow- and there are many others. Some doctors will minimize your fears by giving you a single shot of a fast acting drug called pentathol ( and believe me, pentathol IS VERY FAST acting- you will be unconscious and asleep within 5 minutes of the shot, maybe less) and then give you oral anesthesia for the surgery to keep you asleep.

Either way, about the only thing you will be aware of is either a strange, rather sweet smell ( like flowers, or honey) for a few minutes, or a small, sharp sting like that of a mosquito or bee sting. Then, depending upon how your system reacts, you will either feel like you are floating on a cloud ( in other words, the anesthetic will give you a "high") or you may feel somewhat dizzy. That will be followed almost immediately by vision loss and unconsciousness. Don't try to keep your eyes open or fight the anesthesia- it's stronger than you are, and in any case, if you resist, you will be given more of it until you relax and quit fighting it. There's nothing to be afraid of anyway- you will have at least two doctors in attendence during the entire time you are in surgery, as well as numerous nurses and technicians, all of which are there to protect you and help you get through the experience without complications. There are some things you need to be aware of before the surgery which will help you, though. One of these is that you will be warned NOT TO EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING for at least 12 hours prior to surgery. PLEASE, FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, HEED THIS WARNING !!! In medicine, this is called making the patient ( you) NPO. NPO stands for " nothing per os" or"nothing by mouth". The reason this is done is to keep you from vomiting while you are unconscious from the anesthetics used in the surgery, which can cause serious complications and even death from choking. When you arrive at the hospital or surgical center for your appointment, one of the things you will be asked about ( and they will also ask your parents this) is whether or not you have had anything ( including water) to eat or drink in the last 12 hours. If you have, then you need to speak up about it, because it may result in a delay of the surgery for safety reasons. Please, DON'T LIE about this- it's extremely important that you tell the truth, for your own safety. Vomiting under anesthesia is NOT a joke- it's very dangerous. The only real solution to that problem is PREVENTION.

When you wake up after the surgery is over, your throat will be very sore for a while, until the swelling goes down. You will be dizzy, groggy, disoriented, and you may also be sick to your stomach- many of the anesthetics used in surgery often produce this as a side effect. Some patients experience bleeding from the surgical sites. The usual advice given is to sleep as much as possible, and not to try to talk too much for the first few days following surgery. You will be allowed to have liquids and solid food as soon as you are able to swallow and tolerate them on your own. You will also be given medication for the pain and swelling, and antibiotics to prevent a secondary infection from the surgery. Don't worry about being alone- your parents will be there to help you.

I hope that this helps you out some. Remember, the warnings you will get about not eating or drinking before surgery are given to protect you, NOT scare you, and that everyone who has any type of surgery is given this warning. Try not to be too scared of the anesthesia. You can ask questions ahead of time, while the nurses are helping you get ready- and don't be afraid to speak up if you are uncomfortable. My thinking is that your doctor will explain the surgery and aftercare to you before he or she starts work, so that you will have an idea what to expect. If this doesn't happen, ASK HIM OR HER to do this. Most doctors are happy to explain things, but they are NOT mind readers. That's why, if you have questions, or you are nervous about things, you need to speak up. No one expects you to suffer in silence, sweetie. Likewise, don't try to be stubborn about the pain afterwards. If it hurts, say something !!! Good luck to you, and remember, the only stupid question is the one you didn't ask.

PS: BTW, you are NOT ALONE in your fear of needles- many people experience this. Both I and the friend I mentioned below who is a doctor have known ADULTS in their 40's, 50's, and even older who are afraid of hypodermics. It's one of the most common phobias out there, and it tends to get worse, not better, with time. These people who are so critical of you for being afraid have probably never experienced that kind of fear themselves, and they are NOT in a position to criticize you for it. Ignore them, sweetie- that's my advice.

Answer 7

You will smell an odd smell. Then you just go to sleep before you can count to 10.

If you try to stay awake you only see the room spin....

Answer 8

why you scared? you are not a kid anymore! by the way, the gas is anesthesia.