Question:
What are the side effects of anesthesia?

I had lap rny March 5 and I was wondering if someone could tell me what the side effects are from undergoing anesthesia? How long does it take for anesthesia to leave the body?    — TL (posted on March 14, 2004)

March 13, 2004
Terri - I am ABSOLUTELY not affiliated with anything medical, so you will have better, more informed postings, but this is what I was told by my aunt, who was a nurse anesthesiologist. Anesthesia can remain in your body up to a year. My personal experience was this: my memory and ability to remember certain words and facts was shot for the first several (!) months. I kid you not. It was freaky. My sister had a minor leg surgery and had to have anesthesia, and while her experience was not as intense as mine, she also experienced memory problems. Perhaps not everyone has these effects, maybe they have different effects. I don't know, but I had 3 surgeries within 3 weeks, so I got pumped full of whatever stuff they use. It has been 10 months and now I don't notice my memory problems. Thank goodness!
   — Jodie P.

March 14, 2004
My symptoms from anesthesia were hair loss (immediate), itchy skin, memory loss and flow--I was going to college at the time and before got A's on papers--right afterward my professors noticed a big difference in how my ideas flowed--some nausea and good luck to you. Nine months out and all these problems are gone.
   — dill P.

March 14, 2004
Along with the above poster's effects, constipation is another conditon that gets me after anesthesia. For me, it takes a good month to get things going again. Polly
   — Jackie O.

March 14, 2004
It gives me hives and vomiting. And I can't pee for 24-36 hours. So knowing this I request special meds for the anesthesisa IV for the hives and a folley cathiter while under. But you probally won't have these problems except for possible vomiting.
   — Danmark

March 14, 2004
I just get really nauseaous so they put stuff in my IV. And we are talking really nauseaous. I was in the hospital two extra nights from this but I knew it before I went in for surgery because I have had surgery before and had the same effect. 292/192/165
   — horserider0146

March 14, 2004
They told me, dont know if it's true but it takes one week for every hour you were under for the tiredness feeling to go away. You'll wake up and not know anything happened though, which is good. Good luck
   — gary viscio

March 14, 2004
It can take up to two months because it is still in your blood. That is why you should not drive or operate machinery and stuff. I had no vomiting or nausea this time because they gave me something to conter act it. Good Luck. Ann
   — Ann M.

March 15, 2004
Terri, last answer by Jodie Pederson via her Aunt is correct, I am a researcher and we can find (when looking for it) residuals of anesthesia in the body up to a year. Everyone response to it is different. Cheap way to offset nausea is inhaling alcohol wipes (but then you also have to worry about drying your sinuses out).
   — Anna M.