# pre-surgery jitters



## lilly (Mar 22, 2006)

Does anyone know something that won't interfere with general anaesthetic to take leading up to surgery day? I heard valium is ok but is there a specific name of something to take that's safe?


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## ColdFury (Nov 6, 2003)

lilly said:


> Does anyone know something that won't interfere with general anaesthetic to take leading up to surgery day? I heard valium is ok but is there a specific name of something to take that's safe?


I'd definitely ask your doctor. Anesthesia can react with a lot of stuff.


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

My oral surgeon gave me two 5mg tablets of Valium to take 1.5 hours before I had my wisdom teeth removed. I was put under anesthesia, as well. I didn't have any bad reactions. Ask your surgeon about it.


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## firedancer (Nov 14, 2003)

i would discuss this with the doc. 

when i had my gallbladder taken out, i had to list all meds that i was taking. luckily, it wasn't that many at the time and the ones i was on were ok. if it is surgery like that, then they will give you something that will calm you down (best stuff in the world) in your iv. if it is something like dental surgery/work, i always take a xanax (unless i'm being sedated) but they have offered me valium.

regardless, you should always let your doc be aware of any and all meds that you taking.


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

also tell them you are nervous and ask for a big premed anasthetic to almost knock you out before surgery, saves the risk of having a severe panic attack whilst waiting on the trolley


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

korey said:


> My oral surgeon gave me two 5mg tablets of Valium to take 1.5 hours before I had my wisdom teeth removed.


I have to have my wisdom teeth (at least one of them) removed sometime eventually. I've been putting that off since March 2005.

If an oral surgeon dared to give me just 10 mg of Valium, he risks getting his *** kicked by me. I already take Xanax in 2 mg doses regularly, multiple times a day -- the equivalent of 20 mg Valium per dose. I want & need a horse tranquilizer!


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Whatever effects I felt after taking the Valium tablets were probably just placebo. But that anesthesia stuff...wow. That's some neat stuff. I didn't remember or feel anything, and it was so very easy to get to sleep for quite a while following the extraction. They should start prescribing that stuff in pill form.

After a quick Google search, I found that tranquilizers are split into two groups: major and minor. Benzos are in the minor group. Maybe you can ask your pdoc for a major one if you feel it's necessary, UltraShy?


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

korey said:


> After a quick Google search, I found that tranquilizers are split into two groups: major and minor. Benzos are in the minor group. Maybe you can ask your pdoc for a major one if you feel it's necessary, UltraShy?


Minor tranquilizer = benzos
Major tranquilizer = antipsychotic

These names are very old-fashioned and have fallen out of use, as they're not accurate at all. I can tell you from experience that antipsychotics (I've tried Zyprexa & Abilify) definitely don't deserve to be called "major tranquilizers". They don't deserve to be called tranquilizers at all.


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## lilly (Mar 22, 2006)

I thought xanax was a form of valium? Would xanax react with anaesthesia? I appreciate all you people's answers - thanks.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

lilly said:


> I thought xanax was a form of valium?


Both are benzodiazepines.


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## firedancer (Nov 14, 2003)

when i had my 2 wisdom teeth out, i opted for sedation (thank goodness he offers that!) no iv either. he prescribed 2 merperdine and 2 halcions to be taken 1 hour before the appointment. i barely remember arriving and checking in much less the actual surgery. i awoke at home hours later with my boyfriend feeding me lorcet's every 4 hours. i never had any pain.

whenever i have to have any amount of dental work done, this is the way i do it.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

firedancer said:


> when i had my 2 wisdom teeth out, i opted for sedation (thank goodness he offers that!) no iv either. he prescribed 2 merperdine and 2 halcions to be taken 1 hour before the appointment.


Halcion is a benzo and I'm very benzo tolerant, so I'd worry that would do little for me. Meperidine is also known as Demerol, a narcotic painkiller. I've never tried that, so I don't know how out of it that would make me. I have very minimal experience with narcotics.

I'd have to research what they do for the difficult to sedate patient like me.


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## GraceLikeRain (Nov 9, 2003)

ColdFury said:


> lilly said:
> 
> 
> > Does anyone know something that won't interfere with general anaesthetic to take leading up to surgery day? I heard valium is ok but is there a specific name of something to take that's safe?
> ...


 :agree


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## firedancer (Nov 14, 2003)

UltraShy said:


> firedancer said:
> 
> 
> > when i had my 2 wisdom teeth out, i opted for sedation (thank goodness he offers that!) no iv either. he prescribed 2 merperdine and 2 halcions to be taken 1 hour before the appointment.
> ...


isn't halcion a hypnotic agent like ambien and lunesta?


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## Nae (Nov 10, 2003)

UltraShy said:


> firedancer said:
> 
> 
> > when i had my 2 wisdom teeth out, i opted for sedation (thank goodness he offers that!) no iv either. he prescribed 2 merperdine and 2 halcions to be taken 1 hour before the appointment.
> ...


After I had surgery they gave me some demerol through an IV and I had an allergic reaction to it causing my arm to turn red and the areas around my veins to turn bright red. A shot of benadryl cleared that up, though. Morphine worked better. 

Anyway, When I had my wisdom teeth out I opted for general anesthsia. Infact, my doctor said that is the only anesthsia she does. I know other doctors use different means and my brother only had novocaine. That is nuts, I'd never go into such a surgery with just novocaine. I'd walk out if the doctor told me that is what he is going to use.

If you go for general anesthsia i'm sure they will knock you out. I remember reading up on it before the first time I went under and they have many, many different drugs to choose from such as barbiturates or ketamine (you mentioned a horse tranquilizer...) They take an inventory of what drugs you are on so just be sure to rmeind them you take a large dose of xanax each day. I've been through it 3 times and each time it went like this:

IV is inserted. As the liquid enters the vein if feels cold.

Mask is put over your mouth/nose.

Room starts to go loopy/everything seems far away/you hear everyone talking but can't understand what they're saying

Then you wake up in recovery, disoriented and wondering if the surgery was started yet. (it seriously feels as if they had just inserted the IV)


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## firedancer (Nov 14, 2003)

my dentist doesn't do the iv sedation and i'm glad. i don't think that i could handle that. i love my med sedation.

oh yea, and they do give me the laughing gas too. i always get that even when i have a tooth filled. that is best feeling. i just don't want to say anything silly. they hygenist told me some stories. and whenever one of them sees you with the mask, they always come in the room. i think they are secretly hoping for something funny to come out of your mouth.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

firedancer said:


> isn't halcion a hypnotic agent like ambien and lunesta?


It's a hynotic, but then every benzo could be called a hypnotic. Halcion is a very short acting benzo typically used as a sleeping pill; I've never tried it.


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## firedancer (Nov 14, 2003)

UltraShy said:


> firedancer said:
> 
> 
> > isn't halcion a hypnotic agent like ambien and lunesta?
> ...


it works pretty quick on me, about 20-30 minutes and i'm all loopy. i wish that my pdoc would prescribe it to me for my insomnia since it seems to be the only thing that works, but he won't.


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## quietpond (May 2, 2006)

I was given valium prior to my surgery for surgery day jitters. It helped a little, but could have been stronger. Luckily surgery was early enough that I didn't have a lot of time to worry. Then, the anesthesia took over before I hit 8 when counting back from 10.

Good luck!


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## lilly (Mar 22, 2006)

Thanks quietpond - I'm booked in for 6.30am so I'll take an ambien to sleep and maybe they'll give me something if I'm a blithering mess. I just don't think I could stand another doctor's appointment before this! I don't have any valium or xanax only beta blockers & that's a no-no!
Thanks for the good wishes too.


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