Sedation, what should a patient expect?

For sedation I would believe it to be either asleep or very close to that state, if on the other hand it's conscious sedation there are roughly 3 levels. Mild medium and deep. Respectively these are classified as no assisted breathing and responsive to speech commands, possible assisted breathing and responsive to some commands and physical prompts and hen assisted breathing and hard to solicit response.

Come on tell us your idea as to what it is.

In what context are you being offered sedation?

If it's for a procedure (e.g. Colonoscopy), the sedative/painkiller combo almost always used is pethidine/midazolam, this is what is defined as 'twilight anaesthesia'

You will feel somewhat drunk, and sometimes euphoria, you will be able to follow simple commands, you will most likely depending on dose experience amnesia, ie very little, or no memory of the procedure.

If you call the hospital/doctors, I'm sure someone would be able to explain it even further for you.

If it's oral sedation, you will most likely be given Valium (diazepam) to calm your nerves and help you relax.

Thank you everyone, but what I am really looking for is what the idea of sedation means; we know that drugs are involved and that we can be more or less sleepy, but I don't think that we all have the same idea as to what is intended or what the experience is actually like. For example, I know that some people would expect it to stop them feeling or remembering anything, but is this a universal idea?

I don't think that sedation or conscious sedation should involve amnesia, however this is the medical definition of "conscious sedation". - a lot of medical practitioners use the phrase - we're going to give you something to relax you, or you wont feel anything as you will be asleep(awake, sedated and aware but will have no memory of events or at least hopefully not ). - Instead they should say we are going to give you a painkiller(pethidine or some such) and then we will give you something to make you forget which has a sedative effect.

Well James, my subjective view on sedation, or rather fears are either:

A) being out of control, and being 'too' cooperative, like if a surgeon were to saw my arm off and I'd let them

B) not being given enough, and the intended effect not happening and me panicking

However, I hope there's a sweet spot in there where I just feel happy, relaxed and calm

Re medication for colonoscopy did not have the desired effect. Pretty painful, the nurse advised dr to stop twice. When the camera moved it was painful ok when still. Midazolam (1V) 2mg. Fentanyl (1V)100ug. painful after effect, like inflammation inside. Wasa fully aware what was going on, dr said couldnt give more pain releaf as advise by nurse. At least I could have said stop, but nurse thankfully advised it. So not sure why it works for some and not others. Luck of the draw perhaps, would have thought something could have been given to allow proceedure to go ahead with less discomfort. We as patients can only rely on trust it has desired effect.

Osborne,

You've just got me even more anxious than I am already

I'm due in for sigmoidoscopy, very nervous patient.

I'm going to take my own sedation prescribed by GP, but I hope it's enough to make me less aware,

And I phoned them up and they said they can offer entonox (gas and air), and I know this works quite well for me because I had a car crash and it was a lovely drunk calming effect, so hopefully it'll work !

Alexmuk, Sounds like you should be fine and some real thought has gone into your care.So cheer up . My first one was great but no idea what sedation I had as went out in split second with no after effects. OK.

Thank you everyone for these helpful posts. What I take from them is that we seem to hope that amnesia will occur, but accept that it might not, and that pain relief should be standard. Some of you seem to have had a good experience and that is reassuring. Some of us worry that we might not get enough sedation and be alert and experience an unpleasant procedure, or that we might get too much and not be in control; I think that's pretty much what I would feel too.

How many people think amnesia should be a guaranteed part of sedation, and how many think that some levels of sedation should not affect memory?

I find it hard to get my head around amnesia, I just don't like the idea of not remembering what happened,yet being cooperative, I'd rather Remember it like I remember a night on alcohol, e.g. Making an advance on an ugly woman, then just accepting the why in the morning 'it was the alcohol'... Do you get what I'm trying to say James ?

If I wasn't going to remember something, I'd rather I was under general anaesthesia,although even then, the anaesthetist, whilst concentrating on maintainence would see the patient begin to wake and adjust the dose, however if a muscle relaxant is used(all abdominal surgery), then the patient could potentially become conscious, yet unable to move, that's my biggest fear of all.

Settle down Alexmuk, a sigmoid is nothing to worry about. Tell us how it went afterwards.

I think I would have to agree that the thought of being able to perform physical actions under sedation and then being unable to recall the event afterwards freaks me out a little bit. I was prescribed zopiclone recently for which it was essential to get a complete night of sleep after taking it, otherwise you may have no memory of the events that occurred from the time your sleep was interrupted until the time when the effects of the medicine have worn off. Just a tad worrying!

The waiting list is only 4 weeks so watch this space!

I know it's a minor procedure, but to catastrophise is embedded in my nature, and no matter how knowledgeable I become in one particular field, I always look at the worst possible outcome, in fact, arming myself with heavy analysis probably makes it worse, though it's something I can't stop myself doing!

Hey fluffy, yeah staying awake on Z-drugs is a no no lol, although I like that bitter metallic taste most people seem to get, and hate.

Hey Alex oh no I didn't like the taste, I ate syrup with everything to take the taste away. 4 weeks is alot of worrying time for you .