“Can anesthesia cause drowsiness long after surgery?”
My mother underwent a bypass and due to some complications, was given anesthesia twice during the surgery. She is now back home but feels very sleepy and drowsy. Could it be a side effect of the anesthesia alone?
8 Answers
Not likely
As a side effect of anesthesia alone no it isn’t from that. It is more likely from the stress on the body of major surgery and the recuperation
Hard to say. Depends how much time has passed. Typically, anesthetic effects don't last longer than an hour to a couple of days.
Most anesthetics are cleared from the body within 24 hours, so I would say no.
Hello,
One of the side effects of anesthesia is drowsiness. As a person ages, they become more vulnerable to this side effect depending on age and other illnesses a person may have. Particularly if someone who undergoes a bypass surgery. If it is cardiac bypass surgery, then this is a relatively long and stressful surgery. It takes a toll on the body and can contribute to tiredness.
Dr Ketch
One of the side effects of anesthesia is drowsiness. As a person ages, they become more vulnerable to this side effect depending on age and other illnesses a person may have. Particularly if someone who undergoes a bypass surgery. If it is cardiac bypass surgery, then this is a relatively long and stressful surgery. It takes a toll on the body and can contribute to tiredness.
Dr Ketch
Unlikely, after 24 hours post surgery.
No. The most common cause for sedation post op is narcotic use, whether intravenous or oral.
It is unclear from the question you wrote, as I am assuming your mother had cardiac bypass surgery. Yes, anesthesia, depending on the type utilized, could contribute to her being sleepy or drowsy, but there could be other problems as well, such as low blood count (anemia) if blood was lost along with other problems. If this persists, the best idea is to have your mother evaluated by her treating physician to ascertain the reason for her feeling poorly.
