“Can anesthesia leave a person dazed and drowsy for over two days?”
My husband had an endoscopy done, and was under anesthesia. That was two days ago and he is still very drowsy and dazed. Is this normal?
10 Answers
Please talk to your anesthesiologist and surgeon.
You have the right what drugs have been used. Also, we have to know about the patient, if he has liver or kidney failure, and others.
George A. Mampilly
Anesthesiologist
It is very rare to be drowsy after the usual type of anesthesia that is employed during the course of a endoscopy. However if it as a colonoscopy, the prep can cause a degree of dehydration that can make one feel worn out and that can take an additional day to recover from in rare cases. Another cause can be the actual anesthesia drugs used, most centers use Propofol which is very short acting and shouldn't leave one feeling drowsy the next day. On the other hand, if benzodiazepine type drugs were used, it can rarely linger and cause one to feel drowsy for an additional day, especially if there is any other underlying illness that interferes with drug elimination.
Depends on the drugs used, age, and condition of the patient. In general, unusual to be drowsy 2 days after endoscopy.
It sounds like your family member may have been given fentanyl and midazolam instead of the much shorter acting Propofol. Only Anesthesiologists and Emergency Medicine physicians may administer that.
Your question is if it is possible to be drowsy days after a procedure and the answer is anything is possible. What matters most is to understand what medications were given and appreciate the effects of these drugs on the patient. Now, if you ask if it is typical to have these effects after endoscopy anesthesia, then I would have to say no. Typically I provide anesthesia with Propofol only and no other drugs and most patients feel pretty good within a short time in recovery. I would definitely ask about what medications were used for the procedure. Also, you did not say how old your husband is. The older the patient the more of an impact medications can have on patients.
Yes, depending on the type of the anesthetic used and the age of the patient and co-morbidities such as reduced kidney and hepatic function, there may be some lingering side effects from anesthesia.
Benjamin Taimoorazy, MD FAHSDABPM DAAPM UCNS
Benjamin Taimoorazy, MD FAHSDABPM DAAPM UCNS
This happens occasionally, but it should pass in another day or so. If it persists, contact your primary doctor.
It depends on what anesthetic agents were used but in general that is a bit unusual unless he is an older and more debilitated individual.
No, it is not normal for a short anesthetic to be the cause of "being dazed" 48 hours afterwards. You should call the anesthesiologist who administered the anesthetic and report this problem.
