Anesthesia???

Hi ladies,

as a person VERY scared of needles and IV is quite unimaginable for me while awake, is it possible for the anethesiologist to use a mask first or some other form of sedation to put me in sleep and then go through the vein?
Did anyone have the same option?

Thank you xxxxxx

Hey lovely I am currently awaiting the big op (not really bothered by needles) not sure about the mask but I work in a hospital and sometimes with anxious patients we give them an anti anxiety pre op med, this will probably be an option.
I also have severe flying anxiety which my doctor prescribes diazepam for when I go on holiday….before I would usually sweat/shake, with it I’m quite happy to watch out the window taking off! Xx

Hi I wasn’t with MYA although I’m sure they will do the same for you as mine did with me. I’m not scared of needles but am prone to fainting and ever since I was little seeing IVs have made me feel sick/feel faint (I had never had one before). I told the anaesthetist and he was amazing. He offered me the mask and although I didn’t like the idea of the IV, at the time of my op, I didn’t know which to have so he ended up choosing for me and used the mask. I breathed in a few times (no more ban 5 deep breaths) and just felt like I was dozing off/ had had a good drink haha. I must have been out of it within 5-10 seconds. When I woke up I had the IV in and realised there was actually nothing to worry about, it didn’t hurt and i had to much going on elsewhere to care about what it looked like! Taking it out was absolutely fine too, no pain. Hope this puts your mind at rest a little! Xxx

This has helped me a lot! I am terrified of needles and so worried about waking up to it in my hand! This has helped a lot and when I have my pre op I will speak to my PC about this x

Hey I had my op a week today, I’m not scared of needles or anything like that and they gave me a mask first and gave me pain relief through that before the op, I felt really light headed and then they put the anesthestic through and I was fast asleep, I never really noticed my canular because you have morphine, they didnt inject me once when I was awake and I only noticed them take the canular out xxxx

@elliebannisterx you’ll be fine hunni, nothing to worry about!

@beth06 your experience sounds similar to mine. The only difference being I did have a lot of meds injected into my cannula because my recovery was a bit up and down! Had a lot of pain relief and anti-sickness through it. Again nothing to worry about though as it just felt like pressure on my hand.

Not sure if it’ll help, but you really cannot feel it. It was pretty much pain-free going in for me. And having it removed,
I didn’t even feel it! Xxx

I have this exact same query @zuzana!

@clare141 and @beth06 did you discuss this at all with your surgeon beforehand? Mine was a bit vague and said yes we have lots of people with needle phobias and we’ll be able to make it ok for you. Would feel soooo much better if I could confirm the mask is definitely an option before booking my surgery date!

Xxx

@shelleybean No I didn’t discuss it beforehand Hun, it was just a thought on the day that I best mention it as I knew I’d be worried . It might be worth contacting them though just to see if that would be an option at your hospital? Xxx

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