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Anesthesia related cognitive decline, specifically dysnomia
I am a 73yo woman who retired 18 mos ago.
Almost exactly a year later, a pulmonary nodule we had been following in annual lung screening CTs as it slowly increased from 6mm to 14mm over 4 years, and at that last size the pulmonologist and cardiothoracic surgeon determined it was time to remove it in a wedge resection if it proved benign, followed by lobectomy if malignant. While that determination was made I remained under anesthesia. So in my case, it was quite a while.
Since the surgery i have slowly become
Aware that I have a material decline in specific brain function. It’s not as if I have a global cognitive decline. I don’t seem to have decline in executive function for instance.
But I have significant dysnomia. Not just names of people - rather names of “things” - but it’s easier to describe as a word to reference anything that functions as a label or reference term. Like names of diseases or an object. Virtually anything.
I had meetings over last couple of days with a hand surgeon to discuss surgery for duypuytren contracture (I have RA) and I inquired whether it could be done under a local nerve block and we got into a discussion about anesthesia related cognitive issues. He said that it sometimes takes more than a year for “brain fog” to clear. I guess fog is a good term, for I have become relatively sedentary and withdrawn since the surgery.
Concurrently I find that as a 73 yo patient, I am discounted and some docs - not all thank goodness - show little effort to even appear engaged. I have found a couple of Docs
- the hand surgeon and a new oncologist - who will discuss it.
So in that context I’d like to ask if any of you are experiencing cognitive or personality issues following general anesthesia? Am I a population of One, or a member of a much larger population?
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I have had the same observations with members of my family. Two aunts had surgery around 80 and had cognitive decline they never recovered from.
PB50 I "discovered" you this morn while looking for the new alternatives to prilosec. Wow. We've got stuff in common. I've suffered from debilitating diarrhea off and on for years - initially treated as antibiotic induced colitis - you know, where you miss events, don't travel, don't stay overnight with anyone... your life as you knew it is gone. The gastro was disinterested - possibly related to my being 70? Tests showed I didn't have c-dif, but was lactose intolerant. I read enough to think it could possibly be related to the prilosec. I stopped it, tried famotidine, but went back to prilosec. I had heard about microscopic colitis. Then my wonderful family practitioner (who actually did listen and talk with me) asked me to consider a round of Xifaxan- sooo expensive, but I was willing to try anything. It helped - a lot. Then at Christmas this year I became sick with a sore throat that wouldn't go away and cough that rattled the house while trying to sleep. Doc was very hesitant to put me on antibiotics, but we decided to go for it...a round of antibiotics AND 10 days of a steroid. Plan was to stop everything if it set the diarrhea off. 3rd day, here it came, but I decided to try and weather it. Took Imodium once and finished the meds. Everything cleared up with my stomach. I can eat anything and everything now. Microscopic colitis? I'll talk to my doctor about that now. Anyway! I'm going to try and wean off the prilosec again. You've given me so much to think about. I believe your info is going to help me. Good luck with all of your issues!
I don't recall what I posted previously, so forgive if I’m repeating myself. There are 3 known medication triggers for both forms of MC (NSAIDs, PPIs, SSRIs) and one maybe (Statins). The only reliable treatment is Budesonide - a steroid that reduces intestine inflammation (tho there is a version used in pulmonary inflammation). It’s not cheap either - tho Good Rx reduces the price.
The drug is very effective. But some months after the treatment course is completed, the relapse rate is very high. That has happened twice to me. So since July of 2022 I have had more time than not where colitis has ruled my life. I recently went on the lowest dose of Budesonide as a maintenance dose. So far so good.
Fyi - if you ever find yourself again with unrelenting, rules-your-life diarrhea, I find that 2-3 fluid filled capsules of Pepto Bismol 2-3 times a day, taken with a heaping teaspoon of New Zealand Manuka Honey (expensive!) in real Ginger tea is the best treatment
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1 ReactionI also was concerned about anesthesia . My Doctors at Mayo in Eau Claire said no the research doesn’t show it. I have my doubts.
I heard too many stories of patients having cognitive changes.
There is no red arrow in the research saying this anesthesia causes this impact. But I asked for as light an anesthesia as possible and one that is more easily reversed. I was 73 at the time and have strong family history of alzheimer’s.
The thing I wish could be managed is the long time between extracting the tumor and getting a pathology reading - and i was sedated all that time.
I would perhaps just ask anesthesiologist to be mindful of your concerns and make choices accordingly.