Anxiety Remission After General Anesthesia

@hopeful33250 my endoscopy report states that midazolam, nalbin and xylocain were administered during anesthesia...it does not say anything about my bp or heart rate.. my history is a bit long.. two years ago i went to a gp complaining of headaches who prescribed paxil for my migraines without informing me that skipping a single dose of the medicine or quitting cold turkey could be very dangerous.. i wasnt even familiar with something called antidepressants.. i never knew what clinical depression or anxiety meant.. i was a lively active person before... when i found out paxil was doung nothing to stop my migraines i quit cold turkey and got horrible withdrawals.. zapping in head and crying uncontrollably etc. Before quitting my GI started to malfunction and i developed excruciating pain in my stomach area for which i self medicated with omeprazole.. but this pain wasnt going away.. i had no clue the paxil had caused internal bleeding (a listed side effect of antidepressants) and after about five months of being breathless and fatigued (probay due to anaemia from the bleeding ulcer) one fine day i vomited blood and had black stool.. i was rushed to the ER and hospitalized where i got two blood transfusions.. i did get somewhat traumatized knowing i was in a life and death situation and prayed to God to save my life.. then a few hours later the transfusion, they took me for the endoscopy, i was very worried as to what was wrong inside my GI and hoped i wouldnt require surgery.. when i came out of anesthesia i had been transferred to a room and i did not feel very strange, just a bit dazed.. i slept a bit ok that night and was supposed to be discharged next morning with my new medication..doctor suspectedh pylori infection and gave me triple therapy although i kept saying the bleeding seemed to be from paxiland not h pylori but no one listened.. as i was leaving the hospital i had a strange anxiety and weeping like sensation and from there on it grew and grew .. i started having panic attacks which were so new and terrifying to me.. and thoughts about death and doom and a sinking feeling.. i got hospitalized again and the doctors said i was having panic attacks and needed psych meds..given my paxil experience i was very reluctant to take any mind drugs again..then i noticed i couldnt sit still and restlessness started creeping in alongwith a strange emotional state where i felt very vulnerable and wanted to vent out my feelings to everyone around me .. a very profound type of crying began to plague my everyday loke that of a newborn baby crying out loud and deep.. i was engulfed in so much fear i feared sleeping in dark and going to the washroom alone even.. it has been over a year and after trying so many brain meds i am now bedridden in fear, anger, restlessness, crying, depression 😰

There are so many things in my story, really its hard to pinpoint what caused all this or a combination of things.. for a long time i suspected the double antibiotics and omeprazole as they have been known to cause psychiatric symptoms even bipolar and depression... then i began suspecting if i had been allergic to the anesthesia or something went wrong during endoscopy.. sometimes i think it was the sudden trauma ... i have no clue.. the psych meds didnt help and further complicated the situation... i am not even seeing a moment of respite.. as a last resort i am considering a repeat endoscopy and ect.. of ect i am v v afraid but cant go on living like this either

Seeing kasey’s experience here of how her anxiety went down significantly after anesthesia i think anesthesia does in a way reset or reboot the brain sometimes.. i have read other stories about how a womans tardive diskinesia totally went away after anesthesia for a minor surgery and another womans fibromyalgia improved greatly after anesthesia... i dont know if in my case the anesthesia did the opposite and activated the brains fight or flight system instead of shutting it down 🙁

@benny987 I wish you well with whatever you decide to do

@benny987

I appreciate the extra information that you provided about your history. You do need to ask for the anesthesiologist report from the endoscopy. It sounds like you just have the endoscopy report only. The anesthesiologist report will list the meds, the number of meds, the dosages and all changes to your blood pressure and heart rate during the procedure. You might also ask for the complete report from your hospital stay.

After you get the anesthesiologist report then you might consult with a very good anesthesiologist and ask his/her opinion on the problems you have had. It might be an allergic reaction or something else.

It seems like your anxiety is somehow related to this procedure and you might need to become a good detective in order to find the problem. Think of yourself as a Sherlock Holmes solving a tough case.

Will you post again with an update as to how you are doing?

@hopeful33250 i cried all day and night yesterday 🙁 today was only slightly better but i am amazed at how the depression and anxiety have tightly bound my legs and am unable to move despite having all the strength and capability to do so.. i only get up for washroom or sit up in bed for food.. otherwise i am lying in bed all day and night long... i dont know how long this will continue.. i am afraid my legs, muscles and bones will become so used to lack of movement i dont develop additional problems... its like if i make a slight movement, my mind will scream and then i ll cry.. same goes for focusing on anyone else talking or watching tv .. i request all of you to include me in your prayers daily.. it will take little time but will mean a lot to me.. i ll be travelling to a bigger city in a few days to get checked at a better hospital.. actually thats where i was treated for ulcer.. so right now i cant do anything except wait... i still havent made up my mind about ect... but i have told myself i wont take anymore medication...

@benny987- I am so please that you are taking this big step and seeking out further help. Please go with an open mind, don't close off the option of medicines. I hope that you receive the help that you need and that you return to us a much happier and active person.

@merpreb *hugs* i hope so too

I know I’m a bit late to this conversation, but I’ve just had a similar reaction to a general as the OP. I had a repair to a hiatal hernia 2 weeks ago. Before the surgery, I had severe anxiety, which was affecting my quality of life.
Right after the surgery and for the following week, I was super relaxed.
My anxiety levels have increased, but not to an unmanageable extent.
I have had anxiety for over 45 years (I’m on the autism spectrum, undiagnosed, but it explains a lot. I suffer from PTSD & depression. Strangely, I self medicate (that old chestnut).
I live in a fairly conservative country, so I don’t have access to a lot of medication. But I do get antidepressants etc. they have never really worked. I mean, they do something, but life was still pretty intolerable.
My main form of self medication was alcohol. I haven’t had a drink since the surgery. Yes, I know, alcohol make anxiety worse, but when my brain won’t shutdown for 1 minute in a day, I reach for that bottle.
I’ve lived with depression and anxiety for around 90% of my life, so I know this might only be temporary. But a 2 week break from the intense anxiety has been like a holiday.
I started thinking about this because I have heard there are some initial positive results with ketamine injections. I was wondering if this could be having a similar effect.
My psychologist wants to send me for a general anytime I get overwrought, over stimulated and generally can’t cope. 🤪🤪
Anyway, I just thought I’d add my story as anecdotal evidence.

@sprinsse Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Your experience with relief from anxiety, even if it is temporary, must be a welcome relief for you! Have you tried physical exercise as a relief, or journaling our your thoughts when you are anxious? I worry about the long-term damage to your body and organs if alcohol is your go-to for anxiety.
Ginger