Brad Ideas - memory - Comments

Versed in pain clinics

Rod — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 07:00:46 -0800

I recently went to a pain clinic to have a nerve block in my back. We had agreed before that it would be done without sedation. The doctor said he would numb the area first to make sure I would not feel the shots. When I went into the procedure room the nurses immediately began to try to force me into sedation. I refused it.
So when I am on the table on my belly where I cannot see anything the doctor says "you will feel a pinch and a sting". I felt it all right, and he stuck the needle straight into me WITHOUT numbing me first! He did three shots that way but I was able to take it. He said after that many people have to have them stop and take sedation to get through it. He apparently was hoping I would have to have it too and that is why he SKIPPED the numbing meds.
What you need to know is this- sedation(versed)makes them an extra $360.00 each visit and THAT is WHY they do it. They also LOVE the control. It horrifies me to see how many medical places use it for ANY reason now! Medical people are sadistic assholes. I hate them all!

Get over it

Disgusted — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:05:09 -0700

And you have a license to practice medicine? My father is an anesthesiologist and he would never say, let alone think the things you've said. I'm alarmed for your patients with your GFY attitude. Maybe you should consider a career change before you really hurt someone (assuming you haven't already). Or maybe you like the idea of hurting patients and then making them forget it?

Colonoscopies: With and Without Pain

Keith — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:58:38 -0700

My first colonoscopy was with anesthesia and included Versed, so I don't remember anything. For my second one, I asked to do it without pain relief and without sedation, because I had been told a colonoscopy is not that painful. THEY WERE WRONG! Several minutes into the procedure the pain started and grew worse, so I asked for the pain medication. They gave me a little but it wasn't enough, and so I asked for more. It wasn't a big deal for the doctor or for me. I just realized I couldn't handle the pain. Since I never got Versed, I remember everything. The doctor was okay with my decision, and I've scheduled my third colonoscopy with him. This time I will ask for the anesthesia, but I still don't want Versed. I'm not nervous. Even with the pain, the colonoscopy was not a big deal.

Really

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:49:32 -0700

So its of no help by bringing this up.
First off information is neither good nor evil till it is used.
secondly, he raised a good point. What if our government is using this or other drugs/techniques to torture and obtain information from people.

Because you can't stop something you don't know about.

Versed-Not For Everyone?

Amber — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:52:46 -0700

Hey, I'm 17 and was given versed after waking up with some unusual symptoms such as chest pains, chills,muscle spasms, dizziness...and went to the ER. The nurse actually gave me two medications. The first started to relax me and make me feel better. My chest pain was gone by this time. The second one, the Versed, was given to me in my hand and was actually "infiltrated", as my Mom had told me later. The nurse restuck me, and immediately my right hand and arm felt as if they were on fire. She told me this happens, and i relaxed, trusting the medical staff. Soon after, though, my chest started hurting, my heart was racing. I got very dizzy, and my mouth went dry. It felt like it was hard to breathe. I screamed for water. I threw up the first cup before spilling it. The second one I dropped because I didn't know I was holding it. I screamed for help, because I was getting very confused. They said I may be having a heart attack, and to just relax. Really?! The doctor, whom I had met earlier and had seemed very helpful, was now a cranky old man. I told him what was going on. He kept telling me to calm down. They put some more stuff into my veins, to flush the medicine out. I started grabbing for the nurses and doctor, begging them to help me. I've never had ANY sort of allergic reaction before, and I'm a very healthy person, so this was very alarming. They held me down until I was too drowsy to move. I started hallucinating.

My Mom told me later that I was singing. I only faintly remember that. The doctor told me I was faking it. They tried to do an MRI on me, but it was very early in the morning and I was still reacting to the medicine. I kept thinking I was in bed, about to sleep. So I kept turning over, and eventually I think they gave up on the MRI. When I asked the nurse what medicines she gave me, she said she only gave me one. So we left. They didn't run any other tests, tell me I was allergic to the medications they gave me, or what was going on. I've had surgery and had a bad reaction to it again. I have another surgery in a month. Is there any alternative to getting versed? Also, the experience at the hospital that I just wrote about it may have missing parts, or may not flow right. It's because I was out of it and don't remember EVERYTHING that happened to me.

-Amber

Versed-Not For Everyone?

Amber — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:48:48 -0700

Hey, I'm 17 and was given versed after waking up with some unusual symptoms such as chest pains, chills,muscle spasms, dizziness...and went to the ER. The nurse actually gave me two medications. The first started to relax me and make me feel better. My chest pain was gone by this time. The second one, the Versed, was given to me in my hand and was actually "infiltrated", as my Mom had told me later. The nurse restuck me, and immediately my right hand and arm felt as if they were on fire. She told me this happens, and I relaxed, trusting the medical staff. Soon after, though, my chest started hurting, my heart was racing. I got very dizzy, and my mouth went dry. It felt like it was hard to breathe. I screamed for water. I threw up the first cup before spilling it. The second one I dropped because I didn't know I was holding it. I screamed for help, because I was getting very confused. They said I may be having a heart attack, and to just relax. Really?! The doctor, whom I had met earlier and had seemed very helpful, was now a cranky old man. I told him what was going on. He kept telling me to calm down. They put some more stuff into my veins, to flush the medicine out. I started grabbing for the nurses and doctor, begging them to help me. I've never had ANY sort of allergic reaction before, and I'm a very healthy person, so this was very alarming. They held me down until I was too drowsy to move. I started hallucinating.

-Amber

Colonoscopy is tolerable, sedation with Versed is horrible

Anonymous — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:39:02 -0700

I work in a hospital and have seen too many people have bad reactions to Versed, It's a patient control drug (I'm a clinical pharmacist) and the long-term memory loss isn't something that I want to risk. I had bleeding symptoms but declined colonoscopy because the jerk GI doc didn't want to do the colonoscop without Versed (midazolam). Then a few months later I was in the ER with a family member and asked one of the nurses if I could use the staff bathroom; long story short a nurse found me passed out on the bathroom floor with pretty bad GI bleeding. The ER doc was mad that I didn't get a colonoscopy eairler, but after she heard that I wouldn't take Versed, she agreed with my logic. She had seen a lot of patients hur by Versed; way too many. She admitted me and got me prepped for the exam; I thought that we hit the same roadblock when the GI nurse "insisted" that I sign a sedation consent which I refused. The ER doc then mentioned that "this guy works here and he's severely anemic with lower GI bleeding, we are not going to wait because you want to give him a chemical lobotomy with midazolam (Versed)!" And she was screaming at them. A nice woman GI doc did the exam, no drugs, and it was nearly painless. The results were: if I had waited much longer, I would have died. All because the GI docs "insisted" on Versed so that they could so a quick exam, just like "versed colonoscopy nightmare" posted above. This drug isn't a joke. Avoid it (no, do your homework and decide). The exam is tolerable with nothing, comfortable with just painkller (fentanyl), but they like to administer Versed so that the exam is quicker to perform. Basically, they screw the patient. I must say that I got a nice apology from the original doc who wanted to push the Versed; he's not a bad guy. He told me that he tries to do as many colonoscopies as possible o save as many patients from cancer (noble) but that his staff basically lie to patients about Versed (unacceptable) and tell them it's "to relax you" and mention nothing about the amnesia and PTSD that it can cause; they do this to shove a dazed patient out the door quickly and yell: "next"! One of the nurses overheard him explainig this and actually called him an a-hole. The nurses were aware of the Versed problems all along. I'm in an uncomfortable situation, I work in the same hospital and need yearly exams, but have no confidence in the GI department; I won't recommend Versed to anyone. But make your own decision, check out askapatient.com for lots of Versed horror stories. BUt get a colonoscopy (it saved my life); you can get real anesthesia with propofol (expensive) or painkiler only (fentanyl) but you have to argue. My wife is a nurse-practitioner and loves Versed, so go figure. I think that this drug should be banned. My new GI doc doesn't recommend it if a patient's insurance will cover propofol. I still see my old GI doc almost every day and he's still apologietic about the Versed deception. This shouldn't happen; it's a drug with such mnor benefits and it's absolute poison for 10% who get it. 10% is pretty bad. Now everyone in my departmentat the hospital gets nerous when I spend more than 5 min in the men's room; a nurse even barged in on me and asked if I was bleeding! Actually, it's nice to know that they care; I just doubt that I will ever get another colonoscopy despite having one ordered yearly; all because of the deception over Versed. I just don't trust medical people anymore.

Versed/Colonoscopy Nightmare

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:27:05 -0700

I had a colonoscopy today in Rome Endoscopy Center in Rome Georgia. The first red flag is when the "nurse" came in to put in a IV port - it felt like she was ramming a nail into my vein (I am very tolarant to needles and IV's but this was unbearable) They get me back into the room and start giving me Versed and Fentanyl to "knock me out" the doctor starts the procedure and it felt like he was ripping my insides out - I started crying and screaming to stop a minute and let me catch my breath - he yelled at me and told me to "be quiet because there were other patients around" - I was trying to reach over and hold the side of the bed and the nurse yelled at me not to touch her and then the doctor yelled "Don't touch the nurse!!" I then remember he asking the nurse to give me some more Versed to "shut me up" - at this time I was finally knocked out after horrendous pain!! They wheel me out to recover and my Husband said the doctor told him I did not need another one for 10 years so we could have time to "save up to have me put to sleep!" The doctor was rude and arrogant - I was so out of it my husband had to dress me. The nurse came in and said "oops we need a wheelchair - she can't walk out by herself" I was in recovery not even 10 minutes until I was shuttled out to the car - they have an assembly line there in and out as fast as possible!! I am 5'6" and weight about 145 lbs they gave me a total of 75 mcg Fentanyl, 3 mg Versed and 12.5 Promethazine. I don't remember anything about being wheeled into recovery and taken to the car - we lived over a hour away from the facility and I was sick the whole way - in and out of consciousness - horrible cramping and gas - in the doctors notes he said that "the patient's toleration was poor"......you think!!! Aparently I have some pelvic adhesions and after he tried to ram the large scope to pass through he finally switched to the smaller one!

If you have to have a colonoscopy DO YOUR HOMEWORK - have it done in a hospital with general anthesia - YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE AWAKE FOR THIS PROCEDURE!!!

"GET OVER IT'S " REPLY to your BLOG! When they said YOu aske

linda ann chartier — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:53:10 -0700

HEY! DAM YOU GET OVER your self! MY IV INFILTRATED BEFORE I WAS administered any VERSET THE CARDIOLOGIST USED all the examples (as shown"tolerated well" and so on....HE KNEW DAM WELL I WAS SCREAMING TO STOP WAIT FOR THE MEDS

Versed

Pebbles — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:36:09 -0700

I had versed used before y most recent surgery, and if you've been thru anesthesia awareness, you know the anxiety I felt. It helps if you can't remember, becuase then you can't be nervous. I'd say from my only use, it blocks ost of your memories. I remember the nurse giving it to me, feeling the effects and telling the nurse. I know we (the nurse and I) talked for a bit, although I don't remember about what, and then she wished me luck, and I was being wheeled back to the OR. I remember the strapping me to the table, putting on the various monitors, and putting the mask over me, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up. kind of scared me, but yet relieved me at the same time. (BTW, if you've been thru awareness, and read this, I wanna talk to you. yahoo groups, anesthesia awareness survivors!)

I don't know how could you

Lala — Wed, 05 May 2010 05:27:29 -0700

I don't know how could you tolerate it without anesthetics. When I did it I was fully asleep as I had also the endoscopy. I think the worst was the preparation. After the test I had a bit of hemorrhoids and a horrible feeling in my stomach...

Burger King colonoscopy-have it your way

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:56:22 -0700

Too many people report horrid experiences with Versed, so I refused getting a colonoscopy despite bad family history and symptoms. I work in a hospital and order colonoscopoes for others all the time; I'm licenced to administer Versed, I'm just too chicken to try it myself. I guess that I'm a hypoctite. A month ago, a nurse whom I eat lunch with (who knows my history) told me that she was scheduling me for a colonoscopy (right down the hall from my office), like it or not. When I tried to cancel the test, the GI doc parked herself in my office and asked "why"? We can give you fentanyl or propofol instead of Versed and nobody is going to look at your ass; we will all be looking at the monitor for polyps. I told her tha I was scared shi*tless of sedation and she told me" "have it your way"..unsedated isn't bad, it can be uncomfortable. Long story short: the exam wasn't painful, but she had trouble getting to the cecum. Poor prep (I need a 2 day prep) and she suggests fentanyl only (painkiller, no sedation at my insistance) for the next exam. Everyone in my hospital seemed to be helping make this exam tolerable. The CRNA from anesthesia offered me a test dose of propofol beforehand to see if that was an option; I declined and guess that I have an irrational fear of sedation. Well, if I could do it unsedated, anyone can do it with drugs. I'm getting admitted the night before for the prep, IVs and enemas (sounds great) and the CRNA says that she's going to administer some meds that are better than what we took at Woodstock. I still want to do it drug-free, but once I'm in the hospital with an IV running, the CRNA said that she will change my mind about drugs. If I say "no" that means "no". But she said to sign the sedation consent and leave the "driving to them" and you won't even mind all the enemas that we are going to give you. I'm the worst patient imaginable; this is a simple exam if you aren;t crazy, just get one.

My versed experience

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:37:04 -0700

I just had an endoscopy (EGD) done yesterday. I was given Midazolam (Versed) 11 mg IV, Fentanyl (opioid) 225 micrograms IV, Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) 50 mg IV. The procedure lasts for 30-45 minutes. I am 28, male, 175 pounds, 6 foot. I am also very lean, which I think... means fentanyl would pass through me quicker than most. The only side effect I experienced was sleepiness for the rest of the day. Absolutely no pain or nausea at all.

Before the EGD, one of the lasts things I remember, was being extremely euphoric and calm. It was a really great feeling, something like a cross between alcohol and oxy (which I have combined recreationally before), but much better. It was a "I have no cares in the world" kind of feeling, it was very very relaxing. Once I woke up, I was waiting to have the procedure done, because I didn't realize it had already happened. The nurse and my friend kept asking me to open my eyes and wake up, and I didn't understand why they didn't want me to sleep. I am pretty sure I asked her when the procedure was going to start, which is how I found out it was over and time to go home. After that, I remember the day (though short) pretty well, but was very very tired, and went to bed soon afterwards. I woke up this morning feeling fine, no side effects at all.

What?

anti — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:11:05 -0800

Get over it? I didn't demand drugs, quite the contrary I demanded NO drugs. I didn't have anxiety, I DID want to remember the procedure and I wasn't supposed to be under general anesthesia. I see that you are laboring under the delusion that we actually WANT what you describe, in fact demand it! The GFY comment is typical of todays anesthesia providers and Versed is the GFY drug isn't it? I hope everybody who reads your post realizes that anesthesia providers are hostile to their patient. Versed is used for their GFY moments with the hapless and helpless patients. The truth of the matter isn't that "all patients need something to complain about." The truth of the matter is that there are people like you that have a GFY attitude, don't listen to what patients are saying to you, and feel animosity and disdain for your patients! You have a drug in your arsenal which is detrimental to the patient and yet you use it. We complain about it and you say GFY! Nice...

Get over it

Anastakid — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:22:23 -0800

Wow am I sick and tired of you people. You decide you need help, you consent to treatment and demand drugs to help you then question the manner in which we provide you help. Patients are given Versed BECAUSE IT'S THE SAFEST INDUCTION AGENT for them. If you were given Dip instead you would need to be intubated and on a vent, but I suppose you would complain about a sore throat or raspy voice then. the truth of the matter is all patients need something to complain about. Even with a 5 star rating on a survey there's always the line "the only thing that I didn't like was...". Get over yourself and realize that you didn't want the anxiety, you didn't want to remember the procedure, and you didn't want to be aware under anasthesia. Why don't you look up anasthesia awareness in between your complaint sessions and understand that with the right drug (Versed) you'll never be aware or at least not remember it. You want to talk dangerous drugs? APAP is absolutely terrible and according to a FDA report looking at the years 1990 to 2001: 26,000 people are hospitalized and 458 die each year from acetaminophen overdoses. It is the number one cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Now chew on that and GFY.