*READ ME* Shakes etc from anesthesia...

[Guest guest]

>> I am trying to figure out if I can possibly avoid the shakes and nausea

that I had from the epidural. I felt very ill and mentally " out of it " for

the first 12 hours after the surgery. Although I still feel that my

c-section birth experience was very positive overall, if there's anything I

could do to just feel better sooner this time, it would be great.

Hi Ula,

I have a similar reaction to anesthesia as you, but never knew the cause

until I came to work for a surgeon's office. Most anesthesias contain

epinephrine and a preservative and *many* people are hyper-sensitve to one

or both of those additives. Hypersensitivity can cause a a severe reaction

- shakes, drop in blood pressure, even shock. Other people (like me) are

actually allergic to one or both of those ingredients - I get breathing

problems in addition to the shakes etc.

The really scary part is that outside of surgical offices, this kind of

reaction isn't very well known. I went to an allergist to confirm this

reaction and was told that " its not possible to be allergic to those

ingredients - you are just over-reacting, I'm sure its just nerves. " I

refused to leave her office (at a major teaching hospital, mind you) until

she tested me. Wasn't she surprised when I went into a severe allergic

reaction in front of her! Idiots.

Anywho, there's a very simple way to avoid this - I discussed it thoroughly

w/my peri when I was pg. EVERY hospital that does surgery (according to my

peri and the nurses here) stocks a preservative & epinephrine free formula

of injectable anesthesia (both for local and epidural use). I just ran

around the corner and spoke with the surgical nurse to be sure: your chart

should be flagged the way it would be for an allergy and you should never,

ever be given anesthesia that contains EITHER preservatives or epinephrine.

Your reactions can get more severe with subsequent exposures, and can be

dangerous to you and baby.

Sorry, I don't mean to freak you out but I had 4 or 5 exposures to it and

the nurses (even my oral surgeon and Gyn Oncologist) & kept telling me it

was normal, that I was over-reacting until I went into shock during

surgery. My cousin ended up in the ICU for the first 24 hours of her baby's

life - just from the local they used when they were repairing her

episiotomy! her body was so exhausted from labor that the reaction was

extremely severe.

So even for regular delivery, where they occasionally use local, tell

everyone and their brother that you need preservative/epinephrine free

anesthetic.

(climbing down off my soap box)

28, Queen of Wacky Medical Issues

PS ... I just realized your husband is an MD. I hope I didn't offend you or

DH!