Waking up from anesthesia can be a strange and sometimes unpleasant experience. The effects of the anesthesia drugs can make you feel disoriented, confused, nauseous, or emotionally unstable as you regain consciousness. However, the way you feel depends on several factors.
What are the common side effects of waking up from anesthesia?
Here are some of the most common side effects that people experience when waking up from general anesthesia:
- Grogginess and confusion – Your brain is still recovering from the effects of the anesthesia medications, so you may feel foggy, disoriented, and confused when you first wake up. You may not know where you are or remember what happened right away.
- Nausea and vomiting – Anesthesia drugs can irritate your stomach lining and make you feel nauseous. About 30% of people experience nausea or vomiting when they wake up.
- Sore throat – Having a breathing tube during surgery often leaves your throat feeling sore, hoarse, and dry when you wake up.
- Shivering – It’s very common to feel cold and shivery for a while after anesthesia as your body temperature regulates.
- Sleepiness – You may continue to feel drowsy for a few hours after the procedure as the anesthesia drugs fully wear off.
- Muscle aches – The medication causes your muscles to relax, so you may feel body aches as they recover.
- Temporary memory loss – You may experience anterograde amnesia and forget parts of the conversations you had just after waking up.
- Anxiety and crying – Some people feel temporarily anxious, sad, irritated, or emotionally unstable.
- Difficulty urinating – Anesthesia can make it hard to pee at first, and you may need a urinary catheter.
These side effects are usually temporary as the anesthesia drugs leave your body. Within a few hours, most people begin to feel much better and return to normal.
How long do the side effects of anesthesia last?
The length of time the side effects last depends on:
- The type of anesthesia – General anesthesia has a longer-lasting effect than local or regional anesthesia.
- The specific drugs used – Short-acting anesthetics wear off quickest.
- The length of the surgery – The longer you are under, the longer it takes to wake up.
- Your general health – Age, weight, and any medical conditions affect your recovery time.
Most healthy patients feel back to normal within 6 to 12 hours after general anesthesia. But in some cases, the effects can last up to a few days if long-acting anesthetic agents were used.
Short-acting anesthetics
With short-acting agents like propofol, desflurane, or sevoflurane, you may wake up quickly after surgery but still feel drowsy or fatigued for several hours afterwards as the drugs fully leave your system.
Long-acting anesthetics
Anesthetics that are more long-lasting, like barbiturates, can make you feel groggy and disoriented for 12 to 24 hours after anesthesia. In very long surgeries, analgesia and muscle relaxation can last even longer.
General vs local anesthesia
Local or regional anesthesia only affects sensation in a small part of the body, so side effects tend to be minimal and recovery is much faster. With general anesthesia your whole body is affected, so you may feel after-effects for longer.
Why do some people have euphoria after anesthesia?
In some cases, as the anesthesia drugs wear off people can experience a feeling of euphoria, excitement, happiness, or elation. This is sometimes called emergence delirium. It likely occurs because:
- The remaining anesthesia acts on the brain to cause mood changes.
- Blood oxygen levels are high after being on a ventilator.
- There is a sudden change in brain chemistry after anesthesia.
- Patients feel relief and joy that the surgery is over.
This delirious excitement usually only lasts for a few minutes as the anesthesia completely clears the body. Most people have no memory of it happening afterward.
What does it feel like to wake up from general anesthesia?
Here is a step-by-step look at the typical experience of waking up from general anesthesia for surgery:
- Still sedated in the operating room – Right after surgery ends, you are still unconscious while anesthesia drugs wear off.
- Waking up in the recovery room – You start stirring from sleep but may briefly fall back under. You are still dazed and drowsy.
- Regaining consciousness – You become more alert and start waking up, but are disoriented. You may panic, cry out, or try to remove IV lines.
- Confused, agitated, nausea – As anesthesia wears off further, you may feel confused about where you are or what happened. Nausea and shivering often occur.
- Calming down – The nurse will reassure you and explain where you are to help you orient. Nausea medication can be given if needed.
- Talking, sleepiness – You become more awake and can talk to the nurse. But you still feel very drowsy and sleepy between conversations.
- Moved to a hospital room – Once fully awake and stable, you are moved from the recovery room to a regular hospital room.
- Clearing anesthesia – Over the next few hours, any remaining mental fog and anesthesia side effects begin clearing.
- Back to normal – By 6 to 12 hours after surgery, most people feel awake and back to their usual self, with minimal lasting effects.
Tips for recovering from anesthesia
There are a few things you can do to help yourself feel better and recover quickly after waking up from anesthesia:
- Ask for anti-nausea medication if you feel sick to your stomach.
- Use throat lozenges if you have a sore throat.
- Drink plenty of fluids when you are able to.
- Get up slowly and have someone assist you to avoid dizziness.
- Rest as much as possible the day of surgery.
- Avoid important decisions until your head clears.
- Eat light, easily digestible foods.
- Take it easy and don’t rush your recovery.
When to call your doctor after anesthesia
In most cases, the side effects are mild and resolve within a day. But call your doctor right away if you experience:
- A severe headache or migraine
- Vomiting that won’t stop
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Seizures
- Prolonged confusion or agitation
- Inability to urinate for more than 6-8 hours
- Excessive bleeding or swelling
- A high fever over 101°F
These could indicate complications from anesthesia that need medical attention. Most likely the symptoms are not serious, but it’s better to call your doctor just to be safe.
Conclusion
Waking up after anesthesia can be unpleasant, with side effects like nausea, sore throat, shivering, and confusion. But these sensations are normally temporary as the anesthesia drugs leave your body. Within 6 to 12 hours, most healthy people are back to feeling normal again. Staying calm, taking it easy, and asking for help with any lingering discomfort can help you recover quickly after anesthesia.