Bad switching after anesthesia?

Does anyone else have this? Before I had the dx of DID I had surgery and all heck broke lose. Didn't know what was happening. Now I need surgery again and am scared of general anesthesia but the surgeon won't do it with local. My therapist offered to speak to my surgeon but I don't want people to think I'm a freak and hate me. Not too many medical doctors believe....that's why I'd rather be a unicorn, cause at least they're pretty.

LOL...can I be a unicorn too?

Well...I don't know if it's the anesthesia or maybe just the stress of the surgery.
I will share with you though that I experienced something very similar.

In December of '08 I developed an infection in my leg and had to be rushed in to emergency surgery. In a fairly short amount of time, I was being given antibiotics, having IV's placed, and being told that they thought I had the "flesh eating bacteria" They were actually telling me to prepare myself to have my lower leg basically amputated. When I was in the OR and they were putting me under, my last thought was would I see my leg when I woke up.

I recovered from the surgery, and thank goodness I didn't have to have an amputation. However, shortly after surgery I began to dissociate much more than usual....it was scary. The voices in my head were louder than ever, I was losing time more, switching more often...all the lovely stuff. Then, in early February was when my voices came forward and started introducing themselves to me. Consequently, I saw a couple specialists and was dx with DID. This incident really upset the whole system and freaked us all out!!

So, like I said...I don't know that this was necessarily from anesthesia, or more from the overall stress of the surgery, but I think it would be interesting to hear from others if they experienced any sort of trauma shortly before being diagnosed, that may have helped bring out the DID more?

Hi there.

I just wanted to say that many, many people have bad reactions when they come out of anesthesia. I know uncontrolled switching is not fun and you would really rather that didn't happen, but rest assured that you will not be considered 'crazy' by any reaction you may have afterwards.
My anesthetist neighbor tells me people have the weirdest reactions when coming out, and describe it as 'waking sleep'. What they mean is that people wake up and act out dream states... and often not pleasant ones. We all know how weird dreams can be!

All I am trying to say is... whatever behaviors you and your system exhibit post surgery will likely be put down to 'typical' post anaesthetic reaction and thought nothing more of. They are quite used to way out weird stuff.

This past surgery we had caused some switching and it was ok. one came out and cried and was feeling very sick, another thought she was "tripping" and was acting so.
no one really cared that we were "acting weird".
Perhaps tho, knowing that there may be some switching will prepare the system for it. Our littles were put in the playroom with the door closed and carefully watched. Those parts that did come out could handle it.
Preparing the system is importand.
perhaps your T can help with that.

I've had a very bad reaction with anesthesia. I woke up just screaming. Luckily I had my husband with me at the time. They gave me valuim to calm me down. But my husband said he could see each of my alters like waking up one by one. I know no one else could see this but him because he knows me and the alters so well. I know the nurses and doctor had no clue about what was going on. My husband asked if my behavior was a normal reaction, and the nurse said she had only seeing children act as I was acting. That made sense to him.

I would say, just have a person with you, you trust to be there with you as you wake up.

Thank you everyone. There is so much to think about. I have that reaction while going under anesthesia also, as well as waking up. It as though a whole crowd of people are rioting and in a panic. My husband will be there but Idon't know if I want to subject him to this.
I think the first time it happened, it wasn't necessarily the surgery that precipitated it but the anesthesia. This time, though I have a lot of panic going in to it, so I don't know what to expect. I 'm not able to get the little ones in a safe place yet. I try but it doesn't work well.
My therapist will be helpful ,but what I fear is because my father passed away a year ago. (It has to do with how I last saw my father)
Thank you all for answering.

Oh Elisium yes, please be a unicorn with me.

LOL...I would love to...

Just remember, even Unicorns have their bad days!!

Have fun with this!!

(Administrative edit: All videos are to be posted in the Videos forum only. This video has been moved: http://forums.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=97044)

poor Charlie.....

When I had my last child, I finally got some sleep only to be told the next morning I could not have any more of the "good drugs" for pain because I was "hallucinating". I had absolutely no memory of that and it was only later I figured out that i probably switched not hallucinated and that they interpreted it the way that seemed most logical to them. Too bad on the pain meds though, I have a very low tolerance for pain, argh!

All of that is to say they will not be freaked out or bummed out by any reaction you have after the anesthesia. They will just think that is how you react to their meds.

You will find it easier if you spend a lot of time beforehand "talking to your head" about everything that is going on. If all the parts know what is happening they will be less afraid and less likely to wig out on you afterwards. Also, remember that many people who do NOT have DID issues are very nervous about having surgery and scared about what they will experience. You are not as different as you worry you are. All the best!!!!!

Leslie and the pixies

Yes, i had a similar experience, where I came out of anasthesia in a full blown anxiety attach, which i had never had before and didn't know what was happening. I felt like i couldn't breathe but the RN in recovery said I was at 100% saturation of oxygen. I wanted to call my T, so I think one of the little ones was out. I also had an asthma attack during the surgery. I think that this happened because the site of surgery was a site of abuse. I also found that the prep in the OR, with people everywhere, touching you, not explaining anything, things happening out of range of sight was very triggering. I wish we could educate the medical profession because our concerns are absolutely valid and can affect the entire experience. I think we have to keep trying. If it is too hard to try to explain dissociation to a surgeon or anesthesiologist, my suggestion is to focus on the trauma aspect, of what was endured as a child and the ongoing consequences - anxiety, trust, being triggered by touch, needing to be told what is happening and especially being warned before being touched. Maybe, eventually, the medical profession will beging to get it, a bit.
I recently had a psychiatric resident doing a stint at my family doc's office stand accross the exam froom with eyes bugged out, just looking at me as if she was ready to bolt if I made a sudden movement. Made me feel like a freak. All she kept saying was that DID is so rare ... I suggested that she take the opportunity to ask me some questions but she was just stunned, couldn't open her mouth. So what kind of psychiatrist is she going to make? I was not impressed.

Thank you Miri
What you said is so true. That was awful about the psych resident in your doctors office. I wouldn't want someone like that treating me.
I can try to let people in he OR know about warning me before touching me, but no matter what I try to do, I'll end up feeling like a fool.
I wish I could just cancel the surgery. It really isn't worth it.

The last time I had major surgery, I talked a lot to my insiders, and then talked to the surgeon AND the anesthesiologist about my DID. I informed them that they needed to alert the whole team in the OR about what might happen, what was bound to happen, and what could go wrong if they didn't tell me everything that they were doing beforehand. Well, my surgeon did his job superbly...the nurses and other helpers were telling me everything they were doing. The anesthesiologist did his part too...like taking the time to take the mask off my face before putting me to sleep (it makes me feel like I am being suffocated and triggers me something fierce) when the resident had it on there tight...didn't offer any reason why to the resident at the time, but the anesthesiologist saw my tears and I assume that he told them after I was asleep. I have a very difficult time waking up...it is like 20 people all waking up at different times with different reactions...some get sick, some have headaches, some just cry. ALL the staff were alerted to this before the surgery, as well as after, so they knew how to handle the things that did come up. Since that time, I have told all my drs about my DID, and they handle it well. The drs tell their staff to take extra time with me so that I am not triggered and go off on a tirade. So I hope that you can find something useful here. Sorry. Didn't mean to go off and chase that rabbit track.

Yahna, the main Jewel

Yahna and all
Your post made most of us feel better about the surgery. Thank you.
What you described as many people all waking at the same time, happened to us and wasn't handled well by recovery room staff.

The little ones don't understand or are too scared to ask anything. We don't feel the need to explain to them either.
Some believe we will "wake up" in a coma, as this is the last thing we remember from seeing the father pass on.

The doctors believed you and didn't make it into a joke? We tried to tell them at one surgery and they were very rude. It was so harmful to all.

Thank you for helping give us courage to tell the doctors about this.

SUSAN / Calista

don't you just luv it when they act like either you may pounce at them, or that they might catch it!

I have tried 2 head off this kind of hell, never worked, you give me courage 2 try again!

we sure r glad its given u courage ta try again...an we hope that u can this time make it so that ur drs an nurses all know that u r ta b treated with dignity an respect...not just distain as if they were more uppity an right with no mental problems...cuz everybodys had depression...so no body can say that they have nevr been touched by mental illness...an i hope that the next time ur experience is how ours was this last time...even though we woke up at different times...the nurses were aware an dealt with it appropriately...it was a real blessin for us ta b treated that way...

abbi of jewels

abbi ,again you helped us. You make us think about many things. You're very smart and kind. Your words broke through to all. Thank you.

Don't respond to general anesthesia very well. Major doses of sedative aren't advisable either. My alt doesn't like physical contact with unfamiliar people at all..

I had been seeing my regular general physician to see if he could help me get through a divorce. I had explained all of my symptoms and concerns so he put me on some anti-depressants. Ended up going back cuz things just weren't working out very well. Explained new symptoms.. including the "voice in my head". New form of anti-depressant and haldol prescribed. I take the haldol.. voice goes away. Head is quiet and empty. felt more alone than I had ever been. I take second dose of haldol and within 2-4 hours i began to have a severe reaction.. felt like entire body was tensing up trying to crush itself. Rushed to ER. (End Of Memory) The Dr told my family that my reaction was life threatening.. I guess it could seize my heart or diaphram.. both. They ended up pumping my IV with 4 very large and very full syringes of Ativan to counter the reaction. I guess they were really concerned cuz if they didn't do anything I would have died. On the other hand they were concerned because pumping that much of a benzodiazapam into a person could have the same terminal result. Moving on..

Now in my defense my family had informed the hospital personnel that I didn't like being touched.

At some point the Dr came in to check on me. (I think Dr's are trained to make some small kind of physical contact with patients.. you know so we all feel like they actually care.) I guess the Dr felt somewhat safe.. why shouldn't he? Literally I was so tranquilized I shouldn't have been able to drool let alone move. I don't think he heard the growl when he got too close.. everyone else did. The moment his hand touched my foot I launched from the bed in what appeared to be an attempt to.. uh.. do great and irreversible bodily harm. I guess it was fortunate that my family tackled me before I actually got a good hold of him. No one will tell me if I actually hurt the Dr.

Personally I don't remember anything from the moment I walked into the ER up til about a day or two later. All I have is what everyone who was there has told me and I have no reason to disbelieve any of them.

It was a very traumatic time for us. drug that was supposed to 'quiet and calm' alt down almost killed him.. I can't live without my alt. We don't trust Dr's anymore or the medicines.