Can you feel pain on propofol?

While propofol causes sedation and unconsciousness, it is not a pain reliever, so you can still feel pain while sedated with it, and it often causes significant pain during injection ( POPI ) due to vein irritation, which is why it's typically used by anesthesiologists with other medications or in intubated patients to manage its effects. You might feel pressure or discomfort during procedures, but not necessarily severe pain unless pain medication is also given.

Do patients feel pain on propofol?

Propofol is a popular intravenous (IV) anesthetic drug, used for induction and maintenance during general anesthesia owing to its rapid onset and short duration. However, the incidence of pain following propofol injection is seen in approximately 70% of patients, in the absence of other pretreatments [1-3].

Is it possible to still feel pain under anesthesia?

No, under proper general anesthesia, you are completely unconscious and do not feel pain because the drugs block your brain's response to pain signals, but your body still senses them (nociception), which anesthesiologists monitor; however, in rare cases (anesthesia awareness), a patient might be partially aware, but it's very uncommon and usually involves other sensations like pressure, not full awareness or memory.
 

Do you feel anything with propofol?

PROPOFOL (proe POE fol) causes drowsiness before and during a procedure. It works by blocking pain signals in the brain, so you do not feel pain or discomfort during the procedure. It belongs to a group of medications called general anesthetics.

Does propofol make your body ache?

Tell your doctor right away if you have chest pain or discomfort, confusion, dark-colored urine, dizziness, drowsiness, lightheadedness, fainting, fever, muscle cramps, spasms, pain, or stiffness, nausea, right upper abdominal or stomach pain and fullness, slow or irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing, stomach cramps, ...

Can pain be detected in anesthetized patients?

Does propofol knock you out instantly?

When used for IV sedation, a single dose of propofol typically wears off within minutes. Onset is rapid, in as little as 15–30 seconds. Propofol is versatile; the drug can be given for short or prolonged sedation, as well as for general anesthesia.

Can you feel achy after anesthesia?

Muscle aches – The medications used to relax your muscles so a breathing tube can be inserted can cause soreness. Itching – This is a common side effect of narcotics, one type of pain medication sometimes used with general anesthesia.

How quickly do you come out of propofol?

Generally, a continuous infusion intravenous dose of propofol (25 μg/kg/min to 100 μg/kg/min) is used to induce amnesia and light sedation. Patients usually recover within 5 min to 10 min after discontinuation of this infusion.

What is the 10 8 6 rule for propofol?

Traditionally, one such popular algorithm is the “10-8-6 rule” used for adult infusions. The rule includes a loading does of propofol at 1 mg/kg followed by an infusion of 10 mg/kg/hr for a period of 10 minutes, then 8 mg/kg/hr for the next 10 minutes, and finally 6 mg/kg/hr for the subsequent time period.

What is the number one side effect of propofol?

Adverse Effects

Transient local pain at the injection site is the most common adverse reaction. This may be decreased by administering IV lidocaine before propofol bolus.

Can you feel pain during deep sedation?

Generally, the answer is no. With the right sedation techniques, most patients experience little to no discomfort during their dental procedures. You'll likely feel relaxed and may not even remember much of what happened.

How do anesthesiologists know you're asleep?

Anesthesiologists know you're "asleep" (unconscious) by combining continuous monitoring of vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen) with specialized brain activity monitors (like EEG/BIS monitors) that track electrical signals, ensuring brain activity aligns with unconsciousness, and checking for lack of movement or response, especially when muscle relaxants are used, as general anesthesia isn't natural sleep but a drug-induced coma. They use these tools to confirm you're not experiencing awareness during surgery. 

Do you pee when under anesthesia?

Yes, it's possible to pee yourself under anesthesia because general anesthesia relaxes bladder muscles and disrupts the brain's signals to urinate, causing the bladder to fill and sometimes leak or overfill, though many surgeries use catheters to manage urine, and nurses clean spills without issue. 

Do you breathe on your own with propofol?

If you receive deep sedation with propofol, there is always the possibility that you will require a breathing tube if you aren't breathing well enough on your own. In that situation, you would also receive a general anesthetic.

How long is propofol sedation?

Propofol has a very rapid onset (seconds) and short duration (around 5-10 minutes for a single dose), leading to quick awakening, but its sedative effects on coordination and cognition can linger, requiring you to have someone drive you home and avoid activities like driving or operating machinery for up to 24 hours as a precaution. While you might feel alert quickly, residual effects mean you're not fully back to normal for several hours. 

Do sedated patients feel pain?

No, you generally should not feel pain when properly sedated for a procedure, as sedation makes you deeply relaxed and reduces awareness, while local anesthetics are used to block pain signals, ensuring comfort. While sedation prevents pain sensation and memory, it's the combination with numbing agents (like novocaine) that guarantees you stay pain-free, even if you're slightly aware or drowsy, though with deeper sedation, you often remember little to nothing.
 

How do they wake you up from propofol?

They wake you up from propofol by simply stopping the continuous infusion; because it's a fast-acting drug rapidly cleared by the body, your consciousness returns quickly, usually within minutes, as it's metabolized by the liver and redistributed from the brain. Medical staff closely monitor you in recovery, ensuring vital signs are stable as you wake up, sometimes using other medications like caffeine in research or helping with breathing support if needed, though typically just turning off the drip is enough. 

How much propofol is normal for a colonoscopy?

This was similar to the nurse-administered propofol sedation (NAPS) technique described by Rex et al (3), who noted that the dose of propofol required to initiate the colonoscopy may vary from 30 to >200 mg. If the patient seemed to experience discomfort during the procedure, a 10- to 20-mg bolus was delivered.

Is propofol considered deep sedation?

The use of propofol increases the success of satisfactory deep sedation, but it can produce rapid and profound decreases in level of consciousness and cardiorespiratory function. Data are needed to assess the safety of this drug outside an anesthesiology setting.

How long will I feel weird after propofol?

Propofol may interfere with your ability to think, focus, and react for some time after receiving general anesthesia. But in most cases, mild side effects are temporary and will go away within a few hours.

What is the safest anesthesia for a colonoscopy?

The safest anesthesia for a colonoscopy depends on individual health, but Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) using propofol is often considered the gold standard for deep sedation due to its rapid onset and quick recovery, with conscious sedation (midazolam/opioids) also common and safe. Propofol provides deep relaxation without general anesthesia, allowing faster waking, while midazolam/fentanyl offers a calmer experience but a longer groggy period. The safest choice involves a personalized discussion with your doctor about your medical history, anxiety, and recovery needs.
 

What not to do after propofol?

“We have noted, as have others, that when utilizing propofol as the sedative agent, patients recover much more rapidly than they do with traditional sedation,” he says. “That being said, most requirements have us keeping those patients away from driving, operating machinery and similar activities until the next day.”

How to detox your body after anesthesia?

Take a sauna. Sweating, such as through a sauna, is a great way to excrete toxins. For the two weeks after surgery, take a sauna a few times if permitted by your doctor. Make sure to wash the toxins off of your skin after the sauna by showering and washing your body with a castile soap.

What happens if you cough while under anesthesia?

Coughing under anesthesia, especially with a cold, increases risks like airway spasms, low oxygen, and potential aspiration pneumonia (inhaling vomit/secretions), which can be serious. Anesthesiologists manage this by often postponing surgery with active respiratory infections, as coughing strains the body and can cause suture dehiscence (incisions opening) or bronchospasm. Even a mild cough signals airway irritation, prompting careful monitoring or rescheduling to ensure safety, as the body is already fighting infection, making it harder to handle anesthesia.
 

What does anesthesia feel like when you wake up?

Waking up from anesthesia feels like a slow, groggy emergence, often with confusion, sleepiness, chills, and disorientation, but it's usually temporary, with common temporary side effects including nausea, sore throat (from breathing tube), and feeling out of it. You'll likely be in a recovery room, monitored by nurses, and may feel some pain or soreness as the drugs wear off, but pain medication will be provided, and these effects generally fade within hours, though full recovery can take longer.