What are the three drugs used in anesthesia?

General anesthesia requires a combination of several different types of drugs to achieve its three primary goals: unconsciousness (hypnosis), pain relief (analgesia), and muscle relaxation (immobility). A typical anesthetic plan uses drugs from the following categories:

What is the main drug used in anesthesia?

Propofol (Diprivan®) is the most commonly used IV general anesthetic. In lower doses, it induces sleep while allowing a patient to continue breathing on their own. It is often utilized by anesthesiologist for sedation in addition to anxiolytics and analgesics.

What is the cocktail they give you before surgery?

Feinstein: Anesthesiologists sometimes tell patients that they are getting a "cocktail" of medications prior to their procedure, which can sound mysterious and intriguing, when in reality this cocktail is typically just comprised of a single medication called midazolam.

What local anesthetics are safe during pregnancy?

Local anesthetics like lidocaine (with or without epinephrine), prilocaine, mepivacaine, bupivacaine, and articaine are generally considered safe during pregnancy for necessary dental and minor surgical procedures, with lidocaine with epinephrine often preferred for its effectiveness and reduced placental transfer, though the second trimester is the ideal time for treatments. Prilocaine should be used cautiously due to rare methemoglobinemia risk, while avoiding epinephrine in the first trimester is sometimes recommended. Always consult your dentist and OB-GYN, as timing and maternal health impact choices. 

How long does anesthesia affect the body?

Anesthesia's effects vary greatly, from minutes for local numbing to days or weeks for full recovery, with most general anesthesia's grogginess fading within 24 hours, though fatigue, nausea, or confusion can linger longer, depending on the type (general, regional, local), individual metabolism, age, overall health, drug dosage, and length of surgery. While the immediate unconsciousness is brief, clearing all medication from the body can take up to a week, but significant impairment usually resolves much sooner. 

General anesthesia pharmacology - Medications for induction, maintenance, & emergence

Why is anesthesia not given during pregnancy?

It does not appear that anaesthetic agents have teratogenic effects in humans. However anaesthesia and surgery during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight infants and infant death.

What is the 2 4 6 rule for anesthesia?

The 2-4-6 rule for anesthesia is a guideline for preoperative fasting, indicating how long patients should abstain from food and drink before surgery to prevent aspiration (inhaling stomach contents): 2 hours for clear liquids, 4 hours for breast milk, and 6 hours for formula or light meals, with heavier meals requiring longer (often 8+). This evidence-based rule, established by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), replaces older "NPO after midnight" mandates, allowing for shorter, safer fasting times for most healthy patients. 

What drug makes you fall asleep before surgery?

General anesthesia is medicine that is used to put you in a state like deep sleep during surgery. The medicine may be inhaled through a breathing mask or tube. Or it may be given through an IV (intravenous) line. A breathing tube may be inserted into your windpipe.

How long does it take to wake up from general anesthesia?

Waking up from general anesthesia is gradual, with most people becoming conscious within minutes, but feeling groggy for a few hours as the drugs wear off, though it can take longer depending on surgery length, patient health (age, weight, conditions), and drugs used. While you might be talking in 5-15 minutes, full alertness and recovery from lingering effects like drowsiness or confusion can take hours to a day, requiring someone to drive you home and avoiding important decisions for 24 hours.
 

Why is omeprazole given after surgery?

Omeprazole maintenance therapy prevents recurrent ulcer bleeding after surgery for duodenal ulcer.

What not to do before going under anesthesia?

Before anesthesia, do not eat, drink (including water after a certain time), smoke, drink alcohol, or take certain medications/supplements, as these can cause serious complications; also, avoid makeup, jewelry, and bring a responsible adult, with specifics depending on your surgeon's instructions, but generally fast for 6-8 hours, stop alcohol/smoking 24+ hours prior, and inform your doctor about all drugs and supplements.
 

What settles acid reflux immediately?

For fast acid reflux relief, use antacids (Tums, Mylanta) to neutralize acid quickly, or H2 blockers (Pepcid) for slightly longer relief, and try lifestyle changes like sitting up, sipping warm water, chewing gum, or taking a spoonful of baking soda in water for immediate, short-term help. Avoiding trigger foods and lying down after eating also offers quick relief by using gravity to keep acid down, according to Harvard Health and Healthline.
 

What anesthesia is used for colonoscopy?

For a colonoscopy, patients typically receive deep sedation (Monitored Anesthesia Care or MAC) using propofol for rapid sleep and quick wake-up, or conscious sedation with drugs like midazolam (Versed) and fentanyl, keeping them relaxed but potentially aware. The choice depends on patient comfort, medical history, and physician preference, with propofol offering faster recovery, while general anesthesia is rarely used. 

How does anesthesia affect the elderly?

Anesthesia poses higher risks for the elderly, primarily affecting cognition through temporary confusion (Postoperative Delirium) or long-term issues (Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction - POCD), due to aging bodies' reduced organ function (heart, lungs, kidneys) and increased brain sensitivity to drugs, necessitating careful dosage adjustments and baseline mental health checks to manage potential delirium, memory loss, and slower recovery. 

How do anesthesiologists wake you up?

At the end of the procedure, when the procedure is common and uncomplicated, you'll typically be given medications that reverse anesthesia, waking you up and ending the muscle paralysis. Then the breathing tube can come out right away, and you'll be breathing on your own within minutes.

What drug wakes you up the most?

Modafinil, sold under the brand name Provigil among others, is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and eugeroic (wakefulness promoter) medication used primarily to treat narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.

How many times is it safe to go under anesthesia?

In general, anesthesia is considered safe, and most people can undergo multiple procedures with anesthesia without any long-term adverse effects. However, each time you undergo anesthesia, there is a small risk of side effects or complications such as nausea, vomiting, sore throat, headache, or confusion.

How long will general anesthesia stay in your system?

General anesthesia drugs are mostly cleared from your system within 24 hours, but you can feel groggy or tired for longer, and it might take up to a week for all medicines to fully leave, with effects depending on the type, dosage, surgery length, and individual health, requiring you to have a ride home and avoid driving/decisions for at least 24 hours. 

How do anesthesiologists know how much anesthesia to give?

Anesthesiologists can detect your level of sedation by monitoring your vital signs — things like blood pressure, breathing rate and pupil size. But measuring consciousness is tricky. Because the drugs used during general anesthesia affect your autonomic nervous system, you can't move around or speak.

What are the 5 A's of anesthesia?

Contemporary general anesthesia focusses on what may be referred to as the 6 A's. These are, in random order, anxiolysis, areflexia, autonomic areflexia, analgesia, amnesia and anesthesia.

Can you be put to sleep to have a baby?

Yes, you can be put to sleep (given general anesthesia) during childbirth, but this is typically only done in emergency situations or when other forms of pain relief are not possible.

Is lidocaine a category B drug?

Fortunately, lidocaine, which is the most commonly used local anesthetic during dental treatments, is under category B and considered to have almost no negative effect on the mother and the fetus.