In preparation for my DBS procedure next month im going to hospital to have an MRI under general anesthetic this coming Sunday. I've read that the most common drugs used to anesthiatise are not good for people with Parkinsons given they Disrupt dopamine, and can really affect their post procedure recovery.
I have no idea how this would work with the kind of procedure you will have however we printed up this article to give to the anesthesiologist when my husband had to have colonoscopy and endoscopy and it seemed to not cause problems however my husband does not take sinemet or similar medications other than compounded carbidopa with mucuna
if your neurosurgeon has ordered the MRI with anesthesia? Don’t worry that your PD and effect on that will be compromised. What you’re having is probably the “mapping”MRI which is crucial to find the right path for the DBS surgery. It is a longer MRI because it takes time but the anesthesia will wear off pretty easily. You’ll be groggy but not like under general anesthesia for surgery. (Unless your Dr does DBS while you’re awake which some do to make sure the patient can speak and do necessary tests that nothing is wrong).
I hope the DBS is successful for you. My husband is on track for it and I am excited for him—- his Dyskensia is terrible— even worse than the tremors.
You’ll be fine Ginge and have to have the MRI to give the team a map of your brain. This is so they can see where the veins and nerves are to avoid severing any I think. Any negatives are outweighed by the pluses you’ll gain by having the op.
Had my Year 1 assessment today. I’m doing pretty well thanks pal. It’s not perfect but so far I’ve got a decent life and I’m thankful that the operation was available. I think that I’d be in a right state without it.
As an PWP for 14 years- and on a lot of medication- I’ve been increasingly anxious about GAs - even putting off a long overdue colonoscopy. I had two big worries: the potential side effects of the anesthesia and how I could keep up my strict 3 hourly Parkinson’s meds schedule.
This month I had no choice- just diagnosed with severe primary Hyperparathyroidism I needed surgery fairly quickly. Almost simultaneously I developed a kidney stone and suddenly required urgent intervention.
The two surgeons- Endo and Urologist - listened to my concerns about multiple GA’s (I was told that I would need up to 4 separate ops). They agreed to piggyback their first two surgeries to limit my exposure.
To cut this long story short- I’ve had 2 operations with GA in the past 3 weeks and absolutely no negative side effects. Both anaesthetists listened and prioritized my Parkinson’s issues- and the whole hospital team made sure I received my meds on time and adapted what they gave me to minimize post op problems.
Very best with your surgery. I hope you have a wonderful result. Try not to stress but make sure everyone knows what you need.
As a public patient I was booked into half a day of pre-surgery appointments with a senior nurse a hospital pharmacist the junior surgeons and a wonderful young anaesthetist. I was able to talk through all my concerns and felt really heard. Maybe ask what the procedure is at the hospital you are going to?
It definitely affected me when I had two hip surgeries in the same year. After the second operation being under anesthesia, I came home to recover and I had a mental meltdown! I didn’t understand what was wrong with me. I got so depressed along with anxiety ultimately I had to get on SSRI’s. I had already had PD for seven years and had a positive attitude towards life before I broke my hip. But after that second surgery, it’s as if it sucked all the serotonin out of my brain! I’m on small doses and I’ve tried to get off of them several times but haven’t been successful. But everyone’s different. Good luck!
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