Do you go to sleep during a colonoscopy We were told you only think you go to sleep but you are actually awake and then given a dose of medicine to make you forget the procedure True or false?

Answer 1

Well, the info above is part right, but part wrong. For outpatient procedures like a colonoscopy, a patient is given through an IV a short-acting sedative, usually one called Propofol. It is given in a very small amount, just enough to make a patient unaware of pain. Propofol can make a twilight type of sleep AND block memories of the procedure. So a patient can be roused from sleep, or from feeling sleepy---for example, if the doctor needs you to respond to him. But typically, the patient is allowed to just "sleep" while the doctor does the procedure. The IV is stopped; the patient very quickly "wakes up". Propofol can also be given longer, such as for a short surgery. Once again, after the IV is stopped, the patient awakens. Doctors can also administer a counter agent to quickly awaken the patient, if deemed necessary--such as if the patient has severe respiratory depression. It is important to mention that the nurse or machinery checks the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, and respirations during sedation procedures and risks are very, very low to run into trouble.

You may also have heard that Propofol killed Michael Jackson. There were two main reasons he died from this drug. Too much was given and for too long. And the doctor left the room so no one was watching MJ's vital signs. If these had not happened, and the Propofol had been stopped (or never given in a home environment!), MJ would have awoken and not died.

Overall, Propofol is a safe, short-acting sedative used every day in hospital surgeries and outpatient surgical centers.