Aspigander
11-30-2008, 06:46 PM
I've always been kind of difficult to sedate, and I'm wondering if it has to do with the Asperger's.
First instance I remember -- I was having braces removed (sometime when I was a teenager -- I think 10th grade). Those who have had braces or know those who have will know about those little things they glue on the teeth to hold the wires. Well the doc was trying to remove those things from two rather fragile teeth (or rather ones that have roots that don't hold very well, and I was told that the long term prognosis for those particular teeth was not good). Anyway, worried that those teeth might pop out, I kept involuntarily jumping when the doctor went to remove them. He was able to remove the things from the teeth that were not of concern, but sent me home with these two teeth still adorned because he was afraid I'd jump at the wrong time and he wouldn't be able to pull out fast enough and I'd get hurt. He said I should get valium or something.
My mom called the psychiatrist I was seeing at the time because I was on meds and she wanted to make sure whatever was prescribed wouldn't mess with what I was on at the time. The doc prescribed valium at a dose that he told my mom would have me fall asleep for the procedure.
Not even close. I guess it phased me enough that I wasn't *as* jumpy (but still a little bit so). They were able to remove the things from the teeth. But it wasn't until after the procedure and I was leaving that I even noticed any effect. I did kind of stagger a bit.
Definitely no where near falling asleep.
Second instance -- An MRI was ordered when I was 19 to check out my pituitary gland (I won't go into detail, but you know that monthly occurrence that's supposed to happen to females starting sometime during adolescence...well it never did). They asked if I'm claustrophobic. No. They asked if I have trouble holding still. YES!! I also think I mentioned at the time that valium didn't effect me much. So they gave me 1mg of ativan. That. Did. Not. Phase. Me. At. All. Fortunately, I managed to keep still enough that the images came out clear enough.
Third, fourth, and probably fifth instance -- Because of a cyst they found near the pituitary, they wanted to check the MRI periodically. It was a different doc at this point, and again I was prescribed 1mg ativan. After several times of not being phased by ativan, I'd asked them to bump the dose an mg or two to see if that would help (as it *really* is hard to hold still even if I can ultimately manage). Well, I was told the folks doing the MRI don't appreciate it when they are sent comatose patients, so 1mg it was. Any time I've had 1mg of ativan, it. Did. Nothing.
Next instance -- new doctor. She wanted another repeat of the MRI. I pretty much told her ativan doesn't work. So she prescribed 10mg of valium. Not that my previous experience of valium suggested I was amenable to it, but it did phase me a bit and I don't think it was 10mg that time, so we'll see what 10mg does. Well, it did help and it was easier to hold still, but it seemed to wear off quickly (it was probably around a half hour or so scan, and right almost at the end the valium stopped working).
And finally, the most recent instance -- I had some issues that led to referral to a neurologist, who ordered a spinal MRI. When talking sedatives, he asked how I was with ativan, valium, and the like. I said ativan didn't phase me, valium did but not a whole lot (though enough) but not for long. So he prescribed 10mg ambien. Yep, that's right. That stuff that's supposed to have you zonked for eight hours. It effected me more than the ativan, but less the valium. Enough to make me say something kind of strange while relaying my symptoms to the tech, but not enough to really help me hold still. Basically, my thinking was slow, but that was about it.
So...I'm just wondering -- are those on the spectrum known for being resistant to sedatives?
First instance I remember -- I was having braces removed (sometime when I was a teenager -- I think 10th grade). Those who have had braces or know those who have will know about those little things they glue on the teeth to hold the wires. Well the doc was trying to remove those things from two rather fragile teeth (or rather ones that have roots that don't hold very well, and I was told that the long term prognosis for those particular teeth was not good). Anyway, worried that those teeth might pop out, I kept involuntarily jumping when the doctor went to remove them. He was able to remove the things from the teeth that were not of concern, but sent me home with these two teeth still adorned because he was afraid I'd jump at the wrong time and he wouldn't be able to pull out fast enough and I'd get hurt. He said I should get valium or something.
My mom called the psychiatrist I was seeing at the time because I was on meds and she wanted to make sure whatever was prescribed wouldn't mess with what I was on at the time. The doc prescribed valium at a dose that he told my mom would have me fall asleep for the procedure.
Not even close. I guess it phased me enough that I wasn't *as* jumpy (but still a little bit so). They were able to remove the things from the teeth. But it wasn't until after the procedure and I was leaving that I even noticed any effect. I did kind of stagger a bit.
Definitely no where near falling asleep.
Second instance -- An MRI was ordered when I was 19 to check out my pituitary gland (I won't go into detail, but you know that monthly occurrence that's supposed to happen to females starting sometime during adolescence...well it never did). They asked if I'm claustrophobic. No. They asked if I have trouble holding still. YES!! I also think I mentioned at the time that valium didn't effect me much. So they gave me 1mg of ativan. That. Did. Not. Phase. Me. At. All. Fortunately, I managed to keep still enough that the images came out clear enough.
Third, fourth, and probably fifth instance -- Because of a cyst they found near the pituitary, they wanted to check the MRI periodically. It was a different doc at this point, and again I was prescribed 1mg ativan. After several times of not being phased by ativan, I'd asked them to bump the dose an mg or two to see if that would help (as it *really* is hard to hold still even if I can ultimately manage). Well, I was told the folks doing the MRI don't appreciate it when they are sent comatose patients, so 1mg it was. Any time I've had 1mg of ativan, it. Did. Nothing.
Next instance -- new doctor. She wanted another repeat of the MRI. I pretty much told her ativan doesn't work. So she prescribed 10mg of valium. Not that my previous experience of valium suggested I was amenable to it, but it did phase me a bit and I don't think it was 10mg that time, so we'll see what 10mg does. Well, it did help and it was easier to hold still, but it seemed to wear off quickly (it was probably around a half hour or so scan, and right almost at the end the valium stopped working).
And finally, the most recent instance -- I had some issues that led to referral to a neurologist, who ordered a spinal MRI. When talking sedatives, he asked how I was with ativan, valium, and the like. I said ativan didn't phase me, valium did but not a whole lot (though enough) but not for long. So he prescribed 10mg ambien. Yep, that's right. That stuff that's supposed to have you zonked for eight hours. It effected me more than the ativan, but less the valium. Enough to make me say something kind of strange while relaying my symptoms to the tech, but not enough to really help me hold still. Basically, my thinking was slow, but that was about it.
So...I'm just wondering -- are those on the spectrum known for being resistant to sedatives?