Mazinn

Hi.

I'm having a GB surgery in two days. My only other general anesthesia experience was from a tonsillectomy in 2004. The post op report says I handled the general well, but from my standpoint, it was awful due to the fact that I just couldn't wake up. I was awake for minutes at a time and just couldn't pull myself out of the fog the entire day.

My question is: What drugs are most likely to cause excessive sleepiness? Anti nausea meds? pain meds? Morphine?

I have already stated that I do NOT want morphine this time. What else should I speak to the nurses about on Monday? Medicine wise....which are LESS likely to cause excessive sleepiness.

Dr. Callery

All of the narcotics cause drowsiness. Other culprits include the phenothiazine derivative anti nausea drugs such as compazine and phenergan.

Drugs that do not cause drowsiness include Zofran and scopolamine for nausea, and Tylenol, ibuprofen, and Toradol for pain.

Here is the etymology of the word narcotic: narcotic (n.)
c.1385, from O.Fr. adj. narcotique (1314), from M.L. narcoticum, from Gk. narkotikon, neut. of narkotikos "making stiff or numb," from narkotos, verbal adj. of narcoun "to benumb, make unconscious," from narke "numbness, stupor, cramp," perhaps from PIE base *(s)nerq- "to turn, twist." Sense of "any illegal drug" first recorded 1926, Amer.Eng. The adj. is first attested 1601.

Morphine is definitely in that category. Here's the scoop on the derivation:
morphine
1828, from Fr. morphine or Ger. Morphin (1816), name coined in allusion to L. Morpheus, Ovid's name for the god of dreams, son of Sleep, lit. "the maker of shapes," from Gk. morphe "form, shape, beauty, outward appearance," perhaps from PIE *merph-, possible Gk. root meaning "form," of unknown origin. So called because of the drug's sleep-inducing properties.

Painting of Morpheus and Iris by baron Guérin

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