Nurse Practitioner On My Side

I found this gratifying post here;Why are colonoscopy doctors so anxious to insist on sedation (read: date-rape drugs, commonly Versed?)
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Here's what the NP wrote;

"Thanks to everyone for their answers; I'm a clinical practitioner (NP) and know little about conscious sedation/colonoscopies, but so many of my patients report a terrible experience with conscious sedation (mainly Versed-not being asleep but imobile and in pain unable to communicate; then long-term amnesia afterwards...can't remember PIN numbers, their kid's birthdays etc)..this isn't for the patients benefit. I guess it works for most patients who have amnesia due to Versed, but for many it's a horrible experience. One of our docs won't use conscious sedation (versed or versed/fentanyl) because of the many patient complaints....she told me to check askapatient.com for versed horror stories. Normally as a nurse, I view patient comments with some skepticism, but why would over a thousand patients list a terrible experience with conscious sedation, especially with Versed? One of our anesthesiologists said that conscious sedation if ok for most patients, but that he would not consent to it for a colonoscopy. He said that moderate to deep sedation with propofol administered by an anesthesiologist (not a nurse/crna-ouch!) is the only way that he would get the exam. He said that Versed is administered to force patient compliance and to hopefully cause them to forget the pain and the procedure..at least until they get home. This seems to be patient abuse. I guess that I will skip my colonoscopy despite being very high-risk; and I will not recommend this exam to patients unless they can get an actual anesthesiologist to attend them."
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I especially like the remarks of an anesthesiologist as reported here.  He says that sedation is ok for most patients, but HE would not consent to it.  We see how they view themselves as opposed to the rest of us.  If HE won't allow it to be used on himself, where does he get off saying it's ok for us?  HE won't have a nurse/crna, but I'd bet money that these nurses are fine for all the rest of us.  HE says that Versed is administered to FORCE PATIENT COMPLIANCE and HOPEFULLY cause them to forget the pain...  Does this sound like the safe relaxing drug the medical field would have you believe?  At least this NP "gets it." 

A Doctor Comes Over To My Side

Upon reading this, in one way I feel justified but on the other hand, I would never ever wish my Versed reaction on anybody.  That includes the nasty people who come here to abuse me.  I don't wish this on them either.  Here is a doctor describing her experience with Versed.  (I got the comment from here Midazolam Sedation Is Not ALWAYS Safe - Forum Thread Page 4)

Here is the comment in its entirety:

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Versed?

posted by Judith on 23 May 2013 at 8:04 pm

As a practicing primary care doc, I found the comments from "never again" over the top..initially...then,as a doc with decades of medical training, I received Versed for a screening colonoscopy and it was a nightmare! Most patients get Versed which almost drove me crazy; memory loss (long-term), anger, combativeness (hit the endo nurse) and severe depression....I'm high-risk for colon cancer and WILL NOT ever again agree to "sedation" with Versed or any other drug...

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Thank you Judith, you made my day.  I hope that your problems from Versed subside more quickly than they did for me.   If it helps, my opinion is that mostly really bright people have problems with Versed.  It's just my opinion based on scores of anecdotal evidence presented by the patients themselves. 

My Daughter Who Will NOT Be Getting Versed

Here is my beautiful daughter and my (at least it's supposed to be *my*) cute little horse at a local show.  My daughter will NEVER get Versed, at least as long as *I* have anything to say about it.  Funny how we can control what happens to our children, but not what happens to us as adults in regard to Versed.

 PS My daughter is doing eventing now.  Anybody have a nice (potential) eventer for a reasonable price?  My horse and I are doing reining now and this kind of training is incompatible with eventing.  e-mail me at nomidazolam@aol.com

4 Reasons Why Patients Should Blog (from Dr. Kevin's blog)

4 reasons why patients should blog

Sedation Targeted For Cost Savings

At last people are starting to take a look at the ridiculous and EXPENSIVE "sedation for all" mentality.  Here is a pretty good analysis of it.  I disagree with some of the statements, like the doctor's explanation of sedation effects, but I'm gratified at the conclusions.  We are starting to turn the tide against this creepy Versed sedation.  I TOLD YOU SO!

Colonoscopy Patients Opt for Painless Approach - Digestive Health Center - Everyday Health

Stand Alone Comment From A Reader

kjlintner has left a new comment on your post "Another Physician Speaks Out Against Versed":

I under went 2 cardiac interventions last week on two different days, and versed was heavily used. I remember during the first procedure hearing "starting versed bag #7" two days later I was under the medication again for the second coronary intervention.

Up to a month before the procedure is lost to me. It seems like my short term memory was wiped clean. I began having horrible panic attacks, fits of uncontrolled shaking, and unshakeable feeling of doom.

I ended up in the ER just 3 days after my release. The PA described my symptoms as PTSD like, and I was given Ativan.

I lose things, I put things in strange places. I am constantly forgetting what I am supposed to be doing. Forget about driving, holy cow, that's not even funny.

Excellent Article on Informed Consent

This article was sent to me by a friend who also has suffered from the illegal and injudicious injection of Versed without "informed consent."  This problem is so common as to have become "Standard of Care."   Of course the fact that using Versed against us to gain compliance and (hopefully) cause amnesia in order to conceal medical people's actions from the patient without INFORMED CONSENT is ILLEGAL!  Somehow this little fact is entirely lost on the medical community at present.  Here is a lawyer's take on the issue.

Informed Consent is the Law: Stop, Talk and Show Should be the Standard - Hormones Matter

Of course my treatment went beyond simply omitting and/or deliberately concealing facts about the surgery, it also went to "informed consent" for the so-called anesthesia, the consent for a crna to supply the anesthesia instead of a doctor and all the rest.  "Standard of Care" appears to be no standards at all and has completely eclipsed the laws on informed consent.  It's a "caveat emptor" (let the buyer beware) world out there in medical lala land.