Sedation, Versed,
and Your Procedure
When Talking to your Doctor About your
Procedure:
In preparation for any procedure, you and your doctor should
discuss your concerns around modesty, the selection of an anesthesiologist, and
the drugs that might be administered to you before, during and after surgery.
Your expectations should be clear in your own mind before you begin that
conversation. Further, if you want to be sure your wishes are followed; you must
write them on any consent form you sign.
Remember that healthcare is a business and like any
business they are motivated by efficiency and a belief that they are
professionals who know what is best for the patient. Because of this,
your doctor will assume that you will allow yourself to be treated in the way he
or she sees fit and will only answer the questions you raise - you will not be
told any “unpleasant” details unless you specifically ask. This means you need
to educate yourself so you ask the questions that matter to you and you clearly
state in writing what you want.
There will be many drugs administered to you before, during and
after your procedure. Some are related to the prevention of infection, others to
relieve pain, and others to “sedate” or “relax” you. You should be familiar with
all the drugs your doctor(s) plan to administer to you, what they are intended
to do, and what their side effects are. It is also important to know
that in healthcare “awake” means something very different than what it means to
the layperson.
Below you will find information about Midazolam, most commonly
known as Versed, but also marketed as Dormicum and Hypnovel. These drugs are
commonly used in medical procedures and patients are rarely warned about how the
drug will affect them.
What is Versed and What Does it Do to the Patient?
Versed is the most commonly used drug in a group of drugs
called benzodiazepines. These drugs depress the central nervous system (CNS).
Your doctor may refer to diazepam, lorazepam, midazolam, hyponovel, dormicum, or
others as they describe sedation or sedation management. This class of drugs is
designed to provide for sedation, hypnosis-like compliance, relieve anxiety,
muscle relaxation, and anticonvulsant activity. The “side effect” that medical
professionals most like about these drugs is that they generally induce
anterograde amnesia (prevent memory by blocking the acquisition and encoding of
new information). In other words, medical professionals like these drugs because
most people will not remember what happens to them while under their effect even
though they are “awake.”
In medical terms, this is called conscious
sedation. While under the influence of these drugs, patients feel drowsy or may
sleep, they will be free of anxiety, and will therefore be very compliant with
medical professionals (they will not advocate for themselves), and they will
mostly likely not remember anything about what happened. It is these last two
consequences that most appeal to the healthcare industry.If you’re given Versed
prior to being brought into the Operating Room, you will likely not remember who
is in the room, being placed on the OR table or being prepared for anesthesia.
Further, once surgery is over, you will likely be give a few more doses of
Versed, again that means you will likely not remember being in the PACU.
Versed is commonly used for minor procedures such as setting broken
bones, colonoscopies, endoscopies, some dental procedures, and some surgical
prepping procedures. Versed may also be used after surgery for sedation, or to
help keep the patient calm while on the ventilator. Versed may also be used in
combination with pain medications or other types of sedation.
Versed has
caused very serious breathing problems, especially if used with other
medications that cause drowsiness (e.g., narcotic pain medications such as
morphine) in some cases. Keep this in mind: Versed or similar sedative
drug legally invalidates any patient testimony regarding their treatment.
Concerns About Versed And How to Refuse Versed:
Beware when a nurse or doctor tells you that he/she will give you
something to relax you before surgery. It is very likely that the
medication is Versed or another drug in this class. Doctors, anesthesiologist or
nurses often administer these drugs without telling the patient what they are
doing, warning the patient that once the drug is administered they will no
longer be able to participate in healthcare decisions or remember what happens
after getting the drug. Patients are generally only told they are being given
“something to relax you” and often they are told this as the drug is being
administered.
Versed is not required for surgery. Medical professionals
use it for convenience. Once the patient is sedated, patients do not protest or
complain about pain or modesty. Some medical professionals give Versed to
patients who are outspoken about their wishes during procedures, particularly if
they express concerns about modesty or wanting a same gender medical team.
Though the FDA has approved Versed as an anti-anxiety drug, side effects can
be physically, cognitively and emotionally traumatic for patients. Your doctor
will likely not tell you about these. Some of potential side effects of Versed
according to Versed Busters are:
* Paradoxical reactions including anxiety, delirium and aggression. This
includes patients attacking or trying to leave. They lose touch with reality,
not knowing where they are or what is really occurring.
* Some patients experienced a distorted, nightmarish version of their
procedure accompanied by feelings of abandonment and panic.
* A kind of sleep paralysis - patient is aware but cannot move and cannot
communicate.
* Amnesia did not take place for some patients. Some patients only have a
partial memory loss and they can recall a bad experience!
* Some patients report a "creepy obedience" overcoming them.
* Many patients report symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
after having this drug.
* Panic or anxiety episodes ("flashbacks") for some time (weeks, months,
years) post-op.
* Long term memory disruption. Memories formed prior to the use of Versed are
lost. Some people are unable to retain new information or complete tasks.
* Slower recovery time.
Note that many medical
professional refuse Versed or similar drugs for their own procedures
because they see firsthand the consequences of conscious
sedation.
Also note that Versed is also known as a date-rape
drug. Versed is perfect for predators because it make the
recipient completely compliant and generally induces memory loss of traumatic
events. For example, a male nurse gave some women Versed and then raped
them. Check out this case for more
information. Any patient who is given Versed is in a vulnerable position to be
sexually abused in medical settings. A patient who is sexually abused while
under influence of Versed will rarely remember what happened. Keep in mind that
a medical professional will rarely testify against another medical professional
or even tell you if anything inappropriate happened. Check out Do
Chaperones Really Protect Patients? If you were under the influence of
Versed and you were sexually abused, it would be a difficult case because a
defense lawyer will argue that Versed has an amnesiac effect and that you could
not remember what really happened.
Other accounts of people’s
experiences with Versed:
Additional Articles about Versed:
Consider
Carefully
Consider the information above and any other
information you have found about this class of drugs before you talk to your
doctor or anesthesiologist. We recommend you not consent to
Versed or any similar drug and that you are clear about your wishes on any
document you sign. Our recommendation is based on two things: 1) once
this drug is administered you are no longer able to advocate for yourself or
remember how you are being treated. This is true even though you will be told
that you will be “awake.” 2) There are alternatives to this class of drugs that
allow you to remain more involved in your treatment and most importantly recall
what happened (see below.) Regardless of your choice of sedation, know that once
you have been given Versed you are unable to give legal consent. So if you have
written on your consent forms your expectations for treatment, your doctor
cannot argue that you gave “consent” while under Versed.
Other Options to Consider
Options for managing pain in procedures such as colonoscopies
for patients who want to be awake are:
1.) Fentanyl, (a pain medication) and Demerol (also a
pain medication) this combination has been used in cases for pain
control but where the patient will remain aware and be able to view the
colonoscopy monitor and/or converse with the doctor during the procedure.
2.) Fentanyl and Valium – A combination of
Fentanyl and Valium during the procedure often allows the patient to converse
with the physician during the exam. One patient shared that experience with
having Fentanyl and Valium used during his procedure allowed him to converse
with the doctor after the exam and could remember the conversation. He recovered
quickly and was able to leave the hospital much sooner than those given other
types of sedation. He was also not groggy during the day and even went dancing
later that night!
(Source: Colonoscopy
Without Versed)
In conclusion, there is no valid reason to ever purposely
induce amnesia during a medical procedure. The induction of amnesia is never
medically necessary. Medical professionals administer it to make their job
easier by making the patient more compliant and not be able to recall the events
of the procedure. We need to spread awareness to as many people as possible
about Versed and encourage them to take precautions to ensure that they are
never given Versed or similar drugs.
You should write on your consent
form ALL your expectations. Specifically, if you do not want Versed write, “I DO
NOT consent for use of Versed, Midazolam, or any benzodiazepines in any AMOUNT
or at ANYTIME EVER” Then sign your name. This also needs to be stated to your
anesthesiologist and written on documents he or she brings. Make sure you sign
the consent forms and share your wishes before they hook you to IV.
You
also could type a document that says something like:
I DO NOT consent for use of Versed, Midazolam, or any benzodiazepines in any
AMOUNT or at ANYTIME EVER.
I now boldly state amnesia must not happen anytime during this treatment
(include name of surgery or procedure) under any circumstances.
Then sign your name. Make multiple copies of the form and give a copy to
every medical professional that is involved in your care. |
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