PTSD from Anesthesia?
Has anyone else ever had a very bad emotional reaction to anesthesia?
I had sinus surgery in March, and being put under as well as waking up (I had severe emergence agitation and was screaming, sobbing, and fighting off the nurses) was extremely traumatic for me. I’ve read that sinus surgeries in particular can cause severe emergence agitation because of the location of the surgery and use of general anesthesia. I find myself, sometimes multiple times a day, stuck in that tv static feeling of being put under and can even taste the chemically smell of anesthesia. These episodes give me absolutely paralyzing anxiety and make me feel like I’ve run a mile in a sprint afterwards. I’ve had every test known to man done now that I’m having these episodes and can confirm it’s mental and not physical.
I’m going to bring this up with my therapist again, but I wanted to know if anyone had any advice? I’m terrified at the prospect of ever going under the knife and getting anesthesia again, now. Not that I’m hoping to sometime soon, but it is affecting my daily life.
Posted Apr 28, 2026, 7:01 PM UTC