Buzz
While telling harmless fibs to loved ones may be commonplace, and many of us deceive ourselves on occasion, there is one person with whom absolute honesty is essential: your anesthesiologist.
Even before meeting the surgeon, your life is in the hands of the anesthesiologist. They will administer a potent mix of drugs to bring you near death, only to revive you as though nothing happened. If you've experimented with altering your brain chemistry, their calculations could be thrown off.
As Shayla Love recently mentioned at Vice, researchers in Colorado discovered that regular cannabis users need higher doses of sedatives than those who don't. You wouldn't want to be the person who remains conscious no matter how many doses you receive. In some cases, a procedure might need to be postponed for safety reasons, as administering these higher doses may not be advisable. On the other hand, cannabis can enhance the effects of anesthesia, potentially suppressing your cardiorespiratory system, which can be hazardous when combined with anesthetic drugs that have the same effect.
Your anesthesiologist can usually adjust your dosage safely if you're upfront, but they would prefer if you refrained from using cannabis in the days before your surgery. (Make sure to mention if you’ve used it in the past.)
This advice isn’t limited to cannabis. Be truthful about any substances you've consumed recently or on a regular basis, as cannabis isn't the only one that can alter your body's reaction to anesthesia (and to pain, as well as post-op painkillers). If you use opioids, for example, the entire pain management strategy for your procedure may need to be adjusted. Your anesthesiologist isn't out to report you, they just want to ensure your safety.
