Re: Dystonia and General Anesthesia

Posted By Erin on December 16, 1998 at 20:08:02:

In Reply to: Re: Dystonia and General Anesthesia posted by CCF Neurology MD - AY on December 16, 1998 at 03:40:08:






Can generalized dystonia be caused by general anesthesia during routine
surgery? Some dystonias are drug-induced, but has this particular cause
ever been documented?  
Thanks so much!



=
Thanks for your question.  Two mild intravenous anesthetics - Propofol and
Fentanyl, frequently used during the induction phase of the general
anesthesia, are know to cause dystonia in some patients.  Another medication,
Compazine (an anti-emetic), can also cause dystonic type reactions.  These
side-effects can be relatively easily counter-acted with Benadryl.
I hope this information is helpful.  Best of luck.
I have a more complicated question regarding this.   Can general anesthesia
cause dystonia (not temporary) which cannot be corrected with benedryl but
responds to Sinemet?  Or is generalized dystonia, which is dopa-responsive,
definitely a hereditary form of dystonia?  I am asking these questions to
help us decide whether to pursue genetic testing for dystonia.  Our daughter's
severe onset began shortly after a tonsilectomy and this same surgery may
need to be done for another daughter.  Needless to say, we are hesitant about
considering surgery for her.  I understand how difficult dystonia is to
diagnose and treat, let alone find the cause, but any input would be
appreciated.  There is a strong history of spinocerebellar degeneration
in our family, but we have been told that the two conditions are not
related.  
You provide a wonderful service here and have been more help than you
know over the past two years that we have been using the forum.  If it
wasn't for this forum, our daughter may have never been diagnosed correctly.
It was one of the forum doc's encouragement to have our daughter seen at
CCF that finally got us a correct diagnoses last Spring.  
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.
Please consult your doctor regarding diagnostic and treatment options.