Succinylcholine and Severe Pain: What Users Say

• Bet...
• February 7, 2020

For Anesthesia "It's poison! Tell your anesthesiologist that you're allergic! Trust me! Last time I had outpatient surgery, they had to quickly switch me from MAC sedation to intubation, so they shot me up with this drug, which is also known as Scoline, and the med folks call it 'sux,' which it TOTALLY does! Because just like everyone else who has posted here, I woke up in severe pain all over my body, which lasted 5 days. I could barely move and needed a cane once I managed to get to a standing position. Never again! They are not allowed to shoot me up with this POISON again!"

• Osb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2020

For Anesthesia "I had a chemo port inserted yesterday. The anesthesiologist told me ahead of time that he couldn’t use his normal medication, propofol, because of it being saved for use with COVID-19 patients. I seriously feel like I have been hit by a truck. I am in severe pain from my neck to my calves. I can barely lift my arms. I can barely walk because of my hips and legs being so sore. Actually, I can barely move at all. I hurt worse now than I did after a double mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction 3 weeks ago. At least then I could walk! Now I can’t even do the arm exercises they had me doing the day after the mastectomy because I can’t bear to move my arms. I barely took any of my pain meds after my big surgery, but am using them now. This is crazy. Never again. This stuff should not be used."

• DCa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2020

For Anesthesia "I had an endoscopy ultrasound, and while out I stopped breathing, so they had to put a breathing tube in. The paralytic they used was succinylcholine. When I awoke, I told them I felt horrible. Later that day and night, every muscle from my neck to my ankles was in extreme pain. I couldn’t even get out of a chair, toilet, or bed without help, and it was painful even then. I couldn’t cough much because of the pain in my chest and back. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Today is day 3, and I’m about 75% back to normal, I figure one more day and I’ll be back...I hope."

• CGa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 26, 2020

For Anesthesia "I had ACDF surgery (disks in neck). I prepared for major pain! However, my procedure was on Thursday. By Saturday, I was off all pain meds. The first 2 days being home, I had terrible pain all over my body. I could hardly walk, and getting up was excruciating! It was NOT my neck that was painful. It was the succinylcholine! I, like others, will NEVER have that drug again!"

• CGa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 26, 2020

For Anesthesia "I had ACDF surgery (disks in neck). I prepared for major pain! However, my procedure was on Thursday. By Saturday, I was off all pain meds. The first 2 days being home, I had terrible pain all over my body. I could hardly walk, and getting up was excruciating! It was NOT my neck that was painful. It was the succinylcholine! I, like others, will NEVER have that drug again!"

• mom...
• August 3, 2017

For Anesthesia "I was intubated for general anesthesia for an outpatient endoscopic procedure on 7-3-2017. By next morning, I felt like I'd been hit by a Mack truck, extreme pain in every muscle. I laid in bed for an hour trying to figure the least painful way to get out of bed. I was in so much pain my husband took me to the Emergency Room and a blood test showed my potassium levels (K) were more than double what is normal, which they said indicated an adverse reaction to the succinylcholine I was given. An I.V. of dilaudid offered no pain relief. I normally NEVER use any pain meds, but used Percocet alternating with Ibuprofen for 3 days before I started to feel more normal again. I will never willingly allow succinylcholine to be used on me again!"

• Unk...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2022

For Anesthesia "I had an ERCP yesterday to remove a stent put into my bile ducts prior to having my gallbladder removed. I started hurting all over yesterday afternoon and woke up this morning, and it took me 15 minutes to get myself out of bed. I called my doctor's office this morning, but I am sure this is what was used. I had to have a breathing tube put in for this procedure, so I understand it is common to use Scoline or Sux for this. I have never had such intense pain in my ankles, legs, back, arms, shoulders, chest, throat, and joints in my fingers. I can barely hold anything in my hands. Waiting to hear back from the doctor's office about this. I will never use this drug again! If I have to have another surgery, I will tell the next anesthesiologist that if this is used again, as soon as this pain is over, that I will find them and we will have a serious word of prayer! This stuff is no joke!"

• Inh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 29, 2021

For Anesthesia "I had 3 dental extractions and was given this awful med yesterday during general anesthesia. My nose bled all day and night, and when I woke up, I could barely breathe from the fluid built up in my lungs because my stomach muscles hurt so bad, I wasn’t able to cough. I literally fell out of the bed and crawled to the restroom to urinate and almost decided to stay on the floor and go because I couldn’t stand up from the muscle pain in my entire body. Due to having 5 broken lumbar vertebrae, I had access to some Percocet, which I have been using simply to get back and forth from the couch to the restroom. Including falling and breaking my back and being 55 years old, I’ve never experienced this much pain throughout my body. Without the Percocet, I would most likely die of suffocation from the liquid gathering in my lungs. After using enough of this opioid painkiller, I am able to constantly clear my throat enough to open my airway. EVERY muscle in my body is in excruciating pain."

• Ter...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2023

For Anesthesia "I was given this drug for two D&Cs. The first time, I had a severe stiff neck and pain in my shoulders for 24 hours post-op. Several years later, I had this drug again, again, 24 hours post-op, I had severe pain and muscle spasms down my back and left leg. I actually went to the ER because I thought I might have a blood clot or something. They could find no reason for it and did not connect it to the anesthesia drug. The pain lasted about a week. Later, I tracked down the anesthesiologist and told him what happened. I had told him about my first adverse effect from succinylcholine, but it seems he ignored me and used it anyway. However, he did own up to the fact and told me what I experienced was fasciculations. This is not a good drug for me, and when I try to tell anesthesia about not using it, they pat my hand and say they will take care of it."

• bea...
• August 29, 2015

For Anesthesia "The day after being administered for surgery, I am in severe pain all over my body."