RLS after general anesthetic or a colonoscopy

When I had my double bypass open heart surgery, the first thing I was aware of the following day was the terror of restless legs. Did some calming medication wear off, or did some of the meds used in the operation cancel out the pramipexole? I had no idea, I only knew that the hospital became a place of torture for me.

Hospital staff didn't understand

The nurses were delighted that I couldn't stop walking around, and had no idea of the torment that caused it; they praised me and made an example of me to other patients who were still lying comfortably in bed. They wanted everyone to get up and move around as soon as possible. How I wished I too was relaxing, sleeping, and recovering. I very soon realised that none of the nurses or doctors knew anything about taking Pramipexole for RLS or how serious RLS could be in terms of sleep loss. I vowed to stay out of hospital in future for just one reason: RLS.

Repeated problems

Four years passed. Recently I had to have a colonoscopy, and there was no way out of it. It was not strong sedation, so I thought I would be fine; I was awake during the procedure and able to talk to the doctors and remember it later. However, not long after the procedure I had the same problem. I was very relieved that I could go home and take extra pramipexole, rather than stay in the hospital.

At home I could walk up and down the hall and plunge my legs into a super hot bath. The RLS carried on for several days. Again I kept wondering: had the mild sedative they gave me countered the effects of the Pramipexole, or was my system so flushed out by the preps one goes through before a colonoscopy, that there was no Pramipexole left in my body?

I normally take half a tablet three times a day, then a whole tablet before bed, and they had told me to keep taking my normal meds, so I had had them as usual. They didn't work fully for about a week after the colonoscopy.

Looking for other experiences

How have anesthetics affected you? Has anyone else had this experience of increased RLS after surgery, or after a colonoscopy? Were the doctors aware of it? I'd be interested to hear.