Propofol is definitely used as one of probably a cocktail of drugs required for various levels of sedation (AKA “general anesthesia” in this case).

I’ve experienced the exact same pain you’re talking about but with IV antibiotics. No nurse or doctor could actually explain why it was happening to me, other than to say the IV had “gone bad.” Because I was in the hospital for so long, they eventually switched me to a PICC line. Absolutely zero pain with that.

My own experiences with propofol involved either the PICC line, or maybe some kind of arterial line or something (I was unconscious when I was first sedated during this incident).