Has anyone out there had an endoscopy?

[wanderingclanger]

It looks as if I'm going to have on soon - what can I expect? Did you have sedation or was it fine? Any advice greatly appreciated!

[hashtagwhatever]

I will be watching the answers, I am due to have one soon too

[LadyMaryLikesCake]

I've had one, I've also worked with the team who do them. I had mine sedation so I remember nothing but a few of the patients I cared for were unable to have this and I've seen what it was like for them. I'd recommend sedation if you can have it though, only because I'm a wimp. It's fine without but you do remember feeling as though your chocking as it's not a very thin tube.

You'll lie on your side and they will spray something on the back of your throat. You do gag a little but it won't hurt and it will be over in 20 minutes or so, but it depends on what they are looking for. They can take biopsies at the same time. You'll get a little sore throat after and I had a couple of mouth ulcers. I remember nothing of the gagging as I was out of it. Do what's right for you though

[Runwayqueen]

I had one last week. Take the sedation if you can. All I remember was the mouth guard going in, the next bit I remember was them taking it out.

[BikeRunSki]

I had one, it was only for my throat and nose. No sedation, it was fine.

[Bentojo]

I had one without sedation. Not very pleasant but I found taking big, deep breaths through my nose helped.

The upside of no sedation was I could leave the hospital 30 minutes after the procedure and drive myself home rather than having a longer wait and having to be accompanied.

I would have one without sedation again. It wasn't bad really.

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

I had it with sedation (also had a colonoscopy though), although bizarrely despite a top up, I was still awake. Anyway, it was the shortest, simplest and most painless procedure. I inject medications 2x a week and I find that more traumatic that the endoscopy. I did have a mildly sore throat but nothing major.

Good luck!!

[Fuckingforriner]

I had it without sedation and I was very scared but I did not find it traumatic at all. Uncomfortable but no more than that. Just concentrate on your nose and try to think of something else.

[KurriKurri]

I had one last thursday. I didn't have sedation, but had the throat spray - which tastes a bit unpleasant and having a numb throat is a bit weird.

I did gag quite a lot which is a bit scary, but the nurse kept telling me to take deep breaths and I was OK - I'd do it without sedation again as although not fun, it is quick and doable. I had biopsies taken -which adds another couple of mins to the time taken, but its no longer than five minutes max. If you have biopsies you can feel a bit of tugging but no pain.

I had a bit of a sore throat over the weekend, and an achy feeling in my oesophagus where they took the biopsies, - took paracetamol and was fine.

At my hospital there was a long wait beforehand so be prepared for that (I had to wait about an hour and a half so by the time I was seen I felt a bit light headed having not eaten all day)

[Nospringflower]

Well, I'm sorry to be the voice of doom but I had it and thought it was the worst thing ever. I knew someone who had had it not long before and i asked them why they hadnt warned me. they said yhey didnt want to put me off but i would rather have been warned. The person after me said she was sick and it was all in her hair .

They tried to persuade me not to have sedation but I persevered and thank goodness I did although I think I didn't get enough as was awake throughout and remembered everything. I know other people who have had sedation and said it was fine.

Hope you have a good experience but would definitely recommend taking sedation.

[yellowvan]

I've had it, no sedation as it was the day before ds's birthday and nurse said i was still likely to feel out of it the next day. They also said sedated people often lose their inhibitions so that put me off as well!The one thing i wasn't prepared for was the amount of gagging. i was prepared one tiny bit of gagging once as the tube went down but it was constant throughout the 5-odd mins of the procedure. Sick was sucked out by suction tube though. I must admit i found it quite traumatic, they had to call in an extra nurse to hold me still, but all over very quickly and back to normal immediately which was the best thing.

[yellowvan]

Also they can tell you your results immediately if you don't have sedation, whereas i was told they'd be sent to gp if i was sedated as by the time i came round they'd be on to the next patient, so lots of tiome potentially waiting/worrying.

[comeawaywithme]

I had an ERCP a couple of weeks ago which is an endoscopic procedure (not sure how it compares to a normal endoscopy).

I had to be sedated (they told me everyone is for an ERCP). They sprayed the back of my throat first, tasted a bit like fishy banana and it felt a bit weird swallowing as it is numb, but you get used to it. Then I had to lie on my side, I had the sedation, they inserted a mouth guard, and then I don't remember much apart from gagging a few times as they inserted the camera. Had a sore throat for about a day after.

It's over quickly and I'm very glad I had it done! Hope yours goes well.

[Twighlightsparkle]

I've had a colonoscopy and had sedation, unfortunately I reacted to the sedation and became a bit violent, I had flashbacks also for months.

I remember having to be restrained and woke up with a bloody nose!

Not a good experience but probably very rare

[wanderingclanger]

Thanks everyone - if they offer me sedation I will definitely be taking it!

[LucyLui25]

I regularly have colonoscopy and endoscopy, usually at the same time if I can manage it. I was sedated once and it was awful, I felt very unwell and needed to take someone with me to drive and take the next day off work! I now do it without the sedation, it is obviously uncomfortable, and for me the most difficult bit is not the gagging with the endoscopy, this can be controlled as it is a body reaction and you learn not to react to. The hardest part is it going down the chest as you can feel it moving all the way through, and actually it coming out again is difficult, the guys who do mine, always let me look at the screen which helps me take my mind off it. There are certainly far worst procedures to endure. Good luck, its not that bad at all, depends on what you can cope with!

[hairypaws]

I had one without sedation. Not the most pleasant experience due to me wretching but was quick and no needle!

I actually asked if I could have a look at the screen and the nurse was horrified but the person carrying it out (doctor) told me to slowly turn over so I could have a peek (the screen was on my right side and I was lying on my left).

Was fine and I would probably go no sedation if I needed another.

[Coldcuppacoffee]

Was fine on no sedation. Asked
Consultant if it was bearable. He said old ladies are generally fine and young men hate it and I would be somewhere in between!

[heronsfly]

I had one a couple of weeks ago without sedation and it was fine, I only gagged once as it went down, and although uncomfortable it wasent painful.
Plus side was that I was able to leave straight away,sedated patients were being kept in till fully recovered, throat felt a bit strange still managed a maacy d breakfast and I was given the results straight away.

[Paddlinglikehell]

I had one with sedation, but it don't think it worked, as I remember it all! Only thing I didn't remember was afterwards, I was about to ring my other half to say I was ready and I couldn't remember how to use my phone! Very odd, but that only lasted a minute or two.

I was terrified, but it was OK, not the most pleasant experience. Going in and seeing the table/bed and the nurses around it was daunting. They couldn't find a vein either, which didn't help.

I had throat spray, then the injected me, but it don't think it went in, wonder if they couldn't get a vein at all, but didn't tell me after three goes.

I lay on my side and they put a mouth guard in and fed a tube down, it made me gag a bit, but trying to take deep breaths in my nose helped. I gagged several times and my eyes were watering, but it wasn't painful as such, just unpleasant. It lasted about 10 minutes.

Afterwards they let me lie on a bed in recovery for half an hour before I went home. I has no ill effects after, or sleepiness.

[mintyneb]

I've had about 7 now and have to have repeats every 2 years.

I can't manage without sedation - neither can the consultant as he usually has to burn/cut away a polyp and needs me to be completely still.

The only trouble is I need to have propofol, the heavy duty stuff, and it makes me feel really crap for about a week after.

I've always been given my results straight after even with sedation so it looks like each hospital has its own rules.

Good luck! Sounds like most people manage just fine, I'm obviously one of the unlucky ones!