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Original poster

Endoscopy without sedation - experiences?

79 replies

danadas · 18/01/2020 21:16

Having a last minute panic over an endoscopy. I know I have the option of sedation but really don't want it so was planning on going without.

Having now read some horror stories, am I being stupid not taking the offer of sedation? I know it won't be much fun but will it be painful? There will be a biopsy taken too.

Hopefully someone will be able to tell me that it will all be fine!

OP posts:
Trumpton · 19/01/2020 01:03

I have had two both without sedation . Not pleasant but ok . Both times the nurse held my hand and stroked my face and talked to me . The screen was fascinating . The swallowing was the worst bit but really the tube is not enormous .
I prefer not to have sedation and that’s my choice .
Also have had colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy both with gas and air as I wanted to drive home afterwards . Both ok .
Ps . I am NOT a hard -nut and can cry and panic but just felt ok about the whole thing .
Good luck .

MirrorintheSky · 19/01/2020 09:26

Both times the nurse held my hand and stroked my face and talked to me

I'd freak if a nurse started stroking my face!

GetTheSprinkles · 19/01/2020 09:30

I didnt like the idea of sedation so had one conscious. I didn't feel like I was suffocating at all (breathe slowly through your nose and try to stay calm!).
I did however feel like I was gagging/choking, although not to the point where I panicked, more a weird 'full' feeling in my throat ifyswim.
My heart rate did go high on the monitor but doctor was really quick and it was over before I knew it

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TalbotAMan · 19/01/2020 09:37

It was unpleasant, but it only lasted 10 minutes. I have had worse times at the dentist. My colleague says she has had three and never has sedation.

FaithInfinity · 19/01/2020 09:38

You can’t have gas and air with a gastroscopy because it goes through your mouth and you can’t have that and the scope at the same time.

You’ll find some people are fine with it, some people struggle. Really it’s down to mindset. I’d suggest you try without sedation since you’re not keen to have it, worst case scenario they can’t do it and they book you in to have it again and you have the sedation.

TalbotAMan · 19/01/2020 09:41

danadas

Oh and now I am stuffing all the cake, bread and other gluten-y products in that I can just in case tomorrow means the end for all that stuff!

DW worked out for me that it made sense to go GF immediately after the endoscopy without waiting for the results, on the basis that if you came up positive on the blood test then you are almost certainly coeliac and if the endoscopy shows you aren't then you really haven't lost anything by being GF for a couple of weeks.

katielilly · 19/01/2020 10:13

You can’t have gas and air with a gastroscopy because it goes through your mouth and you can’t have that and the scope at the same time

Us dentists manage-nasal inhalation hood is designed specifically.
See this posted image from the internet.

Mischance · 19/01/2020 10:23

You CAN have gas and air with an endoscopy - I have done it!

It is a fairly new concept and has been part of a trial/study. You inhale the gas and air - about 8 puffs - then they put the tube down. During the rest of the procedure you have no sedation as the gas and air wears off very quickly - it is just to get you through the swallowing bit. You are not taking in the gas and air and trying to swallow at the same time!

MuseumOfYou · 19/01/2020 10:35

DH manages the gastroscopy unit at the local hospital, his advice would be sedation!

milkjetmum · 19/01/2020 10:42

Have had 3, 1st without sedation, would not repeat, found the retching and burping really unpleasant and was shaking/crying and full of adrenaline when all done. 2nd I asked for sedation it didn't seem to work 😲 so much as the 1st time. 3rd I said sedate me to the max and blissfully remember nothing about it. Woke up being wheeled out so would not say I was out of action for long although obviously wouldn't drive.

BeyondMyWits · 19/01/2020 10:46

I had one recently and I am the world's biggest scaredy cat (had to wear an eyemask and headphones for an MRI), am also a "mouth breather" so thought it would be horrendous.

I found the throat spray - though it tasted like burnt oranges - was fine. I took a nurse friend's advice - when the doc asks you to swallow actually gulp - it stops the gag. Concentrate on breathing in...out...in...out and it is over in no time.

At our unit, if you have no sedation, but do have throat spray they keep you in a waiting room sitting upright until 40 min have passed since you had the throat spray (which seems like ages ago, but wasn't), then will ask you to swallow some water. Then home... easy peasy.

Good luck. I (as the world's biggest scaredy cat remember!) would do it without sedation again if needed.

Original poster
danadas · 19/01/2020 10:47

Thanks everyone. Here now and have asked to try without in a moment of bravery. Nurse did say that if I'm not tolerating it, they will give me sedation there and then and I won't have to come back another time.

Fingers crossed!

OP posts:
FaithInfinity · 19/01/2020 10:55

Ooh I’ve never seen gas and air like that! We only have the mouthpieces at our hospital (but we are a bit behind the times!).

Good luck OP, hope it goes well.

DownWhichOfLate · 19/01/2020 11:23

How did it go? (Assuming it has been done). I hope you are ok.

yellowallpaper · 19/01/2020 11:44

Go with sedation. It's horrible even with it.

BeyondMyWits · 19/01/2020 12:04

Hope it went well OP.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 19/01/2020 12:06

Hope it's going okay, OP Thanks

Original poster
danadas · 19/01/2020 13:28

Thanks everyone. It went OK and I managed to do it without. The staff were amazing and just kept reassuring me. I thought I was doing really well focusing on my breathing until the nurse said I was holding my breath! It wasn't pleasant by any stretch and there was a couple of times were my gag reflex took over and I thought I was losing control but just kept breathing and it was OK.

Found that my insides were a bit of a mess and lots of biopsy's taken so well worth doing

OP posts:
JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 19/01/2020 13:32

I was supposed to have something to relax me but whatever I was given did absolutely nothing. Hmm

It's not that it hurt but I felt like I was suffocating / choking and was gagging a lot. It took a real concerted effort for me to try and stay calm enough to minimise that side of things.

I had a biopsy done and guess it probably took 10-15 minutes but it felt like a lot lot longer!!

FaithInfinity · 19/01/2020 13:34

Ah well done OP! I hope the results are nothing worrying but they find a treatment option that helps you feel better.

LidlDonkey · 19/01/2020 13:47

I had one without sedation. It was quite unpleasant, in that my gag reflex kept cutting in, but it didn't hurt. Easy enough to get up and walk away afterwards with no ill effects.

I did have quite a sore throat that evening but a few glasses of wine helped to soothe it Grin

mindfulmam · 19/01/2020 13:49

I would opt for a cannula in beforehand and say you may need something if you ask.
Ask for gas and air it's very effective
And used during colonoscopies.

mindfulmam · 19/01/2020 13:50

Sorry my bad
Is it upper GI or colonoscopy

Greyhound22 · 19/01/2020 13:51

Honestly I haven't rtft but why not just have sedation. I've had two. It took about an hour recovery and you need a lift home.

I've heard a lot of people say it's fairly horrific without sedation.

They tried to do a sigmoidoscopy without sedation and I just stopped them and made them sedate me.

LidlDonkey · 19/01/2020 13:52

Well done OP. I hope they manage to sort what is wrong.