anyone had an endoscopy/gastroscopy?

[puffin321]

my 17 yr old is having a gastroscopy (camera down throat) to check for coleiacs and other things next week. she's type 1 diabetic so they've said they'll see her first thing, booked in for 7.30am. She wants sedation as scared of gagging/being sick. How long will she likely be there, with sedation? A few hours? Longer? Will she get results the same day? The hospital were a bit vague except to say she can go first and defo have sedation. what's it like?

I didn't have sedation and it was awful. So go for sedation for sure. I think they gave me photos of my innards showing inflammation. Then biopsy results came later on, a week maybe? You stay in longer for sedation but not overnight I dont think.

I didn’t have sedation because they messed up my cannula and couldn’t be arsed to try and cannulate me again, it was horrendous. I think I got my results the same day and then the biopsy within a few weeks, can’t remember fully as it was ten years ago.

I had this a few weeks ago, had the sedation and woke up in the recovery room, don't remember a thing. Throat was sore for a couple of days but nothing major.

They gave me the results on the day as you have to wait a couple of hours for the sedation to fully wear off. It all looks scary as it's an operating theatre your in but she wil be fine.

I had sedation but I can’t tell you what it was like because I can’t remember a thing about it which is what I wanted. All I remember after the procedure is dozing in and out of sleep and talking nonsense to the nurse. No after effects, I felt fine, no sore throat, nausea or pain, I was absolutely starving though.
I’d allow 5 hours for the procedure and recovery,

I had sedation and would definitely recommend that and not just the throat spray- I barely remember the procedure apart from a bit of gagging at the start! I have the most sensitive gag reflex ever and I managed fine with the sedation so tell her not to worry.
I was there for about 45 mins afterwards and then someone else drove me home. The nurse told me what they’d spotted there and then but had a proper consultation about a week later!

I had one last year. Definitely advise sedation as even with sedation it was very unpleasant. The actual procedure was about 10 minutes long but I was gagging a lot so felt like longer. I was taken to a recovery room after and the sedation wore off pretty quickly. In recovery the nurse told me it didn’t look like there was any problem but that they were sending off biopsies (which took about 2 weeks to come back.) I was in there for about 1 hour in total. I was a bit tired from the sedation and general stress of it all so make sure she takes it easy for the rest of the day and have her wearing something warm and comfy like joggers, hoodie etc. Hope it all goes ok. It’s unpleasant but thankfully over quickly.

I had sedation and was only kept in for about an hour afterwards. I was given photographs and had a discussion with the doctor after the procedure. Without sedation I found the whole experience very uncomfortable and embarrassing- much retching and gagging. At least with sedation you don’t have embarrassing memories!

Just had the throat spray, have a huge phobia of being sick, and it wasn't pleasant but definitely bearable. If had to have another one I'd do it the same way as was able to leave half an hour after I'd had it done, no recovery time needed.

I've had it done twice, once with sedation and once without.
I'd say she'll be in there all morning. Take it easy the day after too. I was really groggy the next day after sedation.
When I had it done without sedation it was horrible but I drove myself there and drove myself home! A couple of guys said it was the worst thing they had experienced! It was awful but manageable! I'd do it again without sedation.

I’ve had it done twice now, both with sedation. I take ages to wake up properly from sedation but even so I’ve only been there for a couple of hour each time. It’s not pleasant but it’s not too bad. I was told my results at the time but luckily so was my husband, as I didn’t remember.

I have had it twice both times without sedation. It is horrendous but still didnt want to have sedation because you have to stay in longer and feared being sick.

It gave me the sensation of suffocating. I felt I couldn't breathe although they have an oxygen monitor on so the medics know if you aren't getting enough air.

I think it matters if you get kind and sympathetic staff.

It is mind over matter. Calm and relaxed and think of happy things.

I've had two recently, with sedation. The throat spray tastes horrible, but I don't remember anything about the procedure. Literally nothing. It was fine. No memories of gagging or anything like that. I had to wait an hour after I came round before I was give anything to drink, and was allowed to leave after that.

The sedation makes you feel rough for 24 hours. You are not supposed to drive, cook, look after dependants, or do any on-line banking, and you are advised to be very careful about using social media as it can affect your judgement. I felt exhausted and slightly sick.

I've had the throat camera and the nose camera. Only the throat was sedated, it was totally fine. The nose one was tickly and weird but again not painful.

Good luck to your D

I'm type 1 and had one a couple of years back. My appointment was pushed back as consultant hadn't arrived. I had sedation and had the scope down about 2.30pm and was picked up at 5pm and went straight for a McDonald's haha. Results came back a few weeks later, they were testing for coeliac. I remember parts of it, gagging, them using suction to get up the green sick and a nurse holding my legs down. But honestly you soon forget about it. They bring you tea and biscuits soon afterwards.

No numbing throat spray due to allergies & I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

One of the nurses told me to raise my arms if I needed help - when they tried to insert the sedative, the nurse missed my vein & my arm felt like it was on fire - I raised it and she pushed it down, I tried to raise it again but obviously couldn’t and then I started to get gobby to try and tell them it wasn’t right but couldn’t because they’d already put the equipment in my mouth. Instead of stopping, 3 healthcare professionals started holding me down more by my shoulders, legs and arms.

Got the results on a piece of paper immediately which interestingly said there were no complications & my diagnosis.

Raised a grievance with PALS.

Hopefully lessons have been learned.!

Hi OP, I’m an endoscopy nurse, happy to answer any questions.
In our unit you would arrive, meet a (lovely!) nurse who will admit you. Routine questions.
YOu can wear your own clothes and keep your belongings with you.
I’d advise sedation if she is nervous.
Nurse will put cannula in her arm.
She will go to another area to wait for Dr. Dr will have a chat and get her to sign consent form. Feel free to ask any questions.
Brought to theatre room. Meet more lovely nurses.
We will go over all the routine questions again, check consent and her armband etc. She will have a b/p machine and finger probe on.
We will use a yukky throat spray which isn’t a local anaesthetic to back of throat. It does a good a job of numbing things up, but makes everything feel a bit thick and as if throat is ‘closing’. IT isn’t and you can still swallow and breathe as normal.
We willing help her to lie on her left side, right on hip and shoulder and giver her a mouth guard, so she doesn’t bite scope and to protect her teeth. We give the sedation just before we start.
She will feel the camera (with cold Ky jelly on it) slide over her tongue. When it hits the bacon if the throat she will gag a bit, totally normal. Don’t panic, she can still breathe anytime she likes, through her nose or mouth, any time she is panicky just take a breath.
They will ask her to do a swallow, then the camera will be down. Try to relax and breathe. Takes 5 mins to so. She won’t feel the biopsies.
Camera out, in to recovery. We keep people with sedation for half an hour. She will receive a page which tells her why’s she was there, what she had done, what they saw and what the plan is.
She can then go home and chill.
Most people say it was no where near as bad as they thought! Honest.
And the nurses are really nice!

Typos! Sorry, my phone is rubbish. Must dash to work now.

@Boscoforever I used to work in endoscopy as a HCA in the procedure rooms and decontamination room and I can say the nurses are REALLY nice and so were the Consultants. Great department

Thanks fizzypop, must be something in the water...

thanks everyone. That's really reassuring. She's hoping that i can come in with her, but i assume that because of covid, i'll have to wait outside or in the waiting room? She's 17 so almost an adult too. I'm a bit worried about how the sedation will affect her blood sugars, as she's a type 1 diabetic but I guess the nurses/doctors know what to do!

Stress will probably elevate her levels, I wore a cgm during mine and I let myself run high as due to not being about to eat I didn't want to risk hypo. Mine sat about 10 all the way through then I corrected after the procedure. Its over very quickly.

hi,
thanks. she's got a dexcom and i share her readings so can see where she's at! A bit higher is probably better, to avoid hypo, yes

Ahh she'll be fine having the dexcom with be so useful. Hope you can go in with her. But if not honestly she'll be very well looked after and the team will know what to do with the diabetes too. The only issue I had was the nurse saying I couldn't have biscuits afterwards and just tea, I soon corrected her, ate the biscuits and had insulin for them!

As everyone else has said, defiitely go for the sedation. As for her diabetes, they're already onto it and wil be keeping an eye on it throughout. I really can't remember how long mine took, but it wasn't very long

How did it go, OP?