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?

[Itonlytakesone]

3rd day after gastroscopy now throat & chest better so must have been normal! No painkillers today feel much better & less worried just updated incase anyone ever reads this

[Itonlytakesone]

I had a gastoscopy last night without sedation. I found it very unpleasant and have the worst sore throat today especially left side I'm worried I did some damage when flinching as the tube went down. I'm dosed up on painkillers feeling very sorry for myself is this normal?

[NotMyFinestMoment]

Sorry I didn't read the full thread.

[NotMyFinestMoment]

I had this done a week ago without sedation. I would advise sedation rather than the throat spray as it is very unpleasant when they put the camera down your throat with awful gagging, etc. Your daughter won't be in there long as the procedure is probably no more than 10 mins and as soon as she is sitting up and swallowing, etc. they will ask you to collect her. The sedative is very light, so she will be very relaxed and sleepy, but it's not a full anaesthetic so I imagine her stay will be no more than 1-2 hours maximum.

[unebaguettepastropcuite]

Glad it went well. Now for the waiting...

[puffin321]

she's has it and it went well, better than she expected. They've diagnosed erosive gastritis and oesophagitis and sent biopsies off to check for coeliacs

[puffin321]

it's first thing in the morning, 8am, first one of the day cos she has type 1 diabetes they're doing hers first. Wish us luck and thanks for the reassuring replies!

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

I was fucking terrified. Hysterical in the waiting rooms, the nurses had to talk me down. I’d put it off for years and years even though I’d had terrible reflux. I used to see the word ‘endoscopy’ and feel sick.

I had it with sedation. I’d do it tomorrow. So many years of being scared and it was really nothing. I remember vaguely seeing my insides in a camera and that was it.

Honestly l was on the kind of high you get after childbirth after it. I was so proud and pleased with myself. It was just nothing, nothing at all.

[unebaguettepastropcuite]

How did it go, OP?

[unebaguettepastropcuite]

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

[jellybeanz1212]

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!

[puffin321]

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

[jellybeanz1212]

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.

[puffin321]

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!

[Boscoforever]

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

[fizzyp0p]

@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

[Boscoforever]

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

[Boscoforever]

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!

[Cloud21]

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.!

[jellybeanz1212]

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.

[PurpleFrames]

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

[Sequoiadendrongiganteum]

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.

[Serena1977]

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.

[TheProvincialLady]

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.

[Cuddling57]

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.