In thinking an upper endoscopy doesn't need a general anesthetic?!

[windandme]

I have bad GERD. I'm booked in for a upper endoscopy and they've said I have to have a general anaesthetic for it!

All of my family have had them and have always had conscious sedation. I've never had a general, I'm terrified, also, it's surely going to cost me a LOT more? (Not in UK.)

Should I call them back and clarify why they want to give me a general? It doesn't seem standard practice when I google it either.

Anyone have experience of them?

My Mum has me under twilight sedation and she said she utterly flipped out. I get so bloody traumatised I'm probably better just being fucked out!

I'm booked for May but his secretary had put me on the urgent list so she said it will be by January as I'll get a cancellation.

Knocked not fucked!

DH and mum had one recently. both were given the choice between some light sedation to make them a bit dozy and to make it more comfortable or doing it without. They opted for the latter and drove themselves to work straight after. They had a camera down the oesophagus and into the stomach and both had biopsies taken.

not sure if your procedure is different.

I had one with sedative and it was one of the grimmest things I've ever had done. Felt everything, completely aware of it, felt like I was being choked to death or drowning. Take the GA.

I had one to investigate my GERD - just a numbing spray on my throat. It was easy to swallow. The process was a bit weird but not painful or uncomfortable.

DH is hardcore and has had 3 without sedation including biopsies. He wants to drive afterwards as we live in the sticks.

I just had it with the throat spray it's not nice obviously but I would have it just with the spray again. Once you get your breathing right it helps and calms you down aswell

i had one earlier this year and had a local anesthetic so i was awake. it didn't hurt but i was gagging all the way through. they also gave me something to relax me so i (in a weird way) kind of got used to the gagging and talked myself into trying to relax and go with it (although i was scared). i was warned beforehand that i would gag my way through it when they put the camera down into my stomach. i was hugely relieved when it was over (didn't take long). best of luck op, it'll be over before you know it

I had an upper endoscopy under moderate sedation which is the drug propofol via IV and throat numbing spray. I couldn't do it while awake personally

I had it with just the throat spray. It was absolutely fine. If I had to have another I'd do exactly the same again.

I’ve had with the throat spray and with sedation. The sedation option was better for me. I was having a colonoscopy too and they woke me up for that so the sedation wasn’t too heavy.