Anyone had a failed endoscopy?

[Tink3rbell30]

Posting for traffic. I worked myself up so much for this and they couldn't even do it. I had full sedation and they said I was moving, trying to lift my head up and waving my arm. I have no memory of this. If the drugs don't stop me doing this then how would I ever be able to do it? Of course the people before and after me managed it fine. I'm gutted.

The combination of midazolam and fentanyl is good for high anxiety.

I told them I have panic attacks, why didn't they give me both of them then.. ugh. I wonder if that would have stopped what happened.

So sorry you had such an awful experience 😔 I had one with sedation and made the mistake of asking them not to use too much sedation as I didn’t want to be too out of it afterwards. Wished I’d asked for more as I was very aware of everything. They were able to complete the procedure but I found it hugely traumatic.

I hope you’re able to find a way to have the procedure OP.

I had an endoscopy followed straight away by a colonoscopy. I was ok in the first one but not in the second. Had to go back and have the colonoscopy under general.

So sorry this happened. I have a very similar experience with endoscopies - even with max sedation I am trying to pull the tube out, moving around etc. Last time my consultant did it as he is more experienced and I ended up hitting him. I have no knowledge of this. They had to stop mine but they did see what they needed.

Don’t try just the throat spray if you couldn’t manage the sedation. It’s not over quickly. I had my first one without and I gagged the whole time plus was hysterical.

They can give you more sedation and a different combo. Otherwise it will have to be done under GA.

I was drowsy and high as a kite. Afterwards I started taking my clothes off in front of everyone in recovery.

😂

Plus if you do ever need a colonoscopy, don’t assume that’ll be the same experience. I find them a doddle. Sedation plus gas and air - I don’t feel a thing!

🤣

I had one in my local NHS hospital. Had sedation and it immediately knocked me out. Then remember just suddenly waking up and fighting the nurses and trying to take the tube out. Went from out of it to totally awake and fighting in a split second. Wheeled through to recovery and was wide awake while everyone else was dozing.
The second time I had been referred under a private pathway and had explained to the consultant about my earlier experience. They suggested less sedation, so I was aware of what was happening and could cooperate, but just took the edge off. It wasn't pleasant, but was over fairly quickly and they managed to get successful biopsies of my small intestine. So it is not always the case that you cannot do it by sedation again, just needs a different approach.

They can give you a GA, or something close to. As I take strong pain meds for a pancreas disease, I refused to have any without a GA as I was half away and not pleasant. I think it was called propofol. It is like a GA but doesn’t put you as fully under, but it’s not a conscious sedation like they normally give. I’ve had over 20 endoscopies and trust me, lots of people fight them without being aware.

Not necessarily as when you’re sedated you have no idea what’s going on, so are fighting them. Without a sedation, you’ll be more in control. As someone who has had more than 20, I personally would not opt for it without sedation / GA. My dad did though, but I would not.

It’s a ghastly experience but the sedation may have disinhibited you, and you maybe you wouldn’t have done all that if you’d had say an oral sedative like temazepam (like for dental work) where you are 100% awake but a little less panicked. So you could try again with oral sedative or even with none. If it helps the procedure is maybe 5-8 minutes.

Occasionally people need a lot of sedation.
sounds like a GA would be the next step although they could try again .

I was anxious and had throat sort and midazolam. I woke up remembering very little about it which is common.

It's unfair for you - I'd recommend really being assertive & requesting if you can have a more effective sedation & try another time? It's your divine right to have this procedure because your doctor wouldn't have referred you for this, if they didn't believe it was essential 🙏
I'm praying you will be given answers & solutions soon
Remember you deserve the best treatment & it's not your fault if they gave you too mild a sedative the 1st time 💚

Sorry this happened to you. I had the same with a colonoscopy. I was sedated so don’t remember but apparently I was trying to climb off the trolley so they had to stop. I had a scan instead which was fine.

There must be an alternative for you too.

I had a horrible colonoscopy experience in the past. They didn’t give me enough sedation and I was fully awake and screaming in agony. Today actually, I had another colonoscopy and it was lovely, no pain and was drowsy and watching on the screen what I was going through. It depends on the hospital and the staff. Some staff just see you as a number with no compassion and treat eat patient the same - yet other staff treat each patient with the individuality they deserve and with full compassion. I’ve been under about 10 different hospitals in the past for various surgeries and the difference in them all is insane.

im sorry this happened to you, i know the lead up is awful - both the anxieties and the time waiting. So for it to be failed is so stressful. I hope you can try again and it’ll go successfully and you can get to top health! X

Yes I just looked at my report and it said retry with combo sedation or GA. I don't see how adding extra sedation will stop me doing what I did today or if it's worth the risk trying.

I think I will request GA. I don't think I can risk the same thing happening again, feels so disappointing. Thought I'd have my answers today and before Christmas but nope 😢

Yes I had throat spray and the same sedative as you. Don't remember anything but obviously I ruined it for myself, absolutely gutted.

Thank you. Yes I'm going to mention the barium swallow test and having the endoscopy done under GA. Thought I'd get my answers today and before Christmas but now it'll go into another year. Just feeling really defeated after all that stress and panic for nothing.

That's horrible! Apparently the alternative is try again with a combo sedation (why didn't they do that in the first place) or under GA. And possibly barium swallow test. It'll just go into next year now.

Thank you, sorry to hear you had a bad experience first time. The build up is awful isn't it and for it to fail I went through all that anxiety for no reason. Thought I'd have my answers today and before Christmas but I won't now.

I had a failed one with sedation, I felt like I was choking and gagging so much they couldn't continue. I have a very small throat and the tube felt massive. They gave me as much sedation as possible but still couldn't proceed. I ended up getting a barium x-ray which didn't reveal anything so they said next time I'd need to get a general. I've also had colonoscopies and have to get them under a general now as apparently under sedation I'm screaming and hitting which is too traumatic for the staff

That's horrible. Are you on the list for one under GA?

anaesthetist pov...the idea of the sedation is to make the procedure more comfortable - most people still move at least a bit even if they don't remember it. Some people become paradoxiacally disinhibited with benzodiazepines but there's only one way to find out who that'll happen too. Sedation by non-anaesthetists is usually tightly protocolised because all of the usual drug options (inc. benzos and fentanyl) come with some pretty funky side effects and at higher doses can stop you breathing. Anaesthetists are more comfortable using propofol for sedation because we manage its respiratory and cardiovascular side effects day in day out. GA is the only way to get rid of any movement at all (but most endoscopists don't need the patient to be completely still...they just need to be not thrashing about). It's not a personal or moral failing to have had to bail out - sounds like it was worth a try but a GA would be a better option.