Endoscopy

[Teddy7878]

I'm booked in for a double procedure of an endoscopy and a flexi sig next month. Can any of you who have had it before put my mind at rest as I feel very nervous.
My understanding is you can't eat or drink 6 hours before?
And would you recommend I do them with sedation or not? If I was getting a colonoscopy I would definitely get sedated but I'm considering trying to do the endoscopy and flexi sig without so I can get in and out quickly

Bump

I’ve had them all without sedatetion.
I had the throat spray for the endescopy and it was totally fine. I gagged a bit but they give you a nurse to hold your hand and it’s actually a really quick procedure so it really is nothing to worry about.

Can't help you with the endoscopy but had a flex Sig a few months ago. I had to have bowel prep the day before which was unpleasant, and had the procedure without sedation. Not going to lie, it wasn't nice but not unbearable either. It's uncomfortable as they blow air in as they go to see things more clearly which gave me stomach pains but it only lasted about 10-15 minutes. Good luck

Do you mean gastroscopy (for the endoscopy)? I've had one done a few times with no sedation and honestly if I ever have to have one again I'm going to insist on sedation as I nearly punched the doctor in the face last time - panic reaction as I felt like I was choking, but I do have a very strong gag reflex, if you don't have a particularly strong gag reflex then it might be fine.

Are gastroscopy and endoscopy not the same thing just different names?
With the bowel prep how long did you have to fast for? And could you still have things like clear broth and jelly?

Endoscopy- throat spray (it’s not pleasant but you’ll be out of the place much quicker. It doesn’t hurt, it’s just everythingshovedinyourmouthinvasive. I think they offer sedation for THEIR benefit (you don’t fight it as much).

Flexi sig - no need for sedation, they go as far round as they can until you go ‘ooh, that’s a bit uncomfortable’ and then stop. Both are fine.

Colonoscopy - sedation every time. They offer this for YOUR benefit cos it can be painful.

Thanks. I'm not having the colonoscopy thank god. Hopefully I won't need one in the future.
Is the prep for the flexi sig usually an enema? I'm terrified of having to fast with a laxative drink for 24 hours as I have hypoglycaemia. The enema would be much less traumatic and I could cope with not eating for a few hours. Sorry for all the questions - still waiting on getting the information in the post with my appointment letter

I was given an enema about an hour before the sig procedure. Jelly in the bottom to make it an easier entry. But the whole thing was pretty quick.

I had it in the morning and couldn't eat after breakfast the previous day although clear liquids and broths were ok.

I wonder why some of you had to fast and some of you had an enema. I really hope I don't have to fast too long

Endoscopy is just the generic term for all kinds of "scopies" (imaging directly into organs) so gastroscopy, colonscopy, cystocopy etc. are all endoscopies but quite often people use endoscopy to mean gastroscopy.

Ah that makes sense. It's a gastroscopy and a flexi sig I'm having then

The official title for an upper endoscopy is OGD (oesophogastroduodenoscopy). You can now see why it's abbreviated! I'm a former endoscopy nurse. Best of luck.