Endoscopy

[BlueSteak]

Was referred for an urgent one after just going in to talk to surgeon about my gallbladder - now I’ve googled my symptoms I’m panicking about it being cancer. Although I’m mid 30’s so odds are against it hopefully.

Do you get results the same day? I’m hoping to be sedated during it so I’m guessing I won’t take in anything they say while they are looking.

Symptoms are food often getting stuck in my chest (very painful) so I have to chew extra carefully and eat slowly, heartburn, chest pain, pain upper left abdomen & under left shoulder blade - immediately after eating, when lying down and randomly.

I also have lumps and tender spots under armpits for a couple of months which I’ve not told any dr about as I’ve only just realised it might be connected (nodes?), although I have very lumpy breast tissue so could be that.

Yes you get the results before you go home. Hope you're ok

If they take biopsies which they tend to (as they are there) then they take a while to come back.
Did they think your symptoms were gallbladder? That's right side isn't it?

Thank you.

It’s thrown me as it was so quick and the consultant didn’t say much about it, I got phone call the next day to arrange the scope.

I have gallstones and was supposed to get gallbladder out once baby was delivered in 2017, but symptoms (on right side) vanished so I didn’t pursue it. I was referred to them again end of last year as I was getting the right side pain also, which me & GP presumed was gallbladder. GP told me to mention the left pain while I was there (had blood taken to rule out pancreas/infection etc), then consultant asked about heartburn etc & said he thought issues were from oesophagus as that can cause the left pain, especially with the difficult getting food down sometimes.

That was the general surgeon, I also coincidently have a gastro consultation in a couple of days due to pain on the left much lower down, I was referred to gynae for that but she thought it was bowel related so referred me on. I do have endometriosis- so presumed the pain lower was from that.

I actually feel like a walking disaster and so guilty having all these NHS appointments. I even had a breast clinic appointment last year for several lumps (tissue). I’m so worried I’m going to look like a hypochondriac.

What cancer is it you are worrying about?
Sounds like it's all just double checking- I imagine the consultant referring means it's faster than the GP doing it. It just happened to be the consultant.
Is the pain severe?

Symptoms are some of oesophagus cancer. I know it’s unlikely but in the back of my mind.

Pain can be severe, sore or just an ache. It thankfully generally just lasts a few minutes but sometimes I take morphine if it’s severe and lasting a while.

I don’t think the GP’s would refer me for one as they’ve know about the pain since October & only refered me for gallbladder.

Although they didn’t know about the food getting stuck in chest often as it didn’t occur to me to mention it as didn’t think was related.

I’m sure it’s nothing, just that niggle.

I had an endoscopy recently. The people doing it were lovely and yes, I got the results straight away. They also took photos of everywhere and I got to take a copy home! And then the biopsy results came to me week or so later.

Hope you’re ok Molly - not sure I’m up for keeping photos though

Haha! To be honest, the photos were very reassuring. It was all anxiety, making me feel that I couldn't swallow. As soon as I saw the photos and the dr said I was fine, all my symptoms disappeared. 🙈

Thanks good news!

I’ve just had to abandon my dinner as it was stuck in my chest for 15 minutes, eventually brought it up in little bits 😷, can hear air bubbles squeezing past it it’s awful.

Should have mentioned it to doctors sooner just didn’t want to sound like I was making things up as I went along.

Have you googled alachasia. Some of the symptoms match. Are you very stressed oseohegus spasms can make swallowing difficult too

there are a number of innocent explanations op, so don't assume the worst (easier said than done).

DH has an endoscopy for very similar issues (mainly good getting stuck & pain). in his case it was helicobacter pylori which cause stomach issues and the overproduction of acid had affected his osophagus. he was on a heave dose of gaviscon (or whatever it is called afterwards and in ABs to get rid of the helicobacter and that was it).

Something I’ve just searched that now thanks and some things are similar.

Rainbow I’ve never heard of that before. Again I have some of those symptoms so could well be that.

Thanks everyone I’m feeling more relieved now, all I typed in to google was food stuck in chest & that brought up cancer unexpectedly!

I've stopped googling symptoms. They're ALWAYS fatal online. 😆

Look up symptoms of achalasia, see if this fits