Gastroscopy - what is it like?

[jammyredroo]

I've been referred for a gastroscopy and I am bricking it.
I'm massively anxious and will be a mess when I have to have it done.
I can't decide whether to have it without sedation or with. My mum had it done without sedation and she's not painted a pretty picture to me. A friend had sedation and said it was ok but felt lousy afterwards.
I think I will go for no sedation so I can leave as soon as it is done.

Does anyone have any advice or can tell me their experiences?

I couldn’t have sedation for medical reasons and I have to say it traumatised me. Take the sedation.

I didn't find it all that bad. The thing that makes it unpleasant is that your gag reflex just keeps getting set off. They spray a numbing spray on your throat, but your body can't help retching when there's something poking the back of the throat so I guess it's to prevent pain?

Afterwards I was able to just walk out of hospital and walk home, no sedative to recover from.

If you're really worried though, why not just go with the sedative?

I chose not to be sedated and for me personally it was awful. I won't go into detail but I've always said that if I ever have to have it done again I will be sedated.

Had it with sedation and I just kept on vomiting up clear fluid. And burping. The lovely nurses told me to 'stop burping' but funnily enough, that had no effect. They put a sort of a mat you'd put under a baby or puppy all around your mouth (I presume I wasn't the first exorcist child). Just relax and puke on them. They should fully sedate you but they refuse to.

I'll go against the grain here. I had gastroscopy and colonoscopy at the same appointment 😲 and I couldn't have any kind of sedation or pain relief.
The gastroscopy wasn't that bad, they sprayed numbing spray at the back of my throat and you gag but once it's past there it's truly not too awful.
Never again in my life would I repeat colonoscopy though unless my life depended on it. If the prep wasn't bad enough the procedure with no sedation or pain relief was barbaric

I’ve had a gastroscopy without sedation.
It was unpleasant at the time but I was fine immediately afterwards. A bit of a sore throat but nothing ice cream couldn’t fix.

I think mine was just about bearable because I went private and I had a wonderful (male and bear like!) nurse literally on the bed cuddling me and talking into my ear constantly. I think this was the only reason I didn’t have an anxiety attack.

If I have to have one again, it will likely be through the nhs (cancelled my medical insurance last lockdown ), I would opt for sedition.

Best of luck with your diagnosis.

Depends on your attitude to these sorts of things I think. I'd had my stomach pumped as a teen so knew roughly what to expect at my gastroscopy. It wasn't pleasant, but because I had that foreknowledge I wasn't particularly phased by the prospect. I chose oral rather than up the hooter because I'm autistic and I know the tube up my nose would have triggered an almighty meltdown. As it was, the constant triggering of the gag reflex is uncomfortable, but I'd steeled myself to just accept the inevitability of that, not let it perturb me, and just endure it for as long as was necessary. By far the worst part of it was the assistant cradling my head, stroking my brow, and 'shushing' me. That was never discussed beforehand and nor was I told that was what they planned to do, I found that completely unwelcome, I felt violated, and by the end it was all I could do not to give her a massive foul-mouthed outburst. That was by far and away more upsetting than the gastroscopy itself.

It is not pleasant, but I would have one without sedation again.
You really have to focus on breathing slowly and calmly through your nose. I found reminding myself I was not choking over and over helped! Its over in minutes if that then you get up and leave.

I have had two , the first without sedation , not nice at all , kept chocking & thought I would pee myself . Recently had another , was dreading it , the staff couldn’t have been nicer , I told them how scared I was so they recommended light sedation & to put the tube up my nose. I nearly ran for the hills there & then , but they convinced me I wouldn’t gag nearly as much , & do you know what I had it done without sedation , tiny bit of gagging , one bit of heave & then it was all over. Please don’t worry , go for the nose job not the deep throat is my recommendation 🍀

Oh, god, I love them! It's a bit scary, but the sedation is excellent for those few seconds before you conk out. I had one without in the olden days and it was not pleasant, but these days you can get a short twilight sedation which I wake up from with zero ill-effect, surprised it's all over.

I've had one with sedation and it was very pleasant! They sedated me and when i woke up it was done. Tomorrow i'm having another also with sedation and am very calm. Everyone i know who's had it without sedation's found it awful.

I've had a couple and waiting on another.
I didn't like them. I think I had one with sedation and one without but can't recall much difference.
Just remember it will be over soon.

TAKE THE SEDATION OP !!! Especially if you are already anxious. I am not an HCP but ime you have to be a very chilled character to withstand it without.

And you honestly shouldn't feel lousy afterwards. Maybe your friend had a more complex procedure?

I had this, and a colonoscopy in the same appointment. The sedation meant that I don’t remember a thing of the gastroscopy, and I woke at the end of my colonoscopy. I had no pain afterwards, and the sedation wore off quickly. Best wishes.

I had one done without sedation. If I had it done again I would have the sedation.

I had one done a few years ago, followed by a colonoscopy. Didn't have sedation and it was fine. It wasn't pleasant but it wasn't awful either. It was quick, painless and meant I could go home very soon after.
You just have to try and relax and concentrate on your breathing.
Good luck!

I've had one. I was sedated and do not remember a thing but they told me I tried to fight the nurse when she was doing it . I genuinely can't remember a thing though even though I was allegedly awake.

Go for sedation. I don’t remember a thing about it and felt fine afterwards.

I went just before Christmas for one. I fainted when they tried to put the line in for sedation (no idea why except not been able to eat/drink beforehand maybe?) so I had to have it without. It wasn’t pleasant and I kept burping too (but thankfully all staff were very understanding and kind) it was over relatively quickly and then I got to go home straight after. I was very anxious but if I had to have another one I wouldn’t have sedation

Thankyou all for your replies and after reading them its looking like sedation is what I should have. I'm likely to have an anxiety attack when I'm there just the thought of it makes me feel anxious so maybe I should opt for sedation.

I've just had mine with sedation and it was fine, don't remember anything. Am now feeling just a tad sleepy.

How long were you at the hospital? Just want to be in and out. Glad yours has gone well for you though.

I'd recommend the sedation, OP I've had several, and I've always found the most difficult part to be the need to swallow the scope at the start, although that doesn't last long. I was so nervous about that the last time I had one that I explained, and asked them to give me as much sedation as possible, as in the past the sedation hasn't really worked for me. People say they 'wake up' afterwards and can't remember what happened, but that's never been the case for me. The last time was less traumatic for me, and the staff were very kind. I hope all goes very well for you

I didn't get sedation but he put it up my nose rather than down my throat. Mildly gaggy as it passed my throat but was more comfortable than the experience I had in my head. Good luck.

It really is not too bad - I have had 3. The first 2 were with sedation and that was no problem at all. For the last one they offered me entonox - 7 big puffs and then they put the tube down. I was a bit swimmy-headed from the entonox and it all went down fine. The good thing was that I was able to drive home afterwards.