Experience with an endoscopy?

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#1173327 12-Nov-2014 09:30

Was replying from mobile earlier so truncated response a bit - to add to my post: I had a colonoscopy about 5 years ago.

I recall the procedure, but then I got them to turn around the TV screen so I could see what they were up to, and I presume as I was training my attention on proceedings that is why I recall it. Overall the experience was no problem, the only difficulty on the day was the person who attempted to site a leur in my arm and insisted on flushing 10mls into my soft-tissues, rather than the vein, despite me telling them as soon as they had started flushing that they had missed.

From both points of views, as both doctor and patient, I would recommend sedation to those undergoing these procedures.

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Stu

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#1173332 12-Nov-2014 09:35

For a Colonoscopy I'd definitely want sedation!

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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afe66

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#1173348 12-Nov-2014 09:51

tardtasticx: I'm having an upper GI endoscopy to check for damage or something after years of acid reflux that was ignored lol. Teaches me right I suppose. They're also looking for signs of Coeliac Disease I believe. I haven't really been told much other than to not eat after midnight the day before.

So thats why I want to know what people on here have to share about their experience with one?

I'm a total wuss for this stuff and cried when I had my wisdom teeth out under GA (!!!) haha so being sedated is of no consolation when they offered it.

I know they'll answer a lot of questions on the day but the nurse will hardly tell me "Most patients hate it and it sucks" or "Its like a walk in the park!" :P

Thanks in advance!

If you cried when they were pulling out your teeth , it wasn't a GA (general anaesthetic) it was sedation.
With a GA you would be unconscious and being looked after by an anaesthetist.

Sedation is more common than GA.

Usually use midazolam which makes you sleepy but also amnesiac do you don't remember it. Also not usually affect breathing.

If going private might get propofolmi but get an anaesthetist ... Unlike Michael Jackson..

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tardtasticx

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#1173463 12-Nov-2014 11:37

Thanks so much for the replies everyone! Feeling less worried about it now haha.

I'm also having it at manukau super clinic, as someone above said they had one there years ago too.

afe66:
tardtasticx: I'm having an upper GI endoscopy to check for damage or something after years of acid reflux that was ignored lol. Teaches me right I suppose. They're also looking for signs of Coeliac Disease I believe. I haven't really been told much other than to not eat after midnight the day before.

So thats why I want to know what people on here have to share about their experience with one?

I'm a total wuss for this stuff and cried when I had my wisdom teeth out under GA (!!!) haha so being sedated is of no consolation when they offered it.

I know they'll answer a lot of questions on the day but the nurse will hardly tell me "Most patients hate it and it sucks" or "Its like a walk in the park!" :P

Thanks in advance!

If you cried when they were pulling out your teeth , it wasn't a GA (general anaesthetic) it was sedation.
With a GA you would be unconscious and being looked after by an anaesthetist.

Sedation is more common than GA.

Usually use midazolam which makes you sleepy but also amnesiac do you don't remember it. Also not usually affect breathing.

If going private might get propofolmi but get an anaesthetist ... Unlike Michael Jackson..

A.

I didn't word that properly I think. I deffo had ga as we paid through the nose for it privately ><
I was crying the minutes before being put under, and right as the magic stuff went in I could feel fuzzies all over and slowly losing consciousness and it was terrifying at the time but glad I did it then.

That's why sedation kind of worried me because I would be somewhat awake but not able to control much etc.

Those drugs everyone was saying I should ask for: do you remember asking for those in advance or do you think I could try my luck on the day?

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#1173473 12-Nov-2014 11:45

Over the years because of my disability I have been through many medical procedures a lot of them unpleasant. Best thing to do is relax, if you cant ask for something to relax you, trust me the whole thing goes better if you are relaxed.
Above don't let yourself get worked up before hand and don't let people tell you horror tales.

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#1173474 12-Nov-2014 11:47

gehenna: I'm having a gastroscopy soon for a rolling + sliding hiatus hernia. They told me they'll rufie me so I won't remember. Ominous.

Told me the same. Didn't work at all.

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#1173475 12-Nov-2014 11:47

I was given the option of sedation or just the throat spray on the day. Suspect you'll be given the same option on the day as well.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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#1173477 12-Nov-2014 11:50

kiwijunglist: Ask for some midazolam and a premed. You won't remember anything, it'll be as though it never happened :)

Total fallacy.

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#1173484 12-Nov-2014 11:57

Spyware:
kiwijunglist: Ask for some midazolam and a premed. You won't remember anything, it'll be as though it never happened :)

Total fallacy.

As I mentioned earlier, *some* people are amnesic about the procedure after having midazolam, but certainly not all. For most of the remainder though the memories are quite dissociative. It would be unusual for a doctor to suggest any certainty about lack of recall - we're too practised with our weasel-words to promise that.

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afe66

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#1173489 12-Nov-2014 12:02

tardtasticx: Thanks so much for the replies everyone! Feeling less worried about it now haha.

I'm also having it at manukau super clinic, as someone above said they had one there years ago too.

afe66:
tardtasticx: I'm having an upper GI endoscopy to check for damage or something after years of acid reflux that was ignored lol. Teaches me right I suppose. They're also looking for signs of Coeliac Disease I believe. I haven't really been told much other than to not eat after midnight the day before.

So thats why I want to know what people on here have to share about their experience with one?

I'm a total wuss for this stuff and cried when I had my wisdom teeth out under GA (!!!) haha so being sedated is of no consolation when they offered it.

I know they'll answer a lot of questions on the day but the nurse will hardly tell me "Most patients hate it and it sucks" or "Its like a walk in the park!" :P

Thanks in advance!

If you cried when they were pulling out your teeth , it wasn't a GA (general anaesthetic) it was sedation.
With a GA you would be unconscious and being looked after by an anaesthetist.

Sedation is more common than GA.

Usually use midazolam which makes you sleepy but also amnesiac do you don't remember it. Also not usually affect breathing.

If going private might get propofolmi but get an anaesthetist ... Unlike Michael Jackson..

A.

I didn't word that properly I think. I deffo had ga as we paid through the nose for it privately ><
I was crying the minutes before being put under, and right as the magic stuff went in I could feel fuzzies all over and slowly losing consciousness and it was terrifying at the time but glad I did it then.

That's why sedation kind of worried me because I would be somewhat awake but not able to control much etc.

Those drugs everyone was saying I should ask for: do you remember asking for those in advance or do you think I could try my luck on the day?

Your bill will tell you whether you had a General Anaesthetic or just sedation, in that there would be a separate fee/bill for the anaesthetist..

In terms of asking for one vrs the other, you should trust the people on the day. You want them to be doing what they "Usually do" as that's what they are most familiar with.

If you "must" have a general you need to ask well in advance so they can try to arrange for an anaesthetist to do you case which if you are the only person in the list who wants a GA might not happen or their will be a bigger fee.

A.

frankv

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#1173506 12-Nov-2014 12:31

afe66:
In terms of asking for one vrs the other, you should trust the people on the day. You want them to be doing what they "Usually do" as that's what they are most familiar with.

I agree totally. You shouldn't be relying on a bunch of anonymous Internet users for medical advice. And, unless you have some knowledge (e.g. you've been through it before and know you have some particular problem or other) you shouldn't be trying to out-guess the professionals who do it every day.

Doctors prefer not to use General Anaesthesia because there is a small but finite risk in using it. (The incidence of perioperative mortality that is directly attributable to anaesthesia ranges from 1 in 6,795 to 1 in 200,200 anaesthetics. Wikipedia). That risk needs to balanced against any perceived benefits... if there's no benefit, there's no point in taking the risk.

Disclaimer: My medical knowledge comes from Wikipedia.

farcus

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#1173549 12-Nov-2014 13:05

frankv:
afe66:
In terms of asking for one vrs the other, you should trust the people on the day. You want them to be doing what they "Usually do" as that's what they are most familiar with.

I agree totally. You shouldn't be relying on a bunch of anonymous Internet users for medical advice. . .

there's a difference between asking anon internet users for medical advice and asking them to share their experience of a procedure (which is what the op did).

LazyDr

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#1173551 12-Nov-2014 13:11

I have had this done twice, and it is my within my job description to sedate people for procedures at times also, so have some experience from both perspectives.

The two procedures I had ended up being slightly different experiences, one I have no recollection of after the local anaesthetic throat spray (which if you try really hard, you can convince yourself tastes like banana..). Apparently I didn't gag when the scope went down, but like I said I don't remember it. The second procedure I can recall very hazily, a bit of a discomfort behind the sternum as the scope passed, but nothing terrible, and wouldn't be concerned if I was coming forward for another.

The most likely cocktail you'll get if they offer sedation (and I'd be surprised if they didn't, but will depend on any other medical problems you might have that could make sedating you unsafe) would be Midazolam as many have already mentioned, and then maybe some Fentanyl also (pain relief).

The Midazolam will make most people forget what's happened, but not all, and will depend upon the dose as well as things like how you specifically react to the drug. I imagine I was given a higher dose for the first procedure, hence why I have no recall of that, but slight recall of the second.

Downsides to sedation are you need someone else to take you home and to be home with you afterwards to keep an eye on you, and contrary to what someone else said, Midazolam is not at all short acting, so you'll feel drowsy for roughly half a day.

Propofol sedation comes with its own unique set of risks, and can very quickly cross the line between sedation and general anaesthesia. Because of this it's not commonly used for things like endoscopy, and then should only be used if an anaesthetist is present. Again, MJ will attest to that

frankv

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#1173589 12-Nov-2014 14:08

farcus:
frankv:
afe66:
In terms of asking for one vrs the other, you should trust the people on the day. You want them to be doing what they "Usually do" as that's what they are most familiar with.

I agree totally. You shouldn't be relying on a bunch of anonymous Internet users for medical advice. . .

there's a difference between asking anon internet users for medical advice and asking them to share their experience of a procedure (which is what the op did).

Yes, but people have now jumped in with "Ask for [specific medication]" and whether GA is a good idea or not, which IMO is bordering on medical advice.

And, to be just a teensy bit pedantic, there's a difference between "asking anon internet users for medical advice" and what I actually said: "you shouldn't rely on on a bunch of anonymous Internet users for medical advice".

Disclaimer: My knowledge of English semantics comes from Wikipedia.

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#1173598 12-Nov-2014 14:26

frankv:
afe66:
In terms of asking for one vrs the other, you should trust the people on the day. You want them to be doing what they "Usually do" as that's what they are most familiar with.

I agree totally. You shouldn't be relying on a bunch of anonymous Internet users for medical advice. And, unless you have some knowledge (e.g. you've been through it before and know you have some particular problem or other) you shouldn't be trying to out-guess the professionals who do it every day.

Doctors prefer not to use General Anaesthesia because there is a small but finite risk in using it. (The incidence of perioperative mortality that is directly attributable to anaesthesia ranges from 1 in 6,795 to 1 in 200,200 anaesthetics. Wikipedia). That risk needs to balanced against any perceived benefits... if there's no benefit, there's no point in taking the risk.

Disclaimer: My medical knowledge comes from Wikipedia.

um no bcos GA requires an anaesthetist and takes up valuable time (both not readily available in the busy schedules of scopists)

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