endoscopy

I've had two, first one I was sedated for as they used it to also cut into my common bile duct to remove the gallstones blocking it that nearly killed me with pancreatitis.
Second one at QMC just had the throat spray and again a procedure using a fine needle to aspirate one of the resulting pseudocysts on my pancreas. I was fully awake during this and it was surprisingly less uncomfortable than I expected. You'll be fine.
 
I had one this morning at about 11 AM. They aren't very nice to be honest. I've had two now without sedation (including today) and one with. The with was certainly more pleasant, but today's without was only about 5 minutes long. They give you throat spray to numb your throat, so I did some powerful singing in the car on the way home.

You feel a bit like you're choking, but if you can manage to relax then it's really just a bit uncomfortable.

An hour later, I'd basically forgotten that I'd had it.
 
I've had the one down the throat and the one down the little Mad_Jay thanks to work based medicals that said they thought something was wrong when infact it was nothing at all.

The Endoscopy was okay, gagged a bit when it came out but I only had the throat spray. The flexible cystoscopy was rather unpleasent, more so the fact I was 30 years old and in a waiting room full of 80+ OAPs, definitely felt out of place.

They had already done an ultrasound scan of my bladder and kidneys and found nothing wrong, but decided to have a closer look 'just to be safe'. Yay for bored doctors doing work medicals.
 
I would take every single drug they suggest to help.

The best bit is the cup of tea and biscuits afterwards.

If they can't do it for any reason then you can have a transnasal endescopy but that is without sedation.

If you can't tolerate that either then they do a CT scan with contrast.

I'm sure you will be fine though.

Just take the drugs offered 100%.
 
robfosters said:
I’ve never had a camera up my old chap, but I’ve had a few catheters. They’re not fun when pulled out. Theres tabs on the end to keep it in place and they stretch your urethra big time
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You ain't seen anything until you've seen a bloke pull his own catheter out, it was a big one too - a size 20 IIRC. It was like a scene from Hostel.
 
Devilman said:
My advice after having one some years ago is...

If you have the option for sedation, take it.

The "throat numbing spray" whilst it works to prevent you feeling the endoscope against your throat, it does not take away from the feeling of "OMG I can't breathe, I'm choking" :(
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This.
Sedation makes it painless. Had two endoscopies in my time.

I didn't fancy myself as a champ of sword swallowing :D.
 
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I don't want my end oscopy-ing, thanks. I don't think I'd like that one because of the gag reflex. If they sedate you then it wouldn't matter.

I've had a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which is a basically the same as a colonoscopy but they don't go as far into your colon. That was fine but they put gas into your colon to expand it so they can see better and than was painful! (and had some obvious after effects!)
 
Rage85 said:
I'm having one next week, petrified to be honest, how should I take it? :D :(


I think it's GERD, hopefully nothing more serious.
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Insist on sedation, no ifs, no buts, insist!!! They will try and talk you out of it as it takes them longer to get you out of the door after but put your foot down and insist. I had to have one after surgery for a perforated ulcer. A friend warned me to be sedated, so I told them on the forms I wanted sedation, then when I arrived in reception I again said sedation. The nurse looked at me and said it really wasn't required and the guy who signed in before me looked at me like I was a big lass. Oh I'll have the last laugh here...

Anyway he went in right before me and I could hear him gagging for what seemed like 5 minutes, as he was coming out I was going in and he looked like he would be suffering PTSD for years to come. Again the doctor tried to say I didn't need it, I insisted and so I got the injection in the back of my hand, next thing I know I've coming to with a cup of tea and 3 biscuits on a tray for me. No gagging, no nothing. And the ulcer had completely healed. Double win!
 
I had one on Tuesday morning and it was bloody horrible. If I ever have to have one again I will do the sedative. I just felt like I was choking and struggling for air for the few mins of the procedure. I managed it and they put me in recovery as my sugar had dropped so they gave me a biscuit and what they said was tea. They didn’t find anything and I liked the nurse rubbing my back but the procedure wasn’t nice at all.
 
It's not a fun experience but its also not too bad. I had two without sedation and in hindsight i probably would've taken it. A little unpleasant but if you can control your breathing through your nose quite well then you'll be alright.

You'll come out with a new level of appreciation for your partner. ;)
 
explicit4u said:
It's not a fun experience but its also not too bad. I had two without sedation and in hindsight i probably would've taken it. A little unpleasant but if you can control your breathing through your nose quite well then you'll be alright.

You'll come out with a new level of appreciation for your partner. ;)
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You on about your boyfriend? :D
 
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