My Endoscopy - Good Experience!

My endoscopy good experience

I’m not sure it was possible to be more anxious than I was about going for a endoscopy (camera down throat). I had a very bad experience with a colonoscopy where sedation failed, and this was extra scary because it was going down the throat and I’m emetophobic!

I watched dozens of videos, read hundreds of accounts from patients, posted in groups (like this one!) asking for reassurance, googled how much sedation I could legally have… I even had nightmares about it 3 nights in a row! So this post is for the other “me’s” out there who are going through the same thing.

When I arrived at the hospital I was given paperwork to fill in whilst sat in reception. It was a consent form and general tickboxes for allergies and other medical conditions. it asks when you last ate and drank (must be minimum 6 hours ago for food, 3 hours for drink).

I was called through by a nurse who went through the paperwork with me, making sure I had filled everything in correctly. THIS IS WHERE THEY ASK IF YOU WANT SEDATION! You’re given the option of having local anaesthetic throat spray or sedation. I chose BOTH! I wanted everything they could throw at me and made sure they knew it 😂 They could see I was incredibly anxious (I was shaking and on the verge of tears) so when I said I wanted all the drugs, they were more than happy to oblige. I was given a wristband with my name on and had my blood pressure taken. Then a cannula was fitted into my arm so the doctor could administer sedation.

Another nurse took over and discussed the risks of the procedure (they have to do this by law but complications are very unlikely, plus you’re reassured that should anything go wrong they know EXACTLY what to do and you’re in the right place).

I was then sent to a female waiting room which was empty and probably the worst bit of it all because I was sat with my own thoughts for half an hour! When they finally came for me I was half grateful to not be alone, half even worse now that it was time!

I was taken into the procedure room and greeted by the team - 4 nurses and the doctor who would be operating the ‘scope. They could see I was shaking and upset and were SO nice, telling me everything would be fine (even though I didn’t believe them). After my colonoscopy experience where the doctor didn’t even speak to me before he set about torturing me, this kindness was indescribably appreciated.

I made sure at this point to tell the staff again that I had a previous failed sedation at 2mg and wanted as much as they could give me. It’s important I did this because they were different nurses to the ones who did the paperwork and they hadn’t been told about this (only that I wanted sedation). The doctor said he would start with 3mg midazolam and could give me more (up to 7.5mg is the legal limit- I checked!) if needed. I told him to just keep it coming 😂 He was so nice, telling me it was one of the safest procedures in medicine and that if I belched during it that was HIS fault, not mine, for using too much air. I explained that was the worst part of my colonoscopy because I had been filled with air until I felt like I was going to burst and it was the most acute pain I’ve ever experienced- even afterwards I was in excruciating pain for a whole day.

The doctor then explained the throat spray would make my throat numb and I wouldn’t be able to swallow, which was perfectly normal and not to panic because I could still breathe fine. The spray didn’t really taste of anything and he gave me about 8 pumps so I think he was making extra sure that I didn’t feel anything! I swallowed a few times to make sure it coated my whole throat and then I just couldn’t swallow anymore so I stopped trying in case it made me panic.

They had me lie on my left side on the bed and the screen was right in front of my face, so I knew I’d have my eyes shut tight cos I didn’t want to see anything! I was told to bite loosely on a plastic mouth guard and an oxygen pipe was put under my nostrils. The doctor then put the first 3mg of sedation in and I felt myself go a bit woozy, but I knew from last time it didn’t mean I was out of the woods (when I was given 2mg for the colonoscopy I felt the same for a few seconds and that was it, no sedative effects at all).

After a minute or so the doctor said he was going to give another 2mg and said “good night!” and waved at me, and all I could think was “yeah right” because I knew it wouldn’t actually put me to sleep…

I opened my eyes in recovery. Yep, I had instantly fallen asleep and didn’t know A THING had happened between him saying good night and being in recovery. I was in utter disbelief! So guys, if you don’t want to know anything - ASK FOR EXTRA/MAXIMUM SEDATION. I know everyone is different but it worked for me, and I thought I was immune or something after last time.

Another thing I had been scared of was being painfully bloated from the air afterwards - but there wasn’t even a little bit of discomfort in my chest/stomach and I wasn’t belching at all. The only thing I felt was a little sore throat when I swallowed (now able to swallow again!) but it was negligible and the only sign that I’d had anything done to me at all!

I had also been scared about how I would feel with stronger sedation and whether or not it would make me nauseous. Thankfully, I didn’t feel sick at all. I guess I would describe it as feeling high, even though I’ve never smoked weed 😅 but it was kind of a floaty “everything is good” feeling paired with the utter euphoria of knowing the procedure was OVER!

After about half an hour in recovery- where they monitor your blood pressure and take your temperature- you’re given your discharge papers and any findings are discussed with you there and then. Mine was all clear, which was frustrating in a way because I’d rather have had an explanation for the suffering I’ve had these past few months, but good in the way that it was nothing serious. I did want there to be a visible cause so that I could show my GP and family it wasn’t “just anxiety” as they had been trying to convince me of… alas the search for diagnosis continues!

Overall it was such a relief to have been unconscious during and now be able to stop constantly worrying about the procedure. I was starving afterwards so went for a celebratory carvery!

Just make sure they know you want loads of sedation at every step of the process- whoever you talk to, tell them! Especially when you’re actually on the table and in front of the doctor. Tell them you don’t want to begin until you’re adequately sedated. Hopefully you get a lovely doctor as I did - “I want to marry him!” I told my husband afterwards 😂

Oh - you won’t be allowed to leave unless you have someone with you, so make sure that’s possible before you ask for sedation.

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