Tuesday

I don't really want a general tbh - speaking with the pre op lady she said speak to them about a deeper sedation instead. So when I go in tomorrow I'll mention it to see what they say. Dreading it tbh - funny thing not sure if anyone else had this. When I had my scope under sedation last time two weeks before I had to stop all PPI's. This time I asked at the pre op should I stop them they asked why?! I said because it gives false readings for the heli bacteria in input stomach. One nurse said no the last nurse who did the physical said she had complained to the doctors as the patients should stop all PPI's two weeks before to get a true test result.

So I stopped them and changed to my H2 ones (Zantac 150mg x2) and oh my it's been an awful two weeks. Heartburn like never before cant sleep properly feel bloated after eating a bit of food. Just awful so I can't wait till Wednesday so I can go back on my omeprazole!!!!

This is what I thought. I've had the scope both ways before in a hospital setting and I remember - put this on your mouth - little bit of gagging then nothing I was waking up being moved to recovery.

So I'm hoping that after talking to them I can have a bit stronger sedation instead of full GA. x

Am I missing something here? If you didn't have a problem last time just with sedation, why do they want to give you a GA this time?

I had one ten years ago in hospital an all day thing was ace don't remember a think. The last one - few months ago on the in and out basis at the hospital they give me sedation which did nothing. Then forced the camera on me which I pulled out.

After the last horrific one I can't do it now with out being completely out or heavily sedated

Hi Cath, Glad it went well and they found the cause of your problems, and the solution.

I think you're probably right to have backed out of it, Jackie. But only because of your age. They only give a half-dose of sedation to the over-65s because the sedatives can cause cardiac or respiratory depression. Some older people get away with it and remember nothing - and it's what you remember that counts, of course, not what you experience at the time.

However, some of us are less lucky. In my own case the half-dose of sedation had the effect of depressing my higher intellectual centres (that might have helped me cooperate) while leaving the primitive fight-or-flight centres in charge. It was a very unpleasant experience and I remember every detail.

I quite understand your fear of gastroscopy, in comparison with your courage facing other procedures. I've yet to have my cataract op, but I once had a root-canal job done without any anaesthesia - the local didn't work because I have arthritic calcifications in my teeth. While I'd rather not go through that again if at all possible, it doesn't compare to the gastroscopy!

In your case it sounds as if you made the right decision anyway. A lot of invasive tests are done in the interests of defensive medicine. I can sympathise with the doctors, what with patients demanding investigations and treatments, coupled with today's rising levels of legal action against them, but I wish they'd make real options clearer to patients.

Just in case there are any younger patients reading this, I'd stress that sedation always works for the under-65s. You'll come through the procedure without remembering a single thing about it. It's only us oldies - and not even all of us - who have a problem. If I ever really had to have a gastroscopy again, I think I'd probably opt for throat-spray only, in spite of my terror of the procedure. That way, at least I'd be in control of myself.

Thank you so much Lily for making me feel a little less guilty.Like you, I have always had dental work done without sedation or even anaesthetic, my eye operation was  one hour surgery for a detached retina with only the eye anaesthetic and no sedation,also the cataract again without sedation( a wonderful procedure which only took ten minutes) I am going to ask again for x rays if thought neccessary but I feel very clear that I will not have a gastroscopy.

best wishes

Hi Jackie. I am 65, almost 66 and have terrible GERD which causes me to have severe ectopic heart beats and sometimes these make me feel faint. I really need a gastroscopy done as I need to know what is going on inside my stomach. They booked me on for one, but with my doctors support and my writing a letter expalining my fears and so on, they agreed to do it under general. 

It i worth writing in and asking. I know a few people mwho have had it under general and it was all fine.