Endoscopy Gastroscopy Without Sedation

There is a difference between sedation and being put to sleep. There was a couple ppl in here who work in the medical field told me(and others) the needs they use to "sedate" you don't really put you to sleep. They use them to more less relax you alot. Use other meds like verses to make sure you don't remember a thing. I did it with sedation but there was no anesthesiologist in the room. Doc gave me fentynol. Next thing I knew it was over. No memory of it at all. Felt like a million bux.

Glad it went so well for you. My experience, previously reported on here, was very similar. Like you I can't bear the thought of being unconscious. Must know what's going on, compulsive listener to and reader of the news!

It won't be right for everyone but if you can persuade yourself to relax it then becomes quite interesting.

Hope your results are reassuring.

I too had a Gastroscopy with throat spray, last week.

I wasnt overly nervous when I went into the procedure room and felt confident I would cope.

I began to retch as soon as the scope entered my throat. This went on throughout the procedure and when finally complete there was vomit in my hair and on pillow. I found the experience worse than Cystoscopy  and Hysteroscopy, that I’ve undergone in the past. 

During recovery, the nurse overseeing my care commented that I’d had a particularly bad reaction and that everyone’s different, some cope but many don’t and it’s not a pleasant experience. 

Prior to the procedure I’d trawled through these forums looking for information on patient experiences, coming to the view that it would be manageable. How wrong could I be! I would’ve preferred an hour in recovery, after being sedated, rather than a rapid departure for home. I was traumatised!

Everyone has to make a decision on the best approach for them, but if I’d known beforehand how badly I’d react, I’d def have had sedation. I’m not trying to frighten, just be aware people.  Everyone’s experience is different. 

Maybe down to the operator?   Not that that is much we can do about that but we all have our strengths and weaknesses.

In our surgery there is a nurse that is always called for for patients whose veins are unwilling to give blood and when I had a nasal bleed cauterised the procedure was ok but the first doctor to remove the dressing was hasty and it hurt; second time with another doctor it was painless.