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I'm too scared of endoscopy side effects, should I still do it ?

Posted , 18 users are following.

Lavender_Blue
Lavender_Blue

Hello,

I'm new to the forums but I've been reading a lot of discussions about this subject but I can't shake the feeling that something might go wrong during the procedure or after!

I'm a 21 years old female (I live in France) and I've never had this procedure done before but I've been feeling sick for at least 6 months (it all started back in beginning of July after I vomitted violently in the morning because I ate too fast and I was scared for an exam) and I immediately felt my throat was burning and I started having trouble breathing. I've done many tests for my lungs since that day and they all were normal.So I started to think that it might have something to do with the oesophagus and reflux. 

My symptoms are:

-sometimes pain on the right side of the upper chest (associated with a pain in my back but not always)

-difficulty filling my lungs with air as if I had asthma

- reflux (not always acid, sometimes it's just what I eat that makes its way back up)

- hiccups and burps everytime I eat or drink something

-chest tightening after eating and when I wake up in the morning

My doctor sayed it would be better for me if I did the endoscopy so I said I would do it and I also chose the local anesthatic over the general anesthesia because I want to be aware of what happens and also because I would like to be able to resume working right after.

I've done a lot of research and what scares me the most about the endoscopy isn't the procedure itself but rather the side effects that may potentially result from it. I'm sorry if this sounds stupid but I can't help being terrified that these will happen to me:

-allergic reaction to the local anesthetic product 

-heart issues (I'm not sure why this can happen!)

-breathing issues

-I'm also scared of choking with my saliva when my throat will be numbed

-coughing blood in the days after the procedure

-infections 

-throat ache and not being able to swallow normally anymore

-irritation of my oesophagus or even perforation in the worst case scenario

Does anyone know what might cause these potential side effects and who are the people who are the most at risk ? 

Is it common to see appeat some side effects even days or weeks after the procedure ? Does the anesthesia have an effect on the heart (heart rate for example) ? 

Thanks!

 

0 likes, 117 replies

117 Replies

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  • lee12629
    lee12629 Lavender_Blue

    Posted

    Personally if i had to have it,i would have to have sedation. I ended up not needing one as my gastro dr. Was quite sure I had IBS,my general practicioner had automatically scheduled me for endoscopy but i wanted to talk to a gastro doctor first,glad i did as now things have settled and no problems. As stated before i did have twilite sedation for colonoscopy and was awake enough to follow instructions with no discomfort and very little recollection of what happened during procedure. I definitely would see a gastroenterologists before having an endoscopy done. There is also another form of endoscopy,less invasive that is done through the nose right in the doctors office. Extremely safe.
    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 lee12629

      Posted

      Lee I am not sure where you are but where I live a GP can not schedule you for scopes. You have to see a GI before this procedure. I have seen my GI a few times he is very thorough and compassionate. He wanted to wait and do other tests before the scope, it was me that felt I wanted more answers that he told me last Oct he would do the scope. Since it was not an urgent case I had to wait 6 months which is on Tuesday.He told me I can be brave and do no sedation it's like a cat with hair balls or sedate it's quicker and more calming I will be alert and ready to go home and hour after the procedure. I have watched too many YouTube videos and saw many horror stories about both sedation and not sedated. The common thread that I saw was 99% of the videos made were from young people maybe in their late teens early 20"s and a lot of dramatic description..... I know I was very dramatic at that age 😊. Thx for your input I will do sedation. I have my spouse coming with me he is very supportive and I am not working so I don't have to rush back to work . Robin
    • chardier110507
      chardier110507 Roberta1111

      Posted

      Hey Robin

      I just got out of the endoscopy with anesthsia they put me too sleep but i recommend that its absolutely great you dont feel absolutely nothing is more the fear mentally then wat it really happens absolutely nothing and im a punk trust me its NOTHINGG IS MORE YOUR MIND MESSING WITH U THEN WAT IT REALLY IS you dont feel nothing

    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 chardier110507

      Posted

      Hi Chandlier

      Well I am so glad you went through with it , did they tell you anything?

      So I am a little confused... you stated that it is nothing and it's more your mind messing with you. Meaning the sedation or all the worry around the endoscopy?

      How long would you say you were at the hospital and woke up or was alert after the test?

      Was there any gagging feeling for you?

      So happy for you, I know you felt very anxious so I think I can do it now .

      I am just waiting to hear back from my GI I have a cold/ flu coming on not sure if I should do tmo or not?

      Would you say your back to your normal self!

      Thanks again for your update smile

      Robin

    • chardier110507
      chardier110507 Roberta1111

      Posted

      Hey robin

      I picked the sedation that they put me too sleep its the best you dont feel absolutely nothinh and your back too normal as soon as you wake up you dont stay all the dumb and slow you go back too normal quick and yea no gagging cause you dont feel nothing you asleep trust me i was super scared and its really not bad at all

    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 chardier110507

      Posted

      Your my hero chardier ,I know you were extremely anxious. I am probably in the same spot as you were on Sunday ... no sleeping smile

      Did the dr tell you anything that he saw , explanations to your symptoms.

      Robin

    • chardier110507
      chardier110507 Roberta1111

      Posted

      Heyy robin

      No he didnt i will find out on march 11th and dont be man is super simply are you doing it tommorrow ?

    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 chardier110507

      Posted

      Oh I see... my dr tells you after the procedure if he saw something and if he does biopsies he will contact me in10 days.

      I said you tell the patient after the procedure, he said I would be in recovery but alert to listen.

      Not sure what you are saying or asking sometimes spell correct does its own thing.

      Or I am too old for the abbreviation words lol

      Don't be man it's super simply?

      Yes my time is at 10:30 Pacific time, your in Florida you said 1:30 your time.

      I will talk to the nurses tmo to see which way to go?

      You sound so relaxed and would never guess you were stressed just days ago smile

      Good for you !

      Robin

    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 chardier110507

      Posted

      Hi Chardier

      Yes I had it..I was so stressed didn't sleep last night a few hours here and there.

      I went and was prepped in case I decided to do sedation.

      When I was in line for my turn I heard someone crying out get it out of my mouth. The man beside me didn't want it and pulled his IV out . Crazy people ... I was so stressed and wanted to jump off my bed and run out of the hospital. My GI came and got my bed rolled me back to the procedure room.

      We talked a few minutes on my anxiety, he said we can do what I want.

      I asked if I can have the lowest dose and if I needed he can up it.

      He sprayed my throat and I was a little relaxed but not sleepy. I watched what he did he took a few biopsies but said all looked good no issues,

      He asked me to swallow the tube 2x and I did. I did gag both times. But nothing that was unbearable. He was inside I felt the tube inside leaning against my insides. I felt some pinching and tugging but it didn't bother me.

      It was not a bother and I didn't know what he was doing he said ok give him a few minutes. I thought he was setting things up later learned what he meant give him a few was to take the biopsies.

      OK he said that's done I was watching sometimes and closed my eyes too.

      I felt him pulling the tube out and he said its all done. He took the tooth block out of my mouth, and went in the other room and brought pics of my scope to show me.

      I did have sedation but I didn't feel that bad was out in recovery and was told I could leave in 15 mins. I wanted to wait a half hour for the numbing to come out of my throat.

      All in all I told my GI I would do this again.

      Now I had 1 mg of miazopam they usually give 2.5 to start . And I had Fentanyl 50mg for pain. I was a little wobbly getting up and had lots of gas and a tender tummy.

      I went so overboard with worry like you said ,my dr said I was great and was a very good patient. I'm glad I wasn't sleepy I liked the feeling I had.

      You know all the posts that I have read on this forum and others sure make it to sound so bad with or without sedation.

      Only a few said it wasn't bad via drugs but they were sleeping like you.

      Anyway it's done .... so glad.

      Thanks for the updates and support smile

      Will wait 3 weeks to

    • chardier110507
      chardier110507 Roberta1111

      Posted

      Hi robin

      Well now you are my hero holy crap with just sedation on your throat no sleeping you got balls i will never do it like that ill prefer sleep jajaja and yea they did that too me too the biopsy i was scared cause of that biopsy thing but they told me thats normal they always do that

    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 chardier110507

      Posted

      Lol... I had sedation and a pain med in my IV, I just asked for the minimal dose. I said if they needed to give me more if I was tense to administer more in my IV.

      It was 1 mg of miazopam ( normally they give 2-3 mg) And fentalyn for pain.

      It relaxed me enough that I gagged but didn't care and I watched him closing my eyes once.

      It was like 5 mins in all. Yes biopsies are normal for all scopes I was told.

      Let's be each other's hero smile

    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 chardier110507

      Posted

      Hey chardier

      How are you feeling, I still feel off .A little light headed and nauseous still.

      I didn't have much sedation but I had the normal amount of pain med.

      the stuff I had is more potent then morphine I was told .

      Did they tell you what you were given?

      Hope your feeling better then me smile

      R

    • chardier110507
      chardier110507 Roberta1111

      Posted

      Hey robin

      Im actually feeling well something i get a little bit of anxiety but ive figured how too control it but i get pain like sinus pain its bad in my forehead . Also i get pain in my left arm but other then that i take my omeprazole and my stomach doesnt bother me till the next day well last night i felt like i had food stuck in my throat and ill try too burp and i couldnt soo yea thats reflux i hate it and in the mornings when i wake up too feed my baby i just feel with alot of

    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 chardier110507

      Posted

      Hi . I am feeling back to normal except no bowel movement since Tuesday morning.... normally I am regularsmile

      You know I am trying to think of my procedure and thought I was awake but it appears I closed my eyes when the dr was inserting the tube I was aware of it and the sound of me gagging but it didn't bother me I was relaxed!

      Now I feel I went to sleep and woke up when he was taking it out of me. I did see the tube coming out of me for sure but not in between ?

      In any case I did tell my GI that it was cool I would do it again lol

      Hope you are doing well , let me know your results.

      Robin

    • Lavender_Blue
      Lavender_Blue Roberta1111

      Posted

      I'm glad you finally did it!smile Some people who go with sedation say that they don't remember anything of what happened but I guess that's just for those who choose a heavier sedation.

      Seeing other patients before you who are freaking out must be horrible especially when you're already anxious for the procedure. When the nurses were taking me to the doctor for the procedure I remember thinking that I had made a mistake and that I wanted to cancel everything! It had been years since I had been in a hospital and I was so scared something was going to go wrong!

      I asked my doctor after the procedure If I could see the pictures but he said he didn't save any. 

      How did you feel for the rest of the day? Did you have a sore throat afterwards? 

    • chardier110507
      chardier110507 Roberta1111

      Posted

      Hey Tobin whats up.i just wanted too know how were u doing with your symptoms how is it going ?
    • Roberta1111
      Roberta1111 chardier110507

      Posted

      Hey Chardier

      I am still coughing my GI thinks I will stop soon but I've heard that before sad

      All my biopsies were clear nothing my insides were perfect the doc said smile

      What ever came about with your symptoms and how was you visit about your biopsies?

      How are you feeling yourself ?

      Robin

    • chardier110507
      chardier110507 Roberta1111

      Posted

      Hey robin

      Well same here everything came back fine just a lil of gastritis and a hiatal hernia which he said is absolutely noo worry but he gave me some antibiotic like protonix in the morning and pepcid at night and well its doing the job but ive been having alot of anxiety like pain in my left arm and numbness in my temples and stuff but i think thats nothing i try not too stress it

      😀😀

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