It is Necessary to have the Sedative?

Posted , 7 users are following.

Am having this done soon and am very nervous. But I am also in a situation where I have nobody to go with me or be with me after. I would like to have the sedative but they say you must have someone with you for twelve hours - which is totally impossible. Is the sedative important? Is it ok to have the sedative and tell a little white lie and pretend I wil have someone with me so that they give me to me?

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • Posted

    I wouldn't and didn't have the sedative. I was on my own and just wanted it over and done with. I just opted for the throat spray - The procedure itself is no cakewalk and it causes you to gag and dribble; but it's short - only 3 or 4 minutes. From my experience I wouldn't want to be sedated if I did it again.
  • Posted

    Hello Carmel,

    I'd like to help but you don't say what you're going to have done.

    Best wishes, Daffs

  • Posted

    I'm interested to hear about the 12-hour rule. No one told me that when I had the sedative - just that I'd have to stay in the obs ward for two hours afterwards. And I never heard about it when I was working as a nurse either.

    In the event, I came out of the endoscopy suite completely wired anyway, and didn't close my eyes for the next 30 hours! Though I think that's known as a paradoxical reaction and was down to my age (70). Most people are a bit woozy for an hour or so afterwards.

    Were you perhaps given the 12-hour rule because of any other condition you have that might put you in danger afterwards? (E.g. history of heart or lung disease, stroke, some kind of medication etc.?) If not, I'd say go for it and tell a white lie.

    But please don't even think of driving yourself home afterwards. This is the occasion to splash out on a taxi. Good luck!

    • Posted

      Hi Lily, the 12 hour rule is written in the little booklet they send you before you go, it applies to everyone. I have no other conditions and take no medication. I would be going with the transport people who take me there and back. It is quite a long way so the taxi there and back would be a fortune! When I went to have mynose done a few years ago they told me that I had to have someone here etc when I came home and I lied because if you don't have anyone you don't have anyone and the operation was necessary. Mynose hurt when I came back, as to be expected, but I was fine otherwise.
    • Posted

      Carmel, if you're going with NHS transport I suspect there's a chance you'll wait 12 hours for the return trip anyway!

      No, seriously - if you don't have anything else wrong with you and you've got a lift home I can see no reason why you shouldn't have the sedation if you want it. I live alone too, and am often frustrated by medical assumptions that we can all pull someone out of the hat to stay with us overnight.

    • Posted

      Hi Lily, it is not nhs transport. It is the other service where you book it to take you and bring you back in a car. I have been through this all before a few times. Thanks for the advice on this I do appreciate it. I once knew a lady who was in hospital and when she came home they said someone had to come in to see her three times a day, she had no one. Awful.
  • Posted

    Whether it is necessary depends entirely upon the patient; the more worried a person the more tensed they become and then the whole procedure is difficult.

    What I have found is that the learning curve is just so much more instructive. While watching the screen and asking questions it adds to ones understanding of what is going on inside, and it is our inside. So curiosity ought to be the approach. You may be surprised at what you discover.

  • Posted

    Hello Carmel,

    I too have had both endoscopy and colonoscopy and I can't say either one was bad. Not nearly as bad as the dentist. I didn't have anyone with me for the endoscopy and not given a sedative. I was just glad to get out of there and get some coffee as I had to fast for the procedure. I'm 70 and alone. Also I have a bad tremor/shake.

    You could try your local Age UK as I think they may be able to help with befriending or put you in contact with someone who can help.

    Why do you have to have a visitor at home 3 times a day? Are you disabled? Best thing would be to speak to your GP. Maybe he can arrange for a District Nurse, although I'm not sure about 3 times a day.

    Best wishes, Daffs

    • Posted

      Hello, thanks for the comment. I dont have to have a visitor three times a day, I was trying to say I once knew a lady who was all alone and when she came home from hospital SHE had to have someone in three times a day to put drops in her eyes - and she had no one.

      Age Concern are only intersted if you are elderly, I am too young, and they charge to go out with someone. I dont want a stranger who is with me just because I am paying them.

      This really was about whether or not it is ok to have the sedative when coming home alone.

      The doctor cannot help. Please do not take this wrong but I don't need advice on the being alone bit, there is no way I can have ANYONE be there, I know for a fact that that is how it is, if it could hve been different I would have arranged it already. Twice in the past I have been in hospital and had to come home after to be alone, it is just how it is, not something I can change, or I would have already.

    • Posted

      Well, I do seem to have upset the applecart. My intention was to help.

      I am sorry I got your friend mixed up with you, I realize that. And don't know why I thought you were elderly.

      Never mind you'll cope, it's only an endoscopy.

    • Posted

      Please do not feel bad or fret daffs. No need to, I knew you were trynig to help. But I get this all of the time. People always try to advise me on the bits that are already totally investigated and they do not need rethinkiing.

      I can assure you I am a bright educated person who is very pro active so if it was as simple as ring this place or ask that person or change the date I would have thought of all of that myself. The lady I mentioned to you was not a friend, just a lady I used to know a long time ago. Hope you are having a good day today.

    • Posted

      OK no harm done, Take care and good luck, Daffs
  • Posted

    Hi i realise by the time you get this reply you would have had your colonoscopy and i hope it all went well for you. I must advise,from my experiece if any one reading this is about to have this procedure please call the hospital if you experience pain the next day,if they say it is just wind please ask for a scan asp.

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