Pain after endoscopy? Chest pain, discomfort swallowing
Posted , 100 users are following.
I had EGD yesterday with sedation. Felt pretty much fine yesterday, minus a little chest discomfort when breathing in deep. Today I've had no appetite and have discomfort swallowing, and a persistent discomfort in my chest. Waiting for call back from doctor. In meantime, reading about perforation and wondering if this sounds serious. I don't want to go to ER for a bunch more tests if this is normal. Does anyone have any experience with pain like this following endoscopy? Thanks very much.
1 like, 238 replies
jeff73367 penny44470
Posted
I'm so glad to have read I'm not the only one. I had my esophagus stretched today then had my designated driver take me to get egg McMuffin. I've had chest pain the rest of day with everything I eat or drink. I thought maybe it was heartburn but rolaids and other antacids didn't seem to help. Really sucks and hope my condition improves. These posts give me hope.
jessica79087 jeff73367
Posted
YES, you will be sore for a few days with everything! But you will definitely get better! BEST OF LUCK!
sonya82097 jeff73367
Posted
hope you feel better soon. mine lasted about 4-5 days. thought it would never go away.
maria01345 penny44470
Posted
I had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy , Had no problems .
anna-loves penny44470
Posted
i had an endoscopy 3 days ago- felt no pain after the procedure but the next day i drank some water and felt a bad pain at the bottom of my sternum, also when food passes by too. now its day 3, the pain isnt as sharp but its more of a dull ache all over my chest and my back hurts sooooo bad too, and is also throbbing all the time! im guessing the throbbing is maybe from the biopsies or just the esophagus which is bruised and irritated????!!! so scared it wont go away and that somethings been damaged.
lily65668 anna-loves
Posted
No need to worry about this, alex-loves. They won't have done any permanent damage. Up to half the people who have a gastroscopy suffer this pain. As a former nurse, I feel quite angry that doctors never warn patients about the possibility of this happening. Their reasoning is that if you warn people, then they'll immediately imagine they have the pain. I don't agree. I think it's much better to warn people that it could happen, then they won't get anxious if it does.
Anyway, that's just my opinion! You're going to have to be careful about what you eat and drink over the next few weeks. The best thing is to keep note of any foods that make the pain worse, then avoid them for the time being. This varies from person to person, but as a general rule bread of any kind will make the pain worse. Ditto potato, even mashed, though some people find they can tolerate this. Obviously any highly acidic foods like lemon juice or tomato soup aren't a good idea. Bananas make things better for some but worse for others, so you'll need to try this one out for yourself. Most people find they tolerate yoghourt very well - and no need to restrict yourself to the low-fat variety at a time like this, when you won't be able to eat much for a while. Same goes for soups - commercial or homemade - as long as they're not tomato-based, and the creamier the better. As a general rule, fizzy drinks of any kind are a bad idea at a time like this, as the fizz is supplied by carbon dioxide, which forms a mild acid when dissolved in liquids.
What it all comes down to is just listening to your body for the time being, and working out which foods you can and can't eat. You might also find it useful to take one of the over-the-counter liquid medications that contain something to coat the lining of your oesophagus and stomach. I don't know where you are in the world, but I believe Gaviscon is the most common UK product of this kind. I personally prefer Riopan, as it has a better taste, but I'm not sure whether it's available in English-speaking countries. Most medications of this type exist in sachet form that you just squeeze into your mouth, so you can easily carry a couple of doses around with you. Follow the instructions on the packet.
Above all, don't worry about this pain. It's perfectly normal and will eventually go away.
alli98633 anna-loves
Posted
HI alex. i got an update on my email saying you wrote on this thread. i had posted on the thread awhile back with the same issues. My pain eventually stopped after awhile and i felt normal again. i think its safe to say these endos do cause pain afterwards for just about everyone. i would give your dr a call and ask for something to numb your throat. my dr had mentioned she would write up a GI cocktail if i didnt improve. some drink that numbs your esophagus. I hope you start feeling well soon!
anna-loves alli98633
Posted
hi alli no worries. im glad your pain went away. its day 4 for me and i have like little sharp pains in my chest and back and my back is also sore and throbbing now- like where the stomach and esophagus meet it feels like.... i will ask my GI for something like that. he didnt seem concerned with my pain but i sure am!!!!! i hope it all settles soon.
norris716 anna-loves
Posted
Hi Alex,
I had posted the same thing after my endoscopy. The pain was really scary, especially as I'd had an endoscopy 10 years earlier and had no pain at all afterwards. So I was sure they had done something wrong this time. When I found this message board and all the other people who had pain afterwards, I wasn't as worried. I would say the pain went away in about 10-15 days. As lily said, you need to find what foods hurt less. For me it wasn't much, even water was a little irritating!
anna-loves norris716
Posted
so did you sort of have a sore back and throbbing too? thats whats really freaking me out
norris716 anna-loves
Posted
My back was a little sore, I figured that was just from laying on the gurney. I definitely had pain in the front where the stomach and esophagus meet. Your pain must be the same, but radiating to the back. Just from reading the various responses it seemed like many had all sorts of different pains. I am sure you are fine, but if it helps put your mind at ease, call the doc again tomorrow. I am sure you are fine.
lily65668 anna-loves
Posted
Because of the way the nerve supply to the abdominal region is arranged, pain in the stomach (I mean the actual organ) is often felt in the back. Just like gall bladder pain, for example, which is often felt in the shoulder.
marija27553 anna-loves
Posted
hey there, would you please be so kind to let me know if all your pains are gone?
william98014 penny44470
Posted
yesterday day i had an endoscopy my stomach chest throat arms hurt when i cough i hurt
why.
lily65668 william98014
Posted
William, can I ask whether you had the endoscopy under sedation (as opposed to general anaesthesia)? If so, have you retained any memories of it?
It's normal to get pain in your throat, chest, stomach or back after any endoscopy, regardless of whether or not you had sedation. However, there are other factors that can come into play if you had so-called "conscious sedation".