Sedation for gastroscopy

Tell them to knock you out cold, this time.

They seem unwilling to use general anaesthetic on me :S so its this or nothing at least I won't need an IV, I'll take an oral dose and I'll be all calm walking in and waiting which will different to last time. The trauma of having an IV placed is not something I want to experience again soon, the bruisng now, a month later has just gone.

Inspired by stories here I have asked to go and look at the equipment beforehand so its not as scary this time and hte specialist says even if she isn't working that day, she'll come in and hold my hand...I'd like to sy I didn't get teary when I heard I needed the procedure doing again, but I'll be prepared this time!

Costs too much money and takes too long to anaethetise people. But I asked for enough sedation to knock me out and it did. What I was given is listed in one of my posts above. Show them the figure if you do a tour and see what they say.

Hi Sparkly, Why so shocked that the helicobacter breath test was negative? Did you want to have helicobacter? Presumably, the earlier antibiotics had done their work.

In any case, it's no big deal either way. 50% of the human race has helicobacter and it only causes problems in a small minority of those. Also, acid reflux isn't one of the problems it causes when it does go wrong. More to the point, do you still have symptoms or are you able to reduce them with simple management?

I can't stress enough that you must be completely open with the doctors if you're planning to take valium in advance of having either sedation or a GA. They have to know exactly what you've taken in the previous 24 hours in order to calculate a safe dose of sedation or anaesthesia. Failure to be honest about this could put you in very real danger.

they gave me 5mg midazolam whic his the max dose...I guess theyd need to combine with an opiod for stronger acton but the same thing might happen again.

haha well, I wasn't convinced the antibiotics worked - my tests at the time were not done under ideal circumstances as I only stopped omeprazolef ro two days prior and it is suppoed to be two weeks. I was hoping that would be the explanation ad we could put this tube business behind us.

My symptoms are generally tolerable at the moment, Ive laregly accepted that for at least half of every day I feel nasueous, but I was woken up with heartburn and feeling like i was going to be sick last night which was less good.

Thanks for your concern Lily, I will not have further sedation it will be just the valium...I certainly wouldn't be doing that if i was having other drugs later on !

 

Did they give you fentanyl as well, like they did with me? If not, ask about it, before the daay.

Nope, that wasn't on my record, just midazolam and lidocaine.

I doubt that level of diazepam will have any effect on you.

Hi Sparkly,

I totally agree with RHGB that that dose of diazepam will have little or no effect on you, particularly as you're used to taking it. However, your terror of needles does mean that the options for sedating you are severely limited.

They've got "specialist nurses" doing gastroscopies now? More NHS cost-cutting I suspect. That would never happen over here. Not that having a nurse carry out the procedure increases the risks or anything like that - probably the opposite - but I think there's no substitute for a doctor being there to see everything that's going on in the oesophagus and stomach in real time.

Good luck with the procedure. It may even be that a tiny dose of sedation will be better for you, as it will leave you more in control of your own reactions.

Haha, well actually I only take valium when I have severe panic which is now (amazingly) only about once a year, normally before flying or a big presentation,  and I find 1 mg or even 0.5 mg is sometimes sufficient to take the edge off  and calm me down (placebo effect  anyone)- very rarely I take another 1 mg if symptoms dont go away or return shortly...if I take 2 mg in one go it makes me quite drowsy and sleepy and 5mg makes me fall completely asleep - which would be less helpful what with checking in, giving consent and everything! Doc said I could have 3 x 2 mg in total but not to take them all at once or I'll be asleep. I am amazed that I needed 5 mg Midazolam and that it wore off so quickly for me.

The specialist nurses were very nice and well trained, and I suspect are more compassionate towards freakout cases liek myself, but knowing I have a well-respected consultant taking chareg might help bolster my bravery.

Oh it will - even if its mostly placebo - the end result will be the same

We are all different I suppose. I've only ever used diazepam to detox from alcohol, so I've only ever taken it twice in my life. But the first two days, it was 15mg morning, noon and evening and 10mg just before bed.

And whilst it did its job, I didn't feel any side efffects or drowsiness.

Oh, I'm glad to hear that Sparkly. Hope all goes well.