Unbearable throat after endoscopy
Posted , 2 users are following.
I just had an upper endoscopy (EGD) with some biopsies. When I woke up I felt fine, even after I got home about 2 hours after the procedure. However, I tried to drink a green juice my mother made me that contained (green apples, cucumbers, carrots, and parsley) and only managed to take a big gulp before I began to feel unbearable throat pain as soon as I swallowed. I'm not sure if it was because of the acidity in the green apples but I was wondering if this was normal and if so, what can I do to make it feel better?? I tried to eat oatmeal but couldn't even eat 1/4 of a cup cooked before feeling even more pain. Please help : / . I'm worried I irritated the biopsies or something worse. My ear is starting to hurt a bit as a result.
0 likes, 3 replies
lily65668 ncorona01
Posted
Don't worry about this. It's perfectly normal after upper endoscopy and will go on for a few days. Unfortunately, the doctors never warn their patients about this in advance. (I'm a former nurse btw.)
You won't have done yourself any harm with the acidic juice, but it's best to stay off it for a couple of days. You should be able to manage milk and creamy yoghourt. Scrambled eggs usually go down well too, but definitely without the toast. Don't attempt to eat any bread for a few days either - even the softest white kind. Bread is actually quite acid.
I know this is unpleasant and scary, and I do wish doctors would warn their patients about it in advance. However, you haven't been harmed by the procedure.
The only symptoms you need to worry about are vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds (which is partly digested blood) or passing foul-smelling black diarrhoea which looks like tar - and is in fact fully digested blood. In the absence of either of these symptoms - which are extremely rare following endoscopy - you're just going to have to wait it out till your throat settles. If you're not able to eat much, don't forget to drink plenty of water, preferably in small, frequent sips, to avoid getting dehydrated.
I hope you'll soon be feeling better.
ncorona01 lily65668
Posted
lily65668 ncorona01
Posted
Glad to hear it. And thanks for posting this. A lot of people come to these boards with the same fears as you after gastroscopy, and it's good for them to see reassuring posts.