Upper Gastroscopy/Endoscopy Without Sedation

I had an endoscopy today.  I was terrified!!  I was scared of the procedure and the feeling of being trapped in that situation and I was equally scared of having sedation and feeling out of control.  I arrived for my appointment in tears and even made an attempt to run - I really was in a state.  The nurse and the doctor calmed me down and talked me into having sedation.  I don't know if they gave me a larger dose because I was so anxious but I really don't remember a thing.  The nurse said the tube would be put in my mouth and it would feel like swallowing a boiled sweet whole!  Well, I really couldn't tell you beacuse I laid down on that bed on my side and he connected the sedative and the next thing I remember was waking up in a side room with a slightly sore throat.  I would go back tomorrow if I had to!!  If you go for the sedation and they get it right I can promise you it's nothing to worry about.  Don't read the horror stories - go to you appointment and be really, really honest about how anxious you are.  

i am scheduled for my endoscopy tomorrow...problem, today i woke up with a sore throat and some mild cold symptoms...I really dont want to postpone my appointment as it is causing me a lot of anxiety already waiting for it....anyone else had it done with mild cold symptoms? Or should I cancel and forget about it because postponing is not an option for me with my anxiety

A bit late to the discussion but thought I'd contribute my two pennies worth having been faced with a similar decision in the run up to a Gastroscopy, that I had earlier today.

Like, I'm sure lots of other people, I ended up on this page after searching the internet to try and  decide whether to have my Gastroscopy with or without sedation. 

Having been told by a dear friend about a year ago, who opted for no sedation when he had a Gastroscopy, that it was the most unpleasant thing he'd ever experienced, (and that assessment included the intensive Chemotherapy that he had to have subsequent to his Gastroscopy), it was a bit of a no brainer for me to go for the sedation. Even so I still wavered a bit, especially after reading some of the posts here that seemed to indicate that sedation didn't really help or made you feel awful for days after.

Anyway, I went for my Gastroscopy this morning, (to an NHS hospital in England), and although I was definite I was going for the sedation, and had my lift home all arranged, interestingly when I had my initial assessment with the nurse, although I wouldnt say she she tried to pressurise me into giving the sedation a miss, she did question whether I really needed it as I was, to quote her "so calm and relaxed", and she did definitely make me feel as though if I went without the sedation the whole procedure would be far more straightforward. 

As a result of her comments, I did almost reconsider my decision, however stuck to my guns in the end and had the sedation. I can honestly say that when I saw the state of my face after the procedure I am so incredibly thankful and relieved that I went for the sedation.

Basically without wanting to scare or frighten anyone reading this, whenever I retch badly, I always end up with tiny burst blood spots on my face, (it's to do with the pressure induced by the retching). The spots don't hurt, and after a few days they disappear.

Anywsy, coming back to this morning, when I was lying in recovery coming to from the sedation, the nurse came over to check on me and looked concerned and then told me that I was coming out in a rash all over my face. Knowing about the blood spots I sometimes get, I asked her to get a mirror for me to have a, and when she did I immediately realised that the 'rash' was actually my face being almost entirely covered in these spots, so much so that parts of my face and around my eyes were almost a purple colour. Not even when I came down with Nora virus and spent 14 hours straight stuck in the bathroom throwing up every 30 minutes had my face even been 1/4 as badly marked with the spots.

As a result of this, I realised that, although I really genuinely couldn't remember anything much about the procedure, (other than the nurse putting the mouth guard in, the sedation then making me drowsy and at some point me burping/coughing a bit), judging by the marks on my face, I must have retched really badly and probably been a nightmare for the nurses and Doctor to keep still, but thanks to the sedation, I was blissfully unaware of any of it.

As such, judging by my experience earlier today, if you're brave enough to go without sedation, you have my utmost admiration, but if you want to be blissfully unaware of anything at all, then stick with the sedation. 

I have compensated end stage liver disease, cirhossis, and I had endoscopy done to determine if there were any varices, I also went with no sedation as I had to travel using public transport.

Researching the procedure made me think that the camera/cable they feed down your throat is thinner, and I was surprised at the size of the cable, being more the size of a coaxial cable than the thin camera I was expecting.

I really struggled to breathe with this procedures, I cannot quite remember how long it went on, but at times I felt I was suffocating, I must say the nurse was very good and the encouragement and her talking to me helped a lot during the procedure.

I gagedf quite a bit when the procedure was done and I would recommend they give people a lot more tissues to being able to vomit/gag/puke into afterwards, but it was a relief to get it over with.

I have been told I have to have to have this done every 3 years, and there is no way in hell I am ever going to go through that procedure again willingly.

I had a gastroscopy 3 years ago with just the throat spray, It was very unpleasant but didn't hurt, just uncomfortable and I was glad once it was over in about 5 minutes, I get very anxious but was determined to not panic, so I concebtrated on just breathing deeply and hoped it would be over quickly!  I have got to have  another one in 2 day's time, and will have the throat spray again as I want to be in control of my breathing , and be able to go straight home. Last time I had no after effects.

I have just come back home from an endoscopy. You guys frightened me yesterday with this discussion, it all went very well. I did not have the sedation because there was no one to collect me. I went to the Whittington in N London and the 2 nurses and the doctor were lovely. I went straight in because I was not having sedation and they could get me over and done with. The nurse gave me loads of throat spray, really numbed my throat, wierd feeling. The mouth guard was fine. The doctor said I might feel as though I could not breath as the tube went close to my wind pipe but that did not happen. She asked me to swallow twice which was fine. I breathed through my mouth which I found easier. The nurse held my hand and stroked my hair. I had a little gag twice but that was nothing. Down in the duodenum it made me feel full. Then she did a biopsy, you can't feel that and it was over. I was so relieved I could have kissed them. Appt. at 2pm and I left the building 40 mins later after waiting for the report. Procedure 3-4 mins I think. It is not worth having the sedation. So I am really sorry for all you out there who have had a bad experience but the Whittington is great.

I had a upper endoscopy yesterday afternoon, I was scared, but chose not to have the sedation, as I'm a bit of a control freak,plus I have work and family so need to drive,which you can't after and for24 hours. So I opted for the throat spray. It was ok, the staff helped a lot, they were amazing and funny. The tube went down, yes I gagged a bit, it's to be expected, but I concentrated really hard on my breathing, and focused on something, silly but I imagined my tortoise walking around the garden, they took a couple of biopsys, she said it wouldn't hurt, just feel strange, she was right, then had another look around, and then said all done, I felt the tube come up, a bit of wretching and a few belches, and it was out, the nurse wiped my eyes and mouth after, as my eyes had run and there was a bit of saliva, the doctor said I had a hiatal hernia and gastritis, said I was a great lady and did marvellously (always nice to gets bit of a pat on the head lol)  , then  I sat up, went into the side room, by that time the throat spray had worn off. Waited for my paper work and went off home. 

So yes it isn't the most comfy procedure, but if you can do it without try, as the recovery is much faster. 

Hi, had an edoscopy

Hi had an endoscopy this afternoon, opted for throat spray, no sedation. Gagged a bit at first but once tube was down that stopped. Nurse spoke to me through whole thing which helped me relax. The whole thing lasted about 5minutes, was uncomfortable but not painful, was very relieved when it was over. Glad I didn't have sedation as allowed to leave shortly afterwards.

Hello all, I had an endoscopy about 8 years ago and I remember gagging then nothing I woke up in recovery. So you can imagine my horror when I went for one a few weeks back. They informed me they no longer use much in the way of sedation and that it would take the edge of that's all. Well in a trotter and immediately felt scared. They sprayed my throat and I felt immediate panic as you can no longer feel your throat and it feels like its closing and you're going to die its awful feeling. I lay down and they put the sedation in I felt mildly drowsy but I said to them I'm still not sedated enough. They said lay down and they put the big green thing in my mouth. Now I gag doing my teeth so as soon as they put the green guide in my mouth I was gagging like mad. They started with the camera and I was gagging like mad so I started to panic and I grabbed the camera and started to pull it out. I felt my throat hurting. People where telling me to let go of it and stop pulling it. I couldn’t I felt like I was being murdered. I just had to get it out. 

It came out and i was breathing so fast but said to my self you need this done you have to have it done so I said try again. They started again and as soon as i started to gag I again grabbed hold of it. Everyone was shouting to let go of it but I pulled and pulled till it came out. I then had a massive panic attack. I couldn’t control my breathing I was hyper ventilating they flipped me on to my back and a lady was right in my face telling me to breath like her but I couldn’t it was awful. I had oxygen but still couldn’t regulate my breathing. I started crying uncontrollably as well which didn’t help.

I was moved to recovery and left on my own I felt so alone and scared I kept crying but was ignored.

The back story to this experience. I was sent a letter from the department and noted it in my diary. A few days letter another one came, send in error I called up by no one answered the phone so I kept calling and calling but no one answered so I just turned up as it said on the letter. I had my sedation lines put in then to be told I shouldn’t be here and why did I come it was the second letter my appointment. I explained I had called several times but no one ever picked up to take my call. I was sat in the waiting area listening to them all call me names for not ringing up. It was so disrespectful I could hear everything they said which was fit her in at the end.

So as I was fitted in at the end I believe they didn’t sedate me properly as they wanted me in and out of the room and the recovery room quick so they could go home. I was terrified when I went in as I had heard them all talking about me before hand.

I am now awaiting the procedure un GA which I am not looking forward to at all as I don’t feel GA is needed tbh just more sedation. I have Oramorph which is prescribed to me for my back pain – could I dose up on this before the procedure and try sedation again? I had the first one years ago in a private hospital and remember spending hours in recovery to so I do think the NHS hospitals don’t have the staff or funds to allow you to be properly sedated and there for give you the bear minimum. 3mg is nothing I’m a big woman too.

The thought of having another endoscopy scares the life out of me