Gastroscopy with only throat spray ‘sedation’ + anxiety pill

Please let us know if you manage to get sedation.

I'm convinced it is a money and time saving thing to persuade people not to opt for sedation.

Sorry for late response, just back from babysitting my three grandsons.
I truly wish I could be more like the ‘warriors’ who just soldier on, and get on with it. I do with most things in life, but I just don’t seem to be able to get past the panic stage when I feel I can’t swallow, I have no idea why. I use the breathing techniques I was taught in antenatal classes for so many things, but they are a dismal failure for this.
I am going to push for some form of sedation; I don’t think my doctors’ secretary realised just how anxious I am about this, so as many of you have suggested, I think I need to see my doctor and discuss this.
Elusivebutterfly - I have to say I haven’t heard of a trans nasal endoscopy. The Community Centre that offered me the appointment apparently completes four of these procedures per hour, which is why they don’t offer sedation.

Like you MissAdventure, I don’t like the sound of that either!
I agree with you NotSpaghetti, I thought there was a right to choose, and I would rather wait a while longer to have sedation.

Thank you so much to all of you for your responses, with details of your experiences.. I feel far more assertive now (and not so much of a wimp and will contact my GP as soon as possible. Wish me luck .

I have had several - more than I can count - and usually didn't have sedation and I was okay - BUT then a few years later I had one which was a lot more difficult and I had to have a light GA in the end at a specialist place a few weeks later.

I have strictures and narrowing and therefore it's maybe going to be more difficult, not sure.....

Also - Diverticulitis and I also had a colon abscess, they were going to remove part of the colon but avoided that with IV antibiotics in hospital for over a week.
Every single person is different. Every story different.

But I think the person to consult with probably is the specialist rather than mainly the GP.
Okay - the GP too if you have access and can get a letter from them - but I would want to speak to the specialist too. Not sure if you're under a Gastro consultant?

Oops!
Sorry, just read properly, as I should have done in the first place.

Marydoll

Sedation is not recommended for certain patients, e.g elderly people, pregnant patients, and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, chronic renal failure, or liver cirrhosis.

I was sedated prior to a procedure to inject cement into vertebraic fractures. I woke up hours later, to be told I had a reaction to the sedation and had to be intubated. I remembered nothing, apart from recalling someone with a terrible cough in the theatre. It turned out to be me.
The ward sister said I gave them a bit of a fright!
No more sedation for me.

I have cirrhosis, and it is the gastro doctor that keeps making me have blooming gastroscopies.

The drugs used in endopscopy sedation are opiates, such as meperidine or fentanyl, benzodiazepines, such as midazolam or diazepam or a hypnotic such as propofol. That’s why patients have to be monitored for longer in clinic after the procedure and have to have someone with them for 24 hours afterwards, in case of reaction.

Everybody has a gag reflex. It’s a necessary reaction to prevent swallowing foreign objects and prevent choking but it is literally mind over matter or how else would we be able to swallow food and large pills? A piece of bread going down the esophagus into the stomach is larger than an endoscope.

This is something I discussed with my dentist when I was struggling over oral xrays and having impressions taken. He advised deep breathing and flexing the toes upwards. The latter isn’t to do with reflexology or anything like that. It’s just a way of concentrating the attention on one end of the body while something else is going on at the other.

Having learned that technique from the dentist, I used it when having a sedation-free upper endoscopy and it was fine.

Sedation is not recommended for certain patients, e.g elderly people, pregnant patients, and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, chronic renal failure, or liver cirrhosis.

I was sedated prior to a procedure to inject cement into vertebraic fractures. I woke up hours later, to be told I had a reaction to the sedation and had to be intubated. I remembered nothing, apart from recalling someone with a terrible cough in the theatre. It turned out to be me.
The ward sister said I gave them a bit of a fright!
No more sedation for me.

I had one five weeks ago, I couldn't have throat spray as I am allergic to bananas! Had light sedation and was aware of the procedure but I managed it and I am a panicky person. Tell them you are very anxious and I'm sure they will offer you sedation . Good luck

I had one of these last year and refused any type of medication. I did not want a throat spray or sedation whatsoever, I just did deep breathing and I never felt a thing when the tube went down my throat. It is just like swallowing food and you never think about that when eating.

Elusivebutterfly

At my local hospital they do now offer a transnasal endoscopy which is apparently easier to tolerate than the traditional one. They do not offer sedation for this and the throat spray does not freeze your throat and make you feel like you cannot swallow, like the one they give before a traditional endoscopy. Yours may be the same.

I’ve had that too and it was fine. Didn’t have time to worry about it as just got letter in post to go for appointment, day/time etc.

Thought I was just going for a check up but the Consultant came to call me wearing theatre gear! We had a chat then he said “I will put a tiny camera up your nose and down your throat on this flexible pipe. I will just spray your throat first.” I nearly fainted and said “does it hurt” and he said nobody had told him it did. I asked the nurse if I could hold her hand and that was fine. Didn’t hurt at all and he told me there and then it all looked fine and there was nothing sinister going on so a good job done.

Oooh, I don't like the sound of that, either.

At my local hospital they do now offer a transnasal endoscopy which is apparently easier to tolerate than the traditional one. They do not offer sedation for this and the throat spray does not freeze your throat and make you feel like you cannot swallow, like the one they give before a traditional endoscopy. Yours may be the same.

Could it be a blood pressure issue?

Also I could drive home, another bonus.

I think we are all different. I had the throat spray and no sedation, It was fine,it went well,and I had no problems, they asked me to swallow, I did, and the proceedure was over very quickly.

I have had 2 endoscopies and have had sedation with both. Frankly, I would refuse this procedure without sedation. Like Primrose53 I remember nothing about it. Have you asked why sedation will not be an option for you? Sod being a nuisance, as you call it. I would insist on sedation or referral to another hospital. Don't take No for an answer and good luck.

Marydoll I wasn’t kept in for hours once I could sit up have a drink and sandwich and about an hours wait I was free but honestly I have stayed for hours if needed to get sedation
I take my hat off to you the thought of it really freaks me out

I had it without sedation and it was all over in a couple of minutes, and I was driving home 10 minutes later. The staff doing it were so kind and supportive it really wasn’t a problem.

My MIL has had umpteen procedures, with spray, sedation and sedative tablet.
She has settled on the sedative tablet as her favoured method.

Now that is a brave woman!

I had it twice without sedation and would do the same again if I had to. I did what I do at the dentist and used the kind of breathing technique they teach you in ante-natal classes. I was able to drive myself home after the procedure.

Do speak to your doctor. It’s not a very pleasant procedure (I’ve had lots of others…) and having had one, I can’t imagine it without sedation. Why should we suffer unnecessarily? I strongly believe sedation should be offered to all.
.

Can you ask tobe referred instead to somewhere where they will offer sedation?
I thought there was a right to choose.
It may mean a longer wait but I'd rather do that.

I had it without sedation ( sedation not an option for me). I was able to go home about an hour later, while those who had sedation were kept in for hours. It was uncomfortable, but not unpleasant.
It was the same with a very invasive angiogram, where I was told sedation was to be avoided if possible.

Having had many unpleasant procedures without sedation, I have developed the ability to zone out.

Good luck. HooteNanny.

I had it with sedation - no throat spray as far as I know. Very easy procedure when sedated. I woke up feeling like I'd had a nice sleep and didn't feel drowsy at all though you can't drive after sedation.

I suspect the reason they're trying to avoid sedation is the cost- the type of sedative used can occasionally cause a sudden drop in blood pressure so the person is hooked up to monitor for a while after. The longer stay in the recovery area with nurse(s) to keep an eye out, costs more than for patients who don't have sedation and can leave immediately.

If I need to have another gastroscopy, I'll definitely want sedation.

HooteNanny

MissAdventure I have nothing but admiration for you! I am hoping my options won’t be as limited.

I was literally quaking, and unsure if I might run far away.
Lots of other people were afraid, too, and said "I wanted sedation, really", so you really will need to be insistent, if that's anything to go by.