Anyone been for an endoscapy?

[slugger]

I need to go for an endoscapy next week - still trying to figure out why i ended up in hospital a couple of months ago - and had a phone call asking wether i'd like a throat spray or a proper sedative.

Anyone got any experience of this. I'm not sure i'm very keen on having something rammed all the way down my throat, but i'm thinking myself lucky that it's not the other end!

 

[USER1999]

Not keen on sedatives, they mess you about for weeks.

On the other hand, I wuldn't want to see what's going on.

Do they offer a blind fold?

Mrs Mog is a Doctor, and she had a hernia done under local, as she didn't want the full knock out. If she isn't keen on it, I don't think I would be either.

 

[tincup]

Never been for one myself but seen it done many times in my line of work. Apparently all you will feel is a slight discomfort (not my words). Im guessing they will be using a gastroscope which is approximately 10mm diameter and 1 meter in length.
If I was to have one myself I would probably just go for the spray.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've had a camera from both ends and got another to look forward to before my op. Any more film crews and I'm charging admission! Neither are great and the secret of the one down the throat is to relax and try not to think about it which stimulates the body's gag reflex if you are oing for the spray.

By proper sedative I presume they are going to put you under. If so then I'm assuming it wont be too bad. I was under for an endoscopy from behind and so felt no pain apart from the general unwell feeling in recovery. The only downside to the rear method is they give you this stuff (partly made from nitro glycerine) to clear everything out and it really is dynamite. Drink, take a long book and do not leave the bathroom for several hours. Despite that still my preferred method and I've got one to look forward to before my upcoming op

 

[haplesshacker]

I had one 17 odd years ago. Good news was back then it was under general, not local. Cup of tea and some biscuits and a lift home afterwards.

I knew nothing of the procedure. That's how it should be.

 

[Timberbonce]

I had one about 10 years ago, they told me i had to be awake because the doctor needs you to swallow when promted.
I don;t think i was offered the throat spray so i would deffinitly recomend they sedative because you are still aware of the unpleasantness but only like you would remebering something the night before when you were hammered. your sort of semi concious. I cant imagine being wide awake and swallowing that thing.
To help you make your decision, you know that feeling when you swallow a bit of a bacon sandwich and you havn't chewed properly and rind is kind of in your mouth and down your throat????? if you don't like that feeling go with the sedative.

 

[Leftie]

but i'm thinking myself lucky that it's not the other end!

Apparently a right pain in the bum

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It is. The stuff you take is foul. Its a clear vanilla flavoured thick liquid mixed with a capsule of this medicine containing the nitro glycerine. You have to drink about 4-6 pints of the stuff. The problem is that the medicine only takes about 20 minutes to work and then you are permanently in the bathroom and still having to drink this stuff as it comes out. Think of the worst case of delly belly you have had and times it by 20.

Once it has done its work you are scared to even think about passing wind!!!. Fortunately once the procedure is done (you are asleep) everything returns to normal very quickly

 

[CrapHacker]

I've been in the same position as Homer ( bending over thinking of England ) and I'd say the oral one is fine in comparison.

I had a spray local anasthetic ( where should I put the missing 'e' ? ) and it was fine as soon as I remembered that I could also breath through my nose.

It's not painful, but it is strange. Just don't panic, and it is soon over.

My fears about going right under is that then the doctors have a limited time to achieve the result they're looking for, and they might well be more physically agressive. If you are awake and looking them in the eye, they will surely be as gentle as possible with you.

Not disimilar to when you have that first finger inspection from the botty doctor. The moment you hear the snap of the rubber gloves you WILL get tense. I then heard the words '...and relax...'

How, exactly ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Nothing worse than the miners lamp and the rubber gloves going on and the words "take a breath and relax" as a cold digit starts on its merry journey. I was in hospital as many of you know with pancreatitis (nearly killed me) and I had to have a tube down my throat into my stomach to clear everything out. It is basically a needle that you had to swallow and you were encouraged to drink to help it down. How you are suppose to drink, swallow the liquid and the tube without gagging is still a medical mystery. Definitely a whole lot more unpleasant than film crews invading my rear passage

 

[Ethan]

The sedative is not an anaesthetic - it will be something like diazepam (Valium), which will make y feel groggy and reduce any anxiety you have for the procedure. The local anaesthetic is a spray intended to stop you gagging when the tube goes down. Both should wear off quickly. You will not be allowed to drive until the sedative is completely worn off, nor eat or drink until the spray has worn off.

A general anaesthetic is rarely used for a routine scope.

There are a variety of types of procedure, and some of the examples above are likely to be different from what you are having. The simplest is to look for a gastric ulcer, and should involve nobody pointing any instruments up the other end. But even so, a routine sigmoidoscopy is not a huge deal apart from the stuff they give you the day before to clear you out, which is often dramatically effective. One of the common procedures for pancreatitis is called ERCP and is a bigger deal than a routine gastroscopy. It is intended to go through the stomach into the duodenum and look for stones sticking where they shouldn't be.