Endoscopy
 

I've been really sick lately and just found out today from my doctor that I'm going to need an endoscopy. It's scheduled for Wednesday. She described it as a quick procedure, but I'm just really freaked out and scared. Has anyone here ever had one? How did you feel afterward?

Hey sweetie! They'll do what's called conscious sedation during the procedure-that means they'll give you a bit of Versed ( so you don't really remember it) and Fentanyl ( for pain), but not enough to completely knock you out. They'll want you to be a bit awake for the proceure, but they'll make you comfortable. It's a pretty quick procedure, and we do them up here in the ICU on patients all the time ( not saying you'll need to be in an ICU; thats just where I work).

Let them know about your pain tolarance, and medication tolerance. I'm super sensitive to meds, and a small girl, so I wouldn't need that much. Some people need more pain meds and whatnot, so if you find that you normally need more than the prescribed amount, let them know that too. You want to be comfortable for this!

Your throat will be sore afterwards, and thats completely normal ( after all, they put the scope down your mouth). If you have any questions, please feel free to pm me.
I hope it goes well for you-when are you having it done?

Thanks for your replies. I'm having it on Wednesday, I don't know what time yet.

I've had a few, just had my last one a week ago today. Maybe it is a combination of me as a patient, and my ENT, but he has a hand held one and just does it in the examination room. I'm comlpletely awake and aware of what is going on, but I have found that closing my eyes makes it easier. He sprays a numbing agent on my face, and has some gel as well. It feels funky, and if you're irritated or inflamed it can be a bit more uncomfortable. Not being able to feel your nose and when it starts running was my biggest problem.

My nasal area was much more irritated than my throat, but I had an active sinus infection and no tonsills. I just took tylenol and a decongestant to feel better and went to the bar that night.

I had one in October. It was no big deal. My throat only hurt a little after and I was fine by the next day.

I hope you feel better babe!! :(

You will get a local , but you have to be awake so they can place the tube in the throat. You have to be able to swallow to get the tube down so they can do the upper GI!

Yes, Your throat will probably be sore when the local works off. It is something that is not normal there.

Hell, I have been hacking so much crap up with what ever I have, I cant breath, get head aches and blood vessals pump like I am dieing!

This really is a peice of cake!:)

Try 3 Butt Octomys in 5 Days, that is a real Trip!:D

Watched the last two on TV and they gave Me a Big Pix to Frame!:cool:

YOU CAN DO IT, No Sweat!:)

Bumping because it's tomorrow at 10:00am. Two of my sisters are picking me up at 9am to take me there. (Yay! I love having sisters!) It is now 1:00am and I'm so anxious that I can't sleep. No good. :(

good luck. you'll be fine. :)

What is the procedure for? What does it do?

I come back from a GC sabbatical to a topic right up my alley. I have Crohn's Disease, so I've been through about every poking and proding procedure involving the digestive tract. Pretty much everything has been covered, so you're definitely going in well-informed. Just be glad it's not a colonoscopy. Wanna talk about fun.... ha. Even better is the Small Bowel Follow-Through. If you end up having to have one of those, I can tell you everything you need to know. I don't know yet if that's something to be proud of... :p

Good luck!

They put a scope down your throat to look at your esophagus and stomach for ulcers/polyps/GERD/other abnormalities in that area.

I haven't had an endoscopy in spite of my Crohn's, so I don't know what the prep is, but the worst part of a colonoscopy is the prep .. a day of fluids and a gallon of laxatives. The worst part of the small bowel follow through is getting that barium down, especially when you're already sick.

They can also do procedures, such as biopsies, placing stents, etc. There's been a lot of research in the area lately, and they're finding more therapies that keep people out of surgery. It seems like part of the same minimally invasive trend that's happening in other parts of medicine (heart, orthopedics, etc.)