Hello! I'm new here and have found so much wonderful support by reading already.
I have GAD and OCD, a lot of health-related anxiety to the point every day there is something different I've convinced myself that I have (usually cancer or horrible diseases). I recently was diagnosed with an h. pylori bacterial infection in my stomach. I did antibiotic treatment but I messed up the dosing a bit and I'm still in pain two weeks after and waiting for a retest in a couple weeks.
They said they will be scheduling me an endoscopy procedure to get a closer look at what's causing my pain. I.am.TERRIFIED. Nearly paralyzed with fear and losing out on work and my family. Like up all night googling, obsessing about this supposedly quick and painless procedure for days on end. I've had 2 c-sections so you'd think this should be a walk in the park for me but I am most afraid of the conscious sedation. I am afraid I will feel enough with it to not like feeling out of control and be completely panicking on the inside. I hate feeling out of control or drugged. I'd almost much prefer general anesthesia although I understand it has way more risk. Has anyone with anxiety had experience with either an endoscopy or conscious sedation during a procedure?? Most people say it has an amnesia affect so they don't remember but then my brain says could I have complete horrible panic/unrest during the procedure like torture and then come to and just have forgotten about it? Thanks for any and all support.
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linzetta
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Wow - you’re words very quickly put me at ease and offering to follow me through was so sweet. I know deep down the anticipation will surely be the hardest part and I’m overthinking/googling it before it’s even scheduled but thank you so very much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response. Do you know if you were awake and responsive during it and just don’t remember or were you basically asleep?
Hi there! I too struggle with severe GAD and health anxiety. I had one about a year ago and it was very easy. It was probably about a 5 minute procedure and I didn’t feel a thing. The medication makes you feel very relaxed and makes you fall asleep. I usually get a major anxiety attack before going under sedation to the point where I feel like I am fighting the urge to fall asleep, however with this it wasn’t the case. Really easy! Take care.
Thank you for mentioning how you usually feel like you fight the sedative, that’s something I really worry about. Do you think there’s a chance you did fight it or anything but then the drugs make you forget? I know that’s so silly to even ask but anxiety is never rational. Thank you so much for the supportive response!! It helps more than you know.
No worries! I always worry about fighting the sedative because it feels like you’re completely out of control. However I didnt fight it at all. I was definitely asleep throughout the entire thing! You’ll do great
I had an endoscopy a year ago, and like you I was completely terrified. On the day I was in and out of the loo with a very nervous tummy, my husband told me later that everyone who was waiting were in the loo's a lot too, so I wasn't the only one.
I told the nursing staff that I was really nervous, I would advise you to do that too. They were lovely, and when I was called, I was only going to go for the throat spray, but I couldn't make my mind up, as again like you I don't like sedation or being out of control. They sprayed my throat, which really only felt a bit odd, sort of tingly, but they decided I'd be better with sedation, I agreed.
I saw then doctor administering the stuff and then the next thing I knew I was in recovery and the nurse asked if I would like a cup of tea..... Best cup of tea I've ever had 😊. I don't actually remember anything.
So what I'm saying to you is, don't panic, a lot of us have been there, and you will be ok! ❤️ xx
I too had one done. I too was terrified but not so much about the procedure as about the result. I had been put on an urgent cancer pathway because I suddenly had difficulty swallowing when I had never had this symptom before. It turned out to be caused by anxiety due to family issues but this had lead also to severe weight loss, appetite loss and constant nausea which appeared to indicate the possibility of quite serious disease.
In your case you do not need to worry about the result as they will just be looking for evidence of H pylori. In my case I opted to have only the throat spray and no sedation because I wanted to get the result as soon as possible and I was told that I could be told what could be seen while the procedure was being done. Biopsy results however I needed to wait weeks for.
I will say it was the best handled procedure I have ever been through with the exception of having to wait along time for the biopsy results.
The nurses were all so kind, caring, reassuring and brilliant at telling me what to expect and supporting me in the choice of whether or not I had sedation. I was absolutely fine without sedation, and think it was the right choice for me as I do not tend to be nervous about procedures, only results. Without sedation although very quick and painless I found it extremely unpleasant, but perfectly bearable as it was over in minutes. The throat spray before hand was fine if a tiny bit unpleasant. If you opt not to have sedation it is possible they will not be able to complete the procedure if you find it too unpleasant I was told
I was fully reassured at the time as the doctor was so thoughtful in that as soon as the camera was inside me he said "looking good" and I knew he could not see any obvious cancer anywhere in my osopheagus, stomach or duodenam. He had told me before hand because of my difficult to swallow symptom he would take biopsies whether he saw angry or not so that too was very thoughtful. I was very relieved after it but then the anxiety camera k with full force waiting for biopsy. When they came back clear GAD and depression had already set in so the relief of that did not prevent me becoming more and more ill with my conditions.
I was also able to drive myself home straight home afterwards because I had had no sedation.
Good luck with whatever method of pain relief you choose.
I am now fully recovered from GAD and depression by the way.
People opting for no sedation which would sound like a no brainer for me because I’m so anxious about the drugs but I’ve read many accounts about how people panic feeling like they can’t breath with just the spray so I feel damned either way. Plus I have an incredibly sensitive gag reflex. When you say it was unpleasant what part of it made you feel that way?
Firstly the throat spray is unpleasant, it is a very nasty taste and when your throat goes numb it feels like you can no longer swallow which they warned me about and I felt fine about.
I was told that I would be very likely to gag as they put the camera in and that I could keep on gagging throughout but that would be fine and they would still be able to do the procedure. Putting it in went very smoothly and it went in quickly and easily. It did make me gag several times throughout the procedure. The whole time from when they started to put it in until they removed it I experienced it as very unpleasant.
I did not panic or feel that I could not breath but I felt like I could not have put up with it
any longer if it had gone on for more than about a minute and I think it did only take about that long. I think it is worse when they put it in and take it out. The bit in the middle where they were looking around and taking biopsies did not hurt at all and I think was slightly less unpleasant. I think I expected it to feel like a soft flexible tube and perhaps it was but it felt like a rigid tube and the sensation of it was to me very unpleasant and a bit frightening. Some people do not find it too unpleasant however.
If I had to have it again I would opt for sedation if I was not on tenter hooks for the result and thus feel the need to be awake a reassured very quickly that I was OK.
I think if you think you are someone likely to panic if you have an unpleasant procedure I would think you would be better off to go for the sedation. However I do understand your worries about that.
I have recently found I have a tumor on my adrenal gland that excretes too much adrenaline when I'm stimulated in any way, hence my anxiety.
I tell all drs, even dentists, not to use epinephrine in the anesthesia. They do this to prolong the effect so they don't have to re-administer it.
I don't think you are saying that the anesthesia is causing anxiety (which it does in my case) but that the thought of it scares you. I have had 2 Cesareans too and believe me the endoscopy is a breeze! You won't even know it happened.
Hi there, I will say the endoscopy is not a pleasant experience, but it only last for 5 minutes. I could actually see the video of the camera! I have had 2 in the last 5 years (last one being Feb this year). I was sedated for the second one which did not really affect me because i was quite anxious. The spray helps you take the initial swallow with ease, after that it’s plane sailing. There is a small amount of retching but that’s because of the air and saliva mixing!
For me, there was no difference between sedation and no sedation (due to the stress of having the procedure the second time round). I had a sore throat for a few days after, but it cleared with paracetamol and cough medicine/lockets.
I also had a colonoscopy in March - sedated again, but the prep for that was worse than the procedure.
Conscious sedation with the term conscious making you think your alert and awake...I worked in the operating room for years and we did procedures on patients that had addominoplaty's, rhinoplasty, liposuction, face lifts, breast aug/reduction, blephroplasty, Brazilian but lifts, mid face fat fills etc and I they went to sleep and and woke up not feeling a thing during surgery and not aware of it. Think of it as milk of amnesia. But you are put to sleep and with conscious sedation you are breathing on your own and your are not aware. Our anesthesiologist would make sure that the patient was out good before starting the procedure. So if you have a good nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist you will not be aware. You should be meeting with hem to discuss the anesthesia and you can bring up your concerns and fear with this. Best of luck to you
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