Not the greatest day

[GrandmaDylan]

I had to go for my 4th gastroscopy in less than a year today. My appointment was 1.15 and I didn't go in to theatre till after 4pm. I was starving and really thirsty by then. The staff as usual were all lovely but the sedation didn't seem to work properly. It was really sore and I was retching a lot which I can't remember doing with previous proceedures. I was given medazalam , but I don't know if this was a different drug than I was given previously. The nurse did say that they weren't allowed to fully sedate you now as there's no anaesthatist on duty. The surgeon found candida in my stomach! I've been given tablets but the leaflet says not to be used with liver disease. I'll call the pharmacy tomorrow to double check.

[Hidden]

Hi

I've pm you

Love and hugs Lynne

[Hidden]

Oh Debs - Nothing seems to go smoothly for you aaghh!

Hope the tablets help and that the pharmacist says they’re OK.

Good luck

Miles

[Coralsun]

Hi there. Sorry to hear of your unpleasant gastroscopy today. I've only ever had the 1 and the sedation didn't have an affect on me either. It makes it a far more difficult experience.

I find quite a lot of persribed meds often have a warning which is contradictory. My meds for Chrons can cause diarrhoea and my first one did make it worse. An awful lot of meds have a warning for taking it with liver disease. It often feels like trial and error. Your right to double check and I hope you're able to use what's been perscribe and that it helps. Best wishes.

Coralsun

[TonyHarrison]

Hi....Sorry to hear of your unpleasant experience. I can sympathise, since I`ve had mixed results with all the `scopes I`ve had, even though they`re always with Fentanyl and Midazolam.....One I was wake all through, and fell asleep immediately after! Retching is a common theme, though....

Luckily, for me, the consultant took pity on me and now I have them under general anaesthetic...much nicer.

The real question is....Why do they ALWAYS schedule them for the afternoon? I`m always starving by the time I have it.

As for the meds you`ve been prescribed, its often a case of balancing your need for the drug against the risk of liver damage. The pharmacist will be able to advise you on that.

Anyhoo...good luck, and I hope its better for you in the future

[Supportinghubby]

Oh no, you poor thing. Not a pleasant experience. Hope you get the candida sorted x

[CarpeDiem11]

It is usual to have midazolam, but like you on my last endoscopy, the sedation didn't fully work (they used less sedation than normal) and I have to go back to have banding done. They have promised to get sedation in quicker and use a combo of Fentanyl and the midazolam. Also, like you I was keep waiting past my time, which really doesn't help.

This was not with my usual endoscopist. My usual one is super efficient, so I can't help feeling I would have had a better outcome with someone who just got on with it!!! I was told I couldn't have more sedation as my bp had dropped too much, so it's interesting to hear what you have been told.

Sorry you had a rubbish time. You have my sympathy. Hope it goes well next time

[Ocala626]

OMG you poor thing! Re the candida you might want to google probiotics for candida. A lot comes up at least in the US and hopefully it does in the UK too. Probiotics are good for your entire digestive system and won't hurt your liver. (At least not to my knowledge) If you have candida there will be die off symptoms when it starts going away but you'll feel much better eventually.

[Jans1953]

Couple of endoscopies I had Debs. The 1st I was given 2mg of Midazolam which didn't work at all and I had to stop the doctor and ask for more (had another 2 mg) and then I was fine. For the 2nd one 6 weeks later, it was a different doctor. I explained what had happened before and asked if I could have the 4 mg before the procedure started. He was reluctant and we compromised with 3mg which worked well.

[CarpeDiem11 in reply to Jans1953]

I had 2mg, which didn't work for long enough. I am used to 3mg which always works. 3 seems to be the magic nunber

[GrandmaDylan]

I got 2mg of midazolam yesterday. I think I'll be having another gastroscopy soon. I'll definitely ask for more. I don't want to go through that again.

[Peter_Plymouth]

So uncomfortable - they have changed the rules as far as I can tell when performing these and other related procedures. By reducing the maximum amount of durgs that can be administered it means they need less skilled (senior - expensive) doctors as part of the team.

I’m on drugs related to midazolam and even the max under the new rules does nothing for me. I have raised this on several occasions but there seems to be little they are able to do. I have TACE next week where I have raised this well in advance of the procedure - however I hold our little hope that they will sedate me adequately and it will be a very uncomfortable procedure! However I have no choice since the alternative is a very short life!

[CarpeDiem11]

This is very interesting. However, whilst the senior doc did not carry out the procedure, he was actually there, so for me at least seniority wasn't an issue. Prior to this, I had all mine done by the lead Consultant at a separate hospital, but maybe that was because he had always been my Consultant.

It does seriously bother me that they might be trying to use lower amounts and putting patients through uncomfortable procedures unnecessarily. I'm going to ask about this as I hate endoscopies

[Brett11]

The drugs don’t work on me either. We are allowed 3 doses in Australia. The third dose usually works but it didn’t the last two times.

Now I get full on knocked out by an anethatist (? Spelling?)

Works a treat now but I have to meet them a week before the endoscopy to check on the amount of drug to give me.

Cheers,

Brett

[GrandmaDylan]

I am dissapointed that they are happy to let us be in pain so that they don't need to have an anaesthatist to save money. I appreciate that the nhs is struggling financially but a huge amount of money is wasted and the cost of one anaesthatist to cover several proceedures is surely money well spent.