Endoscopy

[homemaker]

My first endoscopy is tommorow....any suggestions? Do you remember anything? Thanx

[Adalaide]

Have some Chloraseptic sore throat spray at home. I didn't have a scheduled endoscopy and it happened with a surgery but I know the sore throat was from that tube pokin around in there. Other than that I think every ill effect I suffered was from other stuff I had going on.

Out of curiosity seeing your other posts, you're already gluten free? That can lead to a false negative. I won't mince words on this. You may be having a completely useless medical test for absolutely no reason at all. No one should be having an endoscopy and biopsy for celiac while already gluten free and if your doctor recommended it, he is a moron. The results, if negative can't be trusted. On top of the medical risks of general anesthesia there is also the co-pays you may have to consider. On top of that, once you've had it done once your insurance may flat out say there is no way they'll pay for a second one and you'll be forever screwed out of what possibly should have been a positive biopsy. Food for thought.

[homemaker]

I am having an endoscopy for possible GERD and Esophageal Spasm...he knows I have gone gluten-free and also strongly suspects the dx of celiac even though I have gone gluten-free. (bloodwork was NEG) He said he was going to look for anything related to celiac when he is in there. My sisters also have celiac and continue to have positive biopsies for celiac even though they are rigid about their gluten-free diet....but no....this endoscopy was not scheduled for the purpose of diagnosing celiac disease.....but he is happy he gets a reason to take a peak around to check to see if the villi look ok....Thanks for the tip!

[veronika]

I don't remember much of mine, they loaded me up on a lot of drugs (thank god). The only part I remember is a bit of the end when they were taking the scope out, but even that is fuzzy. I was more anxious about the procedure than I needed to be, that's for sure.

Bring some hard candy or throat drops to soothe the sore throat you will undoubtedly have. If you are being sedated, make sure you have someone to take you home and help you get comfortable when you get home. If you have gas pains/cramping afterwards (they inflate certain areas with air to get a better look) lie on your left side to help move the gas along.

The idea of eating solid foods really grossed me out for awhile afterwards, so it wouldn't hurt to have some nourishing drinks or something easy to eat (like applesauce, rice crackers, etc.) just in case you feel the same.

[Adalaide]

Oh good, I thought you were going for a celiac biopsy. Hopefully you'll get whatever answers you need. Insurance companies are such a nightmare and there are so many incompetent doctors that I think a lot of us here worry about both taking advantage of unsuspecting patients.

[homemaker]

The endoscopy was today it was a piece of cake...easy...didn't remember a thing! He took tons of samples.....preliminary results....gastritis, esophagitis, GERD, and Hiatal Hernia...he did also take a snip of some vili when he was in there just in case. SO I have to continue on prescription strength Prilosec until the biopsies come back. We will see....

[ravenwoodglass]

The endoscopy was today it was a piece of cake...easy...didn't remember a thing! He took tons of samples.....preliminary results....gastritis, esophagitis, GERD, and Hiatal Hernia...he did also take a snip of some vili when he was in there just in case. SO I have to continue on prescription strength Prilosec until the biopsies come back. We will see....

Since you are done with biopsy you should go ahead and get back on your trial of the diet. Hopefully he took more than one 'snip'of your villi. He should have taken six or so as damage can be patchy and get easily missed.

[homemaker]

Ravenwood...just a quick response to your post...the reason for my endoscope was not for celiac diagnosis....due to the fact I am already gluten free..although he strongly suspects the diagnosis and encouraged me to continue on my gluten-free diet and not attempt a challenge....I have never had an endoscope before, because I went gluten-free before having one done...my previous MD had minimized my symptoms and had told me I did not need one.....but this new Gastro doc is fantastic!

I had started to have Chest pains and weird GI symptoms so after a full cardiac workup he scheduled me for the endoscpy...to see wht GI stuff might be going on...and he said even though I was gluten-free he would just take some biopsy samples of the villi just because he happened to be in there anyway that he might as well....

Well, as I posted I have some GI issues...he asked me if I had been totally rigid with my gluten-free diet...and honestly this summer I have been lax in my label checking...so we will see what the villi look like, but even if normal I will remain gluten-free. (My sister has celiac and even on a gluten-free diet she has not had a normal biopsy, as hers is VERY severe.) I will post when I know more...

[ravenwoodglass]

Ravenwood...just a quick response to your post...the reason for my endoscope was not for celiac diagnosis....due to the fact I am already gluten free..although he strongly suspects the diagnosis and encouraged me to continue on my gluten-free diet and not attempt a challenge....I have never had an endoscope before, because I went gluten-free before having one done...my previous MD had minimized my symptoms and had told me I did not need one.....but this new Gastro doc is fantastic!

I had started to have Chest pains and weird GI symptoms so after a full cardiac workup he scheduled me for the endoscpy...to see wht GI stuff might be going on...and he said even though I was gluten-free he would just take some biopsy samples of the villi just because he happened to be in there anyway that he might as well....

Well, as I posted I have some GI issues...he asked me if I had been totally rigid with my gluten-free diet...and honestly this summer I have been lax in my label checking...so we will see what the villi look like, but even if normal I will remain gluten-free. (My sister has celiac and even on a gluten-free diet she has not had a normal biopsy, as hers is VERY severe.) I will post when I know more...

I should have read the whole thread before I replied as I now see you did mention that elsewhere. Sorry you are continueing to have problems and I hope the doc can help you figure things out so that those issues resolve. It sounds like your sister may have refractory celiac (sprue) and I hope they can find some way to help her. I think there may be cases where other intolerances can keep the villi damaged so I hope they have ruled those out. Soy is the one that comes first to my mind since I have issues with that myself.

[homemaker]

Thanks Revenwoodglass...I think that is the type of celiac my sister has...she has very bad osteoporosis...as well as vitamin deficiencies...she has improved very slowly..but still has positive biopsies..I will mention the soy possibility to her. I just found out my younger sister now has celiac...that makes 3 out of 4 siblings all sisters. Both parents carried the celiac gene and I know for me anyway, I inherited a celiac gene from both. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis which is just another autoimmune disease...life is a trip! . But you just have to keep swimming downstream!