Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Endoscopy Without General Anesthetic?

kimchi

Recommended Posts

kimchi Newbie
kimchi
Posted

Hi everyone

I am new to the board and wending my way through the celiac-testing-muddle. I am having the endoscopy late this afternoon and am debating whether or not to be 'knocked out' for it... I don't like how it feels to come out of anesthetic, but I'm worried this might be a painful thing to be 'awake' for. Have any of you had endoscopy without being knocked out??

Kim

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


penguin Community Regular
penguin
Posted

The only thing they used for me was Versed, which is a amnesic drug. You're awake for it, but you don't remember it. They also used a topical anesthetic of some kind that I had to swallow. It was fine for me, and I didn't even have an IV.

Make sure you have someone to drive you home either way, though.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Hi Kim--welcome!! I was "out" for mine. I woke up feeling rested, not groggy, and ready to go home very soon after. The next time I have a procedure like that done, I will definately do the same. It was not the same reaction I had to the true general anesthetic I had for a surgery previously. That is a bit more difficult to come out of. Best of luck today :)

mmaccartney Explorer
mmaccartney
Posted

Be knocked out. The endoscopy was not fun, I woke up twice during it, and it was terrible. I felt like I was choking due to the tube in my throat. My instinctual reaction was to try to "cough it up" and that just got the med staff yelling at me to "swallow, swallow" then I heard the doc mention something about more anestesia, and I was back out again....

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted

I've had 2 upper endoscopies without anesthesia (except for a topical spray for my throat). It's not pleasant, but it's not painful, and it's actually really cool to see your esophagus and stomach on the TV monitor. It's also quite fast--5-10 minutes tops.

Be sure they spray your throat really well, as that really helps deaden the gag reflex. They sprayed my throat twice. Practice relaxation exercises--you need to be able to relax your tummy muscles and the back of your throat (the epiglottis thing) on command.

I brought a celiac disease player and headphones to give me something else to concentrate on, but seeing the TV monitor was very interesting and distracting. The nurse kept telling me to relax, swallow, etc, which did help (she didn't scream at me, and she held my hand).

The second time was easier than the first, as I was prepared for my gag reflex (I have a horrendously strong gag reflex, always did). My doctor was cool about it, and told me in advance that as long as I didn't mind gagging a little here and there, she didn't either!

I've been on Versed (for resetting a dislocated shoulder, and also in labor)--I'm not sure that I agree that it's amnesiac, as it wasn't the least amnesiac for me, but it definitely knocked me out--my husband said I was snoring.

However you do it, good luck!

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

I did not have a general anesthesia. I think they called it conscience sedation? It was fine and I don't remember a thing.

kimchi Newbie
kimchi
Posted
  • Author

Hi all

Thank you all for your quick responses! I opted to go without sedation, and it was ok. I figured if I could do drug-free childbirth 3 times, this couldn't be so bad... So they did spray the back of my throat with that local anesthetic stuff, and then it was just the 4-5 minutes of 'yuck'. I'd say it was 'deeply unpleasant', but not painful. It was all done pretty fast, and then I was totally alert to ask the doc all the questions I had brought. Whew - glad it's done. Now it's just the gluten-free-diet-forever thing...

Cheers,

Kim

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

wow you are brave, i would say no the instant they said if i wanted to have it w/out anesthesia. I hate the gagging reflux sooooooooooooooooooooo much, i can't even do the step tests they have at the doctor.

Glad you went through with it and didn't mind.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Kim--You are a braver woman than I!! Glad to know all went well :D

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted
I brought a celiac disease player and headphones to give me something else to concentrate on, but seeing

Oh, is that funny--I forgot that this board automatically abbreviates Initial-C Initial-D as celiac disease!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,566
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Rrenee2990
    Newest Member
    Rrenee2990
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      How long does it take to gain weight?

      By cristiana · Posted

      That's great news, you can do this.  Let us know how things go and don't hesitate to ask if you have any more questions. Cristiana 😊
    • petitojou
      How long does it take to gain weight?

      By petitojou · Posted

      Thank you so much for sharing your experience and I found myself giggling with happiness as I read how your body reached such spring! And I hope that your current journey is also successful!! Definitely starting the food diary! So many amazing advices. And it’s very scary. It really hits all our soft spots as well as our confidence system. Most doctors I went thought I was underage despite being in my late 20s. Right now I look like am I twelve, but is also this body that’s taking so much, so I might as well love it too! Going to make the necessary changes and stay in this path. Thank you again! 🫶
    • petitojou
      How long does it take to gain weight?

      By petitojou · Posted

      Thank you so much for the information and kind message! Reading this transformed how I’ve been viewing my efforts and progress. Guess there’s still a lot to celebrate and also heal 😌  Yes, I’ve been taking it! Just recently started taking a multivitamin supplement and separated vitamin D! I also took chewable Iron polymaltose for ferritin deficiency 2 months ago but was unable to absorb any of it.  Thank you again! Hearing such gentle words from the community makes my body and heart more patient and excited for the future. 
    • ckeyser88
      Roommate search

      By ckeyser88 · Posted

      I am looking for a roomie in Chicago, Denver or Nashville! 
    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.