Upper and lower scope

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MDCA

MDCA

Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Messages
42
I have never had a scope done but on the 12th I'm having an upper scope/colonoscopy done under conscious sedation. I was under the impression I would be knocked out when having this done but it turns out I'm going to be awake. This really terrifies me.

I'm wondering what you experiences have been. Is it painful? Do you remember any of it? How did you feel after? What can I expect?

Thank you in advance!
 
If you are sedated you shouldn't remember much of anything or experience pain. My doc always asks if I can feel the drugs if I can't he hits me with another dose.

For the endoscopy I remember the doc telling me to lay on my side and put this black round thing in to hold my mouth open then I remember him messing with the camera tube thing and then I remember waking up.

For the colonoscopy I remember laying on my side chatting with the doc and that's about it.

You should be fine, nothing to worry about :)
 
Thank you. I'm having both done on the 12th. He said it should take about an hour and that "most people" don't experience any pain. I'm the first to admit I am a total wuss, I have the pain threshold of a toddler. LOL. I'm terrified but hoping for the best.
 
haha it's funny you mention that. Everyone says the prep is the worst but to be honest, it wasn't that bad in my opinion. I guess it depends on the sort of prep you get though. I just have to drink some pico salax (purgodan) which is nothing. It tastes like weird citrus but you really don't have to drink much of it. I've heard the phospho or whatever stuff is disgusting though. :(
 
I've had an upper and a lower at different times. The first time I was tired so all I remember is closing my eyes when they told me to and then trying to turn onto my back in the recovery room (a no-no!). The second time I wasn't as terrified (I know how you feel! I was that scared), and it was a slightly different experience. I remember less of it as days pass, but I remember getting the drugs. I remember some crampy pains, but distantly like it happened to someone else. I remember being brought into the recovery room and unhooked from everything. The rest of the day is similarly patchy.

I do know I was awake for both even though I don't remember it. I was told I talked a lot in both of them. It makes sense, I remember talking so much the anesthesiologist put an oxygen mask over my face when I had foot surgery.
 
I think the prep is the worst part as well. I had ducolax and miralax for my prep, and the worst pain was the cramping and pain as stuff pushed on through.

Oh and the numbing spray for the upper tastes yucky.
 
Maybe a stupid question but why was turning on your back a no no? Do you hurt a lot after? :(

Thank you though, I guess it's just hard when you don't really know what to expect lol
 
oh no, you don't hurt at all. I think it's just a recovery thing? I know you lay on your left side during the procedure because it works better with the way our anatomy goes.
 
I had both done a couple of weeks ago under conscious sedation all I remember is getting the 1st dose of whatever they give and having that warm really relaxed like I've just had a few g&t's feeling then I woke up in recovery talking rubbish apparently!!! I felt like I'd had a really good afternoon nap! Don't remember a thing. I have hAd a colonoscoPy also with very little sedation and I was awake through the whole thing and watched it all on the screen and again it wasn't that bad mild discomfort when he turned the corners but I do mean mild. good luck and remember the more relaxed you are the more effective the sedation is.
 
Hi MDCA.

I had both procedures done at the same time in mid-July. I was better than half-awake during the EGD (upper) and I was fully awake during the c-scope. The prep wasn't that bad either but I used movi-prep which is MUCH milder, but I remember the dulcolax and miralax - oh what a nightmare!

I held conversation with the GI doctor, and boy it seemed to take forever. He was telling me this and that and what he was doing each step. The c-scope took 45 minutes. He also removed polyps. I had to ask his nurse to move away from in front of the screen because she was blocking my view!

For me, the sedatives obviously killed any pain. But I was almost wide awake. They wheeled me to the recovery area where I nearly fell asleep. I was sleepier in recovery than during both procedures. I really zonked out when I got home.

You'll probably do fine.
 
Thanks guys. I've heard horror stories of waking up mid c-scope and being in a ton of pain etc. so I was hoping the overall consensus was good and that I didn't have to worry myself. I know I'll get through it, the barium enema didn't kill me (which I found really painful, the insertion part), so I think I'll get through this too ;) here's hoping!
 
ive done both. The prep for Colon is awful... tastes awful. blah.. and going isn't fun. I had a lot of anxiety about it. They give you some really dopey medicine and when I was waking up from my colonoscopy I was talking about Netflix, and then when I actually got my head straight I felt so stupid.. like wtf am i talking about. And when I was waking up after my endoscopy I started talking about how I wanted to eat a hamburger... really strange. Also you pass a lot of gas after... just let it out. Its not so bad in hind sight but its nothing any body wants to prep for or go through. I wish you the best.

Ceci
 
I have had up and down and all around :tongue:. I too am in Ontario and the doctors here (Northwestern areas anyways) do not give physo soda any more, too invasive. I just have the 2 dulcolax the night before clear fluids and the pico salax, (one cup and hold your nose lol) water after, then the next morning another cup, that one is not so easy..but as for being put out completely for a colonscopy, I get three drugs and wake up and no groggy feeling.

Endoscope I have had put out too, but my first time....wide awake and froze my throat...not telling you about that lol.

Sigmoid, not so many drugs, but I felt it, yeah wasn't pretty. I think I only got that mild sedation. Oh and an enema for that...very special indeed.

Where in Ontario might you be? Let us know how you make out. Good luck.
 
I had my scopes about 2 weeks ago - the first I've had just under sedation, had my other under general anaesthetic at a children's hospital. The sedatives are sooo strong! So there's not much to worry about.
If anything, they were a bit too strong and I felt a bit confused and disorientated at times.
For the upper scope, I remember having the mouth thing put in then it all went dark then I was retching and was sick a bit (only a little bit, but still very undignified haha!) then it was all over in a few seconds (well, what seemed like seconds, I probably fell asleep). Not going to lie, it wasn't a pleasurable experience, and the tube felt uncomfortable in the back of my throat for what I can remember, but like I said it feels like it's over in a few seconds.

The colonocopy was fine, however, I did wake up when they were "turning a corner" it was the strangest sensation in the world and I think because I'm really inflamed that was the reason it hurt - my mum has them done every two years and said hers don't hurt.

For me the worst part was the day before, I had a bad reaction to the picolax and it made me really ill. I also lost a lot of salts apparently and because I was only drinking water they weren't getting replenished, so make sure you get some salt intake if you start to feel headachey or ill.

Good luck and don't worry :)
xxx
 
My family dr. is here in Guelph and she referred me this to specialist in Fergus, I'm assuming because Guelph either doesn't have many, or because I think his practice in that area is fairly new, maybe he was less busy. Not totally sure her reasoning, but things have been happening really fast so I guess I'd prefer that to having to wait a ton!
 
Can anyone compare a barium enema to a colonoscopy? The insertion during the barium enema was really really hard for me- with the scope, did you feel the insertion?
 
scope: I vaguely remember feeling cold on my bum, but I had the sedative cocktail so I didn't care, I don't think it hurt, if it did I didn't care, and I can barely remember it.
 
UGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH- OKAY.

So my prep required me to take 4 Dulcolax at the same time yesterday. Today will be the Pico. Well, I took the 4 Dulcolax and nothing happened for hours and hours. Finally, I just start getting horrible horrible stomach pains and burning. The last time I did prep (for the barium enema) it went so incredibly well and totally smooth, I couldn't believe it. I guess I got cocky because I thought this would be the same but NOPE.

When I finally started going to the bathroom, it was about 6 hours after taking the pills and my stomach was hurting so badly I was bawling my eyes out. Now I'm about to take the first round of pico and I'm dreading it. ugh. :( Why is it so much harder this time?!

I'm still terrified for tomorrow, hoping to god I don't remember/feel anything. I'm having a flare. I ate a hard boiled egg a few days ago by mistake (it was in a dip) and I paid for it- huge. I know I'm inflamed and in a ton of pain already so I really really fear the scope hurting :( I wish I were stronger or could just tell myself it will be okay, but I'm such a wuss I am just expecting the worst :(
 
sorry to hear the preps going bad! I know it's hard but try not to worry. I had my first colonoscopy a couple of months ago, was awake for the whole thing. I am pretty much the wussiest person ever when it comes to anything medical so if I can do it I'm sure you'll be fine :)

Good luck for tomorrow though :)

Rachel x
 
I really pressed it with my Dr. that I have anxiety/panic issues and I'm probably the wussiest person I know. He assured me that "most people" end up asleep anyway. I'm really hoping I'm one of those cuz if not.. oh boy. lol. I'll be sure to press the issue with him again tomorrow.
 

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