Gastroscopy tomorrow. GAD and now panicking!

[Tilly Travels]

Hi all,
I'm new to the site so sorry if I'm doing this wrong. I'm having a gastroscopy tomorrow with sedation and I'm really frightened. I have generalised anxiety disorder. I'm not scared about the results as I'd rather know what's going on. Just really frightened about gagging, having a panic attack and feeling out of control. Has anyone had one with conscious sedation...how bad is it?

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya Tilly Travels and welcome to NMP

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way

[Tilly Travels]

Thank you so much, this is really helpful

[unspoken]

Hi, I've had 2 gastroscopies. The first one went ok, there was a fair bit of waiting around beforehand though so I'd recommend taking a magazine or something to keep you entertained. I took a puzzle magazine and a pen as I wouldn't be upset if I lost them somewhere but it kept me busy enough to reduce the worry. Tell the nurses you're nervous beforehand. The sedation is a combination of a painkiller and a strong benzodiazepine - the amnesiac effect of the benzodiazepine means you shouldn't remember much of the process.

The second time for some reason it didn't go so well. I think they didn't give the IV drugs enough time to take proper effect before trying to stick the camera in my mouth and I panicked and tried to fight them off. But that didn't happen the first time round so I think if you explain that you are anxious and ask them to give you time for the drugs to take effect, you'll be ok. Are you taking anyone with you? My parents had to wait in the waiting room while I was waiting elsewhere for quite a while so I would recommend taking something to do. I hope it goes ok.

[Tilly Travels]

Thank you so much for this, great advice and will definitely take my book with me. It's not until 6:50pm tonight - awful timing as I'm so hungry and thirsty now and have all day to worry about it. Hoping that the meds will mean I get a good nights sleep tonight.
My husband is in work till 8pm tonight so my mum is coming with me and then bringing me home afterwards. I'm really hoping I'm one of those people who go to sleep and wake up with a cuppa feeling lovely! Knowing my luck I'll be the one bouncing off the walls. Just hopeful that I don't have a panic attack ad they can't do it. Just trying to reassure myself that this time tomorrow it will be all over- booked the day off to treat myself to a pj day watching movies!!

Hope you're ok now following your procedures. Thank you x

[unspoken]

Booking the following day off is a good idea, the drugs can leave you feeling groggy for a while afterwards. The pain afterwards wasn't bad for me. I had one bad experience but also one OK experience and the vast majority of the time, people are sedated enough to be ok with it and it goes fine. It's not nice that you have it in the evening so have to go all day without food. I hope it goes ok for you and I hope it's a book that you have got far enough into that you can focus on it. Let us know how you find it.

[Tilly Travels]

All done! It was easy - awake the whole time, didn't gag had a cup of tea after and a takeaway at home. So relieved that there were no issues. The worrying was by far the worst!! X x