I've heard some people are fine with it however personally i had sedation as i get really anxious if i feel like i can't breathe. The spray does taste horrible but after the sedation i only remembering a little retching and for the rest of it i was out and don't remember it. If she has sedation then someone would need to take her home but if not then she can go unattended. 

Hope it goes well for her x 

I had this procedure done yesterday and decided to use just throat spray. As i have a toddler and i wanted to be able to go home asap and not be groggy!

It was honestly the worst experience i have ever had. Childbirth was easier to go through. I would 100% suggest that you have the sedation. I have heard some people have been ok with the just the throat spary and my hat goes off to them! 

Positives are that it is over with very quickly and you can go straight home. But it is a very traumatic experience in my opinion and should be done under sedation x 

I have just come back from a full endoscopy and chose not to take anything. Yes you heard it right no throat spray or sedation. These forums have scared the absolute life out of me so I want to reassure anyone who is reading these links prior to this procedure don't listen.

It was very quick not painful and actually not really that unpleasant just a bit strange.

Saw it all on screen was talked through each stage and would do it again right now with no hesitation.

Walked straight out and went and had a meal.

I need another one in 8 weeks and will not spend sleepless nights thinking the worst.

Relax listen to the doctor and it will be over in less than 10 mins. I didn't gag, feel like I was choking or couldn't breath. As the doctor said you won't be sick your stomach is empty, you can't choke it's not big enough and you breath through your nose like you should always be doing. Please don't spend any more time worrying. 

I had my endoscope today with the throat spray and I can honestly say the build up is the worst. The nurses were so calming and made sure you were ok. Never had an issue and I'm so happy I went for the throat spray over the sedation. 
 

I went in scared to death before I went in.  So I said at the desk that I wanted sedation. After talking to two different nurses they said I could try it with the throat spray and if it didn't work I could go back and get the sedation. One of the nurses shared her experience and said she gagged a lot less with the throat spray so I chose that. 
 

I got my blood pressure, temperature and heart rate checked then got into my gown and sat for about 20 mins waiting. The nurses came in and checked on you every so often. 
After that they took you into the room where you meet the person who is conducting the procedure. She reassured me that I could put my hand up and they would stop and let me calm down if I needed to. 
They spoke through what was going to happen and then I got the throat spray which I weirdly liked the taste of. It was like bannana sweets just more alcoholy. I got told to lie on my side and got my mouth guard put in. 
She slowly inscerted it. They talked me through the full thing telling me how long she thought I had left. And told me when I was over the worst bit which is 2 seconds into it after than you are just uncomfortable. She kept telling me how to breath and cuddled me the full time. 

It was over in 4 mins. I didn't gag I did however burp once they brought it out which everyone just laughed at and said it was totally normal. 
 

After that I got my stuff and the nurses that had dealt with me before came and said that I done so well and that I was a "champ". 
 

Honestly it's not that bad. You will only hear the bad stuff. Tbh there isn't much good stuff about it. At the end of the day it is a camera going down your throat. It's uncomfortable and if you gag just remember you can breath and you need to focus on your breathing. The camera is smaller than your pinky in width and the worst part is going over your tongue. 
 

I know it's hard but try and remain calm. Think loads of people get this done daily. 

Hi I've got mine tomorrow and I just keep crying. I'm so frightened. I have really bad health anxiety so whilst I don't want the sedation it may be the only answer. Then I'm worrying if they find anything. I'm a nervous wreck and even thinking of not having it done at all! :( 

Go for sedation, you won't remember anything about it, just a little sleep and wake up and it's all over. They will tell you if they saw anything, so no waiting for weeks. If they take biopsies that will take longer. I'm the biggest wimp ever and I got through it, best of luck for tomorrow x

Hope it went ok? I had one yesterday and opted for the throat spray. It is not painful, but I did find the gag reflex quite traumatic. My face was bright red and I had tears streaming down my face. BUT it was all over in minutes and the doctor gave me the results straight away (nothing serious x) which was good to hear.

The doctor talked to me the whole way through, telling me to keep breathing and where the camera was and how long left.

After reading the comments it seems if you are going to gag constantly you will if you are sedateded or not. It really does not take long and is bearable. Even the throat spray did not taste too bad to me.

Personally I find the idea of sedation quite scary and I was looking forward to watching the footage. Which I could not do as I was too busy gagging and crying!

I won't lie it was horrendous for me. Even the throat spray I gagged at. They gave me some infacol before I went in so as soon as they did it I just kept being sick. It didn't take long at all but I don't think I would go again for one. I had the sedation but it did nothing for me. The dr and nurse didn't go through it just said stop being sick. I guess it is just how people react. It wasn't painful at all just I couldn't cope with something down my throat. Hiatal hernia but stomach and esophagus looks normal which is good. xx

Hi I had the Gastroscopy nearly two years ago. I had sedation and all I remember is the nurse taken the mouth piece out after it had been done. I had no recollection of the procedure at all, also no problems with the sedation and did not feel groggy.

My friend had hers done without sedation and said it was horrible. I can honestly say I had no problems at all 

I don't want to put anybody off, but I also had a very unpleasant experience having a gastroscopy. I had had one before, years ago, without sedation, and have forgotten most of that, except that the gagging was so bad I felt my body was trying to throw me off the chair. This time I chose sedation and had the throat spray as well, but I couldn't understand why they didn't give me the sedation until I'd already been experiencing the feeling of suffocation from the throat spray for what seemed like aeons!

While my body was, against all my intentions, trying to fight the sensation of being suffocated, the nurse said 'You have to relax or we'll have to stop the procedure!' which seemed to me to show a massive lack of understanding of the situation.

No matter how I tried to relax, my body was convinced I was being suffocated and reacted accordingly. Once they got the sedative in, I was able to tolerate it, and I'm not sure whether I may have actually fallen asleep for a bit - I only remember thinking, thank goodness for that, as it finally relaxed me. Afterwards I asked why on earth they hadn't given it to me beforehand, and they gave me a reason, but I can't remember what it was. I would be interested to know if anyone knows?

The nurse, to give her her due, afterwards apologised for what she'd said, and told me, 'I just had to shock you into letting us get on with it'. However, it still seems to me a very strange way to think for someone who must surely know something about how bodies work! It seems to me that the medical professionals have no idea that it's impossible to stop an involuntary reaction.

I think better training is needed. I vowed that if I needed another gastroscopy I would have a general anaesthetic, but then there are the risks inherent in that.

However, I have now read that some hospitals will do the procedure using a nasal tube rather than an oral one. I had also had my vocal folds and that area looked at using this method, and I had no problem whatever with that. Apparently most patients having a gastroscopy that way also have no problems. So why on earth haven't they been using this method instead of putting us through the agony of using the oral route! I now intend to insist on the nasal route if I need another one. Perhaps if we all do, something might start to be done about it. 

I read this forum yesterday in preparation for a gastroscopy this morning. I am so sorry for those of you who had traumatic experiences and I understand why you'd share that. But I want to reassure people it's not always like that. I was petrified this morning after reading these, so went for the sedation. The nurse recommended I just do the spray, but the doctor said whatever made me comfortable was great. I'm SO glad I went for sedation. I was gagging 2 days earlier just with the precautionary coronavirus test. 

The initial spray at the start tasted like the banana ear infection medicine I had as a kid and then I remember someone putting the sedation medicine in my canula but after that I have almost no memory of the procedure. I know I was awake, sort of, as I remember seeing the tv screen with my insides on it at one point! But I literally don't remember the tube going in or out or anything. They brought me a cup of tea and a biscuit straight after (because you can swallow with the sedation) and I left another 30 mins or so after. Total breeze. The docters and nurses were so kind and besides having slightly wobbly legs after (it's still only 4 hours later and I'm back at work), I have no sore throat and no other after effects.

I am so pleased I read the posts here. I have had endoscopic and HALO treatments, all with sedation, so endorse the positive comments.  I am due to go for another routine check up endoscopy next week and was considering having just the throat spray to save time, but having read the mostly horrendous experiences of some of you, I am not going to risk it! No way. The thought of retching is bad enough but choking sensations would produce real panic and probably halt the procedure. Because of Covid, I had to wait a year for this appointment,  so don't  want to mess up. 

I am so pleased I read the posts here. I have had endoscopic and HALO treatments, all with sedation, so endorse the positive comments.  I am due to go for another routine check up endoscopy next week and was considering having just the throat spray to save time, but having read the mostly horrendous experiences of some of you, I am not going to risk it! No way. The thought of retching is bad enough but choking sensations would produce real panic and probably halt the procedure. Because of Covid, I had to wait a year for this appointment,  so don't  want to mess up. 

Hi,

Just remember you may have the same experience with sedation. You may not remember it later or you may do. I've had two using the throat spray and gagged a lot more on the second one even though I knew what was coming. I'm not easily sedated which is why I've not tried it for this procedure. It doesnt last long and you can just go home afterwards.

Yes and it's an advantage not hanging around in Recovery, but I am more concerned about possibly  going into a panic and having the procedure halted . It can't be easy trying to take pictures of the gullet if the patient is squirming around.! I think I shall go prepared to have my mind changed  but ready for sedation as the fasting etc is the same requirement and I can get other half to pick up at short notice. 

Had it twice - sedated both times. A breeze. Second time was awake till they put a rubber thing in my mouth and I thought, 'Oh God the sedation hasn't worked! I'm going to be awake!' Moment of horror then, two seconds later it seemed, I heard somebody say, 'It's over!' No memory whatsoever of the procedure. Don't be a hero! Sedation every time! 

I would agree, but yesterday I had the endoscopy (now the 3rd), received the sedation( 2mg. Midazolam) just before the procedure began and I too thought it wasn't going to work. The strangest thing was that unlike the previous times, when I ,like you, found myself in Recovery being asked if I wanted a cuppa, I felt everything that was happening and though it was just uncomfortable, I gagged several times, which was an awful feeling as it also felt like choking. Yet the sedation must have worked  at a certail level, because I felt strangely disembodied! I also didn't have the throat spray and last time I am almost sure I had both the spray and sedation. Altogether very weird. I don't know why I didn't ask the Reovery nurse about the experience- I think I just wanted to have my tea and toast and get out.  Any one else experienced this feeling of having  beein givien the sedation, but feeling as if one hadn't?