Hey, 

I had one last year and I had both! It's not pleasant that's for sure but they do help calm you a bit and I didn't feel a thing if anything the numbness of not being able to feel my tongue was more worrying. 

It just made me feel slightly tired the next day but the numbness on my tongue went shortly after and I inhaled a McDonalds! You should be fine :) Just try to relax.

Hope this helps 

I had the sedation because my friend had it without and said it was awful! It’s not pleasant but I couldn’t remember much of it. It’s pretty quick, and I have to say I found the nurses were very uncaring and made me feel bad for wanting sedation by trying to convince me not to have it! Stick to your guns! You are perfectly entitled to have it if you want it. I would never do it without.

You’ll be absolutely fine the next day. I felt completely normal an hour after.

I had an endocopy yesterday. I decided to try the throat spray & gas & air option as I didn't want the need for someone being with me for the following 12 hours. I did gag when the throat spray was applied & also when the scope passed through my throat but the consultant thought I had some sensitivity to both. After that it was bearable. When the scope was removed I was mortified to release an almighty burp but the medical staff were completely unfazed! People react differently to the procedure & many people sail through it. If you're anxious, maybe the sedative would be best & it should wear off  in 12 hours so you should be ok for your London trip.

I had one today and I had both throat not to bad very tired tho after the sedation dident feel a thing or remember anything worth having it done to check for anything serious ‍♀️

I had an endoscopy two weeks ago without sedation; it was uncomfortable but it was not as bad as I had feared (biopsies taken) - procedure lasted about 3-4 minutes. Throat spray was given (didn’t taste too bad) - gagged with passage of scope past epiglottis into the oesophagus. Last week I had oesophageal dilation (stretch) and had spray and sedation - again, gagged on passage of scope into gullet but thereafter I have no recollection of the procedure at all (procedure lasted 20 minutes). It turns out that my oesophageal stricture was due to acid reflux/hiatus hernia and I can now eat and drink again. 

Hi,

It isn’t pleasant but nervousness makes it worse as you tend to tense the muscles in your neck and throat. I’ve had several over the years, the good news is that the diameter of the tube is now half what it was 30 years ago.

The throat spray helps but if you feel worried have both. 

Even with sedation, you will find it helps if you can relax as much as you can and control  your breathing. As a student nurse you will have learnt of the flight or flight effect adrenalin has - controlling your breathing helps reduce the production of adrenaline. There’s a useful technique at www.nhs.uk/.../

The hardest thing I find is controlling the gag reflex as the tube slips past your epiglotis - a good endoscopist will tell you to swallow at exactly the right time and it will slip past just like swallowing a piece of food. Again the more relaxed you are the easier it will be. 

One advantage of not being sedated is that you are better able to view the screen which many people find fascinating. My last one helped me psychologically as I could see for myself that there was no longer any sign of cancer and that the oesophagitis had cleared up too.

In another thread, someone said that endoscopies are like plane journeys, no-one really talks about the ones that go smoothly, just the small percentage that go wrong.

Good luck - I hope the endoscopy brings you some good news.

Dave

Hi

Read your post on endoscopy. Sounds like you suffered what I suspect I am suffering with ( my sister being a nurse has looked into it for me )

I am having an OGD on Tuesday next week and am petrified!  I am not a baby when it comes to medical procedures, but this freaks me out. I have a problem with gagging. 
 

I'm suffering so badly with reflux now, which I think may have caused a stricture, as the food is staying in my oesophagus and I have a blocked throat feeling. 
 

I'm also worried if I have to have a stricture enlarging procedure. I've been informed it's very unpleasant. 
 

I want this over with as I'm feeling so ill. 
 

Can you help?

Hi,I had mine done today, I'm not going to lie it's very unpleasant!,but I went without the sedative or dentinox (laughing gas)as I wanted to be out quicker,but with hindsight I'd definitely would  have both! ,worst bit for me was when they we're pushing it up and down,it caused my stomach to wretch    a few times, but thankfully it was over quickly,less than 5 mins,ive spoken to a couple of friends that had it done and they told me it wasn't that bad for them so maybe I'm just a big baby! Lol,try not worry,it'll be over before you know it! Good luck!