i have to have one next tues. has anyone had one - did you have sedative or not? is it bearable? what about swallowing the endoscope? Or am I best not asking...?!

Cant think what it is called but i have had one where they poke it up your nose, then into your throat.

Strange feeling, but it was ok.

cheers - it's the swallowing bit i'm dreading - i keep thinking i'm going to have to swallow something the size of my camelback tube!!

its smaller then that i think, treehugger if i can do it u will be fine

I've had the nose one too. I think it's the same kind of thing they use for the gastro stuff. It was a bit tickly, but that's all. It was about the size of erm, you know those stretchy squished up coil things that you hang net curtains on - one of them. Good luck, chin up etc....

Ive had the one where you swallow the camera thingy and it goes down into your stomach plus the one where they put tubes down your nose to measure the pressure in your throat when you swallow and the pH value in your throat over 24 hours (the 24 hour monitor was a pain in the back side!)

I didnt have seditive as I preferred to know what was going on arround me and had to drive home. It wasnt exactly pleasant but not as bad as I thought it would be. I just avoided looking at what they wanted me to swallow.

I found the worst bit was when you have to snort the banana flavoured anisthetic stuff beforehand - its a bit stingy:) The swallowing bit is fine.

Be warned though - cos your throat is open uncontrollalbe burping may occur - was quite funny really!

Hope it all goes well - its nowhere near as bad as it sounds beforehand.

Fi
X

thanks for the reassurance - it sounds like you have an acid problem too! i think i already know what's wrong adn they will probably just put me on lanzoprezole for the rest of my life! but i guess i better still go

thanks again.

Yip good old gastro-osophogeal (spelling?) reflux disorder I believe its known as.Its actually surprising how many people have some form of this once you mention it! Been on oprimizole for 4 years now which controls it fine as long as I dont drink too much(which doesnt really matter cos Im a lightweight anyway)and keep taking the tablets.

Had all the tests and spoke to a consultant about an operation to sort it but didnt fancy that much. Dont really want to take the drugs for the rest of my life (only 27 now)but for me the potential side effects could put me in a worse position that I am in now. May reconsider if it ever gets worse.

If nothing less having the diagnosis and the letters to prove it is useful if you ever have to change doctors etc. Otherwise they would keep trying reduce/stop my medication.

Good luck with everything.

X

Yep i get gastro oesophageal acid reflux, its great isnt it? NOT!!

Was taking medication but thankfully it has calmed down alot, i find that stress really effects it really bad :-(

great to feel not alone and not so weird!

gastosocopy was cancelled due to the floods in sheffield leaving the hospital on ememgency power supply - so now i have a few more weeks to worry about it!

Stress and tomatoes for some reason....

and too much white wine

which is really bad when i want yummy spag bol and vino after a crap day at work!:)

well im just putting the wine theroy to test.... again

i cant even blame over indulgence :( i eat really healthily and hardly drink at all. just bad luck i guess.

tree hugger, I see many patients at work having one done, the worst thing is the taste of local anaesthesia spray to the throat but i recommend it as the sedation is never strong enough to completely knock you out as the test would not be as accurate....

thanks for your help on this. new date is now the 24th july so not too long to wait. perhaps its not as bad as all that then!

Try not to worry too much about it. I had the tube down the throat a couple of years ago, and as it proved inconclusive, had to go through it again a few months ago. Both times I just had the anasthetic spray in the throat and lived to tell the tale!!
I'm a HUGE wimp but I've had it twice with no sedation.
The whole thing only took about 3 minutes - not very long in the great scheme of things ;) You'll look back and wonder what you were panicking for!!

Hope all goes well.

Some info here that sometimes helps..

www.cks.library.nhs.uk/patient_information_leaflet/gastroesophageal_reflux_disease

Diet Doctors on TV last night suggested acid reflux could also be caused by too much air in the gut, which can be created by eating too quickly. If you whoof your food, could be adding a problem without realising it. Good luck though I am sure it will be fine.

Just as you leave how about asking them if they want your autograph as you've now been on telly lol !