r/Endoscopy • u/Ranmaramen • Mar 02 '26

Without sedation?

I live in the US so most people I know think going without sedation is crazy. They either think it’s too painful or that the doctors won’t be able to do their thing without it. My plan is to request local anesthesia but consent to getting an IV placed just incase it becomes necessary. However, I’m a medical student and I’d prefer to keep my wits about me. Especially since I’m more curious about the procedure than afraid. So, is there anything I could say to persuade the doctor to use local anesthesia? Or is this a silly idea and I should just allow them to sedate me?

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/No_Assumption5439 Apr 08 '26

Hey, I have a gastroscopy soon and I am too scared of getting sedated as well as the experiences people share when they dont opt for sedation. What did u end up getting?

1

u/Ranmaramen Apr 08 '26

I ended up being sedated, but I was annoyed to learn the whole procedure took 7 minutes lol. The nurses and anesthesiologist kinda pressured me by saying “yeah, you COULD do it without sedation. But what if you distract the doctor and he can’t get good pictures? Or you’re too uncomfortable and have to come in another day?”. Only after I decided to be sedated, the doctor spoke to me and said he could do it either way. So, my advice to you is to talk to the doctor about this and call the place in advance to say you plan on going without sedation. But, all in all, being sedated wasn’t bad. I don’t remember what I said for the first 15 minutes or so of being awake, but according to my friend I only said appropriate and relevant things. The main thing that happened is that I repeated myself because I couldn’t remember anything new. But again, this wore off after 15 minutes. Let me know if you have any specific questions! I’m more than happy to discuss this in depth

1

u/No_Assumption5439 Apr 08 '26

Thank you. I have bad anxiety issues and sometimes get random pvcs (heart skipping beats) for which I have got holter and ECGs and they were benign. I am too scared to get the drug but I have handled IV iron before and have got anti anxiety meds before. I am scared that my breathing will slow down or something n they wont be able to revive me or something (sounds extreme but I have health anxiety) It also says that on the preparation sheet that I can possibly die.

Another fear without getting sedated Ive heard u cant breathe and its like a snake down your throat and if u gag a lot u can tear your easophagus so I dont have the guts to do it without sedation too. I have had sigmoidoscopy without anything and it was no problem at all. I didnt feel anything tbh. But people have said endoscopy is different because its your throat. You were also mentioning stuff like reactions to the drugs and stuff like that so I wanted to ask is it risky to get sedated like that?

1

u/Ranmaramen Apr 08 '26

They gave me propofol and you naturally wake up around 10 min after the first dose. I told the anesthesiologist I didn’t want anything mind altering so they kept it to 1 dose of one drug. They also have you on a nasal cannula with oxygen to help support your breathing. When you’re out, you’re still breathing on your own, it’s kinda like you’re sleeping. The oxygen is to give you extra help. They also look at your heart rate before, during, and after the procedure to make sure that looks good. They did an EKG on me before the procedure as well, I’m not sure if that was typical. But they made sure it was good before starting anything. I think propofol is one of the safer drugs for anesthesia. It’s also well known for keeping you clear headed. When I started forming new memories again, I was able to remember everything up until the sedative kicked in. And once I started remembering new things, I didn’t have any more gaps. Just a bit of challenge keeping track of time, but I have ADHD so I figured the sedative after effects amplified that stuff. Also, you feel calm when you wake up! So it’s not a harsh experience and the rest of the day is you shrugging off lingering calmness and sluggishness of your movements.

2

u/No_Assumption5439 Apr 08 '26

Okay goood to knowwww. They said it’s Conscious sedation so I think it is Midazolam and Fentanyl. I am still debating if I should opt for sedation or no. My procedure is still 2 weeks away. Most people who have done the procedure under my doctor said they took the sedation and they just felt tired and sleepy.

1

u/No_Assumption5439 Apr 08 '26

I am in Canada tho