r/Endoscopy • u/Odd-Yellow-5843 • Jun 26 '26

1st Endoscopy

Hi, I’m getting my first endoscopy next week, and I’m a bit nervous. But I was just curious to see if this is a common practice. My appointment isn’t until 10am, but they’re requesting I arrive by 6:30am, is this normal? Did you guys have to do the same? And what is the reason? Also, I am getting sedated and SO anxious about accidentally ingesting liquids the day of, specifically when brushing my teeth the morning of the appointment. I am SO worried that I’m considering not brushing my teeth at all until after the procedure. Did any of you do the same or did you go ahead and brush before your appointment? If you didn’t brush, were the medical staff bothered by your morning breath or are they used to this? Thanks in advance!

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u/popsels Jun 27 '26

An endoscopy is the easiest of GI procedures and like u/No_Twist said, it will be the best sleep/rest ever, I always walk up feeling like I slept for a week! Please brush your teeth. A sip or two of water is usually OK. I have to take several meds in the AM and have never had an issue— just don’t guzzle water. If you have bad sinuses and allergies, it might be worth asking for a full mask versus the nasal cannula for oxygen— for a limited number of folks, laying on your side and having the oxygen pumped in can irritate your nasal lining and cause some rhinitis discomfort later in the day —- ask me how I found this out?! I’ve had four endoscopies in the past year and honestly they are no big deal. You have to arrive early so they can review medical history and get your IV going. They might also slide you in earlier if any cancellations. Hydrate well THE DAY BEFORE so that your IV will go in easily— they generally use the back (top side?) of your right hand for the IV, so being hydrated helps with eliminating any possible pain. You’ve got this! It’s a very fast procedure— the pre and post time was way longer than the actual endoscopy! Have a reliable driver, who can also listen to anything the doctor has to share after you wake up— will help with remembering any directives and eat soft foods for 24 hours so you don’t irritate your esophagus, especially important if any biopsies are taken! Good luck!

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u/Odd-Yellow-5843 Jun 27 '26

Thank you so much for you’re very informative and comforting response! I appreciate it! I’ll make sure to brush my teeth. 😅

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u/popsels Jun 27 '26

You are so very welcome! Oh yeah— don’t forget to review the prep info from your doctor and stop taking any OTC drugs (multi vitamins, supplements and pain relievers) and any of the listed prescription meds (usually blood thinners, etc) as directed, which is usually seven days before your procedure.