Was my Endoscopy normal??

[Katie1978]

Today I had my first endoscopy and colonoscopy.  I'm 29 so to find out that I had to go through that wa a tough pill to take.  I get back to the prcedure room, they numb my throat and give me the medicine to "relax".  Next thing I remember is feeling the tube being shved down my throat and me telling them that I needed more drugs, that I could feel it etc.  From my understanding fro everything that my doctor had told me leading up to the procedure was that I wouldn't know what was going on.  I can't sleep tonight because it's all that I can remember and think about.  I can still feel them holding me down tighter.  Now they must have given me more drugs because I don't remember anything else after that.  Is that normal?  And if so why wouldn't they have told me that from the begining? I would have thought that the Patient Bill of rights has something to do with the fact that I should have been informed better.

[kappa64]

Did any of you have pain under ribs and mid ribs from endoscopy?

[Sandragene]

Kate, I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy last Thursday and never went to sleep. I was even laughing and joking with them during the colonoscopy. They gave me double the highest dose they give of Versed and Fentenyl before each one of the procedures but I was very awake, didn't feel drowsy or anything and they opened an obstruction I had, did a biopsy in the endoscopy and then in the colonoscopy they removed a poylp and did a biopsy also. I had some full feeling from the air they pump in but that was about it. I always have a hard time going to sleep even during major major major surgery. Tell the doctor or nurse next time of your experience. If your procedures are done in an office or surgicenter it is almost impossible for them to give you more than the highest dosage they usually give because they aren't equipped like a big hospital with the anthesiologists and 2nd surgeons even though they do have great life saving equipment, they still are not operating rooms with trauma and ICU units. I used Lamaze like breathing during my procedures with the nurse coaching me through it, just like childbirth. I have used that several times over the years since my childbearing times. It really does help!!

[NurseEducator]

As a former GI nurse, i can tell you that the docs do not use anesthesia for these procedures (unless otherwise warranted), so there is no guarantee you won't remember anything.  
Like the post before mine, the drug combo is typically Versed (helps to "erase" your memory) and a narcotic like Fentenyl, Demerol or Morphine.  This combo of drugs is given by RN's who are trained in Moderate or Conscious Sedation.  That is a form or sedation where the patient is able to maintain their own airway and reflexes, unlike the patient who undergoes general anesthesia and is completely "out". There is no standard dose of these drugs.  Some people require very little medication and others require much more to make them sleepy and sedated, and others don't sedate at all.  In my personal expereince, factors that affect how well you are sedated are things such as: smoking history, caffiene consumption, certain medications, their fear of the procedure, etc.  Sometimes, the MD and RN think the patient is sedated, and then comes the scope to jar them awake.  That is what you remember.  Then you were probably given more "versed" in hopes of erasing that struggle from your mind.  It sucks because doctors typically tell their patients they "won't remember a thing" or "they will be out for the procedure" and then become frightened and distubed when they actually do remember things (rightfully so).  i think if the doctors were a little more forthcoming in thier education of their patients about what Conscious Sedation actually is, these things won't traumatize patients and make them even more fearful of undergoing anything in the future. I am sorry you had a dreadfull experience.  Make sure if you have something that requires sedation in the future, you tell them you require more medication than you had for this procedure (they should be able to look up how much medication you had and increase it accordingly).

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[April2]

No, that wasn't normal and I'm sorry you had to go through that. It sounds like they didn't give you enough meds to start off with. You should not have felt or remembered anything during the procedure.
I just had an endoscopy/colonoscopy done a few weeks ago and they brought me back to the procedure room and had me lay on my left side while they put an IV in. They did put the mask thing on my face to prepare for the tube going in and once the doctor came in and was ready to start, they started the meds in my IV and I was knocked out. I didn't remember a thing until they were helping me sit up and told me it was all over. That's the way it should have been. You might want to look into getting another doctor or make sure you tell them next time that they didn't properly medicate  you the first time. Do you know what meds they gave you? They gave me Fentenyl and Versed. I'm sorry it was such an unpleasant experience for you. It's not supposed to be that way and shouldn't be. Hopefully, next time will be better now that they know how much meds to give you, etc. Take care and rest up. It's over now at least! :)