Endoscopy

[Marcia2202]

I remember reading several times that ppl had an endoscopy after finishing tx.

What I want to ask is, if there were special reasons for that or if it is something one should routinely do after having had tx... and if yes, what is the reason for that.

Was is an upper endoscopy or only colonscopy or the whole shizzle manizzle...?

Thanks guys.

[GoofyDad]

"but I think it was just lip service"

In that case I wouldn't tip....

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The sedation is very liver friendly, from what I understand. Plenty of commonplace lifestyle issues would be of greater concern,,,  

[merryBe]

after all my years perfecting my non gag reflect....blush....well...you may have a point....never tried anything 2-3 ft long...  : ))))

it would be kinda cool to watch the TV..I hear nowadays you can request a video of your procedure at newer facilities.

mb

[Deb_c430]

Asleep is nice!    I don't have bands either!  P

[jdwithhcv]

Asleep is the way to go!

[mikesimon]

I don't have no stinkin bands! My varices got obliterated.
Mike sans bands

[Deb_c430]

Oh heck no!   asleep!   They take photos of your stomach,  and esophagus.  It is very cool mine is pink!

There are a lot of folks tippy who have bands here. Most GIs fix them straight away, Gauf does, Mike Simon. I don't remember all of them, but don't be afraid of it.

[jmjm530]

Consider this. If they dont use sedation you might start gagging which might put pressure on the insturment against your esophagus and therefore more likely to cause damage than if they inserted the tube when you were out. The sedation used is quite pleasant and some people are semi-awake for the entire procedure or at least for part of it. I would not worry about the drugs being liver toxic and they are designed to be not only very fast acting but you come out of it very fast so the drugs do not linger like some of the older anesthetics used to. BTW I asked the same thing -- no anathetic, but not because of liver toxicity, I just wanted to observe what was going on plus, of course, the macho male thing. LOL. They kind of humored me and said they would use less but I think it was just lip service cause I ended up being knocked out :)

- Jim

-- Jim

[lalapple]

my dad had one bc he had GERD.  it's just basically stuffing a tiny camera down the throat with a tube to see what's going on in the stomach.  

[merryBe]

giggle...I was referrencing the 18 pills down my throat Jimbo.....but I'm glad to see your humor take you elsewhere.


Marcia...remember alagirl's endo story ROTFL !!

that got me thinkin.....I think the upper for variaces may be smart....but also am considering if being awake would be better as a safety precaution....not because it's less drugs for the liver, although that too...but more because the fast pulls in and out can do damge....as can too much air....at least when you are awake they go a lot slower...not only making them more likely to see things but also less likely to do damage. Just my paranoia after Ala's fiacso.

mb

[Tippyclubb]

Magnum made a post about this called Esophageal Varicies on Feb 19th.  There's information there.

[Deb_c430]

the endoscopy is to check more and more frequently for gastric varices.  A few in here have had bands put it,  it's a good tool.  I had both done it is not pleasant pre txt, the day before the colonoscopy was the worse, I was asleep for the prcedures.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11847371
http://www.vhjoe.org/Volume4Issue1/4-1-4New.htm

they give you pictures too!

Deb

[jmjm530]

MB: I'm so sick of sticking things down my throat every day..
the very last thing I want right now is
something getting stuck up the other end!!!  
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Heard this a number of times as I'm sure has many of the men here.

[GSDgirl]

I had an endoscope not because of TX but the gastritis they found WAS because of TX.

Denise

[FlGuy]

I had both, between treatments.  The endoscope to look for potential varicies and the colonscope as a follow-up to a prior one (pretreatment) in which polyps were discovered.  Both were done with a mind to fully access my situation going into tx 2. After treatment, I would avoid most things medical until recovery is complete and the body has returned to whatever normal might be.  Except all the lab stuff, of course.

[Marcia2202]

lol....

[merryBe]

I don't know the answer....haven't got a clue..

only thing is,
I'm so sick of sticking things down my throat every day ,
and puncturing my skin everyday....
the very last thing I want right now is
something getting stuck up the other end!!!  

: )

mb

[CMcH]

I have not heard about doing it after TX without any symptoms to indicate it. I had the endoscopy and the whole shizzle manizzle during TX because of RUQ pain and strange poo. The meds can cause problems with the lining of stomach and intestines. So it is good to get a baseline.
Others I am sure know more than I.

[jmjm530]

Unless cirrhosis is suspected I'm not sure why they would do an endoscopy ether before or after treatment, at least in terms of HCV.

Personally, I had two endoscopys. The first was about three weeks into treatment because of GERD (chronic reflux) and the second was post treatment because the first endoscopy suggested Barrettts.

Again, neither endoscopy was ordered because of my HCV and if not for the GERD I probably would never have had one.

Same re colonscopys. I've had a couple as part of a routine health screening for colon cancer but neither was suggested or ordered by my hepatologist.

-- Jim