EGD and Colonoscopy

[Anime]

Hello. I am very nervous. I am having an EGD and Colonoscopy done on 6/11. The other postings have made me nervous about possibly waking up during the procedures. I explained my anxiety about this to the doctor, but he guaranteed that there is about 96 percent of people are asleep from the sedation medicine they give and that only a small percentage actually wake up, but those are the ones usually very tolerant to medicines. He is under a group practice that does nothing but these kinds of procedures every day, so I guess I'm in good hands. These postings have made me very nervous!!!!!

[joycekatherine]

I have had 6 colonoscopies and 4 egds and the worst part of the whole experience is the prep the day before and spending a lot of time in the john...the procedures themselves are a piece of cake like dostalj said.  Make sure you tell your Dr that you are nervous and want to be totally out and I'm sure he will oblige...good luck to you!

[aar1151]

I've had both  and they were much easier than I thought they would be.  I have ulcerative colitus and so I get a colonoscopy every year!  The worst part is the goop you have to take beforehand!  But I also have been watching mine for many years -- I know exactly what is going on by the way it looks, so the Dr. has little to tell me.  They usually give you two kinds of drugs; I opt. only for the first one or else you're out like a light!  Just try to relax and and it will be faster and easier for the both of you.  aar1151

[mammo]

I have 3 children and 2 grandsons who have had yearly upper and lower scopes done with no problems.  There is an anesthesiologist there to ensure that you do not wake up, my adult son doesn't receive any sedation at all!  These horror stories are so rare, and even if you did wake up, there is no pain involved, so what would the problem be? I've also had them where I'm barely sedated.  Just relax and know you are in good hands.  When my children were very young, they never sedated them, but with new technology found it okay for the patient to sleep during the procedure.  My son likes to see what the docs are seeing and they turn a monitor on for him to watch.  Did you see when Katie Curic had hers done on national TV, fully awake?  It's truly no big deal.  Please relax, and stay off these blogs until it's over.

[dostalj]

I have recently had both an EGD and a Colonoscopy.  They were a piece of cake.  The EGD was done in an emergency setting, so I was already in a heightened state of anxiety.  The relaxation medication and sedation medication did their jobs.  I came "back" just a little bit before they had the scope out of my mouth, but it was not traumatic.  Truly, the traumatic part is the "going in" part, not the coming out part.  I was WAY gone for the going in part.  

The colonoscopy was done, not as a normal screen, but in search of problems.  So, my anxiety was once again elevated.  The meds did their job.  I became slightly aware of the doc doing her thing toward the end of the procedure.  But, it was the blood pressure cuff that bothered me (it was starting to expand and get tight again), NOT what the doctor was doing.  As soon as they realized I was aware of what was going on, they gave me a little more medication, I was out like a light.  Again... that was not traumatic.  It was a vague awareness which passed very quickly.  

So... I share this to say... even if you do manage to wake up slightly, it can happen without trauma.  Truly, truly.... the part of both procedures that would be the most traumatic is the beginning, where the instruments are inserted.  And, if you are awake, you can speak up and tell the doctor NO... that you need more meds.   If you are exceptionally anxious, tell the doctor that you are.  The doctor WANTS a comfortable patient.  It is not being a weenie to tell him/her that you are anxious.  These are very anxiety producing procedures.  So, even if you feel "stupid," tell the doc or the nurse how anxious you are.  They want to know.  

I know you'll do just fine.  The VAST majority of people do.  

Be well,
Jules