PAIN DURING ENDOSCOPY

[SARAHLCCC]

I might have to have another endoscopy due to pain and diarrhoea but I am terrified, as the last one I had was ok until air was pumped in and then the pain I felt was as bad as the pain I'd had for years. It was absolutely terrible. In the end someone poured water down as they could see I was retching but this was only because of the pain. I tried to signal to get them to stop but no-one saw me. What causes this pain with the air as no-one else seems to have had it. I had diazepam but it didn't do anything for me before or after the endoscopy. And I've had six children so I know what pain is! This was honestly the worst pain ever and to add insult to injury nothing untoward was found. Now I might have to repeat the procedure and no-one anywhere has heard of this type of excruciating nauseous pain.

[SARAHLCCC]

No, I had an endoscopy. It was done quite a number of years ago but when I mention that sort of terrible pain with the air,all I get are perplexed faces! I live in England and getting really bad nausea and upper abdominal pain on and off from time to time and a doc at the hospital told me the ONLY way to rule out cancer in that area was to have an endposcopy and/or a camera through the rectum to look at state of bowel. So absolutely dreading asking for a referal.......

[mammo]

Did you only have an endoscopy, or was it a colonoscopy?  If only an endoscopy, then a colonoscopy would be your next step, especially if it hasn't been that long ago and they found nothing.  I think I would find a different gastroenterologist, and sit down and discuss your past problems and go from there.

[CalGal]

Sarah, it's called visceral hypersensitivity and a lot of people experience it. Your colon is reacting to stretch and it sounds like your 'stretch-detector' is set on 'very sensitive.'

Was your colonoscopy done with sedation besides the diazepam? If it's done in the U.S., diazepam isn't the only drug that's typically used. And how long ago was the last one done?

You need to sit down and have a long talk with the person or group that handles the anesthetic (conscious sedation) that's used for the colonoscopy. There are ways to tamp down that kind of pain, but you've got to be working with an understanding person who understands the issue.