Sedation for Colonoscopy + Endoscopy?

[StallionDragoon]

Hi everyone!

I am sitting here drinking some nasty liquid given to me by the doctors to prepare me for my colonoscopy tomorrow.  Tomorrow I will also have a endoscopy done at the same time.  The doctors will sedate me.  They explained that I will be awake, attentive, and able to follow their commands as well as breathe on my own.  Now everyone who I talk to who has had a colonoscopy done has told me that they were put to sleep while it was being performed.  That 3 different people including my mother.  So I'm thinking if they were put to sleep for just the colonoscopy why are they keeping me awake for both Colonoscopy AND endoscopy?

The hospital clinic where I will have this done isn't exactly well respected in my community.  Heck, the whole hospital isn't.  

I just want to know if sedation is normal for a colonoscopy, and endoscopy at the same time?  And if so, what should I expect tomorrow... pain, discomfort, nothing?

[Cdngal]

Glad it all went well, worst part is the prep for sure!,... keep us posted on the biopsy results, I had a colonoscopy last week as well and also took a biopsy due to inflammation... I think he believes its just IBS but they want to be sure...i dont get mine for a couple of weeks when i see him so would be interested to know what they say it is for you.... all the best.

[StallionDragoon]

Okay, just got home.  Still feeling a bit woozy, but the whole procedure was easy with sedation.  The endoscopy took all of 5 minutes, and the colonoscopy felt like 5 minutes as well, but I suspect that is due to me being out of it.

They took a biopsy on both sides.  My stomach because it looked irritated or slightly inflamed, and they found a nodule in my colon.  They took a biopsy of the nodule as well.  And to be honest, I don't know what the hell a nodule is.  Guess I should've googled that before posting this.  But anyway, is this all cause for concern or perhaps something minor and possibly benign?  

Biopsy results will be given to me in 1 week.

[patient915]

Welcome to the gastroenterology community!  Sedation is normal, and is the usual for a colonoscopy/endoscopy/colonoscopy and endoscopy.  However "put to sleep" has different meanings for different people.  I'd say that most people when they are sedated, do not remember any of the procedure (which is part of the point of sedation).  The sedation makes you feel very sleepy and although you are awake, able to follow directions, and breathe on your own, you are very groggy and most people don't remember the procedure.  It is rare that someone is truely "put to sleep" aka general anesthesia (ex. propofol).  Usually people need to be intubated (have a machine breathe for them) during general anesthesia and there are a lot more risks to them.  I would say that it depends on the type of sedation you are getting tomorrow (and how you react to sedation) but some people might experience a little discomfort and some will remember nothing during the procedure.  However, I would never recommend having a procedure done at a place you don't feel comfortable going but that decision is up to you.

I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy with general anesthesia (because of my age) and it went fine.  I had an endoscopy with sedation and it went fine and I remember none of it at all, although when I woke up I started hallucinating because of the drugs they gave me during the procedure.  I had another endoscopy with sedation and I remember the entire procedure and it was very uncomfortable, but they were trying to place a tube so it wasn't a typical endoscopy.  I then had another endoscopy with general anestheria and it went fine except that I remember being extubated (having the breathing tube removed) which was uncomfortable.