Endoscopy - How Are You Supposed to Swallow Tube if You're Asleep?

[Lia813]

To Katie G. OK I see why you had to have the manometry and the fundo. I don't think any of that is my problem. Mine is probably esophageal spasms according to my GP. The manometry will supposedly tell the tale. Being involved with the test will take care of the worrying alright, be too busy concentrating on that ! Thanks for that info. Acording to everything I have read esoph. spasms are difficult to treat. They can try Calcium Channel Blockers but I have been taking one Adalat CC ( Nefedipin ) for 10 yrs for high blood pressure and I got this mess while on it so obviously that won't work for me. Also sublingual nitroglycerin for the acute episode. But since it is with each swallow of food, pills or water I'd have to take one all day long, so you know that won't do. And then there are endoscopic injections of botox into the distal esoph. wall that relieves 2/3rds of patients BUT is temporary .Lasts 3 to 9 mos . and if eventually I had to have a myotomy then supposedly these injections make it more technically difficult and less effective. Sigh. Then there is balloon dialation that requires multiple sessions and results in esop. perforation in 40% of cases . It is temporary too , 2 to 5 yrs . Then finally myotomy if a patient is a good surgical risk which I don't know what is considered there. It is either done thru the abdomen or throat and they divide the muscle between the lower esophagus and upper stomach or something. It is a major surgery and I don't know how I would ever get thru it. Goodness this is long and probably waaaaaaaaay more than you wanted to know ! I guess I just needed to talk about it . Lia

[Lia813]

Thanks Sara52 , that was a good description of the manometry. I cannot lie, I am scared to death . But I was before the endoscopy too and it was easy even though I was not sedated . They gave me sedation but I'm just hard to knock out , I didn't even feel woozy , I remembered everything , but that numbing throat spray and a bunch of talking to myself got me thru it. I feel a little better today so I HOPE that all these pills I am taking for these spasms is helping . But I have felt better before, a little and then it all goes bad again. I have one more week to keep up all this pill taking and then I am SUPPOSED to call my GP and if it is not MUCH better or gone then he is scheduling the manometry. I am pretty sure with the way this has gone for 4 and 1/2 mos. that I am manometry bound. I just don't know how I am gonna do it. A REAL WOMAN indeed , I will feel like I can slay dragons if I pull this off ! I will keep you posted, make no mistake about that. I'll be on here whining and crying as soon as it is scheduled. Ya'll will have to help me , heehee. Thanks again. Lia

[newhere]

terri - I know I'm not Sara but I can assure you that I wasn't aware of a single thing while the endoscopy was happening. You're not really "awake" so to speak, you can obviously listen to commands since they tell you to swallow the tube, but you will have no idea that it is happening......I know this doesn't make sense and I wish I could explain it on a molecular/chemical basis but I'm not all that sure what they give you.

If you're really really nervous of it, by all means tell the anesthesiologist that you are scared of being awake (well, "alert" I guess I should say) during the procedure, and they will do everything they can to make sure you aren't.

Forgot to add, good luck tomorrow! Try not to freak out, everything will be just fine and it will be over before you know it.

[Lia813]

Terri, newhere is right. Tell them you are scared, I surely did when I had mine.The nurse asked what I was afraid of , if it was the procedure or the results ?I told them I was scared of the procedure, the IV needle, the tube , the whole works. She assured me that we swallow foods much larger than than tube everyday and that the numbing spray would suppress the gag reflex and I would not even feel it going down my throat and I didn't. I had a kleenex I was squeezing in my hand and I told her it was my security blanket and she said that was fine that I could keep it ! I also told her not to leave my side during the procedure and she didn't. Tell them you are afraid and they will treat you gently. Really honestly I did not think I could do it either and I did. I did it . I know where you are coming from, I was just terrified but believe it or not you'll see when it is over that the worrying was the worst part of all. Seriously the endoscopy is not hard to do and that is coming from a big chicken ! We'll be waiting to hear from you that you did just great !Lia

[terri48]

Hi newhere and thanks for the great post and encouragement. Guess what...they cancelled my procedure for tomorrow because that facility doesn't take my insurance. So I have to wait 2 weeks and have it done in the hospital where my dr. has priveleges. I called the facility where I was supposed to have it done and they told me how they do the anesthesia and I was ok with it and now I have to wait and ask tomorrow (office was closed by the time I got message on my answering machine). I hope to Go they use the same anesthesia. My dr. told me not to worry and this was before he knew where I'd be going so I am sure whichever it is, his patients are unaware of the tube. I am really stressed out now, have been crying for an hour because I was psyched for tomorrow and nervous and now have to wait 2 more weeks. Not to mention why I am doing this in the first place, the iscomfort, fear of Barrett's and cancer and strictures. I can't deal with this. They treat you like a number. They could have squeezed me in sooner. Thanks for reading this, I'm just venting. Hugs.