So that was a disaster..

Earlier I'd posted about being scared for my endoscopy today. After everyone's reassurances I wasn't too worried, but it couldn't have gone much worse.

They were about the put the tube in my mouth when I said 'when are you going to give me the sedation?' They said they'd already given it, but I felt no different. Doctor then shoved the tube in my mouth without much warning and it was horrible and I went into panic. I was gagging and heaving and desperately trying to tell them to hold on for a minute but obviously I couldn't speak. They were pinning me down and I started lashing out at them, dislocating my cannula in the process so blood was spilling everywhere. I was choking and couldn't breathe, sobbing violently and hitting their hands away.

Obviously, these aren't the actions of someone sedated. When they finally pulled out the tube and turned me round to do my flex sig, I begged 'please, please give me sedation, I am entirely awake, I can feel everything.' But they told me I'd already had the maximum level of sedation, and did the flex. Thankfully I'm used to those so it wasn't too bad.

I am rather embarrassed by the whole thing. I'm not the type to hit people or react violently and unpredictably AT ALL, but the instinct to protect myself overcame me. On my report it is written that the patient had poor tolerance and became agitated, so although they made it to the duodenum, they weren't as thorough as they wanted to me. Everything they did manage to see seemed fine. From the flex sig, I still have active inflammation.

I'm extremely upset. All of that, and still no closer to figuring out why I'm throwing up so much.

oh you poor thing, sounds awful. Your discharge report should list what sedation you had. As you say, doesn't sound like much. Perhaps they meant you had the max level they can give without having to keep you back for longer observation after.

I did the top end endo without sedation. I still gagged a lot though even though I knew to focus on nose breathing and actively stop the impulse to mouth breath, I found it so hard to keep to nose breath only.

Don't worry about lashing out, their fault for a poor procedure, they should have asked if you were ready to start and let you know exactly what was happening.

So sorry- sounds terrible. My daughter's constant companion thru the UC journey was nausea and throwing up. She came out of her endoscopy crying that they didn't find anything physically wrong. The puling was hard on her esophagus, and there was a small hyatial hernia that was helped by a PPI. I haven't followed your recent woes, so sorry if this is repeated advice, but the nausea center is in your brain. Some are helped by antidepressants- part of the signaling errors that UC sufferers have. Chemicals aren't being sent and received the way a normal gut does. An SSRI helped some.
My girl still is an easy puker-even without the colon now. Wish I could be more helpful. Zofran, with many refills....

That was awful no way would my Doc let that happen
I would complain for sure

ByeByeUC you can do endoscopy with the person fully awake. It's quite standard here in the UK that they offer it to you without sedation and I had it without. A proper team though instructs you though that you will gag but try to tolerate it and whatever you do nose breathe, don't try to breathe through your mouth as that can bring on panic.

Can you make an official complaint about your treatment ? I would be furious about this, and quite honestly, it would upset me for days..

Oh I am so, so sorry that you had to go through that. If you ever need to do it again, I hope that there is a possibility to use a different doctor and/or hospital!

Bananagirl - yes, entyvio is the next option... ideally I'd like to delay it as long as possible though. I'm 21, only diagnosed two years ago, and I'm running through these medications like anything. At this rate I'm going to burn out all my options before I've even really started living.

Sorry you had to grow through that
It sounds terrible
Definitely complain

Okay so my report says I was given:
Midazolam 1mg
Fentanyl 50mcg
Buscopan 10mg

I know nothing about sedation, does this seem like a lot to you?

Come to think of it, I don't remember the flex sig part very well at all. Perhaps the sedation just needed time to kick in, because I was definitely far too aware of the endoscopy.

It really doesn't matter how much sedation you were given. The key is that, any time a patient is in that much distress, the procedure should be stopped. They could have then waited to give the medication more time to take effect or terminated the endoscopy totally. They aren't supposed to be in the business of torturing people.
(Actually, I've always suspected the emphasis on not giving sedation was more of a cost saving measure than a patient comfort measure.) I have propofil for a colonoscopy, and I'm definitely not a wimp.

Judy2 said...
It really doesn't matter how much sedation you were given. The key is that, any time a patient is in that much distress, the procedure should be stopped. They could have then waited to give the medication more time to take effect or terminated the endoscopy totally. They aren't supposed to be in the business of torturing people.
(Actually, I've always suspected the emphasis on not giving sedation was more of a cost saving measure than a patient comfort measure.) I have propofil for a colonoscopy, and I'm definitely not a wimp.

I agree with this. They should've stopped, waited 10 minutes and then tried again, more slowly. It didn't sound like you had anyone there reassuring you either. I've never had an endoscopy but I had a flex sig without sedation, and it was awful - the gas and air literally didn't seem to do anything. A nice nurse got me through that, otherwise I might have actually insisted on them stopping. (God knows how anyone in the world manages to have a colonoscopy without sedation: I stand in awe of them.)

But then again, from what I remember of the hospital malaika is at I'm not surprised. The doctors there had zero people skills 10-15 years ago, and they still seem to have zero people skills. Robots would have more empathy.

Did they forget that you were a human being?
Shame on them! Shame! I remember you posted a thread about being nervous about it. I'm so sorry it turned out like that, that actually breaks my heart. You obviously have enough to worry about in life and doctors should NOT make things worse.
I'm disgusted for you. Is that normal procedure, I wonder, to keep on going when a patient clearly isn't doing well and doesn't feel any sedation? Would it kill those people to drug you up?
I hope you get this mess settled/find a new doctor. A hospital can have glowing reviews but the only review that should matter is the one you yourself give it.