For those who had an Endospopy

I am having heartburns and chestpains dude to excess gas for almost 1 1/2 years.
Yesterday i saw a doctor and he recommended to have an Endoscopy.

I am actually scheduled for the test next week.
Can somene that had endoscopy describe in details about the procedure.

Is it painfull and are there ant stomach problems after the test?

Also, is there anything i should do before the test.

I will apreciate your responses.

Thanks in advance

YM

The procedure really isn't painful. Generally you shouldn't remember anything from the procedure. I've had the procedure done several times. One time the sedation wasn't quite right and I remember parts of the procedure.The staff provide a local spray for the throat so that the tube doesn't cause any discomfort. I don't remember any pain but I do remember feeling like I was choking. I have asthma and have a tendency to want to breathe out of my mouth, so I didn't find the sensation pleasant.

I imagine what happens after that depends on what your doctor does when he gets down there. My esophagus had to be dilated due to a stricture. My throat was sore for a few days and I had to eat soft food for 2 days. It really wasn't a big deal. I was also warned that I might feel a bloating feeling. Apparently some gas or air can be forced into the stomach. I never noticed any problems. It didn't sound like it would be that uncomfortable.

Not much has to be done beforehand, although I couldn't eat or drink anything prior to the procedure.

Overall, I'm not very concerned about the procedure. It's certainly a lot less unpleasant than ongoing heartburn.

Endoscopy, while not particularly pleasant, wasn't nearly as bad as some other medical procedures I've had. I had concious sedation, and I remember everything about it. My throat was sprayed to numb it, and I didn't feel anything except a little pressure. I had a little gagging sensation for a few seconds part way through, but I would choose this over colonoscopy any day.

Snowie,

Do you think the endoscopy made the acid reflux symptoms worse? I think that's what happened with me. I was having some chest pain prior to an endoscopic exam in mid-September. I had several endoscopic exams in the late 1990s due to a choking episode. My esophagus had a stricture due to silent acid reflux. I was scheduled to have another exam around now to see if the stricture had come back. Prior to the procedure, I had begun feeling some pain behind my breastbone, a lot milder than what I'm experiencing now. During the endoscopic exam the doctor discovered another, albeit milder, stricture which he dilated and a small ulcer.

Since then the symptoms have been much worse. A lot of burning in my chest and throat. Feelings of being bloated and something stuck in my throat although I know nothing is stuck. I'm beginning to wonder if the exam may have loosened my LES.

I meet w/ my gastro doctor again in a few days and I know he'll want to take another look to see if the stricture is gone. I'll be asking some hard questions. I'm not sure what else I can do at this point. I'm taking Nexium and Zantac, but it seems to be doing little good. I have modified my diet, using a wedge pillow (ugh) and lost some weight. I don't know what else to try except changing medicines. I would really rather avoid surgery to tighten the LES if I can avoid it.

mlp