# Conscious Sedation for an Upper Endoscopy



## nrep (Jun 19, 2007)

I'm set to have this done and have read that conscious sedation often causes vomitting upon waking.Was this your experience? I have a phobia about vomitting and this is making me quite nervous about the procedure.i wanted to know if this side effect is quite common with folks who've had it done.thanks.


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## remo (Dec 24, 2009)

My 18 year old son had this a few months ago - no problems at all. He came home a bit "hazy" and had to watch the Tour de France three times that day before he could remember who won that stage. LOL! But that was the worst of it.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I didn't have any problems worrying about nausea, but I already know I am one that vomits a lot when coming up. I don't care, as it happens before I'm fully awake, but occasionally the nurse in recovery seems really tired of it by the time I awake enough to answer questions about it.Now the last couple of things with the twilight sleep rather than all they way out I haven't had a problem, but they know I've had issues so they can put in some anti-nausea drugs before I come up rather than waiting to see if I'm one of the ones that has a problem.Some people don't have any problems at all, and I don't know if they will give you anti-nausea drugs just in case. But like I said usually for me the problems all happen when I'm still to out of it to notice and by the time I'm back up they've taken care of the problem. Luckily I do not have anxiety about throwing up.


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## nrep (Jun 19, 2007)

Thats good to know. I will tell them that I have fears of vomitting and see if they will slip me the anti-nausea.So, you have no memory at all that you vomit? Do you feel nauseuas? What procedures have you had the "conscious sedation" used for? Have you ALSO had MAC used?I had thought that the vomtting would happen when one is awake (or just awakes). Hmm. Thanks for your help!


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## riddick (Dec 30, 2008)

I had conscious sedation for my first attempt. Complete non starter, fully conscious, completely aware and i pulled the damn thing out as i started to gag on it!In the end after much pleading and intervention by another Dr on my behalf i was given full general anaesthetic.For some unfortunate people conscious sedation doesn't work (GI Dr told me this afterwards).


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## blondeoverblue24 (Oct 20, 2009)

I had conscious sedation for my colonoscopy and my EGD (which were done about a month apart back in 2005). I woke up for about 15-30 seconds during the colonoscopy and I felt full of air (and may have yelped a bit), but they gave me more meds and I slept through the remainder of the procedure. I was out like a light for my entire EGD. Both days I felt pretty groggy throughout the rest of the day, but I have always had that issue with even general anesthesia. I remember feeling queasy after the colonoscopy, but it seemed to be more the actual gas pressure than nausea itself. Once they turned me on my side and I passed some gas, I felt a whole lot better. I don't recall being nauseous with the EGD.Some people do have problems with conscious sedation and there's no good way to predict it. I would warn you that if you are one of those people who does not respond to it and they cannot safely complete the procedure, they may have to reschedule you to another day if there's not an anesthesiologist available (they're required for general anesthesia, while the GI doctor can handle conscious sedation). Best of luck to you!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I was fully sedated when the fixed my deviated septum. I knew there were issues coming up from an eye surgery when I was four, but I didn't know what. Sometimes you can respond or move before you get fully conscious. It isn't an all or nothing kind of thing. So I was throwing up before I was up enough to have awareness. The first thing I remember was being asked in a slightly exasperated voice if I thought I was going to throw up again. By then the anti-nausea stuff in the IV had taken effect so I felt fine. However I don't come up easy and went back out when they gave me a bit of morphine for the pain. I was over an hour late getting to my hospital room because I had to wake up from the morphine enough to leave recovery.I've had a fibroid removed and an endoscopy under twilight sedation. I think since they weren't messing with my face or cutting anything open I didn't need to be as deep. I felt fine coming up out of those, but like I said we had the recent surgery experience and I made sure they knew about my vomiting issues before I went under. I did seem to have been pretty responsive before the conscious awareness was fully there. I think for the fibroid removal I was sitting up before I woke up. (although I can sit up in my sleep and not know I do it. I used to sit up and ask who was there when my college roommate came in really late without ever actually waking up).


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

I assume that what you guys are referring to as "conscious sedation" is the neuroleptanalgesia where you're technically responsive, but have no memory of the procedure?Has anyone here ever had an endoscopy without this type of sedation (like nothing that would cause the amnesia effect)??The worst part about my colonsocopy (for me) was "blacking out" periodically throughout the day, even after I was home and "recovered". I do not want this to happen when I have my upper GI.


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## riddick (Dec 30, 2008)

Yep they tried me with throat spray . . . . .i was even worse! gagging before anything was even near my throat!


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