Question about Scope and dilation..please read if you know about them!

I have to have a fourth dilation for my stricture tomorrow. This is the fourth one in four weeks!! i had it dilated last friday and I woke up during the procedure, had a panic attack, and had to be held down! That is the first time it happened to me.

does anyone know if they can give you an anti anxiety med or something else to keep me out of it during the procedure?  I am very worried that I am going to freak out again!! I would just like to know if I can ask for something specific to help me because last Friday was no fun!

Thanks
~Heidi

Usually they do sedate you enough to keep you out through the whole thing.  I think my doc used Versed and something else, I forget what.  I can't recommend a particular drug or dose for you, but what I do recommend is talking to the doc and to the nurse and anyone else you see prior to your procedure about your experience last time.  Let them know how horrible it was for you and ask them what they plan to do differently this time so it doesn't happen again.

I would also ask specifically if, for some reason you do wake up during the procedure again, if they can give you more meds immediately to put you back out rather than have to hold you down and make you suffer through it.  I mean, ask about that before starting the procedure, don't try to ask in the middle if you wake up.

I understand your concerns, I would be really worried too in your shoes, I'm sure.  Most of the time, though, they are able to keep people totally out so chances are this time it will be fine.

I talked to the nurse about this and she said that because we are not entubated, they can't give more meds for fear of our breathing being impacted.

I can understand how that would be a concern.  However, it seems to me that there must a way to keep someone completely sedated without interfering with their breathing; I mean, most of the time they are able to do it.  If they could not keep me sedated fully, then I guess I would want them to do it under general anesthesia.  I just know that I absolutely could not undergo that procedure without being completely out.  I have PTSD, I would have a flashback, I would quite possibly hurt myself or someone else during the procedure, and even if they managed to hold me down and prevent anyone from being hurt, the psychological damage it would do to me would be extreme.  Obviously if one has a stricture, it must be fixed, you can't just live with it.  But I also would not want to face increased flashbacks, nightmares, sleep disturbances, suicidal feelings and possibly attempts, debilitating depression, etc. after having a stricture fixed.  They would have to find a way to fix my stricture without triggering all those other problems.

I agree 100% with you. I was so traumatized that now I must have general anesthesia in order to prevent debilitating anxiety and fear. I remember waking up and fighting and it was horrible.

Thanks Kelly,

They gave me two different meds, one to make me sleepy and one to make me forget. The last two times the worked great,but last friday one dose of each did nothing so they gave me a second. i fell asleep and when i woke up during the procedure they gave me more but it didn't work. The nurse said when you have that much adrenaline going through your system it works against the meds.

i am hoping they can give me something different tomorrow..or at least something on top of what they already give me.

The 2 common drugs are versed, and fentanyl. Please let your doc know (if he doesn't already from your chart) that sedation was difficult. They will have to adjust the doses required to sedate you. Chances are, they may not change the drugs themselves, though. A conversation about planned sedation is in order with the doc for sure.

Definitely talk to the doctor prior to about what happened last time. That happened during my third dilation. It was explained to me that the more often you have to be put into "twilight" sleep the less effective the drug may become. Good luck!!

When I have my scopes because I usually have ulcers and have had to have removals every time (retained staples) my GI doctor now orders it with MAC sedation.  It's monitored anestesia care. It seems like it puts me under better and I have had no issues. It usually means an anestesia doctor is in the room the entire time monitoring the sedation.  Maybe that's an option for you.

The same thing happened to me, and now I receive general anesthesia when I have my dilations, which I have been getting every 2 weeks. Sigh. I will get another dilation this Friday, which will be the 6th or 7th one I've gotten so far (I've lost count now).