i had an endoscopy on Monday afternoon and ever since I've been having these sharp pains during and after eating. Is this normal? The pain sometimes radiates to my back or over my whole chest area making me panic and think I'm having a heart attack. I have a heavy set girl and keep thinking I'm going to die!
View 1 RepliesI woke up in early January with sharp chest pains. I'm young, but of course I did not discount heart ailments. Two ER trips and a Doctor later, after every medical test to my poor body, I have been diagnosed with pleurisy.
I have kids, they are great and understanding and have helped me a lot, but it's been almost 14 weeks. I hurt. This came from nothing, I am extraordinarily healthy, I just hurt.
Today I suppose I'm at my wits end. I am terribly healthy, I should not have this. I have been crying all day.
I am currently 34 weeks pregnant and i'm feeling sharp uncomfortable pains down below even when i'm in bed. They happen at random times so they are not regular. What do you think am i in early labour or baby is engaging?
View 2 RepliesThis might be TMI, but my vagina has been very sore. I thought it might be a UTI, but my vagina is sore, not sharp pains. Feels like someone hit it with a bat a few weeks ago and I'm still recovering lol its only sore when I walk (well when I waddle). I'm 35 weeks. Has anyone else experienced this?
View 1 RepliesI've been dealing with anxiety for now going on 5 months straight with a little break here and there , but this head sensations are what's driving me crazy , the sensations I get are scalp soreness , sharp pains that move around different parts of my head , this shaky head feeling soreness in the top of my head dull pains in different areas mild headaches back of the head aches , I just want this to all leave me alone , it makes me so sad , I tired of dealing with this .
View 54 RepliesI just went to the doctor who was very happy with my flexion and bending. He told me I don't even need PT any longer and to keep walking, swimming and doing whatever it is I've been doing. The last time I was measured I was about 120-122 in both knees. I had double knee replacement. My gait is good. I do not limp. This last week I have walked, stood and climbed steps more and at night have really paid the price. I had two nights where I really was unable to sleep because of the aching and pains going down the shins from the knees. I've iced and used heat but unhappy about this. The next day was difficult to walk. I'm feeling like one step forward two steps back. My husband says this is just "part of the healing process" and to just keep going. It's depressing, though. I'm tired of being in pain and want to move on with my life and be able to walk 1-2 miles without being incapacitated the next day. I was also told that I would just need Tylenol or Aleve at this point for pain but.....doesn't put a dent in the night pain. Anyone else experienced this?
View 35 RepliesI have a 8 year old daughter who i have been worried has Coeliac disease for some time now, She was under a doctor in the first two years of her life as she was not growing at the expected rate, they done many tests at the time including a blood test for Celiac which came back negative. in the end it was decided she was just small. She Is still very small and at 8 years old wears age 6 clothing, she complains often of stomach pains after eating. I have also recently noticed that the enamel on her front teeth is not forming properly, is very pitted and looks very brittle. I requested another blood test last year which also came back negative but i'm still not convinced. We do have Celiac in our family, not her immediate family but grandparents. I don't know if i'm worrying for no reason or if I'm going to cause long term problems for her by not pushing this further.
View 1 RepliesI have been taking omeprazole 40mg daily for a suspected peptic ulcer for 2 months. The pain has now completely gone. I'm due for an endoscopy in 2 weeks to check everything. I came off omeprazole yesterday, as instructed by the hospital, but have started today with indigestion and excess saliva production which is affecting my sleep. Will this subside? Any more experiences out there?
View 1 RepliesI am what my doctor describes as a perfectly healthy 32 year female. I have a hiatal hernia but that may be beside the point. I had been on Paxil 20 up until September. At the end of October, I began feeling nauseous after eating and vomiting after eating supper. I do not feel better after vomiting and find it almost impossible the eat for 24 hours following. I feel incredibly exhausted after 3pm, and when I feel ill it's at or around 5pm. My blood tests are perfect, not pregnant, and up to this point generally healthy. I am looking for ideas, other experiences, and general info to find out and 'fix' what is all of a sudden wrong with me!
View 1 RepliesI been having stomach pains to the point for about 3 months which is really scaring me a lot I went to the hospital I thought I was my appendix but it wasn't they did x-Ray and ct scan and blood work everything come out normal but they told me I have fatty liver I also had h.pylori but don't have h.pylori no more took antibiotics and also have gastritis but still they don't find nothing but I'm still in pain it comes and goes to me it feels like it's air in my stomach it goes everywhere around to my left side to my chest but it doesn't goes away. Lately I been feeling nauseous wanna throw up I just wanna feel normal again as I write this. I have discomfort in my stomach right side I can push down with one finger on my stomach and hold it, it hurts and it feels like it's burning I don't know what to do.
View 4 RepliesMY GP recently prescribed Atorvastatin to deal with high(ish) cholesterol. I have been taking Amlodipine, Losartan and Bezafibrate without any problems but in the past 3 weeks since starting the statins I feel like crap - Nausea, muscle pains, kidney pains and total lack of energy.
The blurb with the statins indicated there could be problems with Amlodipine but I started taking them.
I am having issues with starving myself for days at a time then eating a little bit and having this overpowering need to puke. I dont know what to do anymore. I have been dealing with these thoughts and behaviors along with self injurious behaviors for a little over 13 years, could somone please help me before I go overboard.
View 4 RepliesI am a 21 year old female, I am 5'3 and weigh around 103-104lb (7 stone 5-6lb).
I used to be just under 10 stone a few years ago and crash dieted to lose the weight. I wanted to be 9 stone, then 8 and a half, then 8, then I was happy bouncing between 7.10-7.12 for a few months. But recently it has dropped, I was fine at 7 and a half, but as it's gone down I've wanted it to stay down. I weigh myself everyday before eating/drinking. If my weight is at 7.5 I'm not too bad, but jf it js at 7.6 I panic that I'm getting fat and will keep gaining. I try not to eat until my evening meal, which I always make sure I have, though sometimes end up snacking before if I start to feel too hungry. I have 2 cups of tea a day with 2 sugars in each to try and suppress my hunger. I also worry that when I start eating, I won't stop. Sometimes I will have a big takeaway, medium pizza all to myself, continue eating it even if it hurts, and then half an hour after, continue eating. I never make myself sick/take laxatives and wouldn't, but I sometimes try not to eat all day in case I lose control and keep eating and eating. I have anxiety/depression/ocd issues anyway and I'm worried I may have some sort of eating disorder too.
I don't like eating breakfast. I don't like anything at all. What should I do?
View 2 RepliesI had an Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy this morning. I didn't know whether I wanted to do with or without sedation until the last minute. I had read this forum and asked about every single person I know, and everyone said I was crazy to consider doing it without sedation. In the end, talking to the nurse, I decided to try without it. And I am so glad I did! I would be surprised if the endoscopy itself lasted longer than 5 minutes. It is very unpleasant, don't get me wrong, I did not gag or vomit, but there were a couple of moments where I thought I was going to have a panic attack, so I just concentrated on breathing deeply and keeping calm. When it was over I was up and out of the hospital in 10 minutes, which is great!
View 1 RepliesSo I saw my GI doctor today. Did a rectal exam, went over all of the testing I had done. She does not think my symptoms are anything serious (yay!) but she does want to do an endoscopy on Monday to see if there is an ulcer or anything.
I am SCARED! I have never had any sort of sedation or medical procedure. Anyone been through this? What can I expect? I have classes the next day and I am hoping I will be able to function fine the next day. Any input helps
I am sixteen years old and had an Upper gastroscopy yesterday!
Firstly DON'T WORRY! Alls I did was worry and it really was ok.
I checked into the hospital, and waited in my bed for about half an hour. I was then taken to a pre-theatre room, where i was told to lie on my back. I had my throat sprayed and it numbed it instantly. I then had the sedation put into a vain in my hand. The doctor then told me to lie on my side, but I couldn't as I was already sedated (That's how quick it works!)
DON'T worry about the air being pumped into you, I didn't feel a thing!
The next thing I knew, I woke up and it was all over. The procedure only lasted for 5 minutes.
I waited around for about one hour for the sedation to ware off and then I went home with my mum and boyfriend.
Today I woke up with mild stomach pains due to the fact I had a BIOPSY took of my stomach, but as the day wore on they gradually got smaller.
So I am scheduled to have an endoscopy done on Friday. I have read all the bad things that happen after having the procedure. How often do you have really bad symptoms? Bad gas, bloating, abdominal pain, etc after the procedure.
I am really tempted to call off having it done right now. The pain that I have is not daily and doesn't last long. It is something that I can live with and wait out a few months if need be.
I had an endoscopy in February to assess why I had a lump sensation in the throat and some stomach pain. Prior to the procedure I had no chest pain whatsoever.
After the endoscopy, I was diagnosed with silent reflux and Barrett's Oesophagus and have had chest pain ever since.
I told the consultant about this a few days ago and he wants to perform another endoscopy to find out why I have had chest pain since the initial procedure. I'm a bit hesitant as I'm not 100% sure that he didn't cause the problem in the first place. Would anyone else go ahead or get another consultant to have a look?
I can see a Colonoscopy coming my way.
Just wanted to say about 4 years ago I had to have an upper tract endoscopy (tube down throat) and was beside myself over it. I'm the biggest wimp going and very frightened of invasive procedures.
Anyway, circumstance on the day were that if I had sedation I'd have no one to drive me home afterwards but I wanted to get it over and one with.
So believe it or not I asked for it without sedation. The nurse tried to dissuade me but I stuck to my guns. I did accept the throat spray though. I calmed myself as much as I could and walked into the procedure room.
I'm please to say I managed it without sedation and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. No pain and only minimal discomfort. I did mumble about getting the endoscope out quick just before the end but by then it was nigh on all over. The examining doctor said I'd done so well to tolerate it. That made me doubly proud of myself because at the time I suffered from severe panic attacks (now thankfully gone).
Back in recovery all my fellow endoscopes who'd had their procedure before me were snoring their heads off. I waited there a while because I wanted the numbness the spray had caused to my throat to wear off. During this wait I heard other patients who had been sedated fighting, groaning, moaning and shouting during their investigation. I'm sure that would have been me if I'd been left with no control.
Now possibly got to face a colonoscopy and heading to that section to see what the score is on that front.
I just thought I'd post my experience with my upper endoscopy/gastroscopy today, as I'd been putting it off for ages due to the awful stories I read online. I think people are more inclined to post their experience if it's an unusually traumatic one, so I'd like to add another good story to balance it out!
Background: I'm a 26 year old female. It was about a year ago that my GP pushed for a gastroscopy, but after doing my research, I refused. Even the thought of it made my heart skip a beat. I was in the hospital once for an ultrasound and walked by the endoscopy unit... I remember thinking, no way am I ever going in there! Then this year I suffered a few bad bouts of vomiting, and my GP again encouraged me to have a gastroscopy. By then I was so sick that I just wanted to do whatever I could to help myself.
So, in preparation, I read as many encouraging experiences as I could. By the time I arrived at the hospital today (University College London), I was in good spirits and excited to finally get it over with. I knew I was going to opt for just the throat spray and no sedation, as I always feel like my best chance of getting through anything is mind power.
After an hour's wait, I was led into the procedure room and prepared by two lovely nurses. The doctor sprayed the numbing stuff into my mouth (it kind of stung and tasted weird, but it didn't bother me). I was expecting to feel uncomfortable as my throat was numbed, but it wasn't bad at all. I could still sort of feel myself swallow. If you feel like you can't swallow and it weirds you out, just put your hand on your throat and feel yourself swallow from the outside.
The nurses then inserted the mouth piece, and the doctor told me to close my eyes. I felt the endoscope go to the back of my throat. He told me to swallow, and next thing you know I felt it (very faintly) go down my throat. I could breathe normally, as the endoscope was a lot narrower than my esophagus (I had pictured it as being so big it would block the air!), and I could even swallow without choking. Swallowing had been my main concern, because I find it hard not to swallow for long periods. But I was able to breathe and swallow as normal.
While the endoscope was in my stomach, I was comfortable enough - I could have lasted like that for another hour. A few minutes in, the doctor moved the endoscope into my duodenum, and this is when it felt a tiny bit sore for a few seconds. It was more like discomfort than pain. He took some biopsies, which didn't hurt at all, I just didn't like the general feeling of something in that part of my intestine. But that part was so short (20 seconds or so) and the doctor reassured me by saying the procedure was almost over. Next thing I know, he pulled it back into my stomach, then all the way back up my throat. The whole thing lasted about 5 minutes max, no gagging at all. I would do it again right away if I had to! I'm really glad I didn't opt for sedation, as being aware of how easy it was going is what kept me calm throughout. I was out of the hospital and on the bus home within 15min of being done.
Here's to reassure you about some common fears people have:
Gagging and being sick: The throat spray will do a lot to stop gagging, but even if you do gag, remind yourself that it's okay. It doesn't feel nice, but you're not going to die or have permanent damage, and there's probably nothing in your stomach for you to vomit up. I've had plenty of nights vomiting continuously for 10 hours, thinking I was going to suffocate, bursting blood vessels in my face from the violent gagging. So, absolute worst case scenario, I'm sure you can manage a few minutes of that surrounded by nurses that are taking care of you. But you probably won't be near that bad!
In preparation, I actually trained my gag reflex to be less sensitive. Touching your gag reflex over time will desensitise it. If gagging really has you worried, I suggest Googling instructions (sword swallowers do this, as do people who... ahem... deep throat). This could be especially useful if you're the kind of person who gags when they brush their teeth or swallow pills. Sensitivity should return when you stop "exercising" the reflex (it's not good to weaken it forever, as it's there to stop you from choking!). Making a fist with your left hand and squeezing your left thumb inside it is also said to suppress your gag reflex.
Not being able to breathe: Nothing to be afraid of here, there is plenty of space in your throat and nose to breathe.
Not being able to swallow: I managed to swallow just fine throughout, but you may not even need to, as the nurses suck out excess saliva with one of those dentist tubes.
Pain: Many people experience no pain, others just a tiny bit of soreness or discomfort at points. But probably nothing worse than the symptoms that have led you to do this test.
Panicking: If you are vaguely comfortable with things going past your gag reflex (as I was after desensitising it), you shouldn't have anything to worry about. I could hardly feel the tube in my throat. Thank goodness for that spray stuff! And just keep telling yourself it's a very short, safe, painless procedure, and each second you bear is one second closer to it being over. In the lead up to test, read other people's good experiences, and focus on the positive of how glad you'll be to have finally done it.
If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer. If you're still really scared about having a gastroscopy, just remember, I was exactly like you a few months ago! And I managed to change my mindset to the point where I was laughing and joking with the nurses as they prepared me.