Especially interested in anyone who wasn't sedated. I've been awake for my endoscopy and colonoscopy with sedation which everyone else doesn't remember. I'm scheduled for one and am told that I will be given some mild sedation. But I'm a bit nervous, especially since I'll probably be awake for it. Wondering how much pain before and after have you experienced? Thanks for any feedback.
If I understood the doctor properly, it is to determine whether my spine is leaking, which changes the pressure in my head and then causes my migraines to get worse with the slightest physical exertion. For example, when I've got a really bad migraine, just getting up out of bed for 15 minutes makes it worse. And the rest of the time, even walking around the house to do watering makes it worse. Thanks again.
Added 15 Nov 2012:
Thinking about it more, the radiology dept said that I would be so sedated that I wouldn't be able to leave the hospital until about 3 hours later after the test. They clearly think that I will be in enough pain that they need to sedate me for the measurements that they are doing. I think my best plan is to write the director and my regular doctor about my concerns about being sedated at the same levels that did manage to sedate me in my successive endoscopies. I can't afford to wake up in the middle of it and jump. I woke up screaming in pain during my colonoscopy after telling the anesthesiologist how much I needed. He decided to undersedate me. I was in pain for months afterwards.
Question is Closed
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16 Answers
CA
CarlaLopez25
9 Oct 2019
Not bAd as long as they put you under twilight sedation and are doing it by X-ray so they don’t have to guess where the nerve is, instead they can see it right there on the computer in real time
Votes: +0
EL
Elteec
1 June 2019
I’ve had a colonoscopy and endoscopy with little sedation and can remember every detail. This was at a VA hospital. I’ve had both where they totally knocked me out and know nothing of the procedures. I just had a myelogram with no sedation and it wasn’t bad at all. The only pain I felt was when he stuck me with the needle putting the local in to deaden it.
Votes: +0
MI
MissCRS
2 Dec 2018
I see this is an old question so I'm very well aware that you now know that "sedation" is a 10 mg Valium. Hardly the "sedation" you will wish you had. I can not remember the name of this procedure but it involved a spinal tap to see if my back fusion surgery had failed or if there were other issues to address. I felt like I was going to die!!! I am allergic to opiates so no pain medicines before or after. Just so very grateful that I did not get the screaming headache many people do. On a pain scale of 1 to 10 this is a 25. For approximately 20 minutes, which BTW feels like 1 hour. Good luck, hope you have a good nuclear doc performing your test After it is all over you will be one HAPPY!! individual!
Votes: +0
ND
Ndbsmile
8 June 2015
I had a spinal tap done and told how painful they were. Well, I had it done without sedation 5, yes 5, times in a row bc they couldn't get the fluid out of me. That meant 10 needles (lidocaine plus the lp needle)
Votes: +0
SA
sara12345
15 June 2015
Yes, mine didn't hurt at all until afterwards when I couldn't be upright for 5 days or I got the worst head pain ever. This can happen.
LO
loveplants
5 June 2015
I have a high tolerance for pain, and I will tell you this was the worst procedure ever. No pain meds, no sedation and the worst pain I have ever experienced. My son is in medical school and I told him it is like a medieval procedure that should be banned. Sorry, just being honest. Give me natural childbirth any day over this.
Votes: +0
SA
sara12345
1 Aug 2014
I should have updated my experience with the spinal tap. I was fully awake even though they said that they gave me a mild sedative. No pain at all during the procedure, but I had the WORST extreme head pain that I've ever had. Even when I had my major stroke, it wasn't so terrible. I could not lift my head up for 5 days. I should have gone in right away to have the blood patch, but when I called, they said that I should wait a few more days. And I would have to have gone to the ER which takes many hours to be seen until you are dying or having a stroke. So yes, you were very right with your advice.
Votes: +0
WF
wfs17
16 May 2014
It is the worst thing ever. I would seriously recommend that you talk with the doctor who suggested a lumbar procedure to you, and talk about what happens if the hole in your spine that they will make doesn't patch up. This past summer I had symptoms of meningitis and went to see a doctor. I got the spinal tap, and a day later I literally couldn't get out of bed without vomitting. The pain in my head from brain fluid leaking and brain pressure changing was so bad that I was stuck in bed. I couldn't even lift my head up. Of course the doctor "forgot" to mention these side effects of the procedure. So, two days later I was back in the ER and had to get a blood patch. The headache was the worst pain I felt in my entire life. Please don't get it, or if you do, make sure that the doctor will patch it up for you.
Votes: +1
ME
meyati
19 Nov 2012
Somebody asked why can't they do a cat scan. To do a CAT scan they have to do a Milogram, where they inject iodine in the spine for contrast. At Tripler Army Hospital in Hawaii, the staff refused to tell anybody about the iodine injections. They had patients tell the other patients what it was like. A paratrooper and a sailor told my son that it was real easy-no pain at all. But they added the patient that talked to them said it was hell on earth-and it took weeks to recover. It took over a month for my son to recover. They doped him up keep him from screaming. My son had to talk to the next patient-and my son said it was hell on earth. That marine told my son that he lied- it was worse than death-worse than boot camp- worse than battle. So both of them had their beds put next to each other and they screamed together.
So, they have to talk to some wimp and they tell him it's agony-they couldn't walk-my son hooked his toes on a bed rail, and laid with his head on the floor, and screamed. The nurses put pillows and padding on the floor in case he fell out. The wimp gets his milogram-the next day he's walking around, joking and flirting with the nurses. So the next patient came in. My son and the marine told how horrible it was-this scrawny wimp says that there's nothing to it. That guy went in and came out screaming- the wimp gets in his face-and the new patient grabs him by the neck and tries to choke him. So they had my son, the marine and the huge guy in their beds screaming. They put orange cones around my son's bed so nobody stepped on his head. The next 2 guys- why did you lie to us. Nothing to it, no head ache -no trouble walking or sitting or sleeping-They all had spinal damage and surgery. All of them had been in accidents. I'd sit on the floor, talk to my son and try not to cry.
Votes: +0
ME
meyati
19 Nov 2012
My son fainted a lot from the pain-but like I said-the other guy-the wimp was running around-flirting-no pain-no problems
CE
C.E.
19 Nov 2012
I had an epidural, and it didn't provide me any pain relief, and my top blood pressure soared over 200. Afterwards, I suffered for three months with dizziness/balance problems, headaches, hearing sound distortions, etc. You may not have any of these problems. Maybe check into the percentage of those that have difficulties with the spinals/epidurals. Is there a form of imagine that they can do to "see" the possible leakage? Take care. C.E.
Votes: +0
SA
sara12345
19 Nov 2012
My latest info from the clerk is that I won't be put out completely and will be able to communicate with the doctor during it. If it's not supposed to be so bad, I should be able to get through it--right? I'm worried about waking up in the middle of it and jump since I had a very bad experience of waking up during my colonoscopy that caused me pain for months afterwards.
Votes: +1
ME
meyati
19 Nov 2012
let them know-which I'm sure that you did. I was told the same thing-twilight, answer questions-blah I went out while the doctor said, "Now" The only twilight was I really heard was 'good she finally ... "
IN
Inactive
18 Nov 2012
Hi Sara, you can here many horror stories about spinal taps, but most of them were in the past, not the present, when things have gotten better. I did research for Tee, who was scared about getting a spinal myelogram, and found out that nowadays it isn't bad at all. (Also my best friend had one too, and they didn't even remember). The reason you have to stay in the hospital for three hours afterwards is because you merely have to lie on your back completely to avoid any pain. I also believe that you have to lie still as possible for the next 24-48 hours on your back, (though that could be for a myelogram, not a spinal tap, or lumbar puncture) to keep from leakage happening. It is not painful. Tee was wonderfully surprised to find out that she had no problems at all. PQ her please!! A myelogram is much more invasive than a spinal tap, and takes much longer too. You have to go through x-rays and CT scans and then replace the fluid back from the dye.
You will be ok, I'm sure!! The worst part of any procedure is the anticipation. Try to not think about it, ok? It would be wonderful to find out what is causing the headaches!!
Votes: +1
SA
sara12345
18 Nov 2012
Thanks for your great advice. I can't help but be apprehensive until I know what is going to happen. You say that your best friend couldn't remember it. I'm very worried about "waking up" in the middle of it and jumping from my experience of waking up during my colonoscopy screaming and making it far worse. I'm going to insist on them NOT putting me completely out to avoid it--especially if it's not that bad. Thanks again!
BL
BlameItOnMyADD
18 Nov 2012
I caught meningitis, and the doctors had to perform a spinal tap. I was knocked out for it with anesthesia, but they missed my spinal cord. Not once, not twice, but SEVEN times. After the procedure, morphine was put into my IV. That was also when I discovered that I have almost complete immunity to morphine, due to my father being allergic. Yet, overall, my back only hurt for about three days after I was released from the hospital.
Votes: +2
ME
meyati
18 Nov 2012
Good god--- I'm so sorry--
SA
sara12345
19 Nov 2012
Oh my goodness. When they tried 7 times, did you still stay anesthetized through it all? And was that the reason why you needed the morphine afterwards because they had to try so many times? So sorry that you had a bad time of it, but it is encouraging that you only had pain for 3 days afterwards. Thanks for sharing.
RO
rontonton28
29 Sep 2017
oh no, during my spinal tap I wasn'tgiven any sedative. I screamed and hollered, it took a nurse to hold me down! the pain was excruciating, I'venever experienced pain like that in my whole life! Mr. Gil Loera
SA
sara12345
29 Sep 2017
To ronton, I think that the doctor did a terrible job for you to hurt so much. I was barely sedated, was fully awake and didn't feel anything. I think that you should make a complaint. Sara
Hi, I have had a few spinal taps done before , and I have to say with each one it wasn't that bad. Each one was done with a local injection, then when it is done you have to lie flat for several hours after. But the problem I have had in the past is every time I have had a spinal tap I got a spinal headache, and then had to spend a week in the hospital because every time the fluid would just keep leaking. I remember having to have a patch done where I guess it is like a band aid, I only had that done once and I am not telling you this to scare you or anyone else, but because our hospital is a teaching one I said yes to an inexperienced doctor, and it was one of the most painful things to have done. Well I say done they could not finish putting the patch on because the trainee doctor made things worse and I was made to feel a baby because I wouldn't even let the other doctor finish putting the patch on. The leak stops eventually it just means it took me longer to recover. Take care and I really hope you have a better experience then me,Liz.
Votes: +1
SA
sara12345
15 Nov 2012
Oh my goodness Liz. What a terrible time you had of it. And to have to be in the hospital each time is no fun. I'm having this done at a teaching hospital also. What was the patch for? And were you in so much pain at the needle point that it was painful to have them push the patch on? The reason why I'm having this done is because my neurologist suspects that I may have a leak in my spinal column which will then need to be treated with medication. Is that what your spinal taps showed? Why have you needed the spinal taps? Thanks so much for all your information.
UK
ukliz
15 Nov 2012
Hi, the patch was attempted because when I had one of the spinal taps, they said if I had the patch done the headaches would stop quicker. It was because of the fluid leaking still was why I had such a bad headache. It was so bad that even lifting my head a little of the pillow would cause a really bad headache, then when I put my head back down on the pillow the headache would be gone again. So each day I would have the pillow higher then by the end of the week it would almost be gone. The spinal tap kept leaking fluid and the patch was suppose to stop that leaking of spinal fluid and the headache would then go. The spinal taps were done to diagnose MS, but because this happened to me does not mean it will happen to you, I was telling you this to let you know this is what could happen and it would answer some of your questions if it did. You will be fine, let us know how you get on with it. Liz.
SA
sara12345
15 Nov 2012
Liz, You are so wonderful to give me so much information. I truly appreciate your time with it. Sara
DZ
DzooBaby
16 Nov 2012
A "patch" is where they inject blood into the area that clots to form a "patch" to prevent the spinal fluid from leaking out. Leaking spinal fluid causes the headache.
SA
sara12345
16 Nov 2012
Oh, I can really see now why the patch was such a big deal. I thought it was a patch like I wear for my opiate medication. Thanks.
SA
sara12345
16 Nov 2012
Liz, Hope you caught my message left way out of order above. It said,
You are so wonderful to give me so much information. I truly appreciate your time with it. Sara
UK
ukliz
16 Nov 2012
Sorry for confusing you about the patch, but thanks Dzoobaby for clearing that up. Take care, Liz.
ME
meyati
18 Nov 2012
Which is why they want you lie still, not move, I was told not to turn my head, etc. You can get a headache by moving around-and I'm told that it's a long term headache. Good luck--
HA
happybrandee
18 Nov 2012
lol... Dzoo beat me to it... lol I was going to explain what the patch was..I had to have one when I had a spinal when I had my youngest son over 18 years ago. Instead of an Epidural, I had a Spinal. I was supposed to lie flat on my back for 10 to 12 hours and when the nurse brought my son to me at 4:00am after giving me a shot of Demerol for pain about 20 minuets earlier, I forgot and made the mistake of lifting my head up to try to get more comfortable so I could breast feed my baby and I ended up with a spinal headache! I get really bad Migraines... but I tell you, that Spinal Headache was one of the worst pains that I have ever had!! They finally , after about 8 hours of Demerol and Morphine, gave me a "Blood Patch" and that was the only thing that got rid of it.
SA
sara12345
18 Nov 2012
Thanks Meyati and Brandee for the express instruction to not lift my head or move much. I had to re-schedule the spinal tap 2 weeks later after learning that I might have a bad headache for awhile, since I have 2 training sessions with 102 people attending during the following week. That is rare for me to do and they have been scheduled for months.
MA
mapperson31
13 Feb 2015
Hello I just had a spinal tap Monday. I have now experienced headaches and have been on bed rest. The question I have is when you had your spinal did they have you lay down for at least 30 mins before sending you home. I have read several things that say they have to do this so you can clot. They did not do that for me as soon as it was over they had me up. Just wondering because they now want to schedule a blood patch
SA
sara12345
14 Feb 2015
You need the blood patch to stop the head pain. But I lay down for a while after the spinal tap and still had the terrible head pain. Whether you got the head pain because they didn't have you lie down for a while afterward, I don't know. If you want an answer, I would post your own question on here. No one is alerted to comments unless it is to an answer the person posted or to the one who posted the question.
Anything with the spine can be so different for different people. There was a time where everybody was awake when they had one. Nobody thought anything about it. I have a phobia about needles-so I didn't like it. I actually jumped with the needle in my spine. If the doctors hadn't kept saying just one more second, I don't think that I would have jumped. Then I came out of it extremely quick. Considering that 99.99% of Americans over 50 that had spinal taps didn't have any problems, I just wouldn't worry in this day and age. If I can look at the needle and see serum disappearing in my body, or see syringes filling up with blood, I can handle it. The main thing is to follow instructions-keep your body still for the required time, etc.
Votes: +1
SA
sara12345
15 Nov 2012
Meyati, I definately don't want to jump during it. The doctors talking to you made you jump? I bet a strong percentage of Americans don't wake up screaming during their colonoscopy and then being in pain for months afterwards. Maybe I should ask not to be sedated so that I don't suddenly jump in the middle of it. LOL Thanks for your input.
ME
meyati
15 Nov 2012
I used to have colonoscopies while fully awake. The next day, I'd be chopping wood. They cut a few polyps with the colonoscopy. They got the scope up all of the way into my gut. They said that they couldn't do that to most people, which is why they put people out. I climbed into an old Ford 4X4 and drove 60 miles home, part was a dirt road. I had a slight stomach ache. Having a barium took a lot more out of me. My X had trouble- but his gut is real twisted-lots of bends. Twilight was for him. The preparation meds is what made me sick. There's nothing to scream about. I even had the silver Cadillac-which is huge- but didn't get very far into the bowel. The camera and scissors are about the size of a little finger- a real little finger. I had one last summer- and they blah, blah, about sitting on a cushion-the only problem I had was from the dope for twilight. When I saw my doctor-he asked how long I used a cushion- I told him that the next day I was digging in my yard-true. I had my kids natural too.
ME
meyati
15 Nov 2012
No their stupid lying made me jump-they shouldn't say-just a second-when it's going to take about a minute or two, maybe more. I'd count one--- Mississippi two --- Mississippi and I'd ask them why in h#** were they lying to me-was this the first time they did this? They'd say be quiet a few more seconds- it was from the tension of not knowing what was happening-them lying to me-So those doctors told me never to get one again. Which I have been happy to do-not get any type of needle near my spine. I'd go in for lab work and they'd tell me to look away and they'd lie-a second more. Do you realize how mad they get when you count one--Mississppi 2 --- Mississippi. I got tired of them lying and began looking- I told them it was that or me jumping. One time I jumped, the lab tech grabbed me and I gave her a black eye-This was the Navy.
This was lab work-and the officer came in and said That I COULD NOT LOOK, and I needed the lab work but she lied like a rug. Some other corpsmen said as long as I looked- no problem. So after that-they let me look. I'm not into controlling people-but I want the truth-I want to see what's going on-I look at my biopsies- and I don't care what the medical world thinks--This is my body.
SA
sara12345
15 Nov 2012
I understand better and am so sorry that you have gone through those bad times. Did you really give the tech a black eye? Any consequences for that or not considering the circumstances? It's great that you haven't needed a spinal tap which you cannot see. All the best to you.
ME
meyati
15 Nov 2012
Yes, I punched her. I was polite, while insisting that I had to see the needle. Also-she touched me first, when she grabbed me. I weighed 80 lbs, which was in my favor. The doctor and female corpsman were reminded that some 200 lb Marines were the same way by the male corpsmen that were willing to be my character witnesses. When I was getting shots. I ended up going in with a 200 lb AP that had some PTSD. He fainted and came out fighting. He was all embarrassed-which made it worse on everybody. I commented that i gave a black eye to the female corpsman that told me that i couldn't look. He liked me. So they had us come in together for our shots. Some how it made him feel better that a 100 lb old lady with nice jewelry had punched out a corpsman.
It was a busy clinic at a large Naval hospital-San Diego. I had my blood drawn before, my children had my blood drawn before. I was known as a nice and reasonable woman that needed to see how much blood was being drawn out- or I freaked out. The doctor realized that he made a mistake and apologized. The corpsman admitted that she didn't like people looking at her. She was told to find another specialty-and the officer would sign the papers.
Then it helps that the vein in my right arm isn't anchored and it rolls. My veins are very small and tough. There is only one place that blood can be drawn from on my left arm. Sometimes I've been stabbed about 6-9 times to get blood or an IV started. A smart phebologist won't argue with me when I hold out my left arm and say-right here- Some say, 'let me look at your right arm.' Then they draw blood from my left arm.
SA
sara12345
16 Nov 2012
TOLD TO FIND ANOTHER SPECIALTY! Yes, they were right. Wow, they really ruled in your favor.
ME
meyati
16 Nov 2012
The military was often like that. Reduced paperwork-the corpsmen were on my side-and the doctor really didn't want to make trouble for himself. Like at the Air Force with the AP-he needed rabies shots which are in the stomach. We happened to come in at the same time. Even for a tetanus, he had been stapped down and restrained on a gurney. They wanted me out-and explained which got him so embarrassed. he apologized and I told him that I understood and about punching that poor Navy female corpsman out. He relaxed and we talked. It went well for both of us. I went out to the office and they asked me if I minded showing up for his appointments. His BP was more stable, and since he was a military cop-I blathered about some of the things that my husband and brother had been involved in. Like ship's are out to sea-and sailors want things. They special order things-guns-electronics-jewelry.
My X was an aircraft carrier-and they had pay day-and the ship's shopping store-little office sold thousands of dollars for a new electronic-like we do for an iPhone or whatever. So these guys come in and try to open the safe. They had a dolly and take it to the hanger deck, and try to cut it open. Then they took it to the flight deck and pushed it off -3 stories high- it bounced around put didn't open. The chief storekeeper opens the safe- no money. They go back to the store-and hunt for the money. Look at video- the storekeepers are talking how harassed they were and trying to figure what happened to over $20,000 in cash-this was before the card. My husband was leaning against the desk-fiddling- a huge one was locked-my husband pulled out his deck knife, popped the drawer open and money popped out everywhere. The storekeepers were so harried with the mob of over a 1,000 sailors wanting their goodies-then the terror of the money missing-their brains warped. No court- report-damaged safe-found secured money. The storekeepers were fat, and the sailors with the dolly were tall and fit. So that was it. Then he'd talk and talk-and relax
Honestly I've had one with mild sedation and I don't even remember having it done. I can say that I could NOT be awake for my colonoscopy!! Everyone is different , but if you are planning to have mild sedation, it shouldn't be that bad, I had a spinal for a C-section and had no sedation for that and once they numbed me I only felt slight pressure when they inserted the needle, the only difference was for the spinal they inject meds and with the spinal tap thay take fluid out. I hope everything works out for you, I understand you being nervous anyone would be it's a scary procedure if you have never had it done. I hope they can find out what is causing your bad migraines, i get them too, but nothing like you do. Good luck! :)
Votes: +1
SA
sara12345
15 Nov 2012
Thanks for your input. During my colonoscopy I woke up screaming in pain and probably clenched down which caused pain inside my rectum to hurt for months afterwards. I probably would have been better off not to be sedated so that I didn't react so suddenly.
HA
happybrandee
16 Nov 2012
Actually, I don't think the problem what sedating you... I think that they didn't sedate you enough!! You should have not come out of sedation during the procedure. If they would have had you under enough you wound have not woke up. You need to make sure that you tell the Anestheologist about waking up during your colonoscopy whenever you have surgery or a procedure done that requires you to be sedated, you may just need more medication to keep you under. Some people do, so PLEASE for your own comfort and safety, mention this to your doctor and Anestheologist in the future.
HA
happybrandee
16 Nov 2012
and I forgot to say... you're very welcome and glad I could help! :))
SA
sara12345
16 Nov 2012
I think that you're right. Thanks so much again.
HA
happybrandee
16 Nov 2012
you're so welcome sara... glad I could help!! :))
RO
rontonton28
29 Sep 2017
I was completely at ease taking colonoscopies. I'vehad 5 already with negative results. I just relaxed and they gave me sedation. it felt like a couple seconds and then I was awake. pleasant Now talk about a spinal tap, that's a totallt different story!!!
