Endoscopy with Sleep Apnea

[cpapgirl1318]

I will be getting an endoscopy and colonoscopy tomorrow and I’m terrified. Not of the test themselves but worried how it’s done considering I have sleep apnea. They know I have it but nobody explained to me how it’s done and the person that was supposed to call me never called so I’m just sitting here wondering. When I had to get surgery with general anesthesia and I told them I had possible sleep apnea (before sleep apnea diagnosis), they just put the tube down further in my throat. Now since I’m getting an endoscopy they obviously cannot do that and I believe it’s a twilight sleep. Does anyone have experience with this and know what they do for people with OSA?

[Pugsy]

I have had it done. Both scopes in fact along with a surgery to fix a broken wrist using same sort of drug.

Number one you will wear a pulse oximeter at all times and if you run into trouble they will know immediately and fix the problem.

Number two...you actually really don't go to sleep. Twilight sleep or so called isn't really sleep.
They give you a drug that makes you not care what they do to you to relax you and then they also give you a drug that is an amnesiac and causes you to totally forget what happened. You don't remember much so you assume you slept through the procedure but you didn't really sleep.

It's a non issue.

[jdm5]

Just make sure they know you have been diagnosed with cpap - as Pugsy said they will monitor your pulse-ox. I’ve had several and was not a problem.

[LSAT]

In most cases you are not completely out with those procedures. ...You are put in a state where you are partially out (Conscious Sedation)and will have no memory of the procedure'. My doctor calls it LaLa Land.

[cpapgirl1318]

I assumed that even though you may not be officially asleep, that your airway may still close since you are so out of it.

[Pugsy]

I assumed that even though you may not be officially asleep, that your airway may still close since you are so out of it.

You assume incorrectly. You aren't "out of it"...you are actually fully awake and it isn't called awake apnea. You just don't remember being awake or the procedure and you assume you are asleep.

When I had the surgery on my wrist to fix the broken bones I had the same sedation along with a nerve block. The doctor told me that I spent the entire time talking to him trying to convince him that I could still mow the yard on the riding lawn mower. He said I made quite a case.
I have zero memory of any of it...I was fully awake though.

In the hospital setting the drug cocktail that is given is often referred to as the "I don't care what you do to me drug"...you don't care and you won't remember either.
Part of the reason that people are warned not to drive for a certain amount of time after these procedures along with don't make any important legal decisions for a period of time after these procedures....need to get the drugs totally out of your system.

[ChicagoGranny]

I assumed that even though you may not be officially asleep, that your airway may still close since you are so out of it.

I've had five colonoscopies. In one of them, I remembered waking up and saying something. In the other four, I knew nothing. After recovery, I felt fine. If I had apneas, I wouldn't have felt fine.

Just tell them you have obstructive sleep apnea. They have done procedures on many people who have severe apnea, and they know how to handle it. You won't have any problems.

The last anesthesiologist told me he was a CPAPer. We were having a little chat about CPAP. Then, he turned the dial, and I went into twilight.

You will do fine.

[cyberdreamer]

I just told the doctor I had sleep apnea and my endoscopy went well without any problems.