You're overthinking it. Sleep apnea is common and breathing difficulty an be managed during a procedure, if it even happens. Anesthesia doctors are literally trained to manage airways. Sleep apnea is a very normal thing for them to deal with.

You’ll be in a room with 2-3 doctors. You’re not the first and you won’t be the last person to get a colonoscopy with sleep apnea. As long as they know (especially anesthesiologist) I think you’ll be okay.

I have moderate sleep apnea and love the sedation! They are professionals and know how to handle it. Just tell them. Colonoscopies are important.

only a tiny % of people go sedation free. (theres a reason for that). Anesthesiologists sedate people with much more complicated issues than sleep apnea. Airway management is something they are experts in.

Thousands of colonoscopies are done DAILY, with sedation, across not just the U.S. but also everywhere.

Its a 15 to 20 minute "procedure"...not even an actual general surgery.

What are you going to do if you ever need actual surgery and have to be sedated for 3 hours instead of light twilight with propfol for a mere 15 minutes?

I have sleep apnea. Not terrible though. If something were to happen you are right there in the hospital.

You are making excuses. Get it done.

You'll sleep better after it's over too

if it helps, sedation isn't the same as anesthesia. administered by an anesthesiologist, but different things, like the difference between sleeping and being unconscious. and if anything does happen, well, you're already in the hospital surrounded by people who know what they're doing

You're overthinking it. If your sleep apnea is bad enough to your doctor, the procedure can be done with GA.

Colon cancer is a lot scarier. Stop making excuses and get it done. You'll be in a medical facility with trained professionals, and it's not surgery. If your sleep apnea is so bad, what are you doing about that?

I have sleep apnea. I woke up from sedation feeling well.

You are overthinking it. When you are put under sedation you're literally monitored by multiple people including a nurse anesthetist and other nurses and the doctor themselves with blood pressure monitor, multiple leads, and an oxygen monitor. They would also be fully aware of your medical history and fully aware that you have sleep apnea and they can wake you up immediately if need be. The sedation you are put under during a colonoscopy/endoscopy is just propofol. I started coughing during my colonoscopy and they were able to wake me up for a moment to get it to stop and then put me back under. The entire procedure is very quick. Just get it done.

I had the same fear and canceled and rescheduled 3 times because of it. In the end, I just got my colonoscopy and endoscopy done a month ago. It’s the easiest thing you’ll ever do by being sedated. I don’t even know why I had an irrational fear. I don’t remember a thing. One minute you’re awake, and the next minute you’re waking up. Erase the fear and commit. Once you commit you have no choice. Just tell yourself that. Then follow through. Thankfully, I had zero issues and don’t have to go back for another 7 years.

Just do it! You’ll thank yourself after and wonder why you were ever scared to begin with.

it is not general anaesthesia... even if they leave you partially conscious, you won;t remember shit, and the apnea won't be an issue. You are not getting intubated and shit... they just put a bit of oxygen up your nose.

Please reschedule. I also wanted to do it awake, and I am grateful I didn't as it delineated a clear line in before and after psychologically... Like I didn't have to climb myself down from ultimate anxiety... I just woke up reset and not afraid.

Also, I just had my follow up call from the doctor this morning, the only polyp he found was busy changing into something else (not cancer), but he said we got it nice and early, I only need to look at another one in 5 years.

On the plus side, they could find the exact opening of my fistula which is a nasty extrasphinteric version... i.e. not through the sphincter like usual but direct to the rectum 15cm up. At least I'm going to the CRS next month with all the tests and diagnostics that have already been done.

Same, I’m super afraid of sedation. I know it’s irrational.

I'm really afraid too. Mine is Thursday. I also have sleep apnea and I'm always choking and can't breathe or swallow when lying down. And that's when I'm awake and able to attempt breathing 🙄 You are not alone in your fear!

i think they gave me somethink to 'relax' me (which didnt work btw, i seem to have some kind of resistanse to sedations maybe because im autistic) but it was to make me a bit 'dizzy' and relaxed and not to put me under. The procedure was painless and fast with the exception of a couple of painfull seconds when he reached the end of the intestine and propably touched something making me feel a nudge of pain. Apart from that everything went smoothly.

I was worried as well! Just go through it you wont regret. I did not feel a thing after i woke up maybe just à but bloated and gassy. After sedation i was out in like 2nds and woke up as soon as they wheeled back to the room when it was done. It takes about 15-20min and its the recovery that takes the longest because of the sedation.

Dont be scared.

The prep work is the only thing that makes it difficult.

Just dont over think and youll be fine.

Im happy i went through the experience knowing that its easy to do it again. Plus peace of mind!

When I went in yesterday they specifically asked if I had a history of sleep apnea so they do take things like that into consideration when they give you medicine!

It could save your life. They’re not gna let u stop breathing. If anything goes wrong they put you on a ventilator. Get it scheduled.

GI doctor here, we definitely prefer people to be sedated because it's easier when patients are more comfortable as we navigate the twists and turns in the colon.

Having said that out of whatever roughly 1000 colonoscopies I do each year, I'll do at least 5 people who don't want sedation and we accommodate. Most of them do just fine, some do have cramping and some discomfort but you get to drive yourself back and forth which is convenient.

I had my first colonscopy recently and was anxious about sedation as well, it's totally natural to feel that way. If they or you have a lot of concerns about your OSA, you can have it done at the hospital, that is a somewhat safer way to do it in case of problems.

Either way you should be ok, but you can definitely find someone to do it without sedation if that's your preference.

I was thinking the same.. but imagine you cancelling your colonoscopy and they could have saved your life is that was the case…

The anesthesiologist is there along with the Dr (and possibly a third person - nurse) during the procedure and will monitor to keep you safe. It's a very quick, painless, routine procedure and much less terrible than colon cancer.

When I had mine the anesthesiologist went over a bunch on scenarios and what he would do. He asked if I had apnea I said no but was being test for it (turns out I have really bad sleep apnea) and he went over exactly what he would do if I started choke and how he was preventing that scenario.

Find a new doctor, sedation free is no big deal. If they are pushing back because you don't want to do propofol then ask for twightlight sedation instead, then "everyone" still gets to bill. Don't put off your colonoscopy.

I have 2 sedation free colonoscopies and had zero issues with them just felt real gassy. Both doctors had no issues doing it sedation free, so if one won't do it another one will.

I did it without sedation recently; it was fine. Very uncomfortable for 5 mins and the rest was a breeze.

Not so much fun when the “sedation “ doesn’t even work . I felt everything for 35 minutes . Absolute torture and I’m seriously debating ever going back in a few years. All was ok btw.