No anaesthetic: am I being a wimp?

BlueBelle, oh dear, thats a shame. I have had diazepam fir some years now and only use them for the dentist twice a year. Am still not addicted.

I'm hesitant to say this, but gas and air doesn't seem to work for me (two babies and one dental procedure).
My GP says that's impossible (for gas and air 'not to work' for an individual).
Do some people respond better to pain relief than others?

Any decent clinician , including dentists , will offer a tranquilliser if requested.

Not all dentists are qualified to do sedation, Alexa.

Thanks all!
I've found an old packet of diazapam in my drawer ... shall I take one, just in case?

My gp told me I could take up 4 when I needed a crown so took 4 and though able to walk and talk was a bit out of it, remembered nothing. The next time i took 3 which was still plenty so would suggest 2 as one really doesn’t do much.

Might be worth checking with the hospital first because if they can sedate you that would be best, otherwise trusty diazepam does the job. Well it works for me. Good luck on Thursday.

I can’t see how taking painkillers beforehand is going to help. I thought they only work afterward. As others said a sedative prescribed by your GP maybe the answer. All the best.

Do your own research and if you decide that you need an anaesthetic then politely demand one.

The medical profession is very dismissive of the concerns of women who are often too afraid to stand up for themselves.

Best wishes and good luck.

I had this procedure when we were in France and there was no mention of pain relief. They're pretty resistant to using pain relief there (in our area anyway.} Dentists too ask you to be brave and get it over quicly so luckily I only found it uncomfortable.
By the way, is Diazepan available over the counter here?

Take one or two tablets depending on the strength of diazepam you have. If nothing else it will help you to relax. Also take pain killers before you go as it helps with the after pains.

I think you need to request sedation in advance. Certainly this is the case for endoscopy/biopsy.

Diazepam has to be prescribed by a GP as far as I know Fennel.

I feel after reading the link and posts on here ,I must apologise for saying it is not bad.
My own experience wasn’t but I think I have a very high pain threshold, I often wonder what is ahead of me that I just won’t cope with.
Some of us are blessed and some of us aren’t .?

I’ve had two - very uncomfortable but bearable and worth doing obviously .....but to digress was walk in park compared to colonoscopy as pain relief for that (in back of hand) was waste of time - apparently like a fair percentage of population I have a tortuous bowel, so was worse than childbirth!

Ask for gas and air. Don't accept a refusal because you have to be offered pain relief. It's not so much a pain killer as a relaxant. I have regular colonoscopies following bowel cancer and it's pretty uncomfortable so I am always pretty tense, even with a high pain threshold. But I do find gas and air relaxes me enough that it's tolerable. And I don't care what they do!! Good luck! Better the temporary discomfort than anything more serious

Ps if or when I have to have colonoscopy again I would have GA or pay for a “camera pill”

For any "oscopy" you are entitled to have at least some sedation. It may well not be a full general but what they call a "twilight" sedation that relaxes you, but still enables you to respond if needed.

you could ask for numbing spray or sedation .

Went to gynaecologist a few years ago for initial consultation and he whipped me into an examination room and proceeded to take a biopsy from my womb with no anaesthetic or prior medication. It really was no worse than having a vaccination, perhaps better because I had no expectation/anticipation of what was going to happen.

Having said that, a few years later I had the whole works - a biopsy under general anaesthetic followed 10 days later by a hysterectomy because of cancer of the womb! And the latter was a doddle - key hole surgery , 24 hours in hospital and home!
PS Am a total wimp - on edge at moment of writing as am due at the dentist for a filling this afternoon!!

I’ve recently had a hysteroscopy at age 70, which makes the procedure more difficult according to the doctor attempting it. I’d taken paracetamol as suggested but they were unable to complete the procedure as I found it excruciating and the doctor was having difficulty due to the position of my cervix. I’m certainly not a wimp and consider that I have a high pain threshold. I coped until she attempted to place a clamp on my cervix ?. Had the procedure under general
Anaesthetic two weeks later. Just a few hours in hospital and quick recovery.

I don't think this comment is at all helpful!

I had one vaginally birth and found the hysteroscopy excruciating. No pain meds or sedation offered.
IF I'm ever needing another I will know to ask for a waking sedation!!

You’re entitled to a sedative for this procedure so ask for it. You have to be accompanied my someone who can drive you or escort you home afterwards and your stay at the hospital will be a couple of hours longer until you’ve recovered enough to go home.

I would get some pain relief if you can. I had a hysteroscopy with no pain relief six months ago. It did get painful and the procedure was halted because of this. It was thought that they may not have got enough tissue for biopsy and I wasn't happy because I didn't want to have to go through the process again. The labs were able to get a result (normal) fortunately. I accepted the procedure with no pain relief because I was so pleased and relieved to actually get seen during the height of covid-19. I had been suffering horrendous pelvic pain for some months and was told that it would take the best part of a year to be seen. The staff were all excellent, very sympathetic and chatty and held my hand but I would have preferred anaesthesia and think that it should be given/offered routinely.

You're absolutely not being a wimp. The only thing I would do is to speak to this team NOW to insist that you want a sedative beforehand and that you are happy to remain for a couple of hours to recover. They won't let you drive afterwards for insurance reasons.

I well remember having a tube/camera down my throat. I was sedated & woke feeling wonderful after sleeping it off. A couple of years later I needed the same procedure. Appointment was late afternoon so they only gave a lighter sedative. I woke half way through, automatically trying to pull the tube out but the nurse was stronger than me!

I'm Chief Wimp & always take 2 iboprufen before a dental check up.

Be firm! You can insist!