"Painful endoscopy procedure"

I had an urgent referral for an endoscopy of my upper GI at St James' Leeds.

While I have no complaint about the professional abilities of the staff concerned, I feel that the information I was given was highly inaccurate about the procedure,

I fully understand that an endoscopy is not pleasant but I felt very traumatised and continue to do so. I requested sedation. As far as I can tell, this did not work at all. I was told that if it was necessary to have a biopsy taken, I would feel nothing.

I was there because my oesophagus was constantly painful. As a result, the procedure was extremely painful, and six biopsies were needed, which took ten or eleven attempts. I felt each acutely, which was clear to those undertaking the procedure.

No pain relief was offered and it was suggested that I need to return in 4-6 weeks. Needless to say, I have no intention of doing so. I wish to make clear that I have a high pain threshold, was able to deliver a 9 pound baby at the same hospital with no pain relief whatsoever, and have had dental extractions without anaesthetic.

I would like to suggest that such a procedure can be extremely painful for a person who already has a significant amount of inflamed tissue, and that any support offered should reflect this.