[tellak]

> The American medical system acts like the smallest bit of discomfort warrants being knocked out.

There is a tremendous variation in both pain tolerance and anxiety. You sound like you’re in the minority.

The anesthetist still gets paid. His concern is if you freak out (this happens more often then you may think), he may at minimum have paperwork to do and worse you may sue him for malpractice (“well he didn’t clearly explain it would be that bad during the consent process).. again this problem happens more than you may think. Ie the negative ev for them if you do not do the typical protocol is considerable.

[wincy]

I got the idea from reading about colonoscopy practices in Europe, for example only 6% of people in Finland underwent sedation during a colonoscopy [0].

I have to go for a colonoscopy in another two and a half years, and I’ll insist on no sedation that time as well. You seem familiar with the process, is there a way to avoid feeling like I’m having a fight with the staff next time?

[0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3329613/

[rscho]

No sedation is perfectly ok. No IV is a VERY bad idea. I would personally refuse to take care of you in that case, and many of my peers would do the same, I believe.

[fi358]

Finnish person here. It is difficult to understand why any normal person would need sedation for colonoscopy. Perhaps there are super sensitive persons, but for most it should not be much more painful than getting vaccination, at least if the doctor is skilled and doesn't just force the colonoscope in. However, drinking large amounts of liquid that does not taste that great, in order to empty the colon, was the hard part. Colonoscopy was nothing compared to drinking that liquid.