Colonoscopy experiences?

[Ted33]

Has anyone had a colonoscopy?

Im booked in for one this weekend but i am really worried about the procedure. I recently had a endoscopy which i found to be quick and painfree under sedation.

[trents]

5 hours ago, Ted33 said:

Has anyone had a colonoscopy?

Im booked in for one this weekend but i am really worried about the procedure. I recently had a endoscopy which i found to be quick and painfree under sedation.

I've had several endoscopies and colonoscopies. All of them have been quick and pain free. And if there is any pain you won't remember it because they use sedation drugs of a type that prevent the experience from being recorded by the brain. So it's like the pain never happened.

Edited May 4, 2021 by trents

[Ted33]

Thanks for your reply i feel abit better about it now..  im just feel more worried than i did when i had endoscopy which makes no sense. Though it could be the outcome that is worrying me the most.

[Scott Adams]

A colonoscopy is different than an endoscopy, however, I think from the patient's standpoint some of what's in this article will be helpful:

 

[trents]

Scott, you'd better read what you wrote.

[GFinDC]

4 hours ago, trents said:

Scott, you'd better read what you wrote.

And a gluten removed beer is different from a gluten free beer.

[Scott Adams]

Endoscopy! I corrected my last post.

[Jan Meindfak]

On 5/4/2021 at 10:31 AM, Ted33 said:

Has anyone had a colonoscopy?

Im booked in for one this weekend but i am really worried about the procedure. I recently had a endoscopy which i found to be quick and painfree under sedation.

Preparation is a nightmare - get ready for hours on the throne. But the procedure itself is way more tolerable than an upper endoscopy, for me at least. And I did them both without sedation

[Ted33]

Rather you than me! .. im having sedation again.  ive been told the prep is awful. Mine begins to at 5pm im not looking forward to it 😷 wish me luck 😂

[Jan Meindfak]

55 minutes ago, Ted33 said:

Rather you than me! .. im having sedation again.  ive been told the prep is awful. Mine begins to at 5pm im not looking forward to it 😷 wish me luck 😂

Yeah I'm a super freak apparently. The truth is I wanted to go home sooner, and sedation leaves you on observation for an hour or so after. 

Anyway, good luck! And get yourself a good book or something for the prep, you'll have plenty of time...😂

[Ted33]

Haha thankyou. I actually got a new book yesterday so i will sit on the throne with it later 😂

[trents]

3 hours ago, Jan Meindfak said:

Preparation is a nightmare - get ready for hours on the throne. But the procedure itself is way more tolerable than an upper endoscopy, for me at least. And I did them both without sedation

Why do you say that? Did you experience complications with the endoscopy? For me the actual procedure in both cases was a tossup but there was no nasty prep for the endoscopy, just no eating for 8 hr. before. You are sedated for both so what's the diff?

Edited May 7, 2021 by trents

[Jan Meindfak]

4 hours ago, trents said:

Why do you say that? Did you experience complications with the endoscopy? For me the actual procedure in both cases was a tossup but there was no nasty prep for the endoscopy, just no eating for 8 hr. before. You are sedated for both so what's the diff?

No complications at all, except for the regular ones - being gassy and bloated. Upper endoscopy (gastroscopy) doesn't require any special prep except for 6-8 hr fasting. 

Colonoscopy requires you to take a massive amount of laxative which naturally makes you run...for hours. That's what I hated about it. 

I was not sedated in any of those procedures so I can tell the difference very well - as I experienced them both to the fullest 😉

[trents]

55 minutes ago, Jan Meindfak said:

No complications at all, except for the regular ones - being gassy and bloated. Upper endoscopy (gastroscopy) doesn't require any special prep except for 6-8 hr fasting. 

Colonoscopy requires you to take a massive amount of laxative which naturally makes you run...for hours. That's what I hated about it. 

I was not sedated in any of those procedures so I can tell the difference very well - as I experienced them both to the fullest 😉

Are you sure you were not sedated at all, not even conscious sedation? Well, did a little research and indeed colonoscopies are sometimes done without sedation, particularly outside the USA. But in the USA, "Most often, either moderate sedation or deep sedation with the anesthetic propofol are used for colonoscopies. An anesthesiologist is sometimes present for moderate sedation — sometimes called conscious sedation by patients, though the term is technically incorrect." https://ufhealth.org/news/2018/anesthesiologist-needed-routine-colonoscopies-maybe-not#:~:text=Most often%2C either moderate sedation,propofol are used for colonoscopies.

For endoscopy (upper GI): "For a routine endoscopy, sedation is often given. There are many local variations about if, how, and when sedation is given. Some centers may normally provide only local anesthesia to the throat. Usually, sedation is given by intravenous injection in the examination room immediately before the test begins. There are many sedatives and relaxants in use for this purpose. Occasionally, a fast acting oral or sub-lingual (under tongue) pill is given sometime before the procedure. For the most part, the medications are safe and effective, but all require a period of recovery after their administration.

It is important to realize that you are not put to sleep, and that you need to be conscious and cooperative throughout. This method is called “conscious sedation.”

The advantages of sedation are that it reduces the tendency to gag during introduction of the endoscope and lessens the inevitable anxiety associated with the test." 

https://iffgd.org/manage-your-health/gi-motility-tests/upper-gi-endoscopy/

[Jan Meindfak]

58 minutes ago, trents said:

Are you sure you were not sedated at all, not even conscious sedation? Well, did a little research and indeed colonoscopies are sometimes done without sedation, particularly outside the USA. But in the USA, "Most often, either moderate sedation or deep sedation with the anesthetic propofol are used for colonoscopies. An anesthesiologist is sometimes present for moderate sedation — sometimes called conscious sedation by patients, though the term is technically incorrect." https://ufhealth.org/news/2018/anesthesiologist-needed-routine-colonoscopies-maybe-not#:~:text=Most often%2C either moderate sedation,propofol are used for colonoscopies.

For endoscopy (upper GI): "For a routine endoscopy, sedation is often given. There are many local variations about if, how, and when sedation is given. Some centers may normally provide only local anesthesia to the throat. Usually, sedation is given by intravenous injection in the examination room immediately before the test begins. There are many sedatives and relaxants in use for this purpose. Occasionally, a fast acting oral or sub-lingual (under tongue) pill is given sometime before the procedure. For the most part, the medications are safe and effective, but all require a period of recovery after their administration.

It is important to realize that you are not put to sleep, and that you need to be conscious and cooperative throughout. This method is called “conscious sedation.”

The advantages of sedation are that it reduces the tendency to gag during introduction of the endoscope and lessens the inevitable anxiety associated with the test." 

https://iffgd.org/manage-your-health/gi-motility-tests/upper-gi-endoscopy/

Yes, I am sure - I know it may be strange to Americans, but I am not from, nor live in the US. As far as I'm concerned Americans love sedation, you have it even at the dentist lol! 

It's not like I didn't have a choice - I did and my GI doc had recommended me using sedation to avoid discomfort but I knew I could get through it without it, go home earlier, get a new (unpleasant) experience, get back to my everyday life and gain a funny story to tell by the campfire 😂 

What was used though, and always is, was local anesthesia - which in case of gastroscopy is just like two hits down your throat from a spray with lidocaine I believe, to reduce your gag reflex, so you don't throw up during the whole party time. Unfortunately it only reduces, not eliminates it, and that's what makes it so awful. 

In case of colonoscopy, local anesthesia is given in gel straight to your hole using doc's finger I guess. Hard to tell because it happens so fast. Thankfully evolution hasn't equipped us with gag reflex in the anus, which makes the whole procedure far more bearable. In fact, you barely feel anything after they've reached the colon, except for the gas they keep pumping in, and small pricks and ticks when they take samples. And it's actually really interesting to watch how they go through your guts on the screen- it's a bit like going through tunnels of some sort, but...inside you. Shows how fascinating and disgusting human body can be 😉

[trents]

Do you mean to tell me that where you live the dentists don't use a local anesthetic when drilling in your teeth?

[Jan Meindfak]

47 minutes ago, trents said:

Do you mean to tell me that where you live the dentists don't use a local anesthetic when drilling in your teeth?

No, I mean they don't use sedatives or anything that affects your consciousness in any way. Of course they use local anesthesia, I live in Europe for god's sake

[trents]

Well, our dentists here in the USA seldom use sedatives either. They would only use sedatives (Nitrous Oxide, I think) if they were doing major dental surgical procedures such as multiple tooth extractions or impacted tooth removal. 

[Kate333]

Take my advice:  GET THE SEDATION!!

I've had upper EGDs first without sedation, then with.  The first time, I opted to pass on sedation after speaking with a young clinic intake clerk reassured me she had it done un-sedated with no probs.  I even brought a meditation relaxation videotape to play and help me chill out during the procedure.   I thought "Okay...Well if SHE can do it...it must not be so bad." 

Boy was that a mistake!  I was relaxed enough when they wheeled me into the OR (probably mostly due to ignorance of what I was getting into...LOL).  A few quick sprays of numbing solution down my throat...then they put the scope down my throat and--GAG!!  It felt like someone was shoving a thick garden hose down my mouth while I couldn't talk or breathe.  I was so panicked the nurse had to physically restrain me while my poor gut (involuntarily) gagged while the doctor tried to complete the scope.  And when biopsies were taken, I could literally feel that too, like little needle stabs in my throat and stomach...UGH.  About halfway through, the procedure was stopped because I just couldn't couldn't help gagging.  Doctor had to reschedule the whole procedure almost 2 months later.   Second time was a breeze.  I felt nothing during procedure...just took a nice little snooze on Valium and felt a little sleepy tired for a few hours after.  But I could eat, drink etc. normally.

Yeah...the colonoscopy prep IS typically .....😣.  But the worst of it for me was the sleep deprivation the night before because it required staying awake, drinking yucky liquid over and over and running back and forth to the loo into the wee hours of the morning.  I've had it a few times in my life.  But much to my surprise, the latest one (in late 2019) wasn't nearly as bad as the first one decades ago because I think the solution used was actually improved or changed:  it seemed to taste not so bad and it completely, quickly cleaned me out after drinking only about half of the solution.  A quick tip:  try to schedule an early morning scope so you won't be left starving for hours before your appt or too sleepy to eat for hours after.  

Is it fun?  Nope.  But think of it as a necessary but unpleasant, infrequent experience:  kind of like having to do your taxes every year (here in the USA that task is a big ordeal; I hear it's much simpler in Europe) or getting a tooth drilled, cavity filled.  It's a BIG hassle but it MUST be done!  LOL