To ask for your experiences of colonoscopy, super nervous

Prep - you basically want to park up on the toilet for about 5 hours. You can’t care for kids. Take a book.

Take the sedatives, you won’t really care what they are doing then.

I found the fasting the worse bit, I think I wasn't supposed to have food for 48 hrs. I didn't have explosive diarrhoea just lots of trips to the loo. I had gas and air and it was fine. The best bit was the ham sandwich and a cuppa afterwards. The best ham sandwich I've ever tasted closely followed by the toast I had after a long labour and giving birth to a 10 lb baby.

I’m confused?

I may get lambasted for this one ….
2nd time I skipped the prep with the uncontrollable diarrhoea and had a colonic instead 🤷🏼

I've had a few. The procedure itself has usually been fine. The prep isn't fun. My advice is to follow the low fibre diet they advise beforehand - that makes a big difference in my experience.

For me the prep was probably the worst bit - it is unpleasant but ok though.

My colonoscopy was nowhere near as tough as giving birth. Labour was much worse and challenging, the colonoscopy was actually fine and I don’t even remember much discomfort. I had sedation but felt aware throughout so I’m not sure if it worked or not.

Good luck & I hope all is ok.

Oh yes, the tea and toast afterwards is THE best tea and toast EVER!

I had one a fortnight ago, had prepped for one in January but didn’t happen because of problem on day. Prep second time was better as I knew what not to do. Which was to drink prep out of a glass. I made it in a big sports bottle with a straw, added lime. Drank it alongside full fat clear lemonade and got it down much quicker. Also had lemonade ice lollies, boiled fruit sweeties for energy as well as drinking water. Felt hungry and cold at one point so had a cup of chicken stock.

Sedation was great, I barely remembered it. Great sleep that night too! Good luck.

My prep drink was absolutely fine, didn’t taste awful (well not to me). Get some Vaseline for your bumhole - I was patting/blotting not wiping so it could have been worse.

Sedation all the way. My team were lovely and I enjoyed a cup of tea and biscuits once the sedation had worn off.

Oh and no red or blackcurrant sweets etc

I’ve had many colonoscopies and a couple of sigmoidoscopies over the years, due to having Crohn’s disease.

During every colonoscopy I’ve opted for sedation teamed with G&A. It’s THE best option. I’ve still managed to watch the procedure on the TV screen but have been pretty chilled due to the sedation.

Worse for me was the prep beforehand. I’d recommend making each dose up, adding a bit of orange squash or lemon, and chilling in the fridge. It felt more palatable when chilled imo.
have a glass of juice ready between sips of the prep. The straw makes sure the prep doesn’t linger on your tongue.

As you can’t eat and can only drink clear liquids beforehand make sure you have boiled sweets, jelly sweets, broth options, in the house to take your mind off eating, to take the edge away.

Most importantly yes, you will need your DH to watch your DC. Once the prep takes hold you will have no option but to head off to the toilet (you should be nearby at ALL times).

Good luck OP. Hope all goes well 💐

Definitely go with sedation. It will make it fly by.

I didn’t find the prep as bad as other people. I just didn’t eat loads in the few days running up to it, so there was less to come out. If your partner, or someone, can be there, it would be better.

The prep is vile- I had to have the 2nd lot at 5am - and I was very sick - so felt that was cruel to make me get up so early 🤦🏻‍♀️May be just my area - apparently folk get up at 4:39 for holidays said the consultant when they planned general timings! FYI being sick didn’t matter so don’t worry if it happens to you too much.
I look to be the only one opting for gas and air so far - I had no one to collect me easily but honestly I bloody loved gas and air when in labour - absolutely the same for colonoscopy - started using tube prior to any ‘discomfort’ so I didn’t care all the way through. I could feel and wriggled with one polyp so they offered to put me on sedation at that point so there is that option still even during it. I didn’t need it and bonus of gas and air is being back to fit very quickly . You need someone to collect and stay with you for 24 hrs with sedation.
you maybe already know how gas and air works for you as I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea so perhaps that can help you decide? But honestly just felt like I was swinging on a giant swing and didn’t care 6-7 folk prodding or looking around my ass 🤦🏻‍♀️
Best of luck and it will be over is best I can say - tea and biscuit after is amazing.

I had one a few months ago. Your dh wil need to look after your child.

Take the sedation AND the gas and air

The prep is by far the worst part. Just awful, so by comparison the colonoscopy itself is not too bad. Do have sedation. Unfortunately for me just as they started the procedure, I suddenly popped back awake. The staff were worried about giving me more so we went ahead anyway. They told me when they were going to go round a corner with the camera and it did burn a bit. The second time didnt seem as bad and I was chatting to the staff. Mixed sex staff dealing with me, but I never felt bad. A young male nurse brought me the shorts of shame which was a bit humiliating. But I was treated well. Good luck op. Try not to worry too much.

i got the diluted orange, i think I’ve gone off that stuff for life after that prep. I wouldn’t bother with the straw it just means you’re getting it down you slower, just get it in to you, the more you have to taste it the harder it is to finish it all

Don't Google, when I had mine I made that mistake and scared myself silly.

It was absolutely fine, the prep was fine and the procedure itself was uncomfortable at certain points but otherwise I just breathed through and held a lovely nurse's hand. I watched it on screen which I know wouldn't work for everyone but helped me focus and stay calm.

Are you breastfeeding? They can be weird about you having sedation if so. But sedation really isn’t necessary in my experience. The prep isn’t fun and you will need someone else watching your baby!

For me, the prep and anticipation was the worst. And it wasn't at all like explosive diarrhoea - it was just like weeing from my bum but not with an overly urgent need to go.

I had the sedation and would recommend. I sat with a woman after who said she had Crohn's (I think) so had them regularly and didn't. You will need someone to talk you home after if you do have sedation - don't try and get round that. Also be prepared to need to sleep for a long time after.

I was so nervous I couldn't stop crying - that sort of constant leaky eyes type. The nurses and doc were so nice though - they described the sedation has like having a few gins (it was!) and although I could feel the camera it didn't hurt at all.

Good luck, I hope everything is fine.

I can’t have sedation (allergic) so I just had gas and air and honestly, it was fine. It felt a bit weird and a little uncomfortable but I barely used the gas and air. The doctor and nurse doing it were lovely and chatted away throughout it. I felt completely at ease. The worst part is the bowel prep!!! 🙈 Also take some snacks with you for afterwards because you’ll be starving!

I've had 6 due to crohns disease. The prep isn't fine but get some cordial to flavour the prep as long as it's not red its fine. Welch's white grape juice and lemon and lime jelly is great for keeping fluid and sugars up. Clear ice lollies (lemonade type ones). Clear broth etc. I've had 50.50 without pain relief due to having a newborn and then the rest with sedation. Take the sedation its normally fentanyl and its great you don't really remember it. You can ask for a line to be put in and try the g&a first. Have someone to look Fter lo during prep and after as you can feel uncomfortable due to the air pumped in. Have peppermint tea on hand. Good luck OP it'll be over before you know it x

I had one two weeks ago. I had the sedation, it was fine except the nurse couldn’t find a vein and I have had a very sore arm the past two weeks because he
hit an artery. Honestly the procedure itself was nothing to worry about.
the prep is the worst part. I would say that yes your husband should stay to help with baby. That prep is awful to drink. My boss had one a few months ago and she found the running to the loo the worst, but I had trouble keeping the actual prep down, I was very nauseous with it.
I would recommend eating very lightly for the few days before it. They say don’t eat beetroot, seeds and especially no tomatoes. I tried to eat just very plainly the week leading up and i started my fasting two days before with only one meal on that day. It just made it easier.
they say don’t drive for 24hours after but i would recommend don’t drive for 48hrs after as I still felt unwell two days after and ended up having a minor bump in the car.

If it’s possible for DH to be with baby and you during explosive prep, that’s for the best I’d say. I went to work one time! Huge mistake.

As for the process itself, I was sedated both times, not so much as went to sleep. Just enough to be relaxed. Rested afterwards in a recovery bed/ward and then …. walked home.