Colonoscopy

[walkersareback]

I have a colonoscopy next week. I have been asked to cut all fibre from my diet for a week - which I am doing.

I have read the information the hospital has sent me which says the procedure could be painful and I can be sedated - I assume this goes not mean GA.

Has anyone had this? Any tips? How much pain should I expect? Should I plan to stay at home all of the following day?

Any information gratefully received.

During the prep part don't whatever you do drink coke. Eggs are allowed as long as they're not fried. I've had 3 and they removed a benign adenome during the first one. As they found something I no longer have to take part in the screening programme. I'm in France, they use a light general anaesthetic. Woke up once which was a bit weird. No discomfort after at all.

I was sedated but awake throughout mine. The sedation wore off towards the end but I had gas and air and it was absolutely fine. I watched the last bit on the monitor whilst they chatted to me.
My husband's had a couple with light sedation and is always fine too.

I have one every year. What prep do you have to take? Some are worse than others, but it tastes vile. I'd recommend using chilled water and drinking it through a straw.

I'd recommend sudocrem or vaseline on your bum for when the diarrhoea kicks in.

Definitely get the sedation. I've sometimes find them quite painful, but not during the whole procedure.

I personally wouldn't do the sedation.
Worst thing I've ever done. I had flashbacks for years.

Thank you for your replies. I have something to mix with water and rake the day before and three hours before - thanks for the tip about chilled water.

I had a colonoscopy with sedation. You need to have somebody to take you home afterwards. I had Midazolam and it was lovely. 😂. Made me a bit sleepy but not completely out of it so I could still obey commands and watch the screen if I wanted to. I felt absolutely no pain. Apparently some find it uncomfortable when the scope has to go round a bend in the colon. I was alert very quickly afterwards, was taken home, had my usual evening but went to bed early and had a very good sleep. I’m very glad I had it done as they removed a pre-cancerous polyp. Had it on a Saturday but I could easily have gone to work the next day as I felt completely normal.

Did it not sedate you enough or did it make you feel queasy?

I had one without sedation or gas and air which meant I could leave straight after and wasn’t groggy. So it can be done without medication. You’ll be very hungry afterwards but might find eating triggers the need to use the loo quite quickly for another day or two so best to be at home!

The prep is the absolute worst. Get some things loaded up on your tablet or phone to watch and have lots of soft toilet paper/shower after when it gets too sore/raw.
I opt out of sedation and just have gas and air, I find it the least offensive part, it's just the prep drink and prep after effects I struggle with.

Is the pain internally or just in your bum? Sorry for the TMI questions - thank goodness for anonymous forums eh?

I ask because when I had a hysteroscopy the pain was all internal.

I've had Moviprep, Klean prep and Plenvu. Do you know which one you have for prep? If you use really chilled water, it kills the taste a bit.

Plenvu

For me, the pain has been internal, but it's not that bad and apparently I have an unusually twisty colon!!

Hi op

I'm watching with interest as I am having a colonoscopy soon too. I am also wondering what to eat next week on the lead up to make the prep as easy as possible. I'm quite nervous about the prep if I'm honest. I gag really easily on food and drink that I don't like the taste of.

What did everyone eat for the week beforehand?

I've been told a low fibre diet with no seeds.

I have these every two years. I mix my prep with cold Coke Zero which makes it slightly more palatable. I have sedation and I do find it a bit painful when they try to move the camera round the corners.

Oh and I have been offered a sedation, to be honest I'd probably rather they just gave me a GA but that hasn't offered.

For me, Plenvu isn't quite as bad as the others, but I did struggle to drink it. I think it was meant to be fruit punch flavour, but it really isn't. If you struggle to drink it, hold your nose and you won't be able to taste it as much. I hope it goes well.

I would think you'd be fine the following day

I had one without sedation ( nobody could accompany me) but they give you gas and air. It was like intermittent period pain but I'd have sedation if you can. I watched it all on the screen - fascinating!

I got the bus home, ate a light meal, had an earlyish night as I was up half the previous one on the loo! Felt fine otherwise.

Good luck, the actual procedure won't be as bad as you expect. The prep is by far the worse thing. I second vaseline (use it as soon as you start the prep, don't wait till your bum feels on fire!). I mixed the stuff they gave me with Seven Up which helped but I only bought 1 litre, should have had more as I had to drink 3 litres of vile, "vanilla" prep.

It's Plenvu I've been given too. So you can mix it with a fizzy drink? I was thinking it would have to be water

The food the week before - just avoid seeds etc that could get stuck in your colon and look ominous! Think white bread, chicken, carrots, blended soups, jelly, ice cream. No lumps!

The low residue diet is quite restrictive, but:
White bread, eggs, jelly (not red or purple) cornflakes, rice crispies, white rice, white pasta, cottage cheese, fish, plain biscuits such as rich tea etc.
When I had colonoscopies years ago, a low residue diet wasn't recommended, but it's definitely worth sticking to and makes the prep a lot easier.

Thanks for that HBZ287 i don't est meat or dairy but I can do blended soups.

The list I have been given says no fruit or vegetable apart from potatoes without skins- was thinking a week of chip butties in white bread

I've been told that as well. No fruit or veg apart from potato with no skin. The idea is to avoid fibre

🤣🤣

I was thinking mashed potato. Which I love! But no fruit or veg would be hard