Colonoscopy - is it ok without sedation?

[Peonytimeguys]

I have to have one next week and I really don't want sedation. It's early morning, and I'm hoping I'll be back at my desk by 1pm. They've offered gas and air, or even sedation mid way through.

Wld love to hear if people have gone through it without, but perhaps its a person to person thing.

I had it with sedation, I did fall asleep after but was allowed to leave once awake. After that I felt quite high but able to function. I don’t remember the procedure being painful or uncomfortable

Might as well do operations with no pain relief because why not.

Sedation isn't pain relief, it's to calm so you can tolerate your colon pumped full of air and don't stop the procedure

No, a CT scan is not really an alternative.

A CT scan is not as accurate and if it does show anything unusual you then still have to have a colonoscopy anyway (to have a proper look and take samples etc).

you also need to do the same prep for a CT scan.

It really is fine. Much better than dying!

If you follow the diet to the letter before hand and manage to take the prep it will be fine . I ate very light the week before , due to another issue , followed the diet and only managed half the prep and barely went to the loo at all and had no issues at all after the colonoscopy except a bit of wind for 12 hours or so .

I have Crohn’s disease and have had multiple colonoscopies. In my opinion you need the sedation. I always find the procedure very painful even with sedation, and the doctor will often top up the pain relief mid way through. After the procedure you’ll be kept in a recovery room for a while and checked on by nurses, depending on how it’s gone you may be there for a couple of hours. I always take the whole day off work on the day of the procedure (and usually need to sleep for several hours afterwards), and sometimes I take the following day off work too.

this is not the kind of procedure where you pop in, have it done and then pop back to work.

The prep is bloody awful.
I think if you go in with an open mind and see how you go. We've all had such different experiences. Its very interesting watching on the screen and I've ended up talking about all sorts of topics with the staff.
And finally, its their chosen job. Try not to feel embarrassed. They do this sort of thing everyday and will do their best to make you comfortable and relaxed (as much as possible 😂)
Good luck x

Which bit of the prep is awful? The laxative drink?

I have had sedation before and it knocked me for six. I had no memory of the procedure and it took me a long time to come round, I felt terrible afterwards. I think the key here is that people respond differently to these procedures, and importantly people respond differently to sedation/painkillers. OP will know what works for her and it sounds like she has a very sensible plan to see how she gets on.

The drink tastes gross but it’s more the time you will be sitting on the loo, rawness from wiping etc

I found the prep fine. Just stay near a toilet - I didn’t have any warning.
I tried the procedure without sedation , I couldn’t carry on.
I then had a scan instead.
You’ll be fine for the gig three days later.

Yes
The prep is not the most pleasant liquid. There is a lot of it to drink. And it sends you to the loo for many urgent liquid evacuations. You know it’s done when you are just shitting yellow water and the stomach cramps stop .
And then you get to do it all over again a few hours later. Send time is easier loo visits as there should be very little poo left in you but harder to force yourself to drink it all again.

It’s not that bad.
Much easier if you do the low residue white diet for a couple of days first. Have it super chilled, and drink through a straw followed quickly by a nicer clear drink chaser. I used lemonade .

Stay close to a loo. Use Vaseline and wet wipes (bag and bin, don’t flush) as you will get sore from wiping so many times.

If you follow the diet before for a couple of days and don’t eat too much, there is less to clear out. Just by the end of the litre jug it’s looking a bit daunting, as it’s isn’t the best flavour or texture. Keep going with it, wash it down with lemonade and stay near a loo.

Ive had 2 with sedation. Sedation made no difference to me so could have worked afterwards but I think you'll want to be home to recover from the experience. They don't keep you long after it's over.

DH had a colonoscopy a few years ago. He being a big man thought of having no sedation and returning to work straight after.
Big mistake he came out sweating and said that the pain was terrible, but still wanted to go back to work.
Another big big mistake. There was a meeting with all the staff when the wind decided to escape.
He said that it went on for ages and it was very loud. He couldn't leave the meeting without making a scene.
He is now called 'windy'

Depending on the prep type it might not be a huge amount to drink. I was first told to take one that is 4 litres of the nasty drink but I asked for something different and now its 1st dose 150ml drink plus a few litres of other clear liquids, then 2nd dose of 150ml and a litre or two more clear fluids. So even if it tastes absolutely disgusting I ought to be able to force it down as there's so little of it (whereas last time I did the 4 litre prep I couldn't finish it)

I had a CT as my bowel to too coiled up to get the tubing round. I didnt do the prep for it

I have had several. Both with and without, sedation.

On balance, I would always have sedation. The discomfort of having the gut inflated is really too uncomfortable for me. And, regardless of whether I did or didn't have it, no way would I be going back to work the same day.

Oh god, what a way to get a work nickname!

Reminds me of my mum, who has medication that makes her fart a lot, DD was looking outside and commented on the weather "bit windy today" and my mum thought she was talking about her farts and apologised now I can't hear the word windy without cracking up

I'm so sorry for your DH, but I laughed my head off reading this

It’s odd when this was me posting about having one, and then suddenly you have had it, and can tell others.
I had sedation, to be honest it must have done something but i didn’t feel like it affected me that much. At one point i had a little discomfort as they were doing the procedure, and I told them, and they gave me a bit more sedation, and that was it, barely felt anything really, and wasn’t too long and they said it was done, I was surprised.
I was worried about the blowing with air that I had heard about that they have to do, but it was fine.

If you do have sedation then obviously as you know you will need to be chaperoned, and you will need to rest afterwards.

If you don’t, still after all the prep etc, probably won’t get much sleep the night before, then up to get to hospital etc, plus I know you say it’s a morning one, but that is your booking time, that does not mean you will be seen at that time.

So bare that in mind too, you really should just take the day off, unless there is some real need for you to make sure you are back at work.

SO true. It really is better than dying.

This is a first world problem, for sure. Thank you for the perspective.

the ‘CT colonoscopy ‘ is a great investigative tool and you do need to prep for it

I had the scan that is not as bad, when they couldn't get colonoscopy tube round my bowel. They don't like doing it because, as pp have said, it isn't as accurate and then you'd have to have a colonoscopy anyway.

It's true in terms of what the Dr said. I was particularly anxious as my husband had painful colonoscopies on numerous ocassions and died at the age of 48 Yrs from bowel cancer,. Also i'm an epidural kind of woman....

As you can see from this thread everyone is different so anyone insisting you absolutely need sedation, you cannot go back to work, or vice versa you absolutely dont need it, is wrong. We all experience it different and all we can say is our own experience.

For me I didn't want sedation and I was absolutely fine without. I have a particularly twisty bowel (which ive since discovered the reason for) so that was a little uncomfortable when they were trying to get it round, but for me wasnt intolerable. They offered gas and air if I wanted it but I was fine.

They did put a cannula in for me in case I changed my mind but it wasnt needed. So you could ask for this then you have the ability to get sedation if needed.

I have to have regular gastro endoscopies and if I had to choose which one to take, I would prefer a colonoscopy every time even with having to do the prep.

Again the going back to work will be individual, I didnt feel too uncomfortable after but I did feel tired, I had lousy sleep the night before as the prep was very effective and kept me up late, so there could be that to consider too.

I refused one and had a CT scan (not a CT colonography which was also reluctantly offered instead of a colonoscopy) instead (which was clear). I shortly discovered the cause of the blood as I'd developed a bad reaction to wheat in my diet. That was 2.5 yrs ago and I've no more problems in that department.

Other posters have said that a CT scan (not a CT colonography which is more invasive) isn't as revealing and that's true, I was told a colonoscopy is the 'gold standard' and it is, but for me, it was a CT scan or nothing (I was fortunate to be offered one instead of the colonoscopy, they tried hard to convince me, but the nurse I spoke with would keep saying 'you'll still need a camera up your bum' - actual words - which didn't help one bit!).

I suspect if people show reluctance they are sternly talked into a colonoscopy - as I say the doctor and nurse tried that with me over the phone but I held fast. I can imagine others might give in, though, and there's no shame in that either. I just have a phobia.