Colonoscopy, really scared

[Tiny37373]

I'm booked in for a full colonoscopy next Tuesday for investigation with some ongoing IBS issues I've been having. I've had my prep through the post which I have to start on Monday night so that I'm fully evacuated for the procedure on Tuesday morning.

I'm really scared. I've never had anything like this before but I have heard from friends who have had it that it's quite painful. Didn't like to ask too much as it's quite a sensitive subject. Can anyone give me any idea of what to expect? I will obviously have the day off work but will I be ok to work the following day? Is it likely to be very painful during and afterwards?

I was dreading mine and it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I thought. Definitely have the sedation. I feel they tried to discourage me ( all though not in a nasty way) but they had no chance. All I remembered after was them saying can you turn onto your left for us? Rest was a blur. I’m sure it won’t be as bad as you think but definitely have the sedation. If you have it you have to stay in for a little while. 2 hours I think but there were no after effects.

Hi Tiny, for me the prep wasn't too bad although the hunger was. I did not have sedation but gas and air and as long as you have a couple of puffs before the camera goes in then you'll be high as a kite so won't feel it. I absolutely hogged the gas and air, the nurse even joked to leave some for the other patients. It helped a lot as I didn't feel anything and I was even laughing at one point. After the camera has left you can sit up and get rid of any excess gas otherwise you will have horrendous stomach cramps after so I was told. After the procedure I had a sandwich and cup of tea then got my stuff and left, I was back at work the next day and felt ok. Luckily no further investigations were needed.

Hope everything goes ok, please don't worry it's not that bad.

Have the sedation and you will be fine. I had one in Feb with just gas and air, but I could feel the camera when she pushed it around the corner. With sedation you won't feel any pain.

I had a colonoscopy a few years ago and agree with others that the prep is the worst part of it.Make sure you stay close to the toilet and have plenty of extra soft toilet paper available. I chose not to have sedation but gas and air was available if I needed it(I didn't).Having all that air inside me felt very weird afterwards. It felt like had a jacuzzi going on inside me.

I had one with a enema prep rather than a drink and it wasn’t that good. Also wasn’t offered any pain relief or sedation. It was just uncomfortable. I was more angry at the rude consultant who said ‘it’s just IBS’. The gas pains after were not nice. But it wasn’t as bad as a colposcopy

I had all of the sedation and gas and air they gave me! Don’t remember getting a choice to be honest, but it was over very quickly and I don’t remember most of it. Prep is definitely the worst part. Get some Vaseline! It will be fine :-)

The worst part was the taste of the drink. It was gross. I did have a bunch of baby wipes for the bathroom and wetting loo roll is good too.

I don't remember getting choice on sedation, it was given to me and it was lovely! 100% recommend it. It wasn't painful but the very last part was uncomfortable.

I got given biscuits after. They were good.

Thanks all. I'll try and put my big girl pants on and get on with it. With all the drugs available to me

I couldn't stomach the moviprep so I got pixolax from my doctor instead. Still gross but marginally better.

I agree with everyone else, the prep is way worse than the actual event. I wasn't sedated I had gas and air instead and was allowed to leave pretty quickly after

It was fine, nothing to be worried about. Orange squash for the prep. I’m weird, as I didnt mind the prep at all - in fact I’ve never had such a flat stomach afterwards! Felt good to have a good clear out 😁

Don’t remember anything about the procedure itself (make sure you have a sedative!) No pain at all. The only thing for me was I was sick afterwards. Caused by the pethidine (for pain relief, probably why I frlt no pain) but they forgot to offer me the anti emetic - so make sure you ask for that if they give you pethidine.

I wouldnt go to work the next day though, you may still be a bit ‘leaky’

tiny

I agree with the others

Obviously i can only speak for myself But drinking the stuff and the IDEA of being hungry was worse that the pooing

Honestly i pooed food i hadn’t even eaten!

And i was sedated so I don’t remember i thing and don’t remember feeling any pain (which i think is the point of the sedation) no pain afterwards either

My dad went a month or so ago and he had really worked himself up and he said it was really straightforward and nothing to worry about

Hope it goes well for you and that its not as bad as you think it is going to be 💐

I'm trying to see the prep as a fancy form of colonic irrigation....yeah right.

I have one every three years (family history of bowel cancer but thankfully all clear for me so far). I tell myself every time that some weird people pay good money for similar ...

Can anyone give me any idea of what to expect? Prep tastes vile. Mix in some form of cordial with it. You'll be curled up on one side, you can watch the camera go through your bowel on screen. I found that part fascinating. You'll be encouraged to pass wind/burp to reduce the pressure, or at least I was. It isn't a dignified experience but they've seen and heard it all before.

I will obviously have the day off work but will I be ok to work the following day? Yes should be fine.

Is it likely to be very painful during and afterwards? Painful without sedation, I had gas and air. Personally, my pain and discomfort was from the pumping me full of air to get the camera through not from the actual sensation of having a camera/tube inside. Felt like very bad wind/gripes. I will be asking for more pain relief next time. No pain after just sensitive stomach for a day.

Strikeout fail

I didn’t lose any weight

My dad lost 6lbs

Not fair

@Tiny37373

Thanks all. I'll try and put my big girl pants on and get on with it. With all the drugs available to me

I wouldn't wear your big girls pants when you have the prep, in fact its better to wear no pants at all

Hi Tiny.

I've had numerous colonoscopies. My tip would be to make the prep with sprite. Needs to be a clear fluid and this works brilliant. Taste much better, use a straw also.
I used to drink it with cordial but still found the prep really difficult to drink as it's like drinking salt but once I changed to sprite I had no issues at all.

Get the sedation. It is a crampy procedure.
You will be fine.
Take care.

I had mine without sedation and it was alright - it was uncomfortable like a whole lot of pressure but it wasn't really painful as such. The prep didn't fully work for me and I had to have an enema but that was ok too (I'd recently given birth though so tbh my dignity levels were low)

You'll be ok honestly

Please take some deep calming breaths.

I have had quite a few colonoscopies. You can help yourself by starting now to reduce certain foods from your diet so that when it comes time to drink the solution, there won’t be huge amounts to come out.

Get yourself some biodegradable baby wipes and that’ll help your bum not get sore. No resin you can’t use sudocream either.

Yes, the procedure is uncomfortable but if you get stressed out, you will make it seem worse than it is. Take the time now to learn some deep breathing relaxation and do that throughout. Time will fly by and you’ll not feel so bad.

There’s loads of advice on foods to avoid in the days before a colonoscopy. Have a look but of course don’t eat anything that would cause your IBS to flare up

Here’s one, check out point 2

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.self.com/story/7-things-youve-always-wondered-about-a-colonoscopy-procedure/amp

I had one not long ago and it was fine, but I was sedated (it was twilight sedation rather than full anaesthetic) so remember nothing. The prep was a bit gross but nowhere near as bad as I expected. I just went to the toilet a lot and felt a little hungry. If sedation is an option I would certainly take it as it made the whole thing quite pleasant... I felt a bit floaty for a while afterwards which was nice. I did need to be picked up from the hospital, though, as couldn’t drive after sedation.

I've had one, and I've worked in that area.
On the day before I'd take your first sachet around 2 then second around 7. That way hopefully you wont be in the bathroom all night.

When you make up the drink , have really cold water. Adding lime juice can help. Other people find it's easier to drink with a straw.

After you start you can eat jelly, clear soup or tea/ coffee without milk.

It can help to buy wet wipes for when you are using the toilet a lot.

During the procedure there should be 1 Dr and two nurses. One nurse is to keep you feeling supported.You can choose pain relief and sedation. I only had 1 instance of pain and they gave relief immediately.

Afterwards I got up pretty quickly and then got home. I had no pain after at all.

Hope it goes well for you.

I went into mine feeling really anxious, then they gave me the sedation and I suddenly realised why people end up addicted to opiates. It was amazing. I smiled through the whole thing.

(I know, I'm weird.)

I didn't find the prep too bad either. DH had had a colonoscopy a few months before me and he had really bad stomach cramps, but I didn't experience that at all.

Agree with all comments about the prep being worse, had a 9am appointment & think I finally got to bed at midnight after shitting for Britain from early evening the night before.

I had to go down gas and air route as DH was working so couldn’t keep an eye on me after if I’d had sedation. Some crampy pinches as it went around the bends, but they were a doddle compared to things like very bad period cramps or childbirth. Found it quite calming when I eventually looked up at the screen and saw my bowels - I eased off the G&A then and just watched instead.

Good luck, you’ll be fine

By far the worst part was drinking the prep... I was violently sick drinking the last one the morning before my colonoscopy (afternoon appt) I put lemonade in with it and made it ice cold to try and help stomach it. Also spiked on glacier mints too which are allowed, not the fruit ones though. Get some Vaseline and put it in BEFORE you start drinking the prep. This should create a barrier for your skin when your going to the toilet constantly, reapply each bowel movement you have. I got the sedation when I had mines and I woke up during it and was sick everywhere, they were taking biopsies when I woke so I could actually see that happening and kinda feel it like little nip.
The procedure itself wasn’t sore, I did bleed quite a bit after it which apparently is normal, I wasn’t told that but because I was still being sick after the procedure and the anti sickness injection didn’t work I got kept in hospital that night so had asked the nurse why I was bleeding x

You'll be fine OP. My son had to have one at 21. He was very scared. He came out smiling and relieved and ate a very hearty breakfast at a great cafe straight after 👌 ❤️