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General health

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Original poster

Can someone tell me about the joys of a colonoscopy please.

27 replies

Meglet · 08/10/2011 15:07

I'm due to have a colonoscopy at the end of the month. All I know so far is that I will need to do a bowel clean beforehand (not sure whether this is a few hours before or 24hrs before) and I'll be doped up on pethadine while they do the colonoscopy.

Have had 'IBS' for at least 6 years now and it's getting worse (I am under a huge amount of stress though) so they want to investigate. Although I'm still waiting for results of a blood test and hope it's just coeliac disease or something treatable. The consultant was umming and aahing over it being something to do with my sections and hysterectomy or a bug I caught in China 9 years ago.

TIA

OP posts:

MaureenMLove · 08/10/2011 15:18

DH has had two of them - one just recently.

The preparation is for the 24 hours before the procedure and it's heavy duty stuff. You will need to be near a toilet ALL DAY. Also, top tip from DH, is to have some sudcream next to the toilet, because you will need it.

You have to drink a pint of the stuff over the course of an hour (although DH did it in one, to get it over and done with). It starts to work within an hour.

The second dose is about 4 hours later I think. You can only drink clear liquids, so black tea or coffee or squash. I also got DH some boiled sweets, just tomake him feel like he was eating a bit.

For the procedure, DH said, it wasn't painful, just a bit uncomfortable and over in less than 30 mins. After he had rested for an hour, he was up and about and we had to stop at the shops on the way home for massive amounts of any food that he fancied!

It's a rotten thing to have to have done, I'm sure, but I hope it all goes well.

piprabbit · 08/10/2011 15:21

Maureen is spot on with the details - but she did omit the most joyous bit...

Coming round in a ward of strangers all of whom are farting like troopers (don't be , there's no way round it).

MaureenMLove · 08/10/2011 15:28

LOL! Of course! Forgot that bit.

And oh how we laughed, from behind our curtain, when the nurse said, 'it's really hot in here, can we prop the back door open with something?' To which the other nurse said, 'I don't think so, it's too windy!'

Not the best place to be discussing propping open back doors, I though!

piprabbit · 08/10/2011 15:30

Perhaps it was code for "we have a stinker".

Original poster

Meglet · 08/10/2011 15:32

Thank you both .

Going to the loo after the bowel cleanse is going to be grim as I have fissures (one of the side effects of whatever is going on down there), I think I'll have to eat hardly anything for a couple of days beforehand so not much comes out. Will make sure I get that day booked off sick too!

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HazeltheMcWitch · 08/10/2011 15:33

Yup, agree with all of above. To the sudocrem suggestion, I'd add moist toilet paper. You will thank me later.

Original poster

Meglet · 08/10/2011 15:33

I never ever ever ever fart in public .

I'm going in disguise .

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myonlysunshine · 08/10/2011 15:39

I think different health authorities use different products for the bowel prep - I had to drink between 2 and 3 litres of Klean Prep which tastes pretty vile. You can flavour it with clear fruit squash. Don't use lime juice as I once did though or then even sudocrem won't be enough....(but thats by far the worst part of the whole thing, I think, the procedure itself is pretty ok)

Original poster

Meglet · 08/10/2011 15:42

so (TMI question here) does your poo go clear after the bowel prep?

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ednurse · 08/10/2011 15:44

Hi I work in Endoscopy a lot. You will be given a bowel preparation to take in liquid drink form. It is quite a lot to take but make sure you do because if the bowel is not...er...prepped enough then they will be unable to do the procedure.

When you come to the day unit/ward on the day you may or may not be given an enema depending on the consultant and preferences.

The doctor will put an IV cannula in your hand and you will be given a sedative. Haven't heard of pethedine being used, it's usually Midazolam which is very similar to 'date rape'. You will be able to perform basic tasks when you have the med, such as getting into certain positions. It can be uncomfortable put once the scope gets past a certain point it is bearable. You will probably sleep for a short while post-procedure. 98% of patients have no recollection when they wake up after the procedure.

ednurse · 08/10/2011 15:46

Yes re: the farting after, PLEASE do let it all out!! We've had patients end up with awful wind pain because they weren't letting it out

piprabbit · 08/10/2011 15:53

Meglet - your poo doesn't go clear. What happens is that it gets runnier and runnier and waterier and waterier until it is almost like doing a wee out of your bum - very peculiar - because there is nothing at all solid left in your sytem.

TMI.

HeidiHole · 08/10/2011 15:54

You won't have any poo left. So you drink this foul drink 24 hours before and then ALL day you can't eat anything and are glued to the loo. You must NOT be in work that day!

Eventually it will be clear water stuff you're passing not poo and then the bowel is empty.

When the procedure is getting done I always feel the urge to poo but remember your bowel is empty and it's just the tube up there that makes you feel it. Youre drowsy but you know what's happening.

And you're so farty after!! I find the day before the worst.. I've had 3 now and the actual procedure I'd do any day it's fine but the foul tasting liquid before and thenrunning to the loo all day is not nice.

HeidiHole · 08/10/2011 15:55

Yes to 'doing a wee out your bum' that's exactly it!! Very odd...

SouthernandCross · 08/10/2011 16:12

I had one a few years ago. Am probably due another soon actually, must look into it.
This is worth a read.

Original poster

Meglet · 08/10/2011 16:44

This is going to be a detox and a half!

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HazeltheMcWitch · 08/10/2011 16:54

It will be, Meglet. And (if you needed convincing), it will convince you that colonic irrigation is a load of crap utter bunkum.

Bearskinwoolies · 09/10/2011 04:13

I found that the prep is worse than the actual procedure; I've had two colonoscopies done, and had to have a different prep for the second as the stuff from the first made me ill. Moist wipes are a must, as is lots of farting afterwards

Bunbaker · 09/10/2011 15:01

"You will probably sleep for a short while post-procedure. 98% of patients have no recollection when they wake up after the procedure."

I was wide awake and alert the entire time. Is this unusual?

Original poster

Meglet · 26/10/2011 17:16

bumping as I've got to take the bowel cleanse stuff tomorrow for the colonoscopy on Friday.

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AllYourFleshAarghBelongToMe · 26/10/2011 17:21

You'll be fine. It's a bit unpleasant, but bearable. When I had my 2nd one, by the way, they gave me Fentanyl, and I was high as a kite afterwards. No way I could have got myself home. So do make sure you either get a taxi home, or get someone to pick you up.
As an aside, I was conscious throughout, but spent the entire time fixated on the footage of my insides

Cazzmags · 26/10/2011 17:37

The scope is fine, I've had about 8 or 9 of them (for ulcerative colitis). I've had almost all the different preps and the last one I had was movi prep which was the best one. Tbh none of them are nice but I would suggest you make sure the prep is very well chilled and don't drink it too fast (as it will come back). Stay near the loo and rest up. The procedure itself is fine, if you are given a choice of sedation or not go for the sedation. I've had a scope without and it wasn't nice! I usually ask my doc if he can give me a stash of the happy jab stuff to bring home as its fabulous ;) I spent most of my last scope in March talking jibberish to the nurse about my last center parks holiday whilst keeping an eye on the screen....it was curiously fascinating. Hope it goes well let us know how you get on.

Original poster

Meglet · 26/10/2011 19:45

thanks . Am too nervous to eat tonight, although I snacked all afternoon, so the next proper food I will have will be friday tea-time.

I have purchased a rainforests worth of glossy magazines to veg out with tomorrow inbetween loo visits. And I'll be on MN too.

I'm having pethadine IIRC. Should be interesting, never had it before. I know it's used for labour so while it's obviously heavy duty it's used a lot.

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mintyneb · 26/10/2011 20:40

agree with everything that has been said. good luck with the prep, it's not much fun!

the only other thing I would add is that because they put a lot of air inside you (hence the trumping afterwards!) it can be a bit - or a lot - uncomfortable during the procedure. If the sedation has worked OK you will be aware of instructions and be able to respond or move about as they ask you to, but you shouldn't really remember much afterwards.

I don't respond well to sedation - have had 5 endoscopies and 1 colonoscopy - and seem to need pretty high strength stuff to do the trick - so when I had the colonoscopy I wasn't 'out of it' at all and ended up watching it all on the tV monitor. It was quite interesting though!

good luck and make sure you come back on again to let us know how it went!

Original poster

Meglet · 27/10/2011 19:03

Well, I am certainly feeling very cleansed at the moment .

I won't want to eat after this, just plain rice and green tea from now on to keep my insides nice and sparkly .

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