Colonoscopy advice?

[FaithAscending]

Got a colonoscopy booked a couple of weeks to investigate ongoing abdo pain (? Colitis, I've had an IBS diagnosis for years). I'm geared up for it all but just wondered what I'm in for with the prep? I'm finishing work early afternoon so I can do the prep at home and DD is staying elsewhere. My advice leaflet said it might be worth getting incontinence pads. Is it really that bad?!

I'm torn between having/not having the sedation. When I had an endoscopy they would only give me a half dose of the sedation so I remembered it all anyway. I'm weirdly interested in this sort of thing (I'm
a HCP) and kind of want to see it anyway! Or would I be better not really knowing? Any advice appreciated.

I failed to have one :(

They gave me a specific kind of prep as I'm disabled and find it difficult to get up and down to the loo quickly. I think it was supposed to work quicker and even more violently to clean me put very quickly to avoid all the getting up and down. But it didn't work. I drank litres and litres of the ghastly stuff, and my intestines/ bowels just stopped. It was very weird and to this day j do t know what happened.

I ended up throwing up all the liquid, but after a long time trying to hold it down and trying to keep drinking it as the instructions said. But as it was going nowhere it was horrible, my stomach hurt so much, probably distended from all the liquid in it. Then when I finally started throwing up I couldn't stop, and I threw up green bile for a long time after. I stopped counting after 15 times vomiting, but it went on all night and all the next day, complete with a high temperature and feeling terrible.

So, all pain, no gain, for fucks sake!

I think my experience is rare, as I can't find out anything about it on the Internet, so OP don't worry the same will happen to you!

I still wonder what happened though...

Miscellaneous maybe you had a temporary blockage and the only way out was up!!!!

Ooh that sounds logical Buster, it felt very wrong to keep on forcing the drink down, when nothing was moving anywhere.

I now have togave some other kind of test instead which is supposed to be less tough on the body.

However it appears to involve blowing smoke up my arse, which sounds as hideous (ok, co2 gas not smoke, but still...)

I had to have a breath test too, it sounds easy, but it wasn't! Lol.

Ok...I have eaten the bland diet all day. I have taken the first dose of picolax. Now, we wait.....

Good luck, thinking of you I've had several colonoscopies. I would recommend the sedation. We are very lucky to have this procedure available. Being able to see inside the body without cutting it open is amazing. Hooray for modern medicine.

Thank you Molly. It has started...

Definitely glad for modern medicine. One surgeon suggested an exploratory laparotomy. Conversation went like this:
Him: We could do an exploratory laparotomy
Me:
Him: you're not keen
Me: Er, no. I know what that involves!

I'd really rather not have my entire abdomen opened up!

You'll be very full of air tomorrow so I recommend waiting before you eat anything big, I threw my sandwich straight back up cos there was no room for it in there. If you start struggling to get the prep down you can get a straw and angle it to the back of your throat to bypass your taste buds

Oh yes, I hadn't thought of that. I might take a pot of jelly to eat first! Actually the prep was ok, it was only 150ml and tolerable. I've had movicol the last few days because I'm on codeine and I didn't want it to prevent it working properly. The taste of that was far worse!

Make sure you drink plenty of water this evening, you will lose a lot of fluid through your bowel. The water also helps flush everything through. The cleaner your bowel the more comfortable (and more successful) the procedure will be.

Good luck I'm sure it will be fine.

Good to hear you've done it all I had to take moviprep and it was revolting and there was a lot of it! Good luck tomorrow

I have to do another in the morning. this sounds daft but I'm worried it hasn't worked that well. I've only been to the loo about 6 times?! It was just liquid by the end though and I had been already today. I imagine the second dose in the morning will clear any remnants out. I should get to bed, long day tomorrow!

As long as the liquid out of your backside is clear then I presume your bowels will be clear. Good luck OP, I'm sure you're be fine, mine only hurt because I was ulcerated! Let's us know how it goes.

You'll start passing watery clear stuff so you'll know you're empty. I didn't find it that bad when the moviprep started working, I was all stocked up with vase line and wipes etc and I didn't need any of it. No soreness or anything and I wasn't tied to the toilet so it's different for everybody

Make sure you have some vaseline at home. You'll want it once you've been to the loo for the 17th time running...

I say Vaseline up to prevent a sore bottom. Wet wipes are great too. Good luck

I'm Vaseling at regular intervals. Lost count of loo visits now but must be about 12? 2 overnight! TMI still coloured but not much now.

You are doing really well

Thanks Molly! Now getting the urge to go but not much movement. I doubt there's much more?!

There's always more faith!!! Lol

Well I made the hour journey to the hospital without an accident! Been again since though. Just waiting to go in now.

hope you don't wait too long, let us know how it goes!

Well done . The worst is done now. The hospital part was fine ime.

All done. Glad I had the sedation, needed gas and air to get round one bit which he said was awkward but it was fine. The prep had cleared my bowel sufficiently. It all looked fine but they did biopsies to check for signs of inflammation. I really appreciate all the support and advice I've had, thank you all

Well done Faith, with me they actually saw the ulcers when they were in there so that's why I think I suffered so badly. I'm glad it wasn't so horrible for you.