Colonoscopy next week!

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Can anyone tell me what to expect please?

I know it's sytaihjy forward but slightly nervous about it.

I've had an ultrasound which was clear, but I have a growing lump in my upper right abdomen which comes from under my ribs. Doesn't hurt but can move it. Sonographer said possible hernia. Doctor wasn't too sure and urgently referred me to surgeon. Second doctor said possible cyst and ordered emergency bloods. Bloods are ok apart from abnormal bilirubin level which are high (Not majorly). Saw surgeon he asked about Colon Cancer and crohns in family. No history of it from what I know. Revered me for an urgent colonoscopy within 2 week which is Tuesday. If clear a CT will be done- surgeon didn't want to do one straight away due to the radiation exposure. Ready for some answers now.

Can anyone tell me their experiences?

Are you getting bowel prep drink to have beforehand or an enema on the day?
I would strongly advise you get the sedation. You’ll not be completely asleep but you’ll not really be aware of what’s going on and then it will be over before you know it. The sedative wears off quickly but they don’t like you driving yourself or being left alone for about 12-24 hours.
I’ve had a sigmoidoscopy (same as a colonoscopy but doesn’t go quite as deep) and I opted for no sedative and it wasn’t pleasant.

My colonoscopy is in the afternoon. I have the Bowel prep, can't eat from dinnertime the day before. Think I have to drink the Bowel prep at 8pm the night before and 6am the day of the Colonoscopy.

So you'd say opt for sedative?

The hospital I got mine done said they would always try and force people to have a sedative if getting the full colonoscopy as it’s quite invasive, but with the sigmoidoscopy they let people decide if they want sedation or not. Might be different where you are and they might give you the option. I would definitely get the sedation if I had to do it again. It wasn’t “painful” but extremely uncomfortable as the tube thing they use is the thickness of your middle finger and I didn’t like being able to feel it going into my bowel.
The procedure takes about 10-30 mins (if everything looks healthy then it won’t take too long).
With the bowel prep you can still eat certain things to keep your blood sugar levels up. Clear broths, jellies (lemon or lime flavours as the other colours aren’t allowed), gummy bears (not the red ones), hard boiled clear sweets like the glacier mints or lemon lollipops. Have a really high protein meal a few hours before you do the prep

The prep isn't nice. But you will feel detoxed afterwards! You will almost live on the toilet a for a few hours, splash out on a pile of glossy sleb magazines to take your mind off it.
Take the sedative. I did and there was still a sore moment when they had to wriggle the camera around a tight corner in my bowel.
It's totally worth it once you're done though

Ok, I'll opt for sedative. It's at 3pm what time will I be out around?

I have someone to stop with me overnight but I'll be alone with my 2 young kids the day after.

I also get incredibly weak and sick after not eating for a few hours. Dreading not brig able to eat!

Thank you for replying Maglett. I'll get the sedative, think I'd rather not be 100% with it during the procedure. Not looking forward to the Bowel prep, I'll stock up on Magazines!

You will be in recovery for about an hour after the procedure. So I’m guessing you’ll be discharged around 4-4:30ish?
You will still be awake with the sedative but in an almost dream like state where you don’t really have a clue what’s going on (have heard it’s a nice feeling and most people don’t have much memory of the procedure even happening).
Do you have someone to watch the kids while you do the bowel prep as you won’t be able to leave the bathroom much for a few hours. Get some magazines, book and maybe a film on your tablet/laptop to watch on the loo

I found the bowel prep worse than the colonoscopy. Definitely take the sedative. Didn’t make me sleepy, more relaxed than anything.

I've got a book that needs finishing off so I'll take that with me and I have a tablet. Maybe even do some Suduko so I don't get bored haha!

My girls will be in bed the night before I'll put them down at 7 so they'll be asleep by the time I do it. I have to do the nursery run at 9am the morning of my procedure after taking the rest of my bowel prep so not to sure how that's going to plan out!

Nobody is selling this bowel prep to me haha!

Colonoscopy itself absolutely fine, had one under deep sedation didn't know I had it. Bowel prep is horrific, 2 litres of it to drink. I didn't eat for 1.5 days before but it affected me for about 5 days. I wasn't sick at least. There's no way you will be up to taking your kids to nursery straight after it. I also had to have someone with me 24 hours after, in my case not strictly necessary but couldn't have looked after little kids then. You drink it then about 1 hour later the effects start and you live in the bathroom for the next 2.5 hours each time and that's with me not eating. I don't know if after the colonoscopy if you took Imodium it would help but it continues for 5 days from taking it, at least did for me. Some foods were better than others.

I would strongly advise you get someone to take them to school for you. You will be feeling very weak from not eating properly for so long, and you might still be having cramps and an upset stomach an hour or so before the procedure. Is there a friend that could drop them off?

I think there Dad is working for the morning and then finishing at 1ish to take me. My mum is working so don't have anyone else. May see if her dad can pop out to take her as he works locally.

I had a colonoscopy late last year , the worst part was definitely the prep . If it’s Klean prep that you get given I would advise drinking a whole glass quickly and then drink a glass of squash to wash it down and so on until it’s gone . I would not recommend adding flavouring to the actual prep as we tried that with sachet one and it was equally as hideous and if anything made it worse . I had a full colonoscopy without sedation as all they were offering was Midazolam and pethidine both of which make me very sick for days afterwards so I opted not to have them . I could have had gas and air if I needed it but I didn’t . Quite honestly if I were you I’d have wanted the CT scan first before I had something quite so invasive . I was fine the following day just a bit of crampy wind pain .

I had one around 2 weeks ago.
The prep is awful-clearing the bowels=liquid diarrhoea until theres nothing left internally but the colonoscopy itself was fine.
Highly recommend the sedative- best sleep I've had in ages!I remember nothing and no pain after etc.You will need someone to bring you home after and they like you to have company overnight for these.
You will need someone else to bring your kids from school anyway-the prep is the closest I've ever come to crapping myself....and I was staying close to the bathroom. Was at least 24 hours after before bowels felt normal again tbh.

I was bricking myself going in-colon cancer is rampent in my family but it was all fine in the end.

I was so bloated for about 4 days after and had felt full of trapped wind and cramps. Poos took a few days to firm up again (sorry TMI) After that I was back to normal again.

I work in this department

You'll have a prep, and you'll be on a low residue diet for 2days, then nothing solid 6hr prior and then nothing but CLEAR fluids up until 2hrs before.
You can have sedation and pain killer with entonox or just entonox.
Your choice.
Some say its like a really bad period cramp.
Your bowel doesn't like to be stretched - they fill your bowel with CO2, so they are able to move around and get good views.
Samples can be taken - doesn't hurt they are normally about the size of pin head - they can also inject and cut away polyps (Growths).

Good luck

Floral- I had no choice. The surgeon said colonoscopy then CT. He said the Colonoscopy will more than likely be clear so by the sounds of it I'll be having the CT either way! How was it without Sedation?

Thank you all for the advice. You've made me feel alot better about the Colonoscopy which is what I was dreading. I knew the Bowel prep was going to be crappy!

I've got someone taking me/ picking me up and then staying with me until 7am the next morning. I'll find someone to do the nursery run the morning of my procedure. Am I best finding someone to do it the morning after my procedure too?

Hi lass

One trick about the colonoscopy is the prep is worse than the procedure.

I've had 4 in 3yrs and depening on the stuff you get to empty your bowels (Fleet or Kleenprep) it's worth having stuff to do in house.

Just for example.

4 satchets of kleenprep is roughly a gallon of solution when made up and you can ask for flavoured or original which is best - they gave me vanilla and I was sick. Once you start taking it DO NOT leave the house - it can start acting quite quickly and once your on your way to squeaky clean time you need to be near the loo.

Fleet I've had once and was two small vials I had to drink and it made me queasy but did same job.

As you know you starve day before while on KP but again depends what your given.

Day of procedure is into gown, on bed and cannula in hand along with oxygen (concentrate on that nois3). You'll be sedated (mine was midazolam and Fenatyl) and quite honestly it feels weird especially when you can feel it higher up the tract. Just breathe and you will be fine.

If you seriously struggle with the prep then phone up the unit and say so as you will probably fail the scope if you can't take it and that's a waste of time for all.

Enjoy your snooze afterwards and get someone to take you home as for 24hrs your deemed unable to sign legal stuff and drive etc.

You may get some wind and cramps- Buscopan is available in shops and I highly recommend it.
Bum maybe a little sore but ibuprofen is your friend as is a warm bath or shower.

This is just my experience but my trusted routine afterwards.

Best wishes.

It was fine without sedation , but I do have a pretty high pain threshold . I would say it was more discomfort than pain and it was great being able to just get dressed , have a cup of tea and then leave .

Have had four colonoscopies. Not pleasant but for me the restricted diet is the worst. I live off white bread cheese sandwiches !

I loved the restricted diet. Lived off cheese and crackers for three days 🧀🐁

I had a colonoscopy a few weeks back, and it wasn't a terrible experience!
I was most worried about the prep (mainly because when dp had his he was violently throwing up & did not do well on it). The not eating part was the worst! I drank my prep out of a jug with a straw, it didn't taste as bad as I was expecting. All the toilet stuff was fine, went to bed at 11pm then started prep round 2 at 6am. Appointment was at 2pm, saw the nurse then sat an waited until 3.45 until I was taken down (5 or 6 others went in before me despite the nurse telling me I was 2nd on the list). I opted for both pain killers and 'sedation'. No pain felt during the procedure, it just felt odd & a bit uncomfortable, like bad poo pains if that made sense? Afterwards you get taken to recovery, I was up & about within 15 minutes. Top tip - bring some food in your bag with you to eat straight after youve had it done - i had chocolate raisins (probably not the best thing!) That really helped me feel normal again afterwards. They let me go probably 30 minutes after the procedure was finished.
I found it really helpful to watch the video on the nhs colonoscopy page As it talks you through everything they do.

Personally, the worst part of the colonoscopy for me was the build up to it, overthinking what might happen & having to sit about waiting to be taken for the procedure.

Hope it all goes well for you

Just to say your prep may not be gallons of liquid. Mine was a shedload of senokot followed by two 250ml drinks which together were effective and not particularly grim.

Yes to sedation. I remembered the whole procedure but in a pleasant ‘oh look! ‘ kind of way 😀

Prep. definitely worse than the colonoscopy. I used a straw, took a few big mouthfuls, then immediately knocked back some lemonade. No nausea or sickness. I didn't have sedation, just gas and air. Recovered very quickly, then a delicious cup of tea and biscuits.