Colonoscopy

[VanGoghsDog]

I have been referred for a colonoscopy and just wondered if people could let me know what to expect.

Like a lot of people I am not that happy having stuff up my bottom. I also suffer from both piles and fissures so it's all very painful at the best of times, plus having had diarrhea for six months now my poor little bottom is pretty sore most of the time.

I've not got the letter yet but the GP said it would be within two weeks.

Mostly I need to know if I will need to take anyone with me - I don't have anyone to take if I do so this is a massive worry.

Thanks

I had one a few weeks ago.
They gave me the option of sedation (cannula in back of hand) and also gas and air. Never felt a thing before, during or after.
The hardest part is the light diet for a couple of days before and the laxatives you need to take to clear you out before the procedure.
They gave me Movicol which is quite a volume of liquid to ingest in quite a short time. I have a friend who has colonoscopies on a regular basis, she is given Picolax which involves much smaller doses. You could maybe ask what their preparation procedure is?

Didn't answer your question about a companion! If you are having sedation, you will need someone to accompany you and someone with you for the next 24 hours.

Thank you!

I'll take the laxative they give me but I really don't need it. 🥺

I'll have to try to think of someone who can go with me, it's really tricky. I'm single, no kids, no family nearby, no close friends nearby, everyone I know as an acquaintance works and asking someone you're not very close to to take a day off is too big an ask.

My niece is the only person I can think of but she is a two hour drive away so she'd have to stay which breaches Covid rules (her mum, my sister, is her bubble and she is there now so no chance of the ten day gap, plus asking her to be my bubble is, again, a big ask as it precludes her being anyone else's bubble. She's not working due to Covid and totally broke but obviously I would cover any costs). My mum is my bubble but she's a three hour drive away, no way to get here by public transport and she doesn't drive, so I'd have to go and pick her up beforehand and actually she'd be no bloody use anyway and we'd still have to get taxis, plus she's never been here so if anything happened she'd be hopeless.

I also don't really want my mum or sister to know until I have more information!

Urgh.

Thank you, glad to hear I won't really feel anything.

You only really need someone with you if you have sedation. I had a colonoscopy last month and just had gas and air. It was uncomfortable but ok and if I ever have to have another one I would forgo sedation again.

As PP said, the worst part is the prep. Us you have to drink loads of eater as well as the movicol.

Good luck.

I have regular colonoscopies.

You will need the laxatives. It’s not just about removing the contents of your bowel but making it clear so they can see your bowel properly. By the end of the laxatives, what comes out of your bum is cloudy water, because you’re essentially washing out your bowel. Diarrhoea obviously doesn’t have the same effect.

I find the laxatives absolutely foul and I’ve always struggled drinking it outright. What I do is mix it with sprite / 7up. It’s meant to be lemon flavoured so mixing it with sprite means it tastes like flat lemonade and is more drinkable. It means it takes longer for me to drink, but if you find you struggle, that’s a tip - for each glass mix the made up prep with sprite, so that it’s about 50 50.

I’m always sedated but once I had gas and air because they simply couldn’t find a vein. Sedation is much more comfortable, so I would strongly recommend that. It does mean you need someone with you when you leave though. Check with your hospital but I’ve never had someone come with me to the appt, just pick me up at the end. That avoids having someone spend half a day waiting around for you. I always call my person as soon as I’m in recovery, and that gives them an hour’s notice to come and pick me up. You also need someone to stay with with for the rest of the day when you’ve been sedated.

Colonoscopies really aren’t that bad. I find the prep the worst part of it. Good luck!

I'm not sure how I will know in advance whether I'll have sedation. But I've had a text now for a call about it tomorrow which I assume is to discuss that and the prep.

On balance I'd prefer sedation (my bottom really is very sore) but it's possibly just not practical.

Thank you

I recently had one OP. I actually didn’t find the Moviprep too bad - I might be strange but it was weirdly cleansing! You do need to be near the loo for the entirety of the time.

I would highly recommend the sedation. I had a wee bit of Fentanyl which helped too. Can you see if you could get a taxi home?

The prep will add to the sore ring so have some sudocreme or similar handy.

I had a colonoscopy recently and the prep is the worst bit, the colonoscopy is a breeze!
I just want to say being sedated does not mean you are asleep for the who's procedure as I was given sedation and woke up after about ten minutes, I didn't feel any pain at all just a little bit of movement and I was chatting away to the doctor and nurses.
No one was allowed to come into the ward to collect you they had to wait outside the ward in the corridor and the nurse rang my husband to tell him when to roughly collect me.
There was an elderly lady in same time as me and she had nobody to collect her or stay overnight with her after sedation so they got someone in the hospital to walk down with her to main entrance while she waited for a taxi.

*as you have to drink loads of water

The laxatives are not that bad, you don’t get that horrible pain when you need to go like with an upset tummy or over the counter laxatives. I didn’t anyway. The worse part is forcing yourself to drink it all as they want you to drink a lot from memory. You will be really surprised how much you probably still have in there, I didn’t think I’d need the laxatives but I did.

The procedure itself was fine, didn’t feel a thing. I know not everyone feels the same, it depends on the person and circumstances. For me it was the wind afterwards, but given everyone in the recovery room was letting rip it’s not too bad haha

I was very shaky and tired afterwards so you definitely need someone to take you home and possibly do things for you initially.

I had gas and air. Drove there and back with no problem. Prep definitely worst as the laxative stuff tastes foul and there's litres of the stuff. I necked each glass of laxative quickly whilst holding my nose then had a long drink of Sprite as a kind of cleansing chaser! Vaseline or Sudocreme after every bowel movement. Do not move far from your toilet. Colonoscopy itself was ok. A bit of cramping but I sucked hard on the lovely gas and air! You will be just fine.

Agree about the laxative diarrhoea. No pain or cramps. It's a bit like having a wee out of your backside!

They won’t allow anyone actually in with you (thanks COVID) but will expect you to be collected and have someone to be with you at home after (you can’t drive for 24hours after the sedation). It’s honestly fine - I barely noticed apart from one moment and the dr said ‘oops sorry just going round a corner’ - that’s all I remember! After was fine but had lots of wind, so ideally someone you won’t be embarrassed in front of!!

Oh and wet wipes for the laxative bit - that’s the worst bit!

I can get a taxi, both ways. In fact I've been at hospital today for a different reason and had to get a taxi both ways as the info says not to drive.

I just thought with sedation I would feel drowsy and I'm not sure I fancy being on my own in a taxi then.

Glad to hear it's not too bad! Except maybe the Movicol (my dad had that actually). I'm used to needing to be near a loo at all times, that's no different to every day currently.

Sorry I missed you don’t have anyone to take with you.

Prepare some light food and drinks before you go so your not having to do much when you get home.

I would definitely avoid driving, could you get a taxi or check to see if the hospital have volunteers who pick up and drop off patients for procedures.

I had young kids when I had mine so needed the help, but I’m sure you can manage on your own, it’s just the driving that would be an issue.

Good luck x

I had endoscopy and colonoscopies together. I was being checked for Crohn's disease. It is important to follow the instructions including the diet advice the days before. I can round after my second facing the screen. I very groggily said 'What's that?' And pointed to the screen. The doctor said 'Carrot that shouldn't be there.' I followed instructions to the letter after that!

If you have sedation you can't drive and from what I remember you can't use a taxi unless you have someone with you.
With sedation you also need to have someone with you for 24 hours after the procedure. You will also need a couple of days off work beforehand due to the prep and if you have sedation.

I had a general anesthetic for mine ---- I am a massive wimp and knew there was no way I could go through it awake.
My son has had many colonoscopies due to having crohns, the prep beforehand is usually the worst bit.

You need to be near a toilet when doing the prep, make sure you have some soothing cream for your bottom as it will get pretty sore. Good luck.

That’s a good point by @kissmelittleass. I have had annual colonoscopies since 2009 and apart from that one time I had gas and air I was sedated. I am always awake during the entire procedure, and when I feel like drifting off force myself to stay awake simply because I like to watch it on the screen!

I had cancer which attacked and perforated my bowel 10 years ago so have had numerous colonoscopies. Op, the Movicol is by far the worst part and you might think you don't need it, but you do. My mum had one once and didn't take the Movicol as she hated it and as a result had a painful and unsuccessful procedure. I have always had sedation but never felt any effect from it unfortunately though a lot of pp's found it beneficial. The procedure itself is a little uncomfortable more than painful, like a cramping sensation. They put air into your bowel so there may be uncomfortable wind afterwards for a while.
All the best, Op. You'll be fine.

Luckily I work from home so won't need to be off for the prep, but I'll warn my boss I need to leave meetings at short notice (she knows I currently have to do this anyway).

I'll definitely take the stuff, I understand.

I would far prefer a GA, I had a GA for my last coil change as the previous two traumatized me so much. But I know it adds extra risk and time, and currently less time in hospital is better.

I'll find someone to be with me somehow, it seems like a good idea. It'll be nice to have a decent sleep for a change too.

I'll know more after the phone call tomorrow.

Good news! My health authority is not doing colonoscopies at the moment so I get a CT scan. They only do the colonoscopy if the CT scan shows something.

This is great news, no beige diet, no laxative etc. At least not for now, but she did go through all prep for the colonoscopy anyway, in case I do need it later.

I have to isolate for three days before and have a Covid test at a test centre. But that's no big deal.

Fingers crossed the CT finds something treatable!