Colonoscopy. How bad is it really?

[MrsMigginsCat]

I have a genetic condition which makes my risk of bowel cancer higher than normal. I've already had endometrial cancer as a result. Anyway, I now have to have regular colonoscopies and my first one is on Wednesday. Can't say I'm looking forward to it.

How bad are they? I've got Moviprep to take - two litres before my 1.30pm appointment. Any tips to help it go down? I'm opting for sedation I think, but I do have quite a high pain threshold so not sure if I will need it. I got through a hysteroscopy with no sedation or painkillers so thinking I may be ok.

@MrsMigginsCat Hope it goes OK tomorrow. Mine is tomorrow afternoon so we can compare notes afterwards.

Thanks @saveforthat

Hope yours goes ok too. Mine is 1.30 and I'm about to have my last meal until afterwards

Well I hope you enjoy it @MrsMigginsCat I had to stop eating at 3. Liquids only now, procedure is at 2 tomorrow first dose of moviprep at 7pm.

The worst part for me was the hunger while doing the prep.

Use a straw to drink the prep and stay close to a loo and once you start pooing you can poo for England until your bowel has cleared itself! 💩
I had sedation for my last colonoscopy and fell asleep! Woke myself up snoring! Youll need someone to drive you home afterwards as you may still be unsteady to drive.

Strange how different hospitals have different processes @saveforthat

My appointment is at 1.30pm tomorrow. I could eat up to 6pm tonight and don't have to have my first Moviprep until 6am tomorrow. Got to get both down by 8.30am, five hours before. Quite worried about having an accident on the way there tbh!

In the middle of dose one. Have mixed it with Coke Zero - a tip I learnt from a Lynch Sydrome group. Tastes like Andrew's Liver Salts with coke. It's not as bad as I thought tbh. Bottoms up!

Just started dose 2. It doesn't taste that bad at all. A lemony drink that's not very sweet.

Dose one done. It's having the desired effect. Going to make up dose 2 at 7am to get it down by 8.30am.

Good luck today. My mum had one on Saturday and was quite nervous but while the prep part wasn't exactly something you'd do every day she was very pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. She had feared it would be much worse.

Good luck OP you'll be fine. I had one recently and was nervous. The prep was the worst bit, everything else was OK.

You will be fine, make sure you ask for the FULL sedation! It’s great stuff.

you will be home before you know it.

good luck, let us know how you get on xx

How are you doing @MrsMigginsCat ? I finished second dose at 7. Still going to the loo. Hope it slows down soon.

Seems to have stopped now. Occasional trips to the loo, but pretty sure I'm 'empty' now. Feeling a bit weak and wobbly though due to lack of food. Hopefully only another 5/6 hours to wait.

Hope all goes well for you @saveforthat. We can compare experiences later!

All done. Just wolfed down a McDonalds. Gastroscope all fine. Colonoscopy found a couple of piles - did t know I had them and a red patch they weren't too concerned about, but took a biopsy anyway. Wasn't as bad as I thought and the nurses were lovely.

Glad yours went well@MrsMigginsCat They couldn't complete mine. I couldn't feel the sedation and was sucking on the gas and air like mad but still too painful to continue past the sigmoid. My bowel has narrowed and is fixed at the sigmoid due to diverticulitis. It will have to be rearranged under GA or maybe have a scan first.

Oh no @saveforthat

At least under GA you won't feel or know anything about it.