Colonoscopy - to go, or no?

[CutiePatooties]

I’m freaking out a bit here!

I’ve been given a date for a colonoscopy after having a change in bowel movements, abdominal pain, blood and high inflammation markers found as a result of my FIT test.

However, whilst waiting for the colonoscopy, my abdominal pain has stopped and my bowel movements are back to normal.

I’ve had all the information/consent form sent through with a list of all the risks of having the procedure and I’m thinking perhaps I have piles and that’s where the blood has come from and maybe there was inflammation but that’s gone now - I think this due to my symptoms easing up. Surely if it was anything sinister, I’d be getting worse, not better?

I don’t know what to do. I’m not sure I can go through with it, but I worry about the blood and inflammation markers and was told if I don’t have it done now, my GP will not refer me again later down the line if my symptoms flare up again/get worse.

What would you do? Anyone had one and it went well? I’ve read about possible infection of the blood, tearing the bowel, needing a stoma afterwards or having a heart attack etc. Didn’t make for great reading (!)

@littlespeckledfrog thank you. I’m a bit worried as I’ve stopped going to the loo, but the last time wasn’t clear like a clear straw, it was bright yellow. So I don’t know if they’ll be able to see anything (I followed the diet to the letter).

Crossing my fingers and hoping I haven’t gone through all of this for nothing!

I do hope all goes well for You OP

Best of Luck Today

Sorry OP as I've only just seen this, but I'm sure this would have been fine. Hopefully it's all done now.

All done and didn’t find anything at all.

back to the drawing board with my symptoms, wondering if anyone can help?

lower left hand side back pain, blood in poo, change in bowel habits, pain in abdomen and pain under ribs.

I’m so glad they didn’t find anything, but equally, I can’t carry on like this! Especially the pain - it comes on at random/unexpected times.

Good news they didn't find anything, although of course you want to know what is wrong. Back to the GP?

Have you kept a food diary? I get very similar symptoms to you if I eat anything with artificial sweeteners in.

If it's some form of food intolerance you should be able to narrow it down especially if it's just flared up. Have you eaten anything different the last few days?

I had much the same symptoms as you did, OP, before Christmas last year. Very high calprotectin, blood, constant diarrhoea. I however did refuse a colonoscopy (my own personal reasons) and had a CT scan instead. Nothing found. By the time I had the scan all my symptoms had gone - I'd tracked the culprit down to wheat/gluten. I have now had no more symptoms after 2 months going gluten free.

I highly recommend a food diary, but you might need to cut back your food variety for awhile to get to the bottom of things, no pun intended!

Also to add, has anyone considered Crohn's or Ulcerative colitis? Both can give blood in poo and also have very high inflammation markers.

That would have been picked up the the colocscopy I'm pretty sure about that. However, please confirm if anyone else agrees with me

wtf? Why wouldn't you go if it's medically indicated?

I agree that might be time to look at diet.

I have some similar issues and think that I’m probably not tolerating dairy and wheat like I used to, but so far I haven’t tried giving them up.

Colonoscopy picked up my Ulcerative Colitis the first time but the second colonscopy I had they couldn't see any pronounced inflammation or ulceration.
The third time they did see it mildly
I'm just guessing that perhaps it sometimes isn't so easy to spot - especially if in remission?

Thank you

I had diveritclitis picked up

I guess the next stage would be mri/ct scan

Not necessarily, if there's inflammation higher up in the intestine you won't see anything. Also as someone else said, inflammation can come and go so can be missed. Crohn's can be a tricky one to diagnose.

Christ.
Both my granddad & uncle died of bowel cancer.
It’s the most vicious, horrible, ugly, painful, terrible disease you could ever imagine.
I get a colonoscopy every 3-4 years - every adult in my family does - because it runs in our family. I think the normal is every 10.
And no, preparing for a colonoscopy is not a tea party, but it’s certainly better than dying in agony.
Don’t be foolish. Get the colonoscopy. Regularly.

Why are people commenting without reading the full thread?

I keep being told to have a colonoscopy I’ve already had - yesterday!!!

My UC was picked up at my colonoscopy (very obvious ulcers when I saw pictures) but I understand it might not be if in remission.

In my colonoscopy the consultant took biopsies to check how far up the colitis went, and I had a follow up appointment where he explained the results of the colonoscopy. Do you have a follow up appointment?