Colonoscopy Prep

[WritingMum9712]

Hello,

I am due to have my first colonoscopy on Friday at 10am. Eating restricted today can someone tell me if this ok..

breakfast - white bread with two boiled eggs
lunch - potato waffles and some cooked chicken
dinner - white pasta with some cooked chicken

very bland I know but just want to make sure all is ok?

also I have a 9 month old baby who I do not want to be drowsy for so thinking of just trying it with gas and air. I’m telling myself I’ll be ok as during my labour I had a placental abruption which is the most agonising thing I’ve ever been through. Is gas and air manageable?

I am very nervous 🤣

TIA

I personally always go under GA but I have to have them every two years so I know what works best for me.

It's very important you strictly stick to the written instructions they gave you. Stay close to a loo once the prep kicks in!

Good luck and I hope everything goes well.

Thanks again everyone,

if I decide to take sedation which I think I might, would I be ok to have a drink the following evening if my procedure is at 10am day before (more than 24hrs).

Typical that I barely drink and when I want one I’ve got a colonoscopy scheduled day before 🤣

Are you having a full colonoscopy or a flexible sigmoidoscopy?

Full colonoscopy

First dose down and let’s just say it worked quick 🤣🤣

I recently had one and was only going to have gas and air but it was quite uncomfortable so they sedated me in the end. I think it's easier for them if you're not groaning or wincing!

I did go to bed afterwards because I could, and read a book but if I'd had a small child I'd have been fine to look after them. The main issue was not getting much sleep the night before because I was backwards and forwards to the loo and then having to be up early for an 8.30 appointment.

I think I had a glass of wine the following evening which was about 36 hours later. Please don't worry about drinking alcohol. The main thing they are really concerned about is that you don't drive (though actually they didn't check anyone actually picked me up - about 20 minutes after the procedure they said I could go once I finished some tea and a sandwich and I took myself off to find my husband!)

We're all so different. I took the first dose and waited and waited and waited!

I was onto the second dose before anything happened.

There are different types of prep. The first one that I had worked quickly, subsequent ones have taken ages and had me worried!

Different preps can certainly affect you in very different ways. I remember year’s ago one they gave me actually made me faint, picalax wasn’t great for me either. I now use moviprep which has been by far the best, no adverse reactions and not nearly as revolting as some of the others to drink.

Definitely opt for sedation. As someone says above, you don't feel 'out of it' at all, you just lose chunks of time. My colonoscopy took 45 minutes but it felt like 5 minutes. I was completely relaxed and chatting to the consultant, felt fine afterwards and was so glad I had it. In the back of my mind I sort of registered it was a bit painful, but not enough to care, if you see what I mean. It was weird. The sedative they gave me was actually Fentanyl 😬but I figured as a one-off it was OK!

Yes I had Plenvu but the consensus seemed to be that it would work in 1-2 hours and 4 hours later nothing had happened, though it did say that you should only panic after 6 ;)

That’s me all finished! Managed on just gas and air, honestly felt so giggly and just kept chatting away. They put the cannula in incase I needed sedation but by the time it got uncomfortable (not painful) we were over half way done.

No abnormalities found also

Thank you everyone for all your advice!

Pleased it went well for you. Enjoy your night out.

I am scheduled for a colonoscopy in January and have been very anxious about it. I think I will be having sedation but am a bit worried as I had a bad reaction to general anaesthetic a few years ago.

Reading all the responses to the OP has made me feel much calmer about the procedure

Pleased it all went well. As it’s clear is that you done for several years now?

I’ve been having colonoscopies every two years for the last twenty five years (I’ve had three in the last year alone) so please don’t fret too much. All the best with yours.

My anxiety was through the roof before we started and as soon as I started puffing that gas and air I felt so relaxed and just kept chatting to the nurses. Even at points where she said this will be an uncomfortable bit it just felt like a mild period cramp.

obviously everyone is different and if there is inflammation there it could be more painful but it is over before you know it! All the best

Yes the reason I had one is because I had a positive qfit test after going to doctor with abdominal pain and vomiting so I don’t think I’ll need one again as it’s obviously not from something in the bowels. Awaiting an ultrasound now to check upper abdominal area

So pleased it all went well, did you manage to watch any of it on the screen. I always feel it’s a bit of a Star Trek moment, “ to explore new lands , to seek out new civilisations…….”

I watched the full thing it was quite interesting. I kept zoning out and being like “oh what am I watching?” Then it would click again that it’s me 😂