Anyone had a colonoscopy?

[MeDadMeDad]

Hi all I'm due to have a colonoscopy next week has anyone had one and can you tell me your experience.
Was it painful, was it uncomfortable, was it embarrassing. What do they do. Thank you xx

I had one last week. I bought all sorts expecting a sore bottom but as the prep came out mostly as water, I had starved myself in the run up, i needed nothing afterwards except food.

I had sedation which I considered ineffective.
The drinks are horrid, mine were flavoured but they did the job swiftly.
Right as rain after the procedure and dignity was respected in hospital.
It's just such a scary thing and the relief to have the all clear pretty much there and then helped.
4 polyps were removed only one was big enough to send off but they could already tell it was benign..
If I can do it anyone can believe me.
Good luck x

For me (regular procedure) I would never consider having it done without proper sedation. I get the Midazolam and Fentanyl cocktail, and it's as if nothing was done to me and I remember nothing either! I don't find the prep that bad, I don't abide by the rules of every half hour or hour or whatever, I just chuck as much into me as I can in one or two goes, and try to get the next lot in asap also. It works fine. I also take mine at least an hour before they say to start both doses.I accept that some will not be able to stomach that kind of quick intake though.

I have a stash of adult incontinence pants (like baby swimmers only much bigger lol) and they are an absolute godsend. I can lie down in bed and snooze etc. without worrying about ahem... leaks IYSWIM. I just wipe and then use any old cream that's around, usually nivea or the likes to keep the bottom from getting sore. Staff are very professional and there's zero embarrassment.

I had one in August

Have had 2.
Prep is pretty grim luckily I had the house to myself.
Sedation is great , woke up feeling I was on a cloud and remember very little about the procedure.

I've had the letter in the post tonight saying I need one. I'm speaking to the practitioner next Tuesday; how soon after is the colonoscopy, does anyone know? It's as a result of a routine bowel cancer screening and I'm a bit shaken as I was assuming everything would be fine.

My immediate response was at the test along the lines of “all looks ok, no obvious cause of blood on qfit test; couple of polyps less than 5mm in size found and taken for biopsy.”

Waited about 3 weeks for biopsy results to come back - also normal. Basically no cause of anaemia or positive qfit found, no follow needed.

Hi OP, I can hopefully help, I'm having one this Friday!

I had a pre procedure call with a nurse, so could ask any questions then. They also went through some medical Qs (like allegeries, height, weight, history of any issues) and the practicalities of where to go on the day. I got sent a leaflet which explains how the procedure works- lots of NHS trusts put theirs online, so even if you're based elsewhere you can read some generic guidance. I just searched 'UK colonsocopy what happens' to find some useful ones which have reassured me.

I've had to do a low fibre low residue diet for 5 days, which I'm finding immensely bland! If i wasnt sure about a food, I was searching it on Google to check....it's lots of white bread!!

From tomorrow early afternoon I will be on clear liquids only (which actually still contains things like Bovril, black tea) and starting the prep. Different places give you different types, so check the instructions on the one you get. Then I have a second dose of the prep very early hours Friday, no liquids at all from 11am, and then booked in for the afternoon.

I'll keep you updated on how it all goes if that helps?

Prep is worse, it tastes awful and I had to stop myself from being sick as it was that bad. You have to poo until it's clear water basically the night/day before the procedure.
Actual procedure not bad at all. They give you a gown and your own room, they come and get you.
Procedure took around 40 mins. The person doing the procedure talks you through what they are going to do.
I opted for just gas and air which was fine, you see the camera inside your bottom via a tv screen. Mine was a male, he puts lube around your bottom and inserts the tube with camera on.
Tells you when they are reaching around the bends (2 or 3) and these are the most painful of the whole pricedure, still manageable with gas and air. Takes snippets to biopsy as he goes, whilst talking you through it all in what he sees. Mine was also having conversation with the assistant, so it's all very relaxed. Tells you there and then if they can/can't see anything sinister and opinion on if all is ok or not.
Afterwards you go back to your little room for around 20 mins, get changed and leave.
its all a very efficient service and you are made to feel very comfortable.
Nothing embarrassing about bottoms when it comes to it, they do this pricedure daily, especially as colonoscopy is gold standard regarding symptoms.

Have the light sedation and gas & air . As others have said prep is worse , stay close to the loo , your bum hole can become sore so liberally coat it in Vaseline or a thick cream ( Diprobase , E45 Cream , Zinc & Caster Oil )

@MeDadMeDad Well I promised! Never thought I'd be doing a live colonoscopy chat, but here we are.

Like I said before, I've been on a low fibre diet since Sunday, so had my last solid food at lunchtime today - macaroni cheese. Tried to keep drinking lots of clear liquids through the day and had about 4 pints.

5.30pm made up the Movicol - I don't have a 1litre jug, so split the powders (2 different sachets to mix together) into 2 Pyrex jugs, topped each up to half a litre and then tipped it all into a 1 litre tonic water bottle to shake up and make sure it was dissolved. I didn't bother chilling it as our tap water is pretty cold. Used a small glass to drink it, which meant 5 glasses. I managed 4 spread over 40mins (quicker than they said, but i wanted to get it down and was scared it wasnt going to work!), and then got the most enormous stomach rumbles!!

Everything that has shot out so far has been fully liquid, very weird sensation as it is immense in volume but without the other sensations of being so ill with diarrhea. But the night is young....have now finished the final glass.

I also bought some of the Wype gel to soothe the old rear!

Good luck!

Hope all goes well.

Thanks for all the well wishes!
So @MeDadMeDad, to reassure you, after a couple of hours being very loose, I slept - actually much better than the previous few nights, I'm much less nervous now it's happening than ive been with the waiting.

Not looking forward to round 2, but pleased I made it up in advance so it's ready - and at least I'll have a chaser of a cup of tea this time, luckily I drink it black anyway.

Onwards!

I had two a couple of months ago.

Yes the prep is the worst bit. I actually couldn't get the stuff down, I was crying and it had a nasty aftertaste so all the advice about take a sip of prep then a sip of orange squash didn't work.

Because of the lack of prep they could only see about half my intestine due to poo still being there, they did note 2 polyps.

So I need a second one to remove the polyps, for this I did prep over a week. You live on a 'low residue' diet, things like white bread, and non of the things you are normally told are healthy. I took senna every night.

I had to do a final prep on the morning of the colonoscopy and I threw half of it up. I chilled it this time as others on here had recommended it.

Anyway the second one was fine, they removed the polyps and tattooed me.

When you get to the hospital you will put on a gown and some 'modesty pants' these are like huge bloomers with a slit at the back.

When they put the scope in I felt a cold 'push' no worse than the when a Dr performs an internal.

I had sedation but I also became fascinated looking at the screen.

They do have you move around a bit, onto your side, on to your back etc.

I took tea and biscuits for the department, but that's just me.

@MeDadMeDad I've survived! Admission at 12.30, procedure at 3pm, discharged at 5.30 (could have left a but earlier but waiting for a responsible adult to collect me!) - let me know if there's any Qs I can help with.

Only pain was a few seconds near the end when the gas was so built up and I could feel it cramping like a stitch in about 6 different places. 10 minutes later (and several VERY LONG farts), I felt fine.

Hope you've got your prep info through and it all goes well.

Well done @WontLetThoseRobotsDefeatMe sorry if that sounds patronising.

Thanks - and not one bit, I'm pretty proud of myself!

Lots of biopsies sent off just in case, but looks like the pain was diverticulitis which is a big relief and recovering feels achievable.

I wish getting you own room was the case in all hospitals - I was put in what looked like a standard outpatients waiting room with 6 other people having procedures and their accompanying family members and we had 1 toilet between the lot of us!! It was not a pleasant wait 😳🤮 as, you can imagine, some people had not finished their ‘clear out’ and were visiting the toilet regularly!! Thankfully I didn’t need to go during my wait as the toilet was not inviting!!

Just had my 1st lot of prep drunk over the hr or so i thought then with 10 mins left realised some in jug in fridge still so have to finish that as well . How soon will it work ?

Also taken me longer than hr to drink will that matter , didn’t want to chug the last bit i forgot too quickly

@healthadvice123 no, you should be fine. You’ll get a rumbly warning before it all kicks off.

Def kicks off quick but mine is straight like weeing from bum and yellow is that normal ? I thought that would be how it progresses not starts off - awful

It’ll eventually go clear, basically. It’s fine. Just go with it and keep following the instructions. Keep hydrated as you can. And warm.

@healthadvice123
How was your night? I have my Prep next Sunday evening and I'm expecting a disturbed night 💩💩💩