What happens in a colonoscopy?

[MonsteraAddict]

I understand the procedure in theory but how does it happen?
Are you on your side? Does the nurse do the prep and insertion?
Are you covered with a blanket?
Do they talk during the process?
Did you choose sedation or gas and air?

I have mine in a few weeks and I'm getting anxious. Any experiences that you can share will be so appreciated

The prep is the worst part. Lucozade as a chaser during the prep is my tip. It really takes the taste away and stops you feeling hungry.

Take. The. Sedation.

You lie on your side and it's fine. I was terrified but it was OK. You will be OK.

I’ve had two. I found the second one tough going even though I was sedated. I don’t think they gave me enough meds as they topped it up and then it was ok. I have weird bowel anatomy so that’s probably why. My first was fine - done privately - was probably given more sedation.
The prep is grim but it’s doable. Use a straw and have it cold.

I had one last year and until reading this post I’d forgotten about the prep. Totally gone from my memory, so presume it wasn’t so bad.

The actual colonoscopy hurt though. I was sedated, but remember being in pain. After the consultant said I had a twisty bowel. Results were fine, but if I had it again in future I’d ask for a GA (under medical insurance).

I had to have a much less accurate test in radiology as they couldn't get the tube through my twisty bowel. So there is an alternative, but colonoscopy is more accurate so they won't give you one unless they have to.

That’s a great tip!

I’ve had 2 about 5 years apart. Movicol lemon-flavoured prep both times. For me the prep the day / night before was the worst part. First time, I nearly threw up but managed to get through it in the end. Second time around, I found the prep easier, probably because I knew I’d managed it before. I found it useful to have some clear soup instead of just sweet liquids in between the glasses of laxative. Whatever you drink has to be clear.

For the actual procedure, I had mild sedation the first time and felt no pain or even discomfort. The second time around I only had gas and air as I was going home unaccompanied. Parts of it were painful when it went around a bend but most of it was ok. I was watching it on the screen some of the time.
You wear some sexy modesty shorts with a slit in the back and mostly lie on your left side with your back / bum facing the doctor. I had a blanket as well to keep me warm as I hadn’t eaten for 24 hours. There was a nurse in the room all the time. I lost track of time even without any sedation and it felt like less than 30 minutes. Gas and air always makes me feel spaced out anyway.

Afterwards, you get a nice sandwich of your choice and a drink. They like you to eat and drink before they will let you go home.

Please try not to worry too much - it’s not that bad.

"Don't you get weak and faint through lack of food"!!!! Seriously! Normally it's a low fibre diet for 3 days prior to colonoscopy,clear fluid the previous day. It's a couple of hours nil by mouth. Of course you aren't going to faint from hunger. Presumably you have never had any surgery,where you are NBM for a considerable amount of days.

Thanks for clarifying, I misunderstood from previous posters that it was NBM for the whole day before.

A previous poster mentions fainting and indeed a relative of mine felt faint on her way to a colonoscopy recently. This was abroad though.

I've had one emergency surgery and one planned surgery where it was NBM from 10pm the previous day. I think most people would feel weak if they had to be NBM "for a considerable amount of days" without IV nutrition / hydration.

Is it not common to be fully out for a colonoscopy?

I’ve only had one and had an endoscopy at the same time (maybe that’s why I was fully sedated) I just remember them giving me the anesthetic then waking up in recovery.

Selttan,it is unusual to have a full ga, people react differently DH has had several endoscopies,5mg of midazolam he's out cold for several hours afterwards. After major abdominal surgery,you are often having IV fluid only for quite a few days,to rest the bowel,it's completely different to a couple of hours for an investigation.

I have just had three procedures recently: a ‘virtual’ colonoscopy, a sigmoidoscopy and finally a colonoscopy with Polypectomy. For the last I was given Plenvu and I must admit it is a very aggressive laxative. I was supposedly given sedation with all three but was totally aware the whole time. In fact as well as the screens to watch I had an audio description as it was a junior doctor doing the procedure and the senior surgeon was guiding him! The worst bit was when I suddenly felt really sick just at the crucial moment they were sorting the polyp. It was the wind they had pumped in coming up. I did five long burps and then all was fine. Apart from that no real pain but they had given me fentanyl.

My partner was fine with the conscious sedation (midazolam/fentanyl), she said it was calming (but no memory loss and didn't fall asleep so matching the "totally aware the whole time" comments above) - but they they are very accepting (has had lots of v. expensive painful dental work, without complaint). You can request propofol sedation but this needs the right people to do it and so it can't be offered at the drop of a hat. It all depends on what your expectations/limits are - my are pretty low so I wanted to be out of it (I didn't get any push back per se - just had to state I wouldn't proceed unless I was happy a couple of times). To try to 'give back', I've responded in the past for calls of patients that had no one to chaperone them so they could have the sedation they wanted (else they faced not having any!!). If you can't find someone maybe put a call out locally to see if there are any volunteers (they are typically volunteer drivers so vetted to some degree)? Propofol didn't require breathing assistance and wears off far quicker with less after effects as well.

Propofol,has to be administered by a qualified anaesthetist,both your breathing and cardiovascular functions have to be monitored. This is the "milk anaesthesia" that is given to patients on ventilators, and was responsible for Michael Jackson's death

I was allegedly sedated but remember the whole thing but it wasn’t painful. Just a bit wiggly feeling and weird / uncomfortable at points of the bends. The prep drinking was worse than the prep popping. Ice and a straw was needed and I felt very sick but kept it down long enough for it to start working