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Original poster

Has anyone had a flexible sigmoidoscopy?

15 replies

norksinmywaistband · 11/01/2010 20:34

And did you choose to have sedation or not??

I am quite anxious about the procedure as not really sure what they are looking for. Had a procedure for piles before xmas and they saw pr blood, but had never noticed bleeding before.

Anyways should I have the sedation or not?
Also I have to take laxative 24hours before(Fleet) but have to work the morning I start taking the laxitives - Should I cancel work or hope I can last out the morning before I start shitting?

OP posts:

mumof2000 · 11/01/2010 20:48

Hi there i had a Flex sigmoidoscopy year before last .

I suffer with HA so as you can imagen was terrified !!!!

I did not have sedation as the consultant and nurse went through the whole procedure before hand ,recomended i didnt as it would be over so fast , i had an enenima i think its called on the day , that wasnt to nice but stayed close to bathroom

the procedure was sooooo quick i can tell you and NO way as bad as i had thought , a little undignified more than anything really [blush ]
i was back in my room within 15 min ..

any other questions im here if you want

Original poster

norksinmywaistband · 11/01/2010 20:51

It's just I nearly past out from the pain of the piles procedure , and was kind of wondering if the pain was bad or if it was just uncomfortable. Don't really want sedation as am a single mum, so don't want to have to arrange for someone to stay overnight.

OP posts:

KurriKurri · 11/01/2010 20:53

I had one last year. Didn't have sedation, (wasn't suitable in my case.) Its up to you, its not unbearably uncomfortable without, but if you're anxious you might prefer it. Bear in mind you'll need someone with you to take you home afterwards if you have the sedation.

Can't answer your laxative question I'm afraid, like mumof2000 I had an enema.

happy to answer any other questions you have.

mumof2000 · 11/01/2010 20:56

It was uncomfortable thats or sure , but not unbarable (sorry im so bad at spelling )
I was told i to have sizeable Piles and this could be why i had a little blood and do still get from time to time .

if you want more detail i can tell more but not sure how much you want t know ...on what they did etc .

KurriKurri · 11/01/2010 20:59

Just read your last post. I think if you're very anxious about the pain, maybe you should have sedation, because you will be tense.
Its hard to say everyone reacts to pain differently, and sigmoidoscopies are more uncomfortable for some than others. (Depends to some extent whether your bowel has a lot of twists and turns I think).

mumof2000 · 11/01/2010 21:04

i am a real worrier and it wasnt as bad as i thought , however i wouldnt want to have it again for some time ...but like Kurrikurri said everyone reacts to pain differently , maybe you could talk to your consultant before so he can go through it with you again and put your mind at rest .

Do you have a date yet ?

Original poster

norksinmywaistband · 11/01/2010 21:10

It's on the 27th of this month.
tbh I am more worried about the results than the procedure, not really sure what they are looking for/expect to find. Bit of a shock to be needing at all, i went because I had got painful piles, which have now been teated and are symptom free

OP posts:

MaureenMLove · 11/01/2010 21:12

Don't go to work! DH had the 24 hr laxatives for a sigmoidoscopy and although he didn't have to literally run to the toilet, he was very glad that he was at home, because it started working within a couple of hours.

He was sedated! What does that tell you about blokes and their pain threshold!

Original poster

norksinmywaistband · 11/01/2010 21:14

Thanks for the work advice Maureen, wasn't sure how quick they would work, Also I am not looking forward to having to run around after 2 small DC with only clear fluids in my stomach for over 24hours

OP posts:

MissMoopy · 11/01/2010 21:26

Didn't have sedation and it wasn't nearly as bad as expected to be honest.
They gave me an enema at hospital which worked in about 5 minutes, and boy, did it work!!
The wind afterwards was the worst bit but after a loy of very loud embarrassing farting I was fine. I went home and had quiet afternoon afterwards as had some mild discomfort.
Good luck x

mumof2000 · 11/01/2010 21:26

has the consultant told you much about it or what hes looking for at all ? maybe hes just checking things out as if blood was present .

Original poster

norksinmywaistband · 11/01/2010 21:30

didn't say anything to me tbh, I just read the referral card as i went to make the appointment. He just said we had better gave a bit of a look further up to check things out properly, did not mention he had seen the blood

OP posts:

mumof2000 · 11/01/2010 21:40

oh sorry thought that was the case.
Im sure he is just checking things out to be on safe side ,as mine did with me ,i been having Bowel problems for a while along with piles and he decided to do this just to check all ok.

Have you got someone to come along with you .

MissMoopy · 12/01/2010 20:53

Perhaps just checking if have any piles further inside as they can cause obstruction/pain and are easily removed. Try not to panic x

judeinsurrey · 01/02/2022 13:06

Go for sedation every time as at some stages during the procedure it can get very painful. They don't like to give sedation for some reason - certainly not just for pain it seems - but Ive learnt that if you say you are VERY anxious then they will give you some. This is because they find it very hard to do if you are tense. You have to assure them, though, that you have someone to pick you up and that you will not be on your own overnight.

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