Anyone had a colonoscopy???

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Permalink Reply by Sherry on January 10, 2008 at 9:52am

I had one done a while ago and it wasn't bad at all. The worst part is prepping before the colonoscopy and cleansing out your system. From there, you get sedated and then you don't remember a thing!! I remember just being very drowsy.

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Permalink Reply by Kiiri on January 10, 2008 at 10:03am

Did you feel sick at all from the sleepytime meds???

If I have chronic diarrhea and can't eat solid food...do you think I will need the prep anyways?

Thanks for answering my question! :D

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Permalink Reply by Sherry on January 10, 2008 at 4:58pm

Kiiri, that's what we are all here for, for support!!

Yes, the prep is to completely clean out your system. They need it completely flushed out for the camera...

It will be over before you know it.

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Permalink Reply by Kiiri on January 10, 2008 at 5:18pm

How long does the D last?

I've had severe D for almost a month, daily. I'm just so tired already and I'm a little scared to induce more D- ya know what I mean?

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Permalink Reply by Maeri on January 12, 2008 at 11:55pm

The cleaning is the worst part, but when I had mine it only took a few hours to clean out my system. After you will probably feel really bloated and gassy, and maybe have some more D if you weren't completely cleaned out - but you should be cleaned out. I took citromag before mine and it worked.
Just remember to keep really hydrated up until the time when your doctor tells you not to intake anything.

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Permalink Reply by Tean94 on January 15, 2008 at 9:26pm

Hi Kiiri,

I'm only 31 and had one done because I started having IBS Symptoms which are very similar to my father's ulcerative colitis condition. So it was thought that I might have the same thing. As it turns out, I don't. Instead I have IBS, but the coloscopy did nothing to help in diagnosing that condition. In fact, if you have IBS, there really is nothing a colonoscopy is going to show the Dr. at all. It only helps in diagnosing the afore mentioned ulcerative colitis, which is an inflamation of the colon, or Crohn's disease, which as I understand it, is imflamation of the upper GI tract. Also colonoscopy's are good for finding any pollups, which they actually found 3 in me and removed them, but they were non cancerous.

As everyone has mentioned, the "Cleansing" the night before is by far the worst part of the entire procedure. I remember all these people telling me the same thing, but until you've gone through it, you really won't understand. So take our words for it. I don't know what your Dr. will make you take or drink, but mine was a precription that I filled at Sams Club, and cost me $45 for the kit, which came with a couple of pills that you take at noon, and then a gallon plastic container with some dry powder inside. Once you have your first loose stool, you start drinking the entire gallon of liquid. Thankfully they suggested that I mix the powder with Country Time Lemonade, the regular kind. This helped greatly in downing the not so pleasing mixture. Once you start drinking, be prepared to camp out on the toilet for the rest of the night. Which for me lasted from 6pm till midnight. So I turned my TV, which was near the bathroom, and faced it into the bathroom and watched movies practically the entire time. Also, invest in a padded seat cover. LOL

Then the next morning, I almost didn't make it to the Hospital on time, because I still have bouts of D, and almost didn't make it to the Hospital without having an accident. Thankfully I have a baby, so I borrowed one of his diapers, for "Just in Case".

Once you get to the Hospital (or wherever you will have it done), you'll check in, disrobe, get in a gown with a big slit in the backside and wait to be hooked up. Yes, they'll give you anesthesia, and you should be glad they do!!! Then they basically blow your intestines up with air and perform the scope. The next thing you'll know is waking up in a recovery area and passing the most amount of gas/air that you've ever known! Which is a good thing because they won't let you leave until you've passed gas. Then once you're fairly aware of your surroundings the Dr. will come in (with pictures as mine did) and talk to you about what he's found. Again, he said I had no inflamation and other than the pollups which he removed, announced that I had IBS based on my symptoms and the lack of inflamation found. Quite frankly, I wish he'd have found something, because having IBS sucks! Especially since there's no known reason for it, nor a cure for it!

They did put me on Levsin to help calm my bowls down, and was instructed to take 1 to 2 Immodiums as needed every day. So I hit Costco and bought the bottles in bulk. Very nice because you don't have to tear open those stupid pill tabs, and a lot cheaper for the off brand version. I do have to admit that the Immodium does help in giving more consistant and solid #2.

Sorry I went on so much, just kinda got on a roll. Hope any of this helps.

Kelly

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Permalink Reply by bbrussie on January 23, 2008 at 8:49am

Good post, explains very realistically what to expect. I read an entire novel on the pot, wrapped in a blanket. Make sure you warm the liquid to room temp (if instructions make you chill it in the am) or you will get chills. I forgot that part!

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Permalink Reply by vars11 on January 18, 2008 at 11:14pm

hello kiiri,
I am going on 26 and had two colonoscopies in 1 yr one for my Internal medicine dr and surgeon locally and then again less then 6mnth later for the GI dr. First one showed inflamation which later was decided to just be a infection and was treated. Second one concluded that I had IBS. As they have all told you worse part is the prep the night before I had a gallon both times and some require you to take it in a certain time frame is hard to swallow that much liquid but knowing the problem is worth it in the long run.

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Permalink Reply by Shawn on January 19, 2008 at 2:59pm

I agree with the rest of the posts. The prep is the worst part as you have to use the bathroom so often. When I did the test, they put me to sleep and before I knew it, I was awake and it was all done. No pain or discomfort afterwards and I didn't feel drowsy either. I had it done in Toronto.

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Permalink Reply by uk_mid20s_IBS on January 23, 2008 at 3:47am

Hi Kiiri, i just joined today and saw your post. i am in exactly the same scenario, i am 27, recently found out i had been suffering with IBS, and mine is the IBS-D type.

i had a colonolscopy, endoscopy and ultrasound scan a few weeks ago to ensure no sinister cause to my problems (IBS). i had been to the doctor when i first got the stomach problems, he suggested i try anatacids, but this didnt work, then when i started to get physical pain, i went back and he thought it was time to send me for a full camera/scan procedure.

the whole procedure was in general better than i expected. the sedatvie works a treat so don't worry, if they do their job right, then in theory you should feel nothing at all. the only discomfort you will go through is the laxative you will need to take prior to the procedure to ensure your bowels are empty and off course the needle injection to administer the sedative. so don't worry, all the horror stories are untrue and no-one carries out colonoscopy without sedative these days. there was no side effects, i was in and out the same day.

if you want to talk more you can reply back or you can msn me at kamran_adi'at'hotmail.com.

all the best.

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Permalink Reply by bbrussie on January 23, 2008 at 8:44am

The prep is the WORST part. After that, the test is no big deal. I don't know about full sedation, I thought you had to be responsive during the test (although you won't be aware afterward). You may want to try anoher doc, I did only after going through every torture test known to GIs.

Anyway, the sedation makes you forget everything, and I actually felt the best I have felt in 3 months after the test (those are narcotics they give you). I've had two done, again the only problem was the cleaning out beforehand. I have to put vaseline on the nether region before I start drinking the stuff or it's quite irritating (literally). I don't understand people who do colon cleansing willingly! You can't really do anything the rest of the day, and I was wiped out the next day (more from not getting enough to eat I think, I have lost 40 pounds in the last 4 months and am very weak anyway).

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Permalink Reply by Flora on February 1, 2008 at 8:52am

My mother had clonoscopy near me and she was NOT sedated because she had it in government hospital (it's like that in our country to have more patients quickly). she did not experience anything bad, she saw all her bowels were clean and pink, it was such a relief that she did not experience any night cramps again because she learnt it was only gas (you know it is more psychological than physical). the difficult part is the night before clonoscopy when you have your bowels emptied by having pills that make diarrhea. it takes a very sort time like 10 minutes and after that as all the bowels are cleaned and as they pump air inside the parts that may have got stuck also gets cleaned. it is useful.

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