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Colonoscopy

Mrs T 123

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,812
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I have to have a colonoscopy in a couple of weeks time and was just wondering if anyone on here had had the procedure? and please tell me it was not as bad as you thought it would be? I am feeling over anxious and fearful of the whole thing - I have white coat syndrome, phobia of hospitals etc.

Also, the diet sheet just suggests what I should eat a couple of days before the procedure and I was wondering if I should alter my diet the week before or not? what did you do? and any tips or suggestions for what I should eat would be appreciated. Many thanks x
 
I have had 3 colonoscopies. I stuck to my usual low carb higher fat diet until I was told to change it a couple of days before the procedure. I then switched to the things I was advised to eat before the procedure - even the carby things, I felt the procedure was enough to worry about without adding low carbing to the mix. I know others on here have stayed low carb, but I went back to low carbing after the colonoscopy.

When I looked at the discharge sheet they give you afterwards, on each occasion, it said that I had prepared the bowel well.

Was it as bad as I expected? No, I managed to 'switch off' from the lower half of my body throughout and instead watched the procedure on the monitor as if it wasn't happening to me. For me it felt like moderate period pains (which have been quite a shock to some menfolk who had the procedure as unlike women they aren't used to them) I didn't have sedation, just gas and air for the first 2 and nothing for the 3rd. The worst thing is the feeling of needing to get up and do a poo as the scope moves around, but as the bowel is empty that's just a weird feeling.

They tell you the laxatives are powerful and to stay at home during the preparation period. I would go further than that and say stay very, very close to a toilet. When you think the laxative has done its job and released everything be aware that any liquid in there will gush out at a rate of knots with no solids to stop it lol

Try not to be anxious, I know that's easy to say and not so easy to do, but it really isn't that bad, and I've told you all the worst bits.

Good luck then. I'll be thinking of you, let us know how it went.
 
I was told not to eat on the day. The night. Before you are supposed to drink some stuff which makes you go toilet to empty you bowls. Make sure to be near a toilet after taking the stuff, it can come on quick!!
On the day, they will give you a choice of being sedated or not. I decided not to be sedated, with the option to take it later if needed. In the end I didn’t have any sedation. Being relaxed makes the biggest difference.
For the most part there was no pain. Some discomfort overall which will be bearable. The most ‘painful’/‘very uncomfortable’ part was when the endoscope was going round the corners,two if I remember correctly. The nurse will prod and push on your belly to help the doctor manoeuvre the endoscope.
Extracting the endoscope is comfortable.
You may get to watch the screen, if you’re interested.
 
Have had colonoscopies twice.
Very similar to the descriptions by @zand above.
The bowel prep drinks taken beforehand were actually more bother than the procedure, itself. Reiterate be close to toilet the bowel prep liquid is similar to pouring water down a twisted hosepipe. The flow through is immediate gushing with some residual trickling for a while after.

The staff carrying out the procedure were very respectful, and dignity was preserved. They issued a gown and some pants with a flap at the back, so that the only part of anatomy exposed was the ‘access point’.

On both occasions I was offered sedation, and ‘ gas and air’ (entonox) . As my fear of being sedated is greater than fear of pain, I chose neither. Just concentrated on breathing, gently, and watching the progress on screen. (I did feel it a shame that my most attractive feature is not on open view. ). There was a bit of pressure discomfort in my abdomen, as the probe moved around corners, but it really wasn’t bad. I have had more discomfort from a stubbed toe. If you feel you would prefer the sedation, do have it. I have been told that it just makes you feel relaxed, and you can sleep it off, before being discharged.

The most recent colonoscopy was last year. The doctor told me , before I left the treatment room, that my bowel was healthy. I didn’t need to stay in the recovery area for very long, due to not having sedation. I was given the best cup of coffee I had ever had, even though it was cheap instant coffee, and allowed to go home with a print out of the results, including some images.

No discomfort afterwards.
 
I had one in the days before low-carb, over twenty years ago.

Fully endorse what's said about the "clear-out" stuff. It works, very well and very quickly. Be warned.

I didn't have any sedation. This was a mistake. There was however absolutely no problem with the camera at all, and for most of the process it was reasonably entertaining looking at my insides on a monitor.

My problem was with the compressed air that they use to inflate the bowel, because in the later stages they used too much. If you get the sensation that you're being blown up like a balloon, tell them what's happening and get them to reduce the air BEFORE it starts to hurt. Don't do what I did and try to work through it.

I did do some checking afterwards, and back then only a minority - about 10% of people - reported some discomfort from the air. I'm sure that's improved a lot since.

Best of luck.
 
4 times I had this done for piles, the diet was everything had to be white so no staining or colouring of the bowel was there other than the pain from the hemerobiids I would not have known the camera was in. I did watch the process and it reminded me of a bowl of pasta. As above the Movicol/Citromag is described perfect and yes do not go out do not leave the area close to bathroom I am trying not to be rude with the description just do not think you have wind
 
The worst part is the bowel prep.
I just sat on the toilet for the most part whilst the mixture did its work.

I've had it with and without sedation, but used gas and air each time.
I would recommend sedation as long as you are comfortable with needles.
If not, just use the gas and air.
This keeps you relaxed which makes everything easier.
Anticipation is worse than the actual procedure which was, for me, at most mildly uncomfortable.
 
Think it’s all been said. Accept the sedation if you are really tense about the procedure, relaxation is the key to not feeling the pain. Get somebody to accompany you, so there is someone to take you home asap afterwards.
I was told not to eat any seeds or brown bread in the week or so before the procedure, no tomato seeds and nothing red.. beetroot etc.
First one I had I was at the clinic hours beforehand, as like the others have said, I really didn’t want to be far from a toilet.
Was sat wrapping myself round some fish and chips an hour or so after the procedure.
Best of luck.
 
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I've had 9 colonoscopy's and 3 gastroscopy's The first colonoscopy and the first 2 gastroscopy's I had sedation, but not the others since I desperately wanted to see what the surgeon/technician was seeing.
If you don't want to see, or are concerned about a little pain or discomfort and are not expecting a series of them then you might as well go for sedation. But to be honest for every colonoscopy I found the prep worse than the procedure.

After the very first colonoscopy all the others have been of the whole of the large intestine, so they needed me in different positions, I much prefer to move position myself rather than them 'manhandling me', in fact I suspect that it's the manhandling that causes the complications to be as high (I think they claim 1 in 1,000).

I have a slow system, so need longer prep and more prep meds. I also start the 'special diet' earlier but only eat what is both on their list and is low carb. Then I fast for the last 36 hrs. but since I Intermittent Fast during normal times, I find the fasting easy when towards the end I'm also taking the bowel emptying meds.

Wishing you a good outcome, whatever that may be for you).
 
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