Colonoscopy.... any advice?

All I can tell you is that in my experience (I've only had 1 done in January) that the prep for it is much worse than the actual procedure. I had to take these oral laxatives and then drink another 2 bottles of liquid laxative and as you can imagine, in and out of the bathroom all night, literally. It was horrible. I was asleep for the actual procedure and when I woke up there was no pain or anything and thank god there was no tumors or blockages. In my opinion the colonoscopy is good the prep is horrible.....Good luck with it and I hope everything turns out ok.

The one i had about two years ago wasn't so bad! The day before the test i was given eight hours to drink four litres of a cleansing liquid, it didn't taste bad, it is like a kool-aid. You will use the bathroom a lot, but when you are flushed, you will feel good! I was sedated for the next day's colonoscopy, so it was almost painless! Take care Applsofgld.

Well I myself have not had one. But I do know alot of people who had them done. They dont even remember the procedure. They put you to sleep or near asleep. You will be fine not to worry. I will say a prayer for that you come throu with flying colors. Let us know how you are. Best of luck to you. When are you having this done?

I have never had a colonoscopy but I know of two people who did have it and in both cases they had terrible gas the next couple days. You'll be able to break wind as good a a wind sock if you're anything like they were. I'm here because you're on my friends list and I want to give you a hug and give my well wishes. Take Care, I'm thinking about you applsofgld. (((HUGS))) XOXOXOXO Take Care !!!

I have never gone through one either, applsofgld, but my doctor wants me to have one. I think they always put you to sleep now. My two sisters had one. Mixed reviews. My doctor told me that I won't feel a thing. My prayers are with you because I do believe that with God all things are possible.

I agree with the others that the prep is the worst part. I am a huge baby when it comes to anything medical happening to my body and can honestly say that it was not a big deal. Sorry to hear that you have cancer. If you have gone thru cancer treatments I suspect that a colonoscopy is going to be a piece of cake in comparison. There are a few differnt methods of prep but all of them involve going to the bathroom a LOT. When I had my colonoscopy 2 years ago I had to drink this stuff called Half Lytely which was only half of what people normally have to drink. The other stuff is called Go Lytely and it is literally like a whole gallon of goo that you have to drink. If you can get away with the Half Lytely that would be a better option. Better still is what my dad gets. He is a heart patient so all of that going is bad for him and his heart so he just takes a pill and drinks a few glasses of water with the same result. I was able to get away with the Half Lytely which is only a half gallon. My GI guy suggested it because I was so scared and because I hadn't eaten in 3 days anyway so he figured there must not be much in there to begin with. I first took a few pills which made me go and then about 6 hours later I had to start drinking the goo. The goo tastes kind of like 7 Up or the original green Gatorade flavor except that it is salty tasting. I would suggest keeping it cold because the more you drink of it, the more grossed out you will become and if it starts to get room temperature the grosser it tastes. Ice cold is the best if you can stand ice cold things. The other thing I would suggest is to drink it from a straw because then you can get it to the back of your throat and just suck it right down without it hitting all your zillions of taste buds. Someone told me that after the fact and I wish I knew before because it would have made chugging all that goo much easier. You will have to drink a glass of goo every half hour or so until it is gone. Now my mom always complained that it would start to back up on her after a while and she'd vomit. I was worried about that so if I started to feel nauseous while drinking, I'd only drink as much as I could and then try to drink the whole 8 ounces a half hour later. But if I felt sick, I'd just drink what I could and keep plugging along. It made the whole process last a bit longer but it seems to me that keeping the stuff in me and letting it go thru was better than having it come back up and that worked for me. Expect that after the first glass or two of the goo that you'll start to go and that everytime you're finished, washed up and got your pants back up that you'll have to go again. I tried to clean my closet during this process which didn't work well as I had to go to the bathroom every 2 minutes. I finally just sat there for the better part of the evening with a good book and my feet on a box to take the pressure off of my hips as it was getting painful. In retrospect I would have invested in some sort of inflatable toilet cushion or one of those padded toilet seats for the occasion. Silly, I know, but my butt hurt so bad for the next 3 days from all of that sitting on a hard surface that it wasn't even funny. It hurt bad. Speaking of a sore bum, you might want to get some of those Cottonelle moist wipes because after a while your bum is going to get very very sore and you'll need something to soothe it. Well that's all I can think of with regard to the prep. After I finished drinking the goo the going going going seemed to taper off and I only had to get up a few times during the night. Just make sure you drink all the goo because if they get in there and things are not cleaned out enough you'll have to do the prep again or they might find a way to clean you out while you're at the hospital and that will be no fun. Before the procedure they will bring you to a pre-op type of room where they will get your IV prepared and they'll ask you a bunch of questions. Make sure that you're honest about your weight so that they can accurately determine how much they need to put you under. You'll also get naked and put on a hospital gown. When it is time for your procedure they will wheel you to the room and when they put you under it will take just a few seconds, it will feel good and pleasant, and you will be out. I woke up a bit during mine and saw my own colon on the TV screen and said "Oooooh cool, my colon" and before I knew it I was out like a light again. I woke up sometime after the procedure feeling just fine, got dressed, and went to breakfast with my mom. I felt nothing, no pain, just the pleasure of being under anesthesia. My mom said she woke up once during hers and they put her right out again too but she said it hurt a little like when you have an abdominal cramp when you have a tummy bug. Uncomfortable, but nothing horrible. OK I think I probably told you too much but I wanted to let you know exactly what happened with my colonoscopy and that there is nothing to be afraid of. I'm a total wimp and I cry and freak out and sweat if they want to take blood or give me a shot. Besides the prep which was more of a time consuming pain in the butt (literally) the worst part was the nurse trying to stick the IV in me. Best wishes for your procedure. I'm sure it will be fine. Let us know how it goes once it's over with :)

Friend, thanks for posting this discussion, the doctor wants my husband to have one, and me too, so your discussion is helpful to me. I do not know when we will do this, but I think I understand it better from reading what other people wrote to you. Let us know how things go for you, and what you find.

Both my father & my husbasnd have had colonoscopies. They give you some sort of anasthetic, so there is no pain. It might be a bit uncomfortable. Ask for a valium if you are very nervous about it. Good Luck. You will ge fine.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. My sister and father have both had colonoscopies. You are usually asleep when the procedure is done, although my sister did wake up during hers. When she woke up, she just said she felt like she had to go to the bathroom (because of the pressure of the procedure) and seconds later they had her 'under' again. With my sister and dad they both had polyps, and they were removed, but neither had cancerous polyps. And they were fine when they woke up and got home. Just make sure you have a ride to drive you home. : )

I hope you did not have it done yet. It has been taking me awhile to get to all my mail. I had one done. The colonoscopy itself is a breeze. You are semi awake but you cannot tell you are awake. You are in a different world. You feel absolutely nothing. It was a nice state to be in. When they prep you for it on the table it is very easy. The only part I did not like was the liquids I had to drink for it to cleanse your intestines is not nice to taste. However, I have heard now that you can ask for the flavor of your choice including cherry. My results came out to be IBS. I wish you the best. You will be in my prayers.

The preparation day was rough. The worst part was fasting while making sure to drink enough liquids. I didn't get the laxative drink, but these big pills to swallow, I think it was 4 every 15 munutes for two hours, and drink a certain amount of water or juice. I spent the day in bed reading, dozing off, and watching tv, and running to the bathroom. To my surprise, I didn't have any cramping from the cleaning out process like I thought I would. The nurse at the clinic advised me to drink something like Gatorade to help balance electrolytes the morning of the procedure. I tried to drink some, but it made me throw up. I had to stick with water with a little juice. I found the procedure to be completely painless. I had demerol, because I'm so nervous about things like this, I knew I would not be able to handle it without sedation. I only remember being made comfortable, and the doctor and nurse telling me it would only take a few minutes. It was over before I even knew anything happened. I did have some polyps removed, so it's a good thing I had the test. I have to go back for a repeat in a few years, and next time, I won't be so nervous.

I am sorry to hear that you already have cancer. I hope it is something you can fight. The worst part of a colonoscopy is the prep which cleans out your bowel. All that diarrhea is the worst part. Your bumm will be sore, I sat on the toilet, I got so chapped after each bowel movement, I cleaned myself off with a cool wet wash cloth and used tucks or vasoline to cool things off down there. During the colonoscopy I was asleep, I even had some hemorrhids banded which hurt at first for a few hours but then did not hurt ever again. I am fine now. Chances are you will be alseep, like I said the worst part is the prep before hand. Good luck and I hope the results are all negative.

i have colonoscopy before but its only to look if a hemorrhoid is forming. colonoscopy is a diagnosis for any possible changes in your lower GIT. the purpose of the doctor in your case is to check your whole system for any metastasize or spreading of tumors. the diagnosis is painless just relax and try to breath ones the slender scope is inserted to your buttocks. the doctor will rotate and be able to view your intestinal lining its not painful really if it's only in the lower tract. but it does cause some irritation if the doctor intends to insert it more deeper further into the small intestine but i dont think so in your case.usually it only takes 30-45 minutes. the preparation before the actual exam is cleaning up your lower tract that i hope you have done this so far. i know you were given enemas and laxatives to bring out fecal matter as well as your not advise to eat anything for the last 10 hrs. tthis is needed so that the fecal matter will not occlude the view when the scope is inserted. that's all i can contribute. may god be with you always friend.

I had a colonoscopy and was terrified. It was over before I even knew it. You will have to prep which is worst part. You will have to either drink stuff or take pills which will clean you out. You will only be able to drink and eat clear stuff like Jell-O and broth for a day before the procedure. Don't worry, you won't want to eat anyway. Be near a bathroom AT ALL TIMES and get a book. Prepare to feel cruddy for a day. On the day of the procedure, they will give you IV medication. I refused pain meds but did take a little Versed for nerves. I was told I would be in pain but I prefer pain over medication. I was awake and aware. NOTHING hurt. I saw my colon on the screen, did feel the tube but it wasn't painful. It only took about 10-15 minutes max to do the test. Then it was over! I went back out and had a sandwich and ginger ale and talked to the doctor who said all looked fine (thankfully) and, after a bit, I went home and went to sleep because I got NO rest the night before. My advice is to follow the instructions for prep to a T. If you aren't completely cleaned out, they may send you home or may miss something. Expect to be home the day before and in the bathroom a lot. Remember that is the worst part of the test. When you go for the test, they will give you all the meds you want - pain stuff, amnesiac stuff, nerve stuff or you may be out 100%. Either way, you won't remember anything. I only did because I wouldn't take the medication and I am happy I didn't. I was fine and it was simple. Don't be afraid of the test. I had a lower GI that was way worse and was given no nerve medication or warning at all! A colonoscopy sounds scary but it could save your life. Good luck, you'll be fine. If I can do it, anyone can!

Hi applsofgld, I'm very sorry to hear of your illness. I've had two colonoscopies done, and the last one was going on two years ago. Both times I was given IV Sedation, so was out cold for the procedure. This is DEFINITELY the way to go. Here in Canada, they don't always do it this way, but the Dr. I have does. You have the right to ask for this, and for it to be done at a hospital. Don't allow it to be done in the Dr.'s office, with no IV sedation. I've known people who've agreed to this, with very painful results. Having the sedation, you won't feel anything. I was out of it for several hours after the last one, but it was worth it. I was driven home, and went to sleep. I was sick to my stomach after my first one, but not the second one. The prep is done the day before, and they'll give you an instruction sheet with the procedure to follow regarding your 'cleansing medication,' and your special diet for the prep day. Make sure you follow 'all' directions as given. I actually find the prep to be worse than the test itself. You'll definitely be completely cleaned out. The last time I had one done, I had a fairly new cleansing medication. It was called Pico Salax, and it was more agreeable to me, than the one I had about five years prior to this. I wish you all of the best, and let us know how you are.

I was a nurse for many years...do not panic and as you think of questions...try to write them down so that you can discuss them with your doctor...this is a fairly routine test anymore because they are able to find things earlier and preventative things can be done at that point. Be sure to follow the directions of preparation before the test...that makes things easier for you and for them... It is normal to be afraid of something that you have never experienced.... The medical field is so knowledgeable now...they can work just short of miracles so many times.... If you need to talk more about this..PM me...I will be here for you, my friend... Tina