How bad is a colonoscopy?

[plifter]

I've been having nausea and stomach cramps for about 10 weeks now. I've been to the hospital walk in clinic 3 times because it takes so long to get into my primary care doc. Last Sunday and Monday I had a bout of passing blood in my stools last week. The walk-in clinic doctor told me to go to the ER if that happened. So I went to the ER. They did a CAT scan after making me drink gatorade that was mixed with a nasty tasting dye. The results came back normal. The ER doc gave me some scripts for phenergan and bentyl. The next day was my scheduled appointment with my primary doc. He ordered a stool sample and said depending on the results, a colonoscopy might be the next step. Are these things torture? I really sincerely don't like having my anus touched or probed and I'm honestly scared of not only having the colonoscopy but also the results. The last 10 weeks have been miserable for me and obviously I need to get this taken care of. If anyone has had one, how bad was it? Do they give you any drugs to sedate you and ease the discomfort?

 

[musclemom]

I've never had one, but I know a few people who have. Everyone says the same thing: the prep is worse than the procedure (and after what you've been dealing with you'll probably think the prep is a breeze). Yes, they give you drugs for the procedure, lots and LOTS of drugs.

When I say prep, they prescribe a concoction (Go-Litely is popular) that you drink that will clean your pipes out. Not the worst stuff on earth but not a margarita, either.

 

[SoKlueles]

The actual colonoscopy isnt bad, your asleep
the prepwork for it is a pain in the butt tho
but in all honesty, thats the best way to check for possible polyps and cancerous cells whatever. It may be a very invasive procedure, but IMO, everyone should get one at least once every 18 months, after they are 30 or if they are having problems.

 

[puddlemonkey]

My father had one recently. Prep work is nasty, actual colonoscopy is nothin'

 

[eddymerckx]

My father had one recently. Prep work is nasty, actual colonoscopy is nothin'

don't remember a thing--but yea, the prep work is brutal--you drink a laxative that works fast and, well, very very well (i wish i had that stuff in college--it would have been great to mess with people).

 

[puddlemonkey]

 

[i-Supplements]

I have Ulcerative Colitis and should have one at least once a year due to my risk of cancer being highly increased. Colonoscopy is a breeze and you will love the cleansing process the day before. LOL!

 

[heavy_duty]

yep, not a big deal.

 

[Mr. dB]

Fleet Prep Kit #2. You spend the day before the procedure drinking laxatives and eating nothing more substantial than clear broth and Jello. On the morning of the procedure you give yourself an enema. For the procedure they'll have you on a table in a hospital gown with your legs up and your privates hanging out for all to see. They'll put you out with a sedative. I remember they told me to count backwards from 100, and I didn't make it to 90.

While you're out they stick a long hose up your butt, lubricated with ample amounts of K-Y Jelly. When they're done they wheel you into a dark recovery room where you'll wake up, disoriented, feeling like you just got raped by a small army, and desperately in need of pooping out all the K-Y Jelly RIGHT FUCKING NOW, so you'll hop up in a frantic search for the nearest restroom.

In my case I came to before the procedure was done. I looked up a a group of masked people who were all standing around where my nether regions were exposed, manipulating a long hose that was stuck up my butt, and decided "I don't want to be here right now" and willed myself back to sleep.

There's not a whole lot of dignity involved...

 

[chewyxrage]

holy shit db, you've scared the shit out of me

fuck getting old

 

[blackpanther]

I have Crohn's disease so I am a veteran at this procedure just like El Dandy.....

Just request for maximum drugs and it isn't bad... If you don't get sedated properly the thing is a nightmare.. I have had about 8 of these done in my lifetime, and only one time was I partially awake due to not being given enough sedation. What a disaster that was! Needless to say I will NEVER see that GI Specialist again.

So point is: ask for the heaviest sedation possible!! It is usually a nice Valium & Demerol cocktail. After doing so many of these, you start to just focus on high you get to be for about 15 seconds.... heheheh

 

[Lestat]

never had one but a friend did. you gotta take laxatives to clear that shit out, that's the worst part. they put you under for the actual procedure

 

[blueta2]

I have Ulcerative Colitis and should have one at least once a year due to my risk of cancer being highly increased. Colonoscopy is a breeze and you will love the cleansing process the day before. LOL!

Agreed...I've had two and they are a breeze. Once you cleanse the colon, you'll have a ton of energy from all the toxins being removed.
During the procedure, you'll be sedated. The actually procedure lasts less than 10 mins

 

[heavy_duty]

I had a procedure where you are not asleep.
I took the lax the night before then for the procedure they stuck something up my butt and but I lay on my side.

when all was done I had a fantastic shit but it was white

 

[Mr. dB]

I had a procedure where you are not asleep.
I took the lax the night before then for the procedure they stuck something up my butt and but I lay on my side.

when all was done I had a fantastic shit but it was white

That sounds like a sygmoidoscopy.

 

[eddymerckx]

didnt katie couric have one live on tv?

 

[chewyxrage]

*kills himself*

 

[crew9]

The day before is the worst part about it, especially if you're used to eating every 2-3 hours like I am. Like others said the procedure itself isn't bad since you're knocked out.

 

[Pat_McCrotch]

tell your doc you dont want Go-Lytly. Tell him you wanna do the Fleets phos-pho sodium prep. Much easier to do. the other is a gallon of thick ass shit that you have to drink all day then get up and shit all day. Hey may put you on some mag citrate to to get it going.

The only bad thing about the colonoscopy is if your doctor puts both his hand on your shoulders and tell you ths wont hurt then you feel a scope in your ass. it may be time to change Docs.

 

[AAP]

Fleet Prep Kit #2. You spend the day before the procedure drinking laxatives and eating nothing more substantial than clear broth and Jello. On the morning of the procedure you give yourself an enema. For the procedure they'll have you on a table in a hospital gown with your legs up and your privates hanging out for all to see. They'll put you out with a sedative. I remember they told me to count backwards from 100, and I didn't make it to 90.

While you're out they stick a long hose up your butt, lubricated with ample amounts of K-Y Jelly. When they're done they wheel you into a dark recovery room where you'll wake up, disoriented, feeling like you just got raped by a small army, and desperately in need of pooping out all the K-Y Jelly RIGHT FUCKING NOW, so you'll hop up in a frantic search for the nearest restroom.

In my case I came to before the procedure was done. I looked up a a group of masked people who were all standing around where my nether regions were exposed, manipulating a long hose that was stuck up my butt, and decided "I don't want to be here right now" and willed myself back to sleep.

There's not a whole lot of dignity involved...

You woke up? OMG??!!! That is like that new movie out AWAKE where the dude wakes up during surgery or something.

 

[JayC9]

They gave me a DVD and diagrammed contact sheet, no t-shirt though.
A yet untitled 10 minute silent film starring my colon, a rather contemporary piece in which my asshole makes a Hitchcock-like guest appearance at the opening and close.

 

[Pat_McCrotch]

I had a procedure where you are not asleep.
I took the lax the night before then for the procedure they stuck something up my butt and but I lay on my side.

when all was done I had a fantastic shit but it was white

sounds like you had a sigmoidoscopy; they dont go very deep and it only last a very short while.

 

[Pat_McCrotch]

I feel for those who have chron's. You spend long nights in the ER when you do have to come in. Sometimes you build a tolerance to narcs and they need to give you more. Some docs get scared and donr wanna give you more but they fail to realize your tolerance is up