After all the advice I have received trawling thru various forums like this, the least I can do is add to it, to reinforce the positive aspects of having a colonoscopy. Remember this: some people volunteer for these procedures and others pay large sums for colonic irrigation too!!!
I felt I benefitted the most from in depth replies, so here goes:
I am a male, aged 64. October 2019 - went to A and E with bleeding from rear passage. This was a first for me. The doctor did a DRE and found nothing (which was the reason for a referral to the GP. Apparently, if no-one can find the cause of bleeding - provided you are over 50, you automatically go onto ther "urgent bowel cancer screening treadmill"??)
70 days after A and E (NHS wales target is 62 days), It was time for the procedure.
I was sent a pack of Laxido laxitives to be taken twice a day for 6 days - resulting in nothing really?? Apparently they simply make your stools softer??
I followed the instructions for Moviprep cleanser to the letter and the day before - ate very little. No more solids after 6pm. Appointment was for 1.45pm:
On the day and at 5am I was told to drink 1lr of movieprep. I had read horror stories about this preperation. So the best tips for me were: make it up the night before and chill it overnight. I also added elderflower cordial. These two things alone made it absolutely palatable. No problems at all. I drank a 250ml glass every 15 mins easily (and thru straws). Read a funny book and 45 mins after starting the prep, my bowels opened (big time). Tap On...tap OFF!!! for about an hour. First session lasted between 5am and 7am.
Then 1 hour respite (in bed). Stage 2 was a repeat of stage 1 between 8am ish to 10am ish.
In between and after stage 2, I drank a glass of 250ml of water with electrolytes in it (diarolyte) to bolster my system.
All done by 11am. Drank water till 1pm (on and off).
Arrived as appointed @ 1.45pm. VERY friendly staff dealing with a production line of similar cases (20/day, 7 days a week).
Asked if I wanted gas and air or sedation. I asked the nurse what was her experience and she said women usually have the sedative and men the gas and air. She found this strange as she thought women endured pain better than men! I asked her what she would do in the circumstances and she said sedative - I took her advice.
Needle into arm (painless), 15 minute wait and consultant comes out for a chat:
Men are simple he says! Take us 15 minutes, job done. Women are more complex plumbing and take around 30 minutes.I'll tell you the results immediately.
Went in, hooked me up to O2 monitor / oxygen temporarily / blood pressure monitor / sedative (one off shot through IV).
Don't remember being woozy/out of sorts. Felt completely "with it". Watched everything and it seemed over in a flash - didn't feel anything at all!! Lots of explanations from consultant and lots of piccies. From arriving @ 1345, procedure complete @ 1450. Into recovery room for 30 mins for a gorgeous cup of tea and biscuits and bags and bags of TLC.
I love the NHS.
Fear factor leading up to prep and op: High.
Prep pain: Nil.
Prep discomfort: Nil.
Colonoscopy pain: Nil.
Colonoscopy discomfort: Nil.
All clear, no polyps, no biopsy. But found diverticilitis in several places (lifestyle ailment based around diet). Easily remedied.
Hi folks. Yesterday I. had a colonoscopy and I can honestly say even with sedation it was one of the most painful experiences of my life. Never would I have this again unless I am fully asleep.
Very sorry to hear of your experience. But I can only speak for myself and when I had mine (with sedation, too scared to turn that offer down!) I felt absolutely zero pain. Some odd sort of feelings but nothing that was even moderately painful. I'm FAR from expert but for some reason people seem to have widely differing experiences of this procedure so maybe someone medically experienced can explain why that is? I've always understood that once past the "entry" there were no pain receptors present? But please Lloobyloo don't think I'm disbelieving you it's just that my experience was so different to your's. But don't forget that it could well save your life...
Just to let you know about mine. I left a post in the previous page, last summer. So I had my colonoscopy a while ago (6 months ago) and it was really easy. Preparation went well. I was afraid I would get nausea and throw up because of other condition I have that gets me nausea when I drink water on an empty stomach, but luckily I was on a good day for that.
About the exam, I was put asleep (Propofol) and I just slept. About 25 minutes that felt like a whole night of sleep. No pain, no nothing. When I woke up I was really dizzy, but that went away little by little. 30 minutes later I was normal again. A bit of pain from the gases in the intestines, but nothing special also and it was all gone within one hour or so.
I had two upper endoscopies a few years ago and the colonoscopy was much easier. If I had to do one of them right now, I would choose upper endoscopy tough. I know it does not make much sense but it is only because I know I was lucky to get a good day for the preparation and that would probably not happen again.
By the way, the result was good, not perfect because I have diverticulitis, but the doctor says that is ok and nothing to worry about. It's just a few. I'm a 40 year old man at this point. So I will probably only do another colonoscopy in between 5 and 8 years.
Thanks for your reply . Yes I know it is different for everyone. I had sedation and gas and air but still very painful. I have had a bruised stomach for a few days so maybe I had someone who wasn't very good.
I just had a colonoscopy today and it was the worst pain! I was advised the by the lady who was gonng to do the procedure to have gas and air because I was anxious and she said that the sedative wouldn’t work as well because anxiety blocks the pathways the sedative uses. I wasn’t offered pain relief.
It was unbearably painful at points I’m pretty tough but it made me cry. They asked if I wanted to stop and I said yes but then they carried on because they’d nearly finished. They hadn’t!
I was told that I had a lot of twists and a very long bowel and maybe some IBS that was making it sensitive . I thought it would never end!
Never again!
It was all healthy. My heart goes out to anyone who’s results are bad . To have to go through any of that again must be terrible !
This sounds like the first one I had. No sedative just gas and air which did nothing. I cried throughout and was petrified. The nurse didn't know what to do with me.
The second time I had one I was given a sedative and I was reclined back so I couldn't feel it so much as they went round. I watched it on the screen. It was a very different experience although I was still terrified as they were checking for a tumour in the bowel.
If you ever have the misfortune of going through it again insist on the sedative and ask about the reclined position instead of on your side. I can't stress the difference it made.
Thanks for that . I hope I never need one again. I’ve reported my concerns that they didn’t stop when I asked them to because it clearly stated in the information leaflet that they would if it was too painful.
I had my procedure at 9am on a Sunday morning, so on Friday night I had to take 6 senna tablets. These give me a bloated stomach within 20 mins but that wore off within half hour. I took them just as I was going to bed, and when I woke up on Saturday morning I had to use the loo
I was allowed a breakfast (low fibre) before 9am then after 9am I was not allowed any solid food at all (all I drank after this was water and one cup of black tea with sugar)
Started MoviePrep at 5pm (first litre) and drank this over an hour. I actually liked the taste, so drank this without any problems. Nothing happened till 19:20 when toilet trips began. Had my second litre at 8pm and remained going to loo till 11pm when it calmed down and I went to bed and slept through. For 4 days prior to Sunday I followed a low fibre diet which I think made the prep easier.
Woke up early next morning (day of procedure) and had 1 more toilet trip. Got to hospital for 8:10am and was in procedure room by 9:05. The camera honestly is nothing, no discomfort when they put it in, and only some slight discomfort during procedure which I used gas and air for (but I only used it as it was available I could have managed without it)
I had 6 bopsies taken (you can't feel these) and the whole procedure was over within 30 minutes. I Was out of hospital less than half hour after test finished and was in a local pub having a breakfast by 10:30 (due to not being sedated)
im a 33 year old male
i hope my post helps alleviate any fears you have. Honestly it's nothing and the NHS staff who will deal with you are lovely (although I was too engrossed in watching the images of my bowel to talk much to the nurse haha)
Hi mine also was mega unbearable pain i had sedation but it did not even touch the pain i felt they did not top up the sedation i had to scream at them to stop which they were trying not to do this was my second one the first was not so deep that hurt but i wasnt sedated and could just about manage to think i had sedation this time and the pain eas off the scale never again will i have it without deep sedation
