I am so sorry you had such pain. I had a colonoscopy last Friday. I had previously had two which were painless with midazolam. This time I asked for Midazolam and the guy wouldn't believe I only had midazolam previously. He was the Lead Nurse and horrible.  He assured me it would be painful and offered fentanyl which I can't have and entonox cause of ear perforation. His manner to a patient was disgraceful and was even a God like complex. We proceeded and with midazolam pethidine ans buscopan it was excrutiating and it is now Monday ans I am still traumatised and very tender I need cocodamol 4hrly. When I speak to my consultant I am asking her why it was so painful. I am 62 ex nurse and never heard of it being this painful. Family and friends say they were fine  I will never have a procedure done at that Hospital again.  The nurses were fab but this guy needs a course on patient manner and how to use a smaller camera. I have a high pain threshold and had total hysterectomy and reconstruction of my knee. Each were not as painful as this. I am really upset, traumatised and will go back to my previous hospital who did not hurt me.

I am so happy that I found this post!!! 

I have suffered from chronic stomach pain in one area of my stomach for years. I had my first colonoscopy yesterday. I was full prepared and informed about the procedure (wonderful day nurse) and I wanted to start off with no pain relief but informed them that I would request gas and air if it became worst and sedation if became too severe.

First 'turn' in the colon was fine and pain free. They then found 2 polyps in the first track and removed them. I could feel them removing them... to which I was told, that's impossible, because there are no nerve endings inside of the colon.   The doctor continued to the second turn (upper left) and I hit the roof the minute he touched that area. Gas and air were called for, but that didn't seem to control the pain.  I was passing wind (as instructed) but after that, with every further movement, I was in total pain. They decided that the only way to continue was to give me sedation. This sedation did nothing at all. I was told that it would leave me 'out of it' but I wouldn't feel any further pain.  We attempted to move to the third turn (upper right) and I was screaming out in pain. I was fully awake, no grogginess, no 'out of it' feeling. The assistant nurse said it was because I wasn't relaxed and not passing enough wind that was causing my colon to compact and make it difficult for the camera to move further along my colon. We tried again, but even the slightest movement made me cry with agony.  They gave me a second dose of sedation... nothing. I still felt all the pain, to which the assistant nurse said, 'we're going to have to stop if you can't get through this next bit'.  We gave it one last try but I just couldn't take it anymore and the procedure was stopped.

I felt utterly useless and ashamed.  It felt like they didn't believe me and the look on the doctor’s face said it all. 

I was taken back to the recovery ward, where they told me I had to wait for the sedation to wear off. I felt completely fine. I could stand up easily and dress myself. I didn't feel groggy on the drive home at all (my wife drove as you're not supposed to drive after having sedation).

And here is the problem. I have had a couple of hospital visits and each time the pain relief hasn't done anything. One time I had a mole removed from my chest.  They had to put 4 injections of local anaesthetic in me, just so I couldn't feel the pain. Even the doc commented that he had never had to do more than 2 doses.  And the other time is when I had a slipped disk, and it gave out on me, and I fell down some stairs.  The only thing that would touch the pain was morphine.

I had put this in my notes when they asked me about any worries etc.

This whole experience left me utterly depressed and embarrassed. It has also left me wondering what I can do about my clear lack of pain tolerance or lack of pain relief from certain doses of meds and what to do about any future procedures.

They have said that I will be returned to my referring doctors to discuss alternative procedures. I can only assume that will either be the same procedure under general anaesthetic or a CT scan.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, you have no idea how much that has helped me realise I'm not the only one! 

I am so sorry you went through that. They could have offered you Fentanyl which was offered to me but I can't have it. What I don't understand is when I had one 3 yrs ago at different hospital I felt nothing.  The Team were great. This time I thought they could have had some patient communication skills. I don't know why you were told to pass wind. They put air in you. I hope you recover well. 

Thank you for your reply. I will make a note of Fentanyl for when I speak with the Doctor again. Yes, you are correct, the air that is pumped into you is what they were refering to as 'passing wind' and asking me to push that out to stop the pain.  I will let people know on here as to what the next steps are.

Thanks again.

Take care

A reply over three years later but I was so relieved to find this thread.  These are my notes from my colonoscopy in 2016.

I had a colonoscopy carried out yesterday. The report details that I had Fentanyl (IV) 100ug and Midazolam (IV) 2mg. I wasn't at all nervous about the procedure and settled down comfortably on my side as instructed. What followed was the stuff of nightmares. I felt as if I was being disembowelled by a butcher's hook. I remember writhing about on the trolley and the nurse pressing hard on my stomach. I was crying out and saying that I couldn't stand the pain. It seemed to go on for such a long time, the nursing staff were kind and constantly trying to soothe me, the doctor said nothing at all. The amnesia effect only kicked in when I was taken to the recovery room. My husband came to pick me up, and I chatted quite happily to him, and the nurse told him that my pain wasn't usual. Then, over the next eight hours, I was awake all night and everything came back to me, in the most disjointed way - the horror of feeling utterly trapped and helpless, the excruciating pain and terrible sensations.  The information leaflet I was given prior to the procedure said I might experience 'some discomfort'.

I looked up Midazolam injection is used before medical procedures and surgery to cause drowsiness, relieve anxiety, and prevent any memory of the event.  It certainly didn't work with me.

What went a long way to helping me recover was the consultation I had with the head consultant later.  He was so gracious and caring, and even wrote to my doctor telling him about my experience.  I felt, albeit after the event, that I had been taken seriously.
 

so hard to read your post.

I'm so sorry it was so bad.

I'm having a scary late side effect.

had mine on the 13th jan. I'm totally needle phobic so thought i'd have a crack at the gas and air.

thats a waste of time for a start! still the nurse blethered on to me for the whole time, and I got through it, mind 45mins of it. my wife would have killer me if i backed out!

my test was put back 6 weeks as i coaught covid in november, I'm very anemic (44yo man) they did ct, and and mri scan novemberish, all clear. been on iron tablets since, and felt like superman! more strength than ive had in years. 

so much so I almost canceled the camera, as i saw no point. for months I'd been having the "look" nothing wrong with you, get over it.

they found 2 tumors and i have bowel cancer.

I go in in 2 weeks for surgery, but its now is the prob. 2 weeks after the camera I'm in agony, can barely eat. went to a&e on the weekend as all sysptoms looked like a perforated bowel. 

they rockon only twisted, and I'm going in soon so there.

they told me too, there are no nerves in the bowel so you wont feel it, ok!

mind said on my paperwork they took 15 biopsies. feel shredded inside!

Goodness me.  Thank you for sharing and I wish you all the best and hope that you make a full recovery.

thank you for that,

weird how the small platitudes mean alot at the moment.

slightly off topic, but for anyone else reading this thread it may help...

unlike most I have private heath insurance, full cover.

private healthcare hospital couldn't operate for 6 weeks, nhs 3 weeks.

They actually told me to go nhs. mind their ct and mri a month before missed it!(private one)

all I've had from the private sector is to see a few doctors ( over an 8 month period)

throughout all of this I have never seen my gp. always refused to see me. even last week when i sent a requsest online, as I've been diagnosed, and havn't slept in days! nothing.

I would have missed my diagnosis relying on my gp. Although i have insurance, like an exess, you pay for inital treatment, in my case seeing a private gp. cost 80 quid, and none of the "three problem rule" crap off them.

seems to have gone full circle, before you could see a local GP, then wait years for treatment. private would sort it asap.

now you cannot see a gp. go private and pick when ever suits you, but you cant have a procedure for god knows when?

I thought in a perverted way I'd won the lottery, we pay a fortune for insurance, and here we get to cash it! still turned to the nhs! 

still with all the upheaval, if anyone doesnt feel right, and are struggling to get through. a private gp can be booked for same day n refer to xyz. glad i did it now.