Colonoscopy Pain

I'm so glad I found your post. I had a colonoscopy with sedation this morning and it was excruitiatingly painful. I was wide awake throughout and in so much pain that I had to be given two doses of Pethadine, not that it made much difference. When it was over at last, I felt shocked and traumatised by the ordeal. The consultant seemed to think I'd made a fuss about nothing, though the nurses who looked after me were much more sympathetic and understanding. Ironically, ten minutes after the colonoscopy finished, the sedation seemed to kick in and I fell into a dazed stupor for the best part of an hour. Never again! If I ever have to have one of these barbaric procedures again I will insist on a general anaesthetic and pay for it if I have to. As far as I'm concerned, all the websites I read which said that colonoscopies are not painful are simply telling lies. Be warned anyone else facing one!

I had my first ever Conoloscopy (with no sedations just G&A) today and I am in shock still. They asked me if I had any questions before they started the procedure and ofcourse being the anxious annie that I am I asked ''how much is this going to hurt me''. The nurse advised me it isn't painful - just abit uncomfortable. Uncomfortable isn't a word I'd choose to describe the ordeal, more like TORTURE. It was so so horrific. PLEASE ask to be sedated. I was crying in pain, the nurses were so lovely, one stroking my hair whilst the other fed me G&A and another nurse was cheering me on telling me how well I was doing. Cut a long story short, the camera exited me and I was left to feel traumatised from this experience, I feel really upset that I wasn't pre warned about how painful this was going to be. Almost like somebody digging at the raw flesh inside your stomach with a knife. I don't mean to scare anybody, alot say it doesn't hurt at all which I believed and now know that them saying that is 100% far fetched. I am writing this to pre-warn people about the unexpected level of pain and if this will stir somebody to have sedation and not go through what I have been through today then I am happy to share this really unpleasant experience.

Thank you.  I am waiting for someone to contact me regarding my complaint and still waiting to see my GP about further treatment.  I will go to the Head of Trust as you mentioned if they don't take me seriously.  I'm very sorry about your husband.  Just when you think it can't get worse it does.  Susan

Thanks Dave.  I have only spoken to nurses so far and they have been very sympathetic and repeatedly apologised for what I went through.  I'm promised a call today to get my formal complaint under way.   

I'm glad your meeting helped and now I wonder if I'll be offered one.  I would certainly go if I am and I would hope my doctor would be as honest as yours.  Frustrating though when they know something's wrong but don't know how to put it right.  We'll see

Hope you get it sorted - I am going to refuse my COLONOSCOPY. I know someone that works in that department and they said a lot of people just run out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had the exact same response from the doctor that was doing my colwhen I screamed out in pain I've had 4 in total over a few years and I refuse ever to have another I had back and tummy pain for months afterwards Doctors and nurses are generally extremely  sympathetic but certainly in this area of medicine it doesn't appear to be the case

Update from me...I did put it a formal complaint.  I had to wait 16 weeks for a reply and even then it was late.  The response was, ready for it, I hallucinated everything due to the pain relief.  (I should be so lucky!)  They minimised everything and gaslighted me.  Needless to say, there is now another complaint which isn't nearly as polite as the first one.

Well that sounds appalling. Would you consider redacting all names and details from your letter and posting it here? If you are continuing to persue this complaint it might be best to wait until it's over though.

Thay want me to have a colonoscopy next week, i said only if you knock me out.he said thay could not.i cannot do this again the time before i black out,only to awake in worst pain than child birth.i am still traumatised  by it,everything you read says its uncomfortable, thay must be mad,thay should all have it done to them,then thay would know how we feel.glad to be able to tell someone.

Im with you all the way,i about to have another one,i keep crying remembering the old one.i no i will not let them,its like putting your hand in a door way,slamming the door on it,then asking you to do it again.you would not do this to a animal.

Hi, I'm not sure that you saw my response from yesterday, I can't see it on here.  Like you, I said never again.  But then I changed my mind.  I decided that the 'doctor' in question would not stop me getting treatment if I needed it.  Nothing sinister was found in my first colonoscopy but they said I should have another in six months and I was determined that he wouldn't stop me from getting it.  As my complaint was still ongoing, I arranged with the bowel screening team to have my second procedure with another doctor in another hospital.  I found them to be very helpful.  I had the procedure and because of what happened last time, they changed the ratio of drugs and I was given less sedation and more pain relief.  I'm happy to say this worked for me.  This time, the procedure was shorter which may be why but I'm sure it also helped that the doctor was gentle rather than acting like I was a piece of meat.  My second procedure goes to show that there is no need for this to be such torture which is why I'm taking my complaint to the Ombudsman now.  No one should have to go through what we have.  Like you, I was traumatised, but this has also improved since the second procedure.  I hope you feel better soon and can arrange a way in which you get any treatment you may need in a civilised way.  It's important to know, which no one tells you, you can tell them to stop.

I gave my response to their response on 17th November.  Got a reply last week in which they upheld everything in their first response.  Even though I had proof that they there were inconsistencies in their response.  I'm going to the Ombudsman now.  When that is complete, I will upload their redacted replies.  Thanks for your interest.

I gave my response to their response on 17th November.  Got a reply last week in which they upheld everything in their first response.  Even though I had proof that they there were inconsistencies in their response.  I'm going to the Ombudsman now.  When that is complete, I will upload their redacted replies.  Thanks for your interest.