Hi. I had a colonoscopy a week ago and the pain was similar to period cramps, and slightly worse when they went round the bend in the colon, but all in all was pretty decent and didn't use the gas and air really, it must be individual or that particular nurse was talented! I am concerned for the results though having found 2 polyps

Hi, I had a failed colonoscopy yesterday! I am gutted about the whole thing. I have been waiting 12 months to find out what is wrong with me I have had an MRI which shows suspected Crohn’s disease and some narrowing so I was referred urgently but had to wait because of COVID. I think my pain threshold is pretty good Iv gave birth twice with no pain relief at all, but the pain I felt yesterday was shocking! 4 times in 4 different positions they tried and I just couldn’t tolerate it. What will happen now? The nurse said I should hear from my consultant but what are the next steps if I couldn’t tolerate the colonoscopy? Will they ask me to try again? 

It's strange isn't it how it works differently for people. It depends what is making it painful, if it's a narrow colon then it would hurt next time too, if it's an agressive practitioner that's the issue,  you could request a different dr/nurse. My understanding is that you can have a Virtual colonoscopy but if anything needed removing then you'd have to have the real one again. I would definatley look into it! And i am on a huge waiting list for polyp removal, and covid pushing it back further. Really worrying!

So sorry that your on a waiting list, it must be a worrying time for you. It’s the fear of the unknown isn’t it. I hate not knowing what is wrong with me and I just want to get it sorted now, that’s why I am guttedabout not being able to fully go through the procedure. I never thought it would be painful. A few of my family members have it done and they have all said it was fine so I was never worried about it. I suppose Iv just got to wait for the consultant to get intouch now and see what happens next.

I had a colonoscopy 15 years ago... It was unbearable and had to be terminated... I have a decent pain threshold and it was unbearable.  I am now incredibly worried as I was casually told they found several polyps but did not schedule any follow up or gave me any impression that it was anything to worry about.  I was in my late 20s at the time and that I had IBS.  I now regularly experience various symptoms including regular mild blood loss but more recently, repeatedly I have gone over a week with no bowel movement (and when I do it is always underwhelming), fatigue, incredible pain, then uncontrollable diarrhea with now very heavy blood loss... I have also noticed that I cannot gain weight ( although I can bloat ) even with  little or no excercise, if anything I am eating the same, exercising less and losing mass..... Is this anxiety or am I right to be worried... Any sensible thoughts appreciated

I had my first colonoscopy on Friday - it was indeed torture and had to be aborted - felt like surgical knives being pushed inside me. I screamed the theatre down in pain. I will never have it again despite double dose of sedative. Picolax prep also horrendous vomiting sweating and nearly passing out. 3 days later still have abdominal pain which I'm not sure whether I need to get checked out or not - no bleeding though. Is that normal ?

I had my first colonoscopy 3 weeks ago, I was sedated and sailed through it - happy days! I was told I needed another one to continue the colonoscopy as I had 5 poylps obstructing the rest of the way so they would be removed and the colonoscopy finished.  I went into the 2nd procedure yesterday relaxed (if completely drained and wobbly from the laxatives!), but it couldn't have been a different experience!  I screamed and screamed throughout the whole thing, they had to double the sedation, (which still didn't help with the pain) and I have been left woozy and wobbly and very traumatised!  Afterwards they needed the bed, because they were doing so many others that day, so they forced me awake and my husband had to take me back to the car in a wheelchair!  The two experiences were like chalk and cheese.  I have to have another one, I imagine this is to check that the poylps have healed (although I haven't been told anything), and then another procedure on large, bleeding haemerhoids, so 2020 is an awful year for me (on top of the Covid situation).

I had the same experience, I have given birth to a large baby with no drugs and this wiped the floor with that pain. They had to give more sedation and pethidine and nothing helped. (Has one before and had no pain) 
I heard her say she is going to need a CT and then I woke up in recovery.

in the notes it stated I didn't tolerate it!!!! They made me feel like I was just being mard. 
hope you get sorted xx

I'm so glad to have found other people who have had a similar experience to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm very sorry for all your bad experiences but feel like I'm not alone in this and 'making a fuss over nothing'.

I've had 7 colonoscopies. I've had ulcerative colitis for 35 years which is very well controlled and I don't 'suffer' with it. Joy of joys though, I also developed what my GP thinks is IBS around 15 years ago. Again not much of a problem except for 2-3 times per year when I get extreme pain. This has got worse with every episode and has now become totally unmanageable. I used to get by with Buscopan, paracetamol and colpermin but not any more. I ended up in A&E on morphine and my GP has now allowed me to have a small bottle of Oramorph at home (I've used it only twice and it took the edge off).

I have had no answers from my GP or hospital consultant and I would say they take so little interest that I wonder if they believe me when I describe how severe the pain is. I'm a very petite person and gave birth to 2 bouncing baby boys, one of them posterior, with a quick suck on the old Entonox. Easy peasy. I don't consider myself to be making a fuss over a small thing.

I had a colonoscopy 3 years ago and the sedation was utterly useless. It has to be a much lighter sedation than in my previous colonoscopies because I had no memory of those and went home happy but absent minded. All back to normal in short order. I discussed my experience with my consultant and he said he would do it himself next time. That was today.

Again sedation was completely ineffective and the pain was excruciating despite me telling everyone involved about my last experience. They had to abandon after getting very little done and now I feel traumatised and tearful because I went through all that again and have no useful results.

WHY the heck has sedation changed???

I'm heartened to read on this thread that general anaesthetic might be offered in exceptional circumstances and will bring this up in my review. Has anyone successfully had this?

Plenty of Googling leads me to believe I have visceral hyperalgesia/hypersensitivity. This seems to be well known amongst bowel disease/IBS sufferers but a foreign idea to my GP and consultant.

I'm not wasting 2 days doing bowel prep and going in for this again when it leads to ridiculously excessive pain and no useful results. Not happy at all ️

I have had 3 now and each time is more painful than the one beforet. The sedation is not strong enough and I have had to abort twice due to pain.

I do not see why they do not use stronger pain relief as the system they use just now does not work for all

I will never have this done again now as it is traumatising.. the pain, the prep and the stigma of yelling like a baby while others just sail through it.