Hi butterfly, congratulations. Its absolutely marvellous we need more good news. Now you can start living a normal life again................ Billy 

Thank you! It's a huge relief! Now just the two week wait for the biopsy, fecal & blood tests, then I can get the treatment I need and get on with my life. Thank you for taking the time to reply to me :) 

Hi I hope you are well and all at your end. Its really good news that cancer was not found from your colonoscopy.

I read you mentioned you have private healthcare. What sedation did you have? I am due to have a colonoscopy and I'm very worried after reading all the horror stories.

Also read many people mentioned that NHS are cutting corners by providing less sedation to patients  

And also this procedure is not done on General Aneasthetic.

I read that many patients had sedation and gas and air and still found it very painful. And alot of terminated procedures due to pain as well.

I am so worried ...........

Hope to hear from you soon,

Cutiee 

Hi Cutiee and welcome to the forum.

I noticed you were a bit apprehensive about your upcoming colonoscopy so I just wanted to reassure you that whilst the procedure can be a tad uncomfortable it should hopefully not be too painful. You'll also be offered medicine to help you relax if needed but if you have any concerns do have a chat with your doctor who will do their best to put your mind at ease and accommodate your needs.

I hope this information we have about the colonoscopy will help as well but if you'd like to talk things through with one of our cancer nurses you're welcome to give them a call on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.

Kind regards,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator 

Hi Steph, I hope you are well and all at your end. 

So what it is that a sigmoidoscopy was suggested by a doctor at A & E when I had gone there. Then I thought about it as my aunt sadly passed away with bowel cancer last year. So I thought instead of maybe having to go through it twice incase after having a sigmoidoscopy they say I need a colonoscopy why not just have a colonoscopy which looks at the whole bowel and to put my mind at rest.

So they have requested a colonoscopy for me and now I  am very very nervous and scared. I cannot tolerate any pain whatsoever. I have never given birth nor had any operations or any drips. 

And have read all the horror stories about procedures being terminated due to pain. 

I know.you mentioned they give medicine to relax, however people have said they received painkillers with sedation and they used gas and air as well but still they had pain until they were screaming and crying. 

Some said they still had pain after a week after the procedure and couldn't go to the toilet until then.

They say that on NHS  they don't give enough sedation. 

I don't know what to do. I know I need to have this test and its important for me.

I am a nervous wreck

Cutiee

Hi [@Cutiee4]‍ 

honestly PLEASE do not worry. I was freaking out crying when I went in and I don't really remember anything about it! I had Fentanyl which basically knocked me out. It's the strongest sedative so ask for that if you can! I didn't feel a single thing they said I was asleep the whole time lol. Personally I would refuse to have it without a sedative. Why don't you ring them and say you have panic attacks and will need a very strong sedative or you are not able to have the procedure. Then again my brother and my nan have both had colonscopies without sedative and didn't feel much at all, no pain just a bit of slight cramping! Remember thousands of people have colonscopies but rarely do the ones who felt nothing post it on a forum! You only ever hear the negative stories. The majority of people won't have any trouble with it at all so please try not to worry. But deffo worth asking for Fentanyl if you can. You will be fine!! Good luck let us know how it goes x i

Hi @butterfly1987, thank you for your reply, I hope.you are well and all is well with you.

Thank you, yes I am thinking of calling them and asking them what sedative they give. I have read that they give a pain killer and a relaxer. 

You mention that you were asleep because I think you need to be awake for this procedure and that's why they give conscious sedation the one that are conscious but drowsy. 

Some people say that they had sedation with gas and air and still were in alot of pain. This is what is scaring me.

Yes I will ask them for maximum strongest sedation as I am a woos I have not given birth never had an operation when I grew up  never had drips..... 

I am dreading it alot, having sleepless nights, palpitations my body is already getting tight and it's a couple of weeks away. Yes I will ask for Fentanyl. 

I am also scared about the intestine being perforated leading to death don't know how common that is.

I don't know what's happening to me........

I will call and tell them too that I am having panic attacks and I will need maximum sedation.

The thing is I think you have private healthcare so maybe it's a better experience 

Alot of people complaining about NHS not giving enough sedation

Cutiee4

I'm still going through the horror posts on here and getting myself worked up even more  

Alot of patients mentioned they had fentanyl and mizadoram and still felt alot of pain 

And some patients said they had such experiences in both private hospitals and NHS too.......

Some patients mentioned they took morphine or propofol and it was helpful 

They are mentioning that it's risky to have the procedure on GA but some of the patients have got this option after previous procedures being terminated due to pain. 

I think.they give the option of virtual Colonoscopy CT Scan but if they see any polyps or need to take biopsies it's only the colonoscopy.

I really don't know what to do.......

I think you are overthinking this. Not everyone has the same experience, you will honestly be fine. I guess you have to weigh up whether the reassurance of having the procedure and knowing what is causing your symptoms is worth a very small risk of a little bit of discomfort. I've never known anyone who had actual pain during the procedure and I know lots of who have it done.

Hi thank you for your reply again...... I agree about weighing risks of discomfort vs the reassurance of having the examination and knowing what's causing my symptoms.

However if you have sometime and are ok to go through some of the threads of people's experiences they don't just mention mild discomfort. They describe as it being a torture experience.

I was in tears when I had my Covid Test, so you can imagine 

I just am worried I should not be in so much pain that I move around and get a perforation.

I am so sorry I am telling you all my worries. 

I am losing weight and not eating as well........ 

Cutiee4