Unsedated Colonoscopy

Mt Dr is sending me for a colonoscopy. It's been 5 yr since my last one. I'm scared of thr drugs they use and want to di it unsedated. Has anybody here done that? In the mid 80s, I had my 1st one with light sedation and it was ok. I remember feeling it moving in my intestine & also saw where the end was by the light shining through my belly.

I've had a colonoscopy for the first time back in February and choose to do it without any sedation.

Since I am used to having things up my backside, I really didn't think much of the 2 cm wide probe that they use.

Apparently this was rather rare. I guess most just go by the default recommendation or default procedure, which is being mildly sedated.

Understandably, if you're not used to, or have bad experiences with anal penetration, having it done without can be very uncomfortable or even painful, as the sensation of penetration can cause your muscles to tense up.

Truly the only thing that caused me discomfort was the air they used to inflate my large intestines. Other than that, it was a walk in the park. I asked a lot of questions and the specialist took his time to explain things to me. So all in all, it was a rather interesting and educational experience for me.

I get a colonoscopy every year , and have had 12 so far and never ever used any medication for it. No sedation, nothing and for me there is zero pain, zero discomfort and they are fun. I look forward to them every year

Had quite a few the first few with sedation always had some one driving me home but the later ones no sedation but having had many bowel ops it can be uncomfortable but not the worse pain i have experienced

I've had 2 without sedation and they weren't so bad, especially the most recent one where I requested the Dr to go very slowly in the sigmoid colon. The last place I used in Philadelphia did a colonic cleansing so I didn't have to do any nasty prep the night before.

I have had several colonoscopies and have never ever used any medication for it. No sedation because I wanted to experience that scope getting inserted up into my colon. There was no pain, no discomfort and I enjoyed every one.

To me they are fun and I have enjoyed every one of them. I like to know what is going on and don't like to be put to sleep. I look forward to them every ten years and wish they could be done more often. I regret not letting them give me a barium enema back in the 1970s as that would have been a lot of fun to me.

I have also had an endoscopy with no sedation. The bad part about that was they really deadened my throat and it was hours before I could eat.

I've had 3 colonoscopies, the last one I did without sedation. Next one I will do the same, piece of cake. That way I don't have to interrupt anyone else's day taking me there and driving me home.

Before I was 50 and when my insurance would not cover colonoscopies, my internist would give me sigmoidoscopies in his office as part of my annual physical, always WITHOUT sedation. Of course, sigs only get to about ⅓ of the colon, but that’s where most of the cancers are found…or so my doc always said.

Only discomfort was some cramping from having lots of air pumped in. Also farted heavily for a hour or two afterwards. Otherwise, I enjoyed the experience. I’m due for a colonoscopy in a couple of years and may request no sedation…. Would love to hear what others have experienced With this.

I under went one that way and found it extremely painful towards the end of the insertion. The nurse had to press on my abdomen to help the tube progress. The light sedation in use these days is fine in my experience.

I have mine done without sedation as well. I've had worse cramping from Taco Bell. The hardest part for me is to keep from laughing as the doc has a great sense of humor

My first colonoscopy began with “ Stardate 259.4. About to boldly go where no man has gone before, penetrating the orbit of Uranus in search of Klingons.”

Next session - "Look, there is Liberace's wrist watch. And now Michael Jackson's other glove. Is that a gerbil??"

Followed by “ Hey Chief, I think we have a location on those trapped miners”

Followed by “The difference between you and I is that I only have to deal with one asshole at a time”

I can't wait for my next one this year

I tried un-sedated colonoscopy for the first time at my last colonoscopy. I agree with others parts are uncomfortable, which is a stress. The most embarrassing part was my body odor even after being freshly showered. Remember your unscented deodorant.

I had my first colonoscopy at 38 unsedated, the dr doing it was fine with it, the anesthesia people were not, took some back and forth but I got my way.

I got rolled into the room they put a pad under me had me roll onto my side, pulled the gown back wide open. Got me positioned and then my anus became the star of the show for a minute. The doc said she was gonna take a look, to me that means you are gonna part the cheeks and look, turned out that meant I am about to give you the most lubricated quickest DRE you ever had.

Out came the scope and for about 30 seconds it’s camera is aimed right at my anus so it’s on clear view for the whole room to see on the tv. Then the scope gets inserted not the most comfortable thing ever up my ass but not bad either. The next 5 mins is advancing it 3” at a time which to your anus feels like a 12”, the whole time I kept waiting on pain, she made the turn still nothing and finally she is like that’s the worst of it, I was like this isn’t even uncomfortable. Then the next 10 mins is pulling it back out a couple inches a time spraying water to clear anything on the walls which is sucked right back up.

Finally it was taken all the way out and the nurse took the pad wrapped it over my butt and wiped away the copious amounts of lube. I got dressed and left. It really was that simple.

Did two unseated colonoscopies.

Worse part preparation.

And the air after procedure.

I had an unsedated colonoscopy AND an unsedated endoscopy at the same appointment. It was hideous. I can't watch the Alien films.

Ive probably had a worse experience at an airport security check than an unsedated colonoscopy.

Https://en.zity.biz/gallery/image/161563. If this guy can do this with such ease, maybe sedation is over-rated ;-)

I have had two done and neither one was I sedated, the first one was not painful at all. The Dr went slow and took his time the second one was somewhat painful but she was very fast but both were tolerable, the last one it hasn't been a year since it was done I won't be sedated for my next one either.

I have had 2 unsedated colonoscopies. Although my doctor has since left the practice, my notes indicate that my next one should also be unsedated. I posted on both of these procedures previously in great detail. I see no reason not to try without sedation since I had no pain and very little discomfort. Each person will have a different experience so you will be taking some risk of pain, however, I believe it is minimal.

I have a hyper response to pain, and sedation doesn’t bother me. I’ll choose sedation every time, especially for a colonoscopy.

For those of you who prefer to go it without, more power to you.

I haven't found a Dr that would do it without sedation or I would. Told by a CRNA that is a friend, they take longer, the Dr has to worry about patient comfort and oh since it takes longer they make less money in a day since they can't get as many done. Gotta love Americas Healthcare money machine. 😂😂

Most doctors in all probability won't do it without a sedatives for two reasons: 1) liability, 2) anesthesia is very profitable for the hospitals.

Like I said, it's not that bad, only slight discomfort a couple times. But nurse told me if I needed it, she would give me something for it. I'll do it for the next one too, don't want to waste someone else's day taking me there and driving me home.

Several years ago my GP sent me to a GI. His nurse called to tell me for the next 10 days I needed to clear my gut out. GI Dr would be possibly taking a look inside. I asked if he was doing a colonoscopy. She said it was procedure for new patients to clean out. I would be instructed to eat a soft diet, down to a liquid diet of eventually just clear chicken broth over a period of 10 days. I told the nurse taking an oral prep the day before would clean everything out. She advised me this physician is very old school and extremely thorough, to expect a very thorough physical. As for taking an oral prep or an enema she also mentioned, she said no, they can cause inflammation and false positive results. I said ok. I followed this diet I was given.

The morning of the appointment arrived and I met this physician who specializes in gastrointestinal and abdominal issues. After a long interview in his office, he invited me into his exam room. I was asked to remove everything other than my socks. He gave me a very thorough physical. He then said he felt it would be a good idea to have a deeper look inside my backside.

He had a flat exam table against the wall in the same room. He said the nurse would come in to give me some instructions. She had me face the wall, laying in the lateral left recumbent position with my left leg straight, my right leg bent at my knee and flexed towards my chest. I noticed a tv screen in the corner towards my feet, yet didn’t think about it. Eventually, the physician returned. I felt exposed, strangely far more than during a pelvic exam or mammogram. I figured I would be receiving an anoscope of some kind.

He asked if I was ready to begin. I said yes, not realizing what would follow. Having just received a rectal exam from him, I knew to take a slow deep breath when I felt him putting pressure on my sphincter. After a few slow deep breaths I asked if he was about done and started to twist around to look at him. It was then I saw the nurse holding the colonoscopy tubing that was being inserted.

She thought I knew what was going to happen. I asked what about sedation? He said it’s not needed, he will guide me through with deep breathing. He had asked me during the intake interview if I knew anything about deep breathing breathwork exercises. I had rolled my eyes at him and laughed. He found it amusing. I reminded him I have asthma, have for many years in addition to having had many years of vocal training and I practice meditation. Yeah, deep breathing breathwork exercises are not new to me. It was from this conversation he had decided I could handle a colonoscopy without sedation if he decided he should perform one.

I continued the deep breathing. A bit of cramping around the descending, transcending and ascending curves, no big deal. Having a bit of air pumped in was a unique sensation.

He referred me back to my GP and GYN. He concluded my issues were most likely GYN. All in all, it was definitely a very unique interesting experience. In a few years it will be recommended to start having a colonoscopy every so often. I will opt for only a non sedated colonoscopy.

As someone who works in Endoscopy , you can have a colonoscopy without sedation , we offer Entonox for those who don't want to be sedated or don't have an escort for 24 hours. Entonox is a gas – a mixture of half oxygen and half nitrous oxide that is used for pain relief. Entonox® can also be called 'gas and air' or 'laughing gas, this allows pain relief without the need for sedation. It is self administered via a demand valve and you can even drive 20 mins post administration.

As previously stated you need to dilate/inflate the colon with gas to be able to safely navigate and to observed for polyps, diverticula, strictures, Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), cancers and other conditions. We use Carbon dioxide instead of Air as it dissipates faster and is less uncomfortable .

The most uncomfortable areas are the sigmoid colon ( due to the S shape) the Splenic flexure (under the Spleen , below the left side of the ribcage) the Hepatic flexure ( under the Liver, below the right side of the ribcage) and intubation of the Ileocecal Valve( a sphincter muscle valve that separates the small intestine and the large intestine) these various bends can cause cramping as the colonoscopy becomes curved, after passing these structures the endoscopist straightens the scope and the cramping resolves .

In addition the Carbon dioxide gas can also result in cramping or cramp like pain and so we ask patients to “ pass gas or break wind” to alleviate this feeling, other factors include abdominal surgeries, C-sections as these cause the creation of adhesions (scar tissue which can cause the colon to be fix and results in tight angulation of the colonic folds) resulting in pain/discomfort as the scope is manipulated.

About 35% of our patients opt for the Entonox and about 15% of our patient have no mediation ( no sedation or analgesia) and are able to tolerate it comfortably. We use a combination of Midazolam (Versed) a sedative and Fentanyl an analgesic ( pain killer).

As mention by Fawkes the use of Deep breathing exercises do help immensely as it relaxes the abdominal muscles, which makes advancement of the scope easier (most proficient endoscopist advance the scope as you inhale; inhalation forces you to relax the muscles).

@RN1993,

Thank you. I definitely had to utilize my deep breathing training with those areas you mention.

People have very different tolerances for pain. I once had an unsedated flexible sigmoidoscopy to about the splenic flexure as I recall, and found it to be tolerable but pretty uncomfortable. I wouldn't want a full unsedated colonoscopy personally. And if you experience a high level of discomfort with an unsedated study, be aware your examination will not only be very unpleasant but also likely more rushed and less thorough. A miserable patient is way more difficult to examine thoroughly. So this is clearly a situation in which to invoke the maxim “Know Thyself.”

@Pollux well said!

First one I had done sedated and second one unsedated. The unsedated was uncomfortable but it wasn't painful. I felt a small pain for a moment but it was nothing in comparison to spasm I felt in my intestines after drinking the Fortrans for colonoscopy preparation.

Had my colonoscopy for this year, again unsedated. No pain or discomfort.

My gastroenterologist started with

"Be vewy, vewy quiet, I'm huntin poloyps" in his best Elmer Fudd voice.

I was told that for $29, the hospital would send you a complete prep package and it is covered by your insurance. I tried it. I get an envelope with a $20 Taco Bell gift card.

All kidding aside, folks, get your colonoscopy. It could save your life.

I had one several years ago, and under sedation. Since then, it’s been the cologuard exam, that’s done at home. I honestly don’t worry about my health, and will probably keep postponing it indefinitely. It’s a personal decision.