Colonoscopy Prep, Experiences and Tips

I was given a strict diet to follow for a few days before the procedure, and given several doses of a super clear-out powder. The insertion of the tube was ok, but when they pump air in to inflate the bowel it can be painful, certainly uncomfortable!

Afterwards I felt faint and had to rest for a while, and of course, all that air had to make it's embarrassing way out again.

Not pleasant, somewhat embarrassing, tiring. Certainly not erotic!

Well that SUCKED! Very painful and incomplete. I think I need a new gastroenterologist.

Well that SUCKED! Very painful and incomplete. I think I need a new gastroenterologist.

Why incomplete? Did they have to stop prematurely because it was too painful for you?

Why incomplete? Did they have to stop prematurely because it was too painful for you?

Yes. The doctor was going to have to push much harder and I was at my limit. I have to check with the insurance to see if I can change doctors midstream. Last doctor (now out of state for me) had trouble, but not nearly as much. This guy got as far as the hepatic flexture and had already found 3 polyps.

Has anyone done their colonoscopy prep through a HyGIeaCare Center? Apparently, some gastro doctors recommend this prep although it may not be covered by insurance yet. I looked it up and there are these HyGIeaCare Centers in some cities around the US. According to the information on the website, the patient does same day colon cleaning at the Center and without doing all those at home prep things that we usually have to do. Looks like the patient goes in a private room at the Center and there is a bathtub looking set-up where the patient reclines and inserts a tube into his rectum, gets cleaned out, and then goes to the gastro doc for the colonoscopy. Curious about whether this will catch on and how much it costs.

Regarding the HyGIeaCare Centers:

In their website, they show the Angel of Water open system colonic machine for the prep.

THAT MACHINE POSITIVELY SUCKS. IT IS HORRIBLE AND DOES NOT CLEAN YOU OUT ANYWHERE AS WELL AS A REGULAR COLONOSCOPY PREP.

I have had angel of water colonics a few times in my life when I tried out the open systems so I speak from experience. If you even attempt to use a colonic to cleanse the bowel, it MUST be a closed system and even that is not as good as a normal top to bottom regimen which means drinking the solutions.

DO NOT USE THIS METHOD.

I WOULD NOT TRUST A GASTRO WHO USED THIS.

Good news - and fast. The 3 polyps removed yesterday were all negative.

Anything shy of the top down method WILL be inadequate. The food in your small intestine will continue to enter the bowel. Also, there's zero chance of effective examination into the distal illium.

Jds4med, after my last scoping my gastro. TOLD me to take a 2+qt. tap water enema the morning before I come in, during my next one in 3 years. Perhaps because of my bowel resection, or radiation, I have a hard time getting cleaned out with the Dulcolax tabs and drinking all the PEG solution.

I'd rather drink a ton of Mag Citrate and take enemas 'til clear.

As old as this thread is, the OP is almost due for the actual procedure!

Jds4med, after my last scoping my gastro. TOLD me to take a 2+qt. tap water enema the morning before I come in, during my next one in 3 years. Perhaps because of my bowel resection, or radiation, I have a hard time getting cleaned out with the Dulcolax tabs and drinking all the PEG solution.

I'd rather drink a ton of Mag Citrate and take enemas 'til clear.

Nobody is saying that enemas can't be used in addition to top down, just not as a replacement.

I honestly don't get the enemas & lack of anesthesia for a colonoscopy, as someone who's had 4 colonoscopies already. I really don't get it. At all.

The anesthesia positively ruins the rest of your day. You can't drive there, you can't drive home and some people hate sedatives because they make you feel lousy.

The anesthesia positively ruins the rest of your day. You can't drive there, you can't drive home and some people hate sedatives because they make you feel lousy.

I can relate to the inconvenience of not being able to drive to and from on a technicality.

Perhaps part of what i can't relate to is that they don't make me feel lousy, and they certainly don't "ruin" the rest of my day. What ruins my day more is having to wait out a day or so before i can or should resume normal eating habits, and that has nothing to do with the anesthesia.

The anesthesia positively ruins the rest of your day.

I've had two colonoscopies now, both with anesthesia. Maybe I've just been lucky, but it doesn't seem to ruin the rest of my day. Sure, I'm groggy for the next hour or two, and I can't drive -- that's why my wife comes along. And I always book the earliest possible time in the morning so that it doesn't kill the rest of my day. For me, the prep day before the actual procedure is the horrible part. That day usually ends up being ruined. The day of the procedure itself is no big deal for me (so far).

Most of the answers to your questions will depend on the practices at the center where you have the procedure done. The preparation isn't pleasant, unless laxatives & their effects are part of your kinks. I found that following instructions that call for a low residue diet the day before the prep begins makes everything easier. Not nearly as much "stuff" to clear.

There are many opinions on sedation. My choice has been to go without both times that I have had the procedure, and I will do it that way again. You don't feel the camera as it probes your intestines. If we had nerves that would let us feel all the movement of food through our digestive tracts, we would go insane. There is, however, something between discomfort and pain from the pressure generated by the gas they use to inflate the colon. In my experience, it was minor, no worse than moderate intestinal cramping. The other place you feel some discomfort and irritation is the "point of entry". After all, about 5 feet of tubing with a camera on the end is worked in and out of you, sometimes backing out, changing angles etc. to help it complete its journey.

If this freaks you out, get the sedation. If you are tense or anxious, you will tune in to the pain, and everything will be more difficult. The doctor will have a harder time threading the camera through you if you can't relax your abdominal muscles. Reactions to sedation vary widely, but most people I know do fine. The day won't be productive, but there aren't any truly difficult side effects again, for most people.

Privacy has been good in my experience. You will need a driver for the trip home. Usually, a friend can be with you until you are taken back for the procedure itself, and again as soon as the sedation begins to clear. When you are sedated, you are watched by a medical professional at all times. Almost always, the sedation is at the "twilight" level. You can still follow instructions and respond to the doctor, but there won't be a normal level of awareness, and very few if any memories. You aren't totally "out".

While this forum can provide you with a lot of opinions and people's experiences, these are decisions to be made with your doctor, who knows you, at least somewhat, and who can assess how you will most likely respond to both the procedure and the sedation. I do know that most people do opt to be sedated, and it is just assumed that you will. You will need to opt out if that is what you want..

I found that following instructions that call for a low residue diet the day before the prep begins makes everything easier. Not nearly as much "stuff" to clear.

That's it. Start winding down a couple of days before. Eat less, lighter and softer foods. And because they want you to stay away from red/orange/purple, i wind up eating eggs, soft tofu, jello, and mashed potatoes. Though last go round was mainly eggs & 7 up.

You know the day's going to basically be a wash so you plan accordingly, and if you have to book like 3 months in advance like i do, that gives you plenty of time to make arrangements for a ride.

Twilight sedation? Here in East Tennessee most of the endoscopy centers use Propofol - no twilight, you just go away for about an hour - administered by a CRNA.

If you find twilight, that's Versed. In about 10% of people, there's permanent memory issues - I'm one of them. I list it as an allergy.

I can relate to the inconvenience of not being able to drive to and from on a technicality.

Perhaps part of what i can't relate to is that they don't make me feel lousy, and they certainly don't "ruin" the rest of my day. What ruins my day more is having to wait out a day or so before i can or should resume normal eating habits, and that has nothing to do with the anesthesia.

Then you're in the majority and lucky. What pisses me off about anesthesia (and it seems to be common) is when they don't tell you about the risks and then act as though it's no big issue if you have long-term effects because, well, you didn't die so it's not their problem, and why should your health and functionality outweigh their convenience?

Jds4med - propofol ain't always an hour, either.

Jds4med - propofol ain't always an hour, either.

In medicine, there's no ALWAYS except eventual death.

In medicine, there's no ALWAYS except eventual death.

Yes, but it would be nice if they'd mention the risks during the "informed" part of informed consent. I kind of feel sorry for the next anesthesiologist (or, I guess, whoever will be trying to convince me to do a sedated colonoscopy if that comes up first) because I'll go in with guns blazing. I've believed "trust me, I've done this a lot and know what I'm doing" for the LAST time.

Anesthesia or sedation for colonoscopy is used in large part for the efficiency of the endoscopy center. They can do more procedures on "compliant" patients.

I don't about quick, but during my last one without drugs I was in the exam room at 0600 hrs and in the parking lot at 0745. I thought that was quick.

Course

It's the doctor's time in the procedure room and its an average..

Anesthesia or sedation for colonoscopy is used in large part for the efficiency of the endoscopy center. They can do more procedures on "compliant" patients.

Yep, and I'm sure it was much more convenient for the surgeon as well. However, it was not discussed in my case (we discussed regional, no talk of sedation was brought up), and though it was convenient for the doctors they weren't the ones left holding the bag afterwards. There ain't no way in hell I'll let them do it again, especially for a stinking colonoscopy. I'll try to be nice and leave the venom out of the conversation, but I will not be moved. Fortunately I figure I've got at least 5 years before the colonoscopies become an issue, maybe even more depending on how much I blab and how much gravity they assign a first degree relative with frequent polyps, some precancerous. I ain't blabbing about it now, anyway.

I've got a colonoscopy coming up later this year. My last one was over 10 years ago and I was given the twilight drugs. I was an amnesiac for the rest of the day, unable to function for several hours after the procedure. I have an inkling of what suffering from Alzheimer's must feel like.

I'm going to decline if they will not do it without anesthesia. I might agree to something like valium but nothing stronger. I'm sure I can find another gastro if they won't agree to my requests.

Lots of information in this thread and I'm glad I found it in time.

Make a consultation appointment with your gastroenterologist and ask. I found out the hard way that you should find one that regularly does drug free colonoscopy, not one that will simply entertain the idea.

If you're not happy with the answers, find another doctor.

Hello Botox

In the UK you can have a colonoscopy without any sedation. It can be done without sedation , but you can have some pain relief . The most painful parts are when they are navigating around the bends in the colon, namely the splenic and hepatic flexures. Most women say it feels like bad menstrual cramps at those flexures .

When using Carbon dioxide to dilate the colon for safe passage of the scope , you can ask the endoscopist to remove the CO2 on the way out to help ease the discomfort. Also changing position can help , like lying on your back at times as well as applying pressure around the splenic and hepatic flexures as the scope passes.

Here in the UK we do give patients the choice , so its worth asking the endoscopist about the use of sedation and analgesia. There is no medical reason why you need to be sedated except patient comfort .

As you have mentioned the use of Midazolam or Versed this does produce an amnesic effect as well as a sensation of being "drunk". We advise patients not to drive , drink or take any sleeping meds , as well as using public transport for 24 hrs following its use .

I hate needles as well. Can I get by without the IV puncture? I'm generally a healthy guy and had a few gall bladder attacks before they found it and removed mine gall bladder in emergency surgery. If I can survive the attacks (like an enema cramp on steroids!) then I think I can handle this sans anesthesia.

Yes Botox you do not necessarily need to have the IV access , but the Endoscopist may insist in case any untoward incident occurs during the procedure . It is something you need to discuss. I had assisted with colonoscopies in which the patient has not had any IV access ( cannula), so it can be performed safely.