Colonoscopy Prep, Experiences and Tips

I was given a choice of what to take and at the suggestion of the nurse, I took Mirilax. It is mixed with any flavor of Gatorade except red. Within a few hours the Gatorade was coming out the same color as it was when I drank it.

I went to sleep as the procedure was started and woke up about an hour later. I had no pain or discomfort before during or after the event.

It was the biggest thing I ever had up my butt and I missed it all since I was sleeping. 😃

Versed - sort of like a legal "date rape drug". If you like being anally invaded, being conscious about the discomfort/pain but can't do anything about it, so be it. Me I prefer to be awake so that my feedback means the doctor has to slow down if I become too uncomfortable. Others prefer to be totally out. To each his own.

I do find it interesting in this forum, how many insist on sedation (whether it's conscious or totally out of it); yet, they admit that they enjoy the cramping of a good enema. Is is fear of moaning during the procedure? If you are consciously sedated, you may just tell the whole room how much you like it up the butt while you are in chatty mood. The good news is you won't remember it.

When the time comes and I an going to have to have a colonoscopy, I would prefer not to be sedated, as I would like to experience the feelings of it. I am very much into enemas and into the pain and cramps that an enema can cause. Also as basic submissive, would like to have to endure what ever comes with it. Don't know how to tell a doctor about this though.........

I don't think I would tell the doctor you like being violated, that does go on your record. I think moaning in pleasure may be pushing it a bit. Screaming out "oh, baby please hurt me" could also be considered a little over the top.

The whole procedure is painless. The worst part is the preparation that you must do the previous night. They took out the best part, which was the enemas. Drinking the yuk that they give you to help cleanse your colon is not fun but doable. I had my first one at 64. Because I had no problems I told the Dr. I would come back for another one in 64 more years....Jimbeaux

No; because they don't thoroughly clean you out.

There is a remote possibility if you start by over doing it early with stimulant laxatives and a 2 day liquid diet. Look up the Fleet Prep #2 Instructions on the internet for another alternate; since the fleet #2 ends with enemas on the day of the procedure. Personally, I would recommend against it.

On the other hand, the Fleet Phospho Soda isn't too bad if you mix it in a Margarita mix (having tried it both ways I would leave out the booze). Chug it and then drink lots of liquid. It has similar effects to a really thorough enema session. Good Luck

So you say they keep a record of what is said during the procedure? If I were to inquire about what was said they would have to tell me right??

The golytely, phospho soda and magnesium citrate laxatives / colon cleansers / cathartics do a much better job of cleaning out the entire digestive tract than enemas. You have to clean it out from top to bottom, not bottom to top.

We're adults here, just suck it up and drink the stuff! 😁 😁 😁 You can also take an enema or two the morning of your procedure, just don't irritate the colon, you don't want a false diagnosis made because you injured yourself.

So you say they keep a record of what is said during the procedure? If I were to inquire about what was said they would have to tell me right??

Not likely. There is a site dedicated to nurses and in one group they were discussing some thing patients said under twilight. One woman apparently was graphically (and pornographically) instructing her doctor what she would like him do with her body. They were all hoping the amnesia worked for her.

My Gastro-enterologist explained that he prescribed Go-Lytely because:

1. It kept the body's electrolyte balance in check.

2. It seemed to work most consistently for his patients, and the diet restrictions of "clear foods" like Jello and broth didn't have to begin until noon the day before the Colonoscopy.

The name "Go-Lytely" is because of its electrolyte balancing property. If it had to adhere to the truth in labelling laws it would no doubt be called Craptastic or SphincterBlast.

Rebbecca, regarding drinking the prep, to make it work easier on you I would highly suggest an enema the day you start your clear liquid diet, as the moves the process along at a much better rate. When I had mine done, I was a little plugged up and thought the Phospha-Soda will just blow right thru it. Not the case. I struggled all day getting things to move along, and regret not doing a pre-prep enema. I actually created a hemorrhoid trying make things happen. Next time, I will do an enema before I have to drink the stuff and will be a much easier experience.

As for the enema the morning of the exam, do you do this at home or at clinic when you arrive? Every doctor has different protocols and sounds like your doctor has had a bad experience with patients not properly prepped. I would love to go to your clinic for my next time. Enjoy it!

As I said before, you need a top-down cleaning because there is also material left in the SMALL intestine (chyme) that continually comes down into the colon that needs to be cleaned out or minimized, and enemas or colonics or liquis diets alone won't take care of that.

My gastroenterologist was quite thorough in establishing my medical history before prescribing a bowel prep. I learned that a Phoso-Soda prep was the most commonly prescribed by her. She also said that she had fewer patient complaints than with other options. In my case, she prescribed Golytely because I had some history of kidney stones and hemachuria.

The Golytely prep was horrible and caused extreme nausea for me. I couldn't reach the Dr. I got online because it was a Sunday prep with a Monday appt. I found information on one site that clearly stated that, if nausea persisted, to discontinue use and obtain an enema bag to take several 1qt. tap water enemas until the returns were clear. I did this.

I reported the situation when I arrived for the appt. There seemed to be some concern about the prep but the colonoscopy was completed and a couple of polyps removed. The prep was said to have been adequate. Perhaps I got enough Golytely down to start the top down flush.

I need to get scoped again. I specifically inquired about an alternative prep and was told that the Phospho-Soda prep would suffice. When I asked about just taking multiple enemas, the assistant said they just don't recommend that anymore.

Well, today being the first day of clear diet. I am starving hungry, all I have had is some jelly and water. Have to start the prep drink tomorrow morning, ready for first thing Monday.

I took zippy's advice and had a salt water enema. I have to take two tablets tonight before I go to bed, so I wonder how long it will take for me to be best friends with the toilet. Hopefully I will get some sleep before it starts.

You have got to be kidding me. Two days of clear is extremely old school (like 1980's). A light diet is generally prescribed two days prior and them clear liquid diet is the day before. You are torturing yourself.

As for what constitutes clear, it is anything you can see through just nothing with pulp or that has red dye in it (red, orange or purple). You can have bullion, jell-o, soft drinks, clear fruit juice and do consume sports drinks like gatorade to replenish the electolytes.

A word of caution about doing the enemas while taking the bowel prep is that I found the 3 1/2 qt enema also cleared out the Phospho Soda and as a result the cleansing was not as thorough in the area of the ascending colon because the on effect was gone. Save the enemas until the morning of the colonoscopy. Of course doing clear for two days isn't going to leave much in you; but, it will make you miserable.

Although I am just 33, I know some day I will need this procedure done. I would like to hear the experiences of those who have experienced it. My concerns are:

Will it hurt? Will I be sore for long afterward? Will I need a large volume enema there before the procedure? Will I be embarrassed due to lack of privacy? Can I bring a female friend for moral support? I will appreciate you kind answers.

Vicki

Vicki,

Some things to share:

1) Katie Couric had it done on national TV, was conscious,and asked the doctor to keep doing it! In short, she thought it was ok and a hoot to boot. 😃

2) You have a right to be conscious if you choose you have a right to be aware of everything that is being done to your body, don't let them sedate you if you don't want to be ... period.

3) You have the right to have a physician who will respect your wishes and needs.

4) The discomfort, if any, is about equivalent to a large volume enema with an over sized colon tube.

5) There is precedent for having someone there that you know and are comforted by, it varies according to practitioners and organizations, start researching now, get all of the background info you need.

6) Some people (I am one of them), both genders, alike, experience sexual arousal during the procedure because they are somewhat more anal erotic than others. This is not to be feared, just enjoyed as a neat perk of the procedure. The practitioners are professionals and will not take exception to it, just a very important additional reason to remain conscious so "you" know what is what.

I hope you have found something useful in my ramblings.

G.N. 😃

Vicki,

Some things to share:

. . . . .

2) You have a right to be conscious if you choose you have a right to be aware of everything that is being done to your body, don't let them sedate you if you don't want to be, ...period.

3) you have the right to have a physician who will respect your wishes and needs.

. . . . .

About #2: you have a right to remain conscious if you want to, but the physician has the same right NOT to treat you for various reasons, such as (a) they just don't do it that way, and (b) they may not feel you are a good candidate for being conscious during the procedure. They have very high malpractice insurance rates, and if they feel your not being in the sedated state they prefer for their patients during the procedure will affect the morbidity and mortality of the procedure, they may have you seek another practitioner.

About #3: again, they have the same right not to treat you.

I'm not saying I wouldn't prefer to be awake myself, because I would find it fascinating to watch, but ultimately the physician will decide if he wants to deal with you as a conscious patient during the procedure.

About #2: you have a right to remain conscious if you want to, but the physician has the same right NOT to treat you for various reasons, such as (a) they just don't do it that way, and (b) they may not feel you are a good candidate for being conscious during the procedure. They have very high malpractice insurance rates, and if they feel your not being in the sedated state they prefer for their patients during the procedure will affect the morbidity and mortality of the procedure, they may have you seek another practitioner.

About #3: again, they have the same right not to treat you.

I'm not saying I wouldn't prefer to be awake myself, because I would find it fascinating to watch, but ultimately the physician will decide if he wants to deal with you as a conscious patient during the procedure.

Switchablesusie - You are too used to following directions. I had one surgeon while checking me after another surgery, tell me he wouldn't do a colonoscopy on me if I wasn't sedated. I told him that I agreed with him on several points. He thought he had won until I added "You won't do a colonoscopy on me because I already have someone who is more qualified, who is a Board Certified Gastroenterologist with lots of experience in Colonoscopies, willing to let me not be sedated and best of all she's a hell of a lot more attractive than you." His response was "I can't top that." That was 8 years ago.

I select my physician. I am the customer. I may not be always right but I am always a consumer. They need us.

You have the right to be treated the way you want, even as you say you might not always be right, and they have the right not to treat you if it goes against their way of thinking or best judgement.

I told the doctor I preferred to be awake, though sedated, for my procedure. I remember feeling a little discomfort and then the next thing I knew, I was in recovery. Probably better that way, for me at least. Next one is five years away.

I had a colonoscopy about a year ago. You start by taking 30 pills at 7pm. Six at a time with a qt. of water every 45 mins. until they are gone to clean you out. Stay close to the toilet because you NEVER had diarrhea like that! No food or water after midnight. The diarrhea stopped about 2AM so I must have been empty. The next morning I went to the doc's office, it was done there.

They hook you up to an IV and get you on the table laying on your side. They put you out and you wake up about 45 minutes later feeling very gassy. That's because they fill you full of air to open up your colon so the camera can see what's going on in there. I went to the washroom and thought I was going to pass gas for the rest of my life. They don't let you drive so my wife drove me home and I just laid around most of the day because I was still pretty groggy.

My regular doctor sent me for it because I'm in my 60s and never had one. I was lucky, no problems, only one benign polyp that was removed. I even got copies of several pictures they took. I called them "my portraits" and hung them on the refrigerator until my wife took them down because they were grossing out the grand kids. 😃 I think the whole thing cost about $2,000 with the pills, anesthesia and doctor. Insurance paid most of it, see my post in "Colonoscopy in Toronto". It explains the whole procedure as I experienced it.

Had one done two years ago. The worst part was the night before, getting ready for it. They now give you drugs that make so high, that a bus could go through you colon and you would joke about it! 😁

In case you haven't heard about it, a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut is using in-hospital colonic irrigations for colonoscopy preps, and advertising that you don't have to go through the usual unpleasant preparation.

As for using just enemas for a colonoscopy prep, as Susie pointed out, there is material in the small intestine that keeps moving down the pipe, so even if you wash out the colon, there's more fecal material moving in from above.

And of course, not everyone is enlightened and understands the joys of enemas, and these people would struggle with doing a single enema, much less a thorough cleanout.

Remember, most pre-procedure instructions are meant for the medically illiterate, and when it comes to enemas, we are the elite!

As far as sedation is concerned, my gastroenterologist had no trouble with me being unsedated, and we talked all through the procedure. No discomfort, but no sexual arousal either. A colonoscopy room with a couple of helpers is not a very sexually exciting place.

At one time I believe that an IV injection of Glucogen (Susie, is that the right med and spelling?) was given to relax the bowel for a barium enema, to allow it to flow back against the peristalsis, but that was for a BE, not a colonoscopy, where the 'scope tube can be pushed where it has to go.

For the last colonoscopy I went through, I had asked my doctor beforehand about doing the 'prep' with enemas as opposed to that stuff you have to drink, where you wind up sleeping on the toilet all night, and he advised against it.

He indicated that the enema prep would tend to irritate the lining of the intestine, which he needed to look at.

Personally, I can't see where any of the medications ordered for a clean-out would cause any less irritation than say a clear water enema.

But I would suggest that you talk to the doctor that will be doing the procedure first and see if he will okay enemas as a prep.

You certainly don't want to have a doctor see something that might be questionable, or to go through that procedure twice!

I dont know if I could get clean enough with just enemas. Even after 5 Im still discharging some brown colored water.

dbl

Does anyone else enjoy colonoscopies? It has been a while since my last one, but the memory is still vivid.

Unfortunately, the preparation is difficult; having to drink a gallon of that liquid and sitting on the pot while it runs out is not all that pleasant as it burns my anus after a while.

The morning of the exam, as instructed, I took the Fleets enema and expelled some dirty stuff; and since I wanted to be clean inside for the exam, I gave myself a 2 quart enema. It felt good.

At the doctor's office, I was disappointed to hear the nurse say that I could leave my t-shirt and socks on because I had dreamed about being naked. I used the bathroom to expel the last of the enema and put on the gown I was given.

In the exam room, I was told to lie on my left side on the table. The nurse stuck a needle in the back of my hand to administer drugs. I told her that pain medication would be ok, but I didn't want the amnesia drug that makes you forget what happens during the exam.

It is interesting to note that I was getting erections while thinking about the colonoscopy weeks beforehand, and getting them while I was getting the 2 quart enema. My penis may have gotten a little thicker while I was undressing in the office, but otherwise it was limp the whole time.

So now I am lying on the table waiting for the doctor. The gown covers my genitals so the nurse can's see them which is not exactly what I would have preferred. I am glad I kept my shirt and socks on because it was cold. I look around and find the TV monitor that shows what the camera sees.

The doctor finally arrives with a little small talk and I hear him preparing. It feels good when he inserts his lubricated finger in my anus. I relax it so he can get in easily.

The doctor then inserts the endoscope tube in my anus. It was great to feel it slipping inside me. The doctor is moving it around a little as he pushes it in and that feels better. I look at the TV and see the inside of my colon while the doctor is putting more of the tube in me.

I have some cramping pains that are a little difficult, but they dissipate. It isn't much worse than the pains I get with enemas. I wouldn't have remembered them with the amnesia drug which is why most people take it. Since my wife is disgusted with any anal activity, she is always going to choose amnesia.

It is really interesting for me to see the inside of my colon. I watch the TV monitor and see bits and flakes of feces and wonder how, with all the preparation, I could still have them.

The doctor pushes the tube in until it gets to my cecum, the end of the large intestine. There is a polyp on the TV monitor. It is shiny and smooth, a sign of a benign polyp; and they are not cancerous - hooray! The doctor takes a biopsy of the polyp then puts a wire loop around it and cuts it off.

I am still enjoying the feeling of the tube moving around in my anus. The doctor slowly pulls it out. All too soon, the exam is over and I go to get dressed. Later lab tests confirm that the polyp was benign. I wish I could have a recording of my colonoscopy, but I'm sure legal and other reasons make it impossible.

Unfortunately, I have heard that the doctor has hired an anesthesiologist and now requires the amnesia drug before he will do a colonoscopy; so for my next one, I may have to find a new doctor.

The preparation is not so pleasant. You cannot avoid the sitting on a toilet bowl for long hours, but it is possible to flavour the laxative with any fruit juice (to my experience blackcurrant is the best).

I had that exam last month and the doctor was lovely. She explained me all visibilities in the monitor in details and answered all my questions with a will.

BTW I looked forward I would be examined having my genitalia exposed, too. But the nurse directed me to a cabin, where I had to put on paper shorts with a hole on their back :-(

Having had three or four of them, I find nothing pleasurable about the prep or the exam, though I did watch the monitor for the first couple

I had my first colonoscopy Monday. I started the prep regime precisely at 2 pm Sunday. 1.5 ounces of phoso-salt in 8 oz of ginger ale. Not as bad as I was told it would be. I do not mind really salty stuff and that is all it really was. 10 min. later, 8 oz water. 4 pm. 2 doculax tabs. more water. a lot more water. 6 pm. another 1.5 ounces of phoso-salt. and drinking plenty of water and tea and broth. This is the interesting part: the first explosion was at 3:15pm. It was like someone had given me one of those 3 quart enemas you only read about.

Then, for the rest of the night, up to midnight, unbelievably, I hit the toilet maybe 5 times. Each time of course was a major thing. But only about 5 times. So no horror stories of running; nothing "wiped raw", as I've heard. No biggy. Except I was worried that maybe the cleanout wasn't working! So my wife gave me an enema (three 8 oz bulbs full) at midnight. Went to sleep 1:30am. Woke up 6am running. Another explosion. This concerned me because certainly by now it should be out and clear, no? Then a Fleet bottle at 8am (of course, I had to get the Fleet Extra, 70% more water in the bottle).

At least my wife volunteered to help again. It as the bright spot of my morning. I couldn't believe how much it actually burned. So at least it was tolerable (but not enjoyable under the circumstances). So, not really that bad. The thing that really grosses me out is that, Curious George here had to read the ingredients on the phoso-salt liquid that you put in soda and drink, and the Fleet. Guess what: same exact ingredients! Grossed me out.

Then off to the hospital. I had a moment of panic when the nurse who connected my IV and did the preliminaries asked me if the (I love this) "returns" were clear. Now, I knew, if I had told her no, what was going to happen. Now, if she was young and NOT blond (just kidding girls!), I probably would have told her the truth, hoping for the thrill of my life. But she was not; in fact, very matronly. I lied and told her yes, the returns were clear.

The procedure was nothing. I actually was made to walk into the operating room (holding my IV bag no less; at least they had me put on two gowns, the first one open in the back, and the second one like a robe, open in the front) and of course the scope was laying there, ready for the invasion. And of course, it looked the size of a vacuum cleaner hose (as you know, it is only about 1/2" dia or so). The Dr was real nice - albeit obesely overweight but he was pleasant, answered questions, and seemed to know what he's doing. I told him to please look for my brains when he's up there.

So they make me turn over, don't even uncover my privates, and I'm in la-la land. I think my last thought was, the next time I have this, I'm gonna find a female doctor. I really thought I was going to feel that first, digital probe, but nothing. I'm a bit disappointed! I THINK I saw stuff on the monitor (or maybe I was dreaming about the countless videos I looked up on the internet over the past three weeks, anticipating the worst experience of my life), but I am not sure. The one nurse asked what I did for a living and I was out.

Next thing I knew I was staring at this pretty nurse in the recovery room telling her that she had a beautiful ring (it looked to be, like 18 carats of diamond, but, it was probably the drugs). So the doctor comes in and tells me everything looked ok, I had a few polyps he removed and sent to the lab, but he's not concerned, and I have some diverticulosis, which is little sacs along the colon, but not serious. So that was it. And oh yes, at 7:30 that night I was still farting.