Colonoscopy and Sedation

The second is to be awake during the procedure. You have a mixture of gas and air, called Etonox. You just draw on this gas when the colonoscopy becomes uncomfortable. This is the way I have taken with the colonoscopies I've had.

Entonox sounds perfect for a colonoscopy--did you find it comfortable enough? I don't think that option is common in the US at this point, but I hope it catches on here too, since it does seem like the perfect way to avoid full sedation.

The doctor gave me a C- for prep as he had to use a bit of water to flush some fecal matter our of the far end.

I will definitely do my next one in about a year with out sedation. A local doctor offers using his colon therapist to do the prep, so I'll try that.

Enemas do not work well for the prep. They do not flush everything out from above like drinking a prep like Miralax. He was probably generous with his grade. While I did not find being sedated bad at all, I think you are a glutton for punishment to do it straight up without sedation. I guess whatever floats your boat. I'm drinking the prep and getting knocked out for mine.

While I did not find being sedated bad at all, I think you are a glutton for punishment to do it straight up without sedation. I guess whatever floats your boat. I'm drinking the prep and getting knocked out for mine.

Big point: "while I did not find being sedated bad at all."

I'm with you about prep and will do what the docs say and maybe more (no burning desire to repeat, and I doubt the experience will change that), but having had big issues with sedation I'd rather be uncomfortable for 15 minutes. It may not "float my boat" but it's better than being a space cadet for days and having to re-learn stuff.

Still kind of pulling for some amazing new development that moots the point to come out between now and when I would need to make the choice. Tricorder, anyone?

When I have mine when I turn 50, I will be totally sober, no drugs/sedation and I will be well cleaned out from top to bottom with an extra volume of whatever the best prep liquid is at the time and I plan to watch the entire procedure and have a conversation with the gastroenterologist every inch of the way as it happens.

A carefully performed colonoscopy does NOT take 15 minutes.

I figure it will be longer than 15 minutes, but that not all of that time will be uncomfortable (ideally little no no time). Drugs are not going to be happening, except maybe N2O2 if and only if I can't stand it. I will be looking around for someone who knows what they're doing, but it would be great if they invented the tricorder in the next 5-10 years 😃.

If I'm going through all the crap beforehand I should get a guided tour of my insides, right? Not the biggest factor, but I am curious by nature.

@Switchablesusie Damn, courageous! All I have to say is Go Susie! 😃

Entonox sounds perfect for a colonoscopy--did you find it comfortable enough?

What it did for me was to take the edge off the pain which can occur at times during the procedure.

Entonox is commonly used to ease pain here in hospitals and ambulances, where the use of opiates is not considered suitable.

Does anyone know what they do if a patient cannot have sedation?

Does anyone know what they do if a patient cannot have sedation?

General anesthesia.

Although sedation with pain meds is much kinder to your body so I don't know why they would do that.

You could always go with nothing as long as you actually permit the procedure to continue. You might have to suck up to pain and other sensations you don't like.

The key is to go in knowing what is going to happen and understanding that it may be uncomfortable in unusual ways but that the discomfort does not mean damage. Then you do focused relaxation and deep breathing.

Haven't done that for a colonoscopy but have for other things. Knowledge and relaxation go a long way. A buddy might help too.

General anesthesia.

Although sedation with pain meds is much kinder to your body so I don't know why they would do that.

You could always go with nothing as long as you actually permit the procedure to continue. You might have to suck up to pain and other sensations you don't like.

I've been told by an anesthesiologist that I cannot be safely sedated. I couldn't have it for a biopsy a few months ago and had general anesthesia instead.

Nothing is not an option for me. I'll take the GA.

I've been told by an anesthesiologist that I cannot be safely sedated.

May I ask why?

General anesthesia is harder on the body than sedation.

I have had 2 colonoscopies in my life and both were with full anesthesia... "Count backwards from 100..." bye bye. I wasn't asked what I preferred, though I suppose I might next time.

Dear Switchablesusie,

When you get yours done, try to have the Dr use warm water instead of air to inflate your colon--more comfortable and the water can be easily sucked out. Also have them go slowly especially getting to and through the sigmoid colon. My Dr said he would just try to get it over quickly but that traumatized my sigmoid so it was quite painful. I use a long colon tube sometimes for play and can get it in about 30 inches before hitting my transverse bend, which is painful and I've never tried to navigate it for fear of perforation. But I usually though not always get through the sigmoid with patience. Just plowing through is guaranteed to be painful. So that's another pre procedure discussion.

Someone commented that being cleaned with colonics is ineffective. There are several hospitals which use colonic therapy as a prep and have found it more effective that the usual liquid prep.

The relative performance of enemas/colonics vs. "prep" depends upon the diligence of the patient to do the prep.

A few years back I was given the GoLYTELY prep which I did only half way and did the rest with enemas. Doctor said the clean out was not too good. This year I did the Miralax Split dose and enemas in between and at the end. I was squeaky clean per doctors comments. The Miralax prep is not bad at all.

For a colonic only prep, I believe the hospital studies did the colonics just before the colonoscopy.

From a cost and staffing point of view and insurance companies wanting to do things least expensively, you won't find it being widely implemented.

You could find a therapist using a closed system and pay between $100-$200 for the clean out and get to the colonoscopy appointment right after.

Your doing this to prevent having colon cancer, or catching in the very early stages. You are doing this not to die. Why screw around? The Miralax protocol is very tolerable. You can always throw in enemas at the end or half way through. Don't add soap.

I have had four since 2011. The first two were a day apart due to complications from the first one. They both were done under sedation and I remember nothing. Third was the following year Same Doc I was sedated but woke up near the end It felt like I was getting run through with a sword!!! I think they were trying to get around a bend or something like that >> The doctor said you have to stay still. I said Fuck !!!! then was back to sleep. I got a new doc for the last one and am due this year for my next one. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain Having had many bouts with Kidney stones . I can't imagine not being sedated ?? just my opinion??

I have had five , four without sedation one with because I had throat done at same time and needed sedation to stop gagging .the prep is worse than the test , nothing to the test really informative in watching the procedure on the screen . Yes go without sedation and keep all that bad stuff out of your system . Just my take .

Efun - my read from what I hear is that many doctors aren't as gentle if the patients are "out". They're still safe, just not as gentle because they don't feel they have to be.

I had one colonoscopy a few years ago. About age 51. I asked about doing without any sedation at all and the doctor fully recommended it. As others have stated, the prep was the worst part. The procedure lasted about 10 minutes from the time he entered the scope until he removed it. I had one tiny polyp about the size of ball on a ball point pen.

There was minor discomfort from the pressure of the air but nothing unbearable.

I'll never get sedated for a colonoscopy.

I had my third colonoscopy this week. The first one about 10 years ago, (private) they gave me 4 sachets of bowel prep each one had to be mix with a litre of water and had to be drunk over a period of 4 hours. Bloody awful stuff a real struggle to get it all down. On the morning of the procedure I was give IV Midazolam, don't remember a thing until I woke up back in my room. The second colonoscopy 5 years ago, NHS Hospital, sadly the bowel prep was the bloody awful stuff again YUK!! Again I opted for sedation this time I was given Pethidine which they normally give you as a premed prior to general anaesthetic. It eases discomfort and relaxes you, known as conscious sedation, so fully aware of what goes on with the procedure but very little discomfort. It also gives you the opportunity to watch the monitors and see inside your squeaky clean colon. With any form of sedation you are unable to drive, so you are reliant on someone taking to the hospital and back. This weeks colonoscopy was a much better experience only 2 sachets of prep to take one in the evening and one the following morning. Have to say it was rather pleasant to take a sweet lemon flavour, far more palatable, plus you are not up half the night dashing to the loo, hoping you make it in time. This time I opted not to have any sedation of any kind, due to having major chest problems, I wasn't allowed Entanox which is a 50/50 mix of Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) and Oxygen. This is what the ladies are given for pain control during labour. As other have said its not a painful procedure but can get a little uncomfortable at times, usually when they are navigating round a bend in your colon. I would liken the discomfort to that of inserting a toy, dildo etc into your butt and the discomfort you can sometime get when you go in deeper than you usually do or with a slightly bigger diameter. Its the same crampy sensation, we all put up with that for the sake of anal pleasure. I have to return in five years as a precaution as they found a benign polyp the last two visits, plus my father died of bowel cancer. I certainly would have no hesitation having no sedation next time, as you can see what is happening, you can drive yourself home and you are not groggy or tired for the rest of the day. A little discomfort is a small price to pay preventing you developing bowel cancer or related disease.

I just had a colonscopy and endoscopy recently. i had iv sedation and was out. remember nothing. if i do it again will have the sedation again. no pain when awake. no pain when i came home. for me this is the way to go.

I had a colonoscopy 10 years ago (sedated) and am due for another this spring. I will be sedated. My wife had an endoscopy a few weeks ago - sedated - they held her for 30 minutes once she came out. Needed a couple 'normal' heart checks before discharge.

My biggest fear was that I would be farting in the car on the drive home!! Didn't happen.

I had an endoscopy more or less followed straightaway by a colonoscopy just 4 days ago. I was a little nervous about it, so I opted to have the intravenous 'relaxing' sedative (ie....I wasn't out cold at any point) administered beforehand. I also had the anaesthetic throat spray in order to suppress the gagging reflex.

Taking the laxative prep (Moviprep) beforehand was just an absolute necessity. It didn't taste too ghastly (speaking as someone who endured treacle & brimstone / cod liver oil / syrup of figs + another awful preparation - the name of which I forget, as a child). It did indeed result in quite a few visits to the toilet!!.

I was calmer than I expected (partly due to the sedative I know). It helped that I had been talking to a friend beforehand ( who had been through both procedures). "Just remember," he said, "it doesn't affect your breathing at all." Very sound advice. I did not gag. Part 1 was over in 5 minutes.

The colonoscopy wasn't too bad. I did experience some discomfort (even with sedation) when the device encountered some of the inevitable bends in the alimentary canal. I was allowed to self - administer entanox, but not really shown how to use it properly....but I survived. (Kinky? I quite enjoyed the sensation of the scope entering and exiting my anus. I wasn't aware of being lubed up beforehand). I had been given a gown with the lower ties missing. The nurses who admitted me for the pre - procedure checks and prep were most apologetic about it and slightly flustered (worried about my modesty). I told them it wasn't a problem. There were probably several people who could see my backside during the colonoscopy (c.15 - 20 mins). To be honest, I did not care at all.

Post recovery (just for the sedation to wear off) was fine. I was hooked up to a small machine (for 30 mins) which measured pulse rate / oxygen saturation / blood pressure. I felt fine and I was allowed to have tea and toast (very welcome after not being allowed to eat for 30 hours beforehand!!). After 30 mins my cannula was removed and I was allowed to get dressed and then my wife drove me home. No after effects of any kind.

My advice? Get it done. Mine was set up by my Doctor following a routine blood test, which revealed that I was dangerously anaemic. This is the scary part. It turns out I may have colon cancer (despite my screening test coming back clear only 5 months ago). Even scarier, I had no symptoms. Who knows...This colonoscopy may have saved my life. So, if you are due to have one. Go right ahead. Don't put it off. The procedure itself is OK. If I can take it, anyone can. Whatever you do, don't die of embarrassment.

Ave had several colonoscopies and was sedated for all - nothing unpleasant and no after effects. Will definitely do sedation again!

Had a colonoscopy 6 months ago without sedation. No discomfort at all. My gastroenterologist was great. She was very gentle. Had one polyp removed, she said to return in 5 years. It was no big deal.

I had 2 colonoscopies. For both I had light sedation, but they gave me versaid, so I don’t remember a thing. For the second one, I tried to get Dr to not use the versaid, but the only way he would not use versaid was if I was totally unconscious.

These scopes started as fiberscopes then transitioned to video as ccds became small enough ,the first scopes you had to look thru the eye piece then cam camera adapters to view on a tv screen none of these scopes were ever intended to be used with sedation doctors in a hurry and the hospitals came up with the hole sedation sceme to generate extra services they could bill it is not nessary and should almost never be used . period! it is not a painful procudure if you know what your doing and can drive an RC car(older docs and many offshored docs fail miserbly at driving anything remote control think about that before you go under the Davinche robot you really want a 14 year old rc wiz controling it! we have designed scopes with 0 percent punture ability and amazing super hd cameras with 65 inch OLED moniters the scopes in use today are a good 10 years behind current technology and can easily cause punture....... primative is an under statement.... welcome to the med tech world! i

I had my first colonoscopy last year.

It was an easy piece.

I'd rather have a dozen colonoscopies than one gastroscopy!

The most unpleasant was the emptying the bowel. Second thing was two or three one second lasting sharp pains and all done.

Blowing air in the bowel was disturbing but not painful.

I got one diazepam beforehand and I'm not sure was it any help.

First, get the colonoscopy. My first one ever found rectal cancer (which I'm currently dealing with). Had I waited until symptoms developed it would have almost certainly been too late.

Compared to chemo/radiation/surgery, the prep really is nothing.

I went the full knock me out route... highly recommend it.

I have to go in for a colonoscopy this coming Friday which would be April 12th. They are going in through my stoma. I am getting knocked out for it.

Mashie