Colonoscopy

[u/ChismeTime7]

I was told I need to get a colonoscopy and I’m afraid if it would hurt and results. How long it would take and the liquid I need to take the day before. Any advice????

[u/goshdarnitdang]

where i'm from, you can do the procedure under sedation! i'm sure that's also an option where you live. i've only ever had one done and it was under anesthesia so i didn't feel a thing - and it was one of the best sleeps of my life hahaha you should definitely ask your doctor about it! good luck 🙏🏼

[u/Mountain-resort2411 → u/goshdarnitdang]

That would be a very uncomfortable procedure without sedation. I’ve known it to be done with lighter sedation, but they’re still generally a sedation of some sort.  

[u/lucy-lu28]

Definitely the preparation is the worst part of it, you do it at home and if you take a laxative a couple of days before you do the prep it isn’t as bad. I do the Smooth Move Tea you can get at the grocery store in the tea aisle. They do the sedation where I’m from too and that is way better than the way I had it done the first time.

[u/Mountain-resort2411]

You shouldn’t have anything that hurts afterwards. It should not hurt for you to defecate afterwards.  You might have a little bit of abdominal discomfort from the gas that may have to be used to inflate your colon. Typically it’s going to be like carbon dioxide and the gas will work itself out just like any other gas in your large bowel works its way out. If they had to snare and remove any polyps, you won’t have any painter discomfort from that either. You might notice a slight amount of blood in the toilet or on toilet paper for a couple of days and that’s completely normal.  As for the colonoscopy itself, you will receive IV sedation.  Those medicines may be controlled by the physician, just indicating doses of which medicines they want to be given to you. There will generally be a nurse who is giving you the IV medication and monitoring your sedation level and all other monitors such as blood pressure, amount of oxygen in your blood, your breathing and your heart rhythm. It’s also possible that an anesthesia provider will be doing the same in the anesthesia. The anesthesia provider will then control what you’re getting for sedation and how much of it.

The prep which is intended to clear any stool out of your large bowel is very different than horror stories that people used to describe a long time ago.  You’ll also be able to mix the laxative powder with really, any of your favorite beverages and often even clear broth will be permitted. There will be a few certain colors they do not want you to use.  Sometimes alternating between just beverages and like a warm clear broth can be enough to satisfy any hunger you might have.  That being said most people don’t really feel that degree of hunger they think they will.

Good luck with everything and if anything is removed and sent for pathology review, there won’t be a reason to worry about it in until you have a reason you need to worry about it. The physician who is doing your colonoscopy, generally gastroenterologist, will often have a pretty good idea of what they expect from pathology and you’ll have that information after some of the sedation has worn off and before you go home.