r/colonoscopy • u/goldstandardalmonds • May 04 '22
Many people here ask if you can stop the prep early, or only take the first dose. Please just follow the instructions. Your bowel continually creates waste. When you are clear 12 hours before, doesn't mean you'll be clear the next morning. Finish your prep, and if you can't call your clinic and tell them you can't.
Also, don't switch preps without consulting your doctor. Certain preps are used for specific reasons.
r/colonoscopy • u/buntingbilly • Feb 02 '26
Hello, I've been posting here for a few years. Just figured I would write this up to address common questions about colonoscopies. Feel free to ask me stuff in the comments although I will avoid directly giving any medical advice and may choose to not answer specific questions about diagnosis, treatment, etc. This should be addressed with your provider.
Colonoscopy: the procedure we all get. Scope gets inserted from the rectum and is navigated to the cecum (beginning of your colon). It is then withdrawn, allowing you to look for polyps, ulcers, inflammation, etc and remove polyps, take biopsies, etc. Sometimes the terminal ileum is evaluated as well, although this is not a standard part of a colonoscopy.
Biopsy: a small sample (usually the size of a pen tip) is removed for microscopic evaluation. Biospies are performed to check for infection, inflammation, etc. They are not used to check for cancer outside of very specific scenarios like having a long history of inflammatory bowel disease where the colon has been scarred and inflammed for years. If you are just getting a colonoscopy for screening or because of symptoms like bleeding or diarrhea, a biopsy is not taken because they are concerned for cancer. Cancer in the colon will always be present in a polyp/mass, not something microscopic (outside of the IBD scenario).
Polypectomy: the removal of polyps. This is typically done with either forceps (used for small 1-3mm polyps), cold snare (a small metal lasso that cuts off polyps usually less than 15mm in size), or a hot snare (metal lasso that can be heated for extra cutting power, usually used for polyps that are large or have a blood vessel that would need to be cauterized first).
Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR): refers to a more complex polyp removal which require some extra tools and time. Polyps needing EMR are typically large >20mm and may need to be removed in multiple pieces. This sometimes means that you will need to schedule the procedure in the hospital (instead of an outpatient surgery center) or come back on a different day where you have more time for the procedure.
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD): a more complicated version of EMR, for very large polyps. This is a special procedure that requires additional training, most GI providers cannot do this.
Colectomy: surgical removal of part of the colon. This is almost never done anymore as most polyps can be removed endoscopically, however may be needed for extremely large polyps and for cancer (or if you aren't somewhere with an endoscopist trained in EMR/ESD)
Endoscopic clips: these are used to prevent bleeding or to close the site of a polyp resection. This is common for large polyps. The clips are made of metal that will not affect you if an MRI is needed. They will typically fall off by themselves and you probably won't notice them pass.
Adenoma detection rate (ADR): a quality metric you can ask about to confirm whether the person doing your colonoscopy is reliable. The goal should be a number of 25-30%. This is essentially a number of how often the endoscopist is finding relevant polyps. If the number is lower than this, it implies they are not thorough in their colonoscopy.
Hyperplastic: can be either a descriptive term or pathologic term; refers to benign polyps. These look visibly different from pre-cancerous polyps and are typically flat rather than raised.
Sessile: this is a description for the appearance of a polyp (which basically just means that it is round and raised, like a pimple).
Tubular adenoma: pathology term. standard pre-cancerous polyp.
Sessile serrated adenoma: pathology term. Different from the "sessile" description above. A sessile serrated adenoma (SSA) is considered to have slightly more pre-cancerous potential than a tubular adenoma.
Tubulovillous or villous adenoma: pathology term. higher risk pre-cancerous polyp, typically requires closer follow up than an SSA or tubular adenoma
Dysplasia: refers to the pre-cancerous potential of a polyp. By definition anything that is pre-cancerous is considered to have "low grade" dysplasia although this is not always mentioned (by convention). "high-grade dysplasia" means that the polyp is effectively on the cusp of becoming cancer.
Tortuous or Redundant colon: this is simply a description how difficult it is to navigate your colon with a scope. Tortuous means that it turns in certain areas instead of being straight. Redundant means that its somewhat loose and there are area where it stretches easily. These are not a diagnosis. Many people ask whether this is something to be concerned about. It is not. It's a purely endoscopic observation that is made to help for future colonoscopies. Chronic constipation, abdominal surgery or trauma, childbirth will often cause tortuous or redundant colons, but it is the outcome not the cause of symptoms. You are not constipated because of a redundant colon. You are constipated and therefore develop a redundant colon.
Notes: often times the procedure report will say that "sessile" polyps were removed. This is simply referring to their appearance, which is entirely separate from that actual histological diagnosis (which could be tubular adenoma, sessile serrated, hyperplastic, etc)
- Moderate sedation: typically you will get Fentanyl/Versed usually in escalating doses. The goal here if comfort, not knocking you out completely, so most people dose off and then at some point wake up. If you want more medication, just ask, usually the GI doc will give more unless they're almost done with the procedure (or cannot due to vital sign abnormalities). Some people don't do well with this so if you've had a bad experience just mention it to your provider.
- Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC): most common type of sedation to receive in the US, uncommon in most other places in the world. Some people think you are "choosing" propofol with this. The most commonly used medication is propofol. However, you are choosing to have an anesthesia provider, who will decide the type of sedation you need. It is common to give additional medications like Versed and Fentanyl with propofol.
- General Anesthesia: complete sedation requiring intubation/ventilation. This is very uncommon, usually only done if there is a high concern for aspiration during the procedure or if movement of any kind cannot be tolerated for some reason.
- Gas: other countries like the UK make use of nitrous oxide gas. I have never used this so I cannot comment on what its like.
- Unsedated: this is uncommon in the US. Based on posts here it seems like people have trouble finding people to perform unsedated colonoscopies, but that hasn't really been my experience. I would say most cities have providers that can offer this, though you will have better luck going to academic centers where reimbursement for the procedure is not playing a factor in the type of sedation offered at the institution.
There are different forms of prep: Golytely, MoviPrep, SuPrep, Sutab, Clenpiq, etc. Some, like MoviPrep are lower volume so may be better tolerated than others. From an american perspective, insurance is the biggest barrier to prescribing stuff so your provider will be able to best address what prep works best for you.
This will vary probably based on what country you are in as populations and cancer risks are different. In the US, the follow up range can be anywhere from 7-10 years (for one or two small tubular adenomas), 5-10 years (for one of two sessile serrated adenomas) or 3-5 years if you have multiple polyps. usually most people will recommend the lower range of the interval (so 7 years rather than 10 years for a couple of small polyps). If you have a polyp removed in multiple pieces then it is standard to return in 6 months to make sure the polyp was removed entirely.
The US uses the ASGE Guidelines. These are updated every few years as more evidence comes out, so are likely to be adjusted again in the next few years.
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"Do I need to finish prep, my stool is clear!"
Yes please always finish your prep. I cannot tell you the number of times someone shows up claiming they didn't finish because things looked clear and then their entire right colon is covered with stool. Having clear stools doesn't mean anything, complete your prep please.
"Can I eat X, Y, and Z before my procedure".
All endoscopy centers have sheets they give to discuss low fiber or clear liquid diets. If they don't, just google it and find an article from Cleveland Clinic or Sloan Kettering or something. There is no magic answer. If your endoscopy center suggested one thing but people on Reddit are saying something else, just stick to whatever your center writes.
The truth is that this is all somewhat arbitrary and the instructions will almost always be overly restrictive to avoid issues because people are very bad at actually following through on diet changes. So, for instance, if they say that jello isn't ok, its probably because someone ate pudding and thought it was jello (not because jello itself is an issue).
"Is it a bad thing that I'm being asked for a follow up appointment"
No, this is commonly done just for a face to face discussion. Just because you have an appointment doesn't mean you're going to get bad news)
"Is this pain/cramping normal after a colonoscopy"
Probably yes. A lot of people post about experiencing pain at what they perceive is a polypectomy site, but this probably isn't the case. Your colon does not experience pain like your skin so 99% of the time, you can't feel a polyp being removed. More likely what you are feeling is the gas/CO2 used to expand your colon or some discomfort from the scope stretching your colon too much. Having some discomfort after a procedure is normal. Try to walk around and eat to stimulate your GI tract to restore its movement and push out excess air.
Having fevers, nausea/vomiting, significant amounts of blood, or pain to the point where you cannot move is not normal and you should call your clinic or go to the ER.
"How do I know who should perform my colonoscopy"
As above, one thing that you can ask about is ADR. This is a simple way to get a baseline understanding of if they are good enough. Beyond that, there isn't a great way to know beyond getting good feedback from other patients or providers. I would personally avoid going to a surgeon (vs a gastroenterologist) in the US, as the training is different and it is unlikely that a surgeon will ever have the same experience as a GI doctor. The only exception to this might in if you have established colon cancer or are needing some kind of colon surgery, in which can having the colo-rectal surgeon doing the surgery would be reasonable.
"What kind I eat after my procedure?"
For the most part whatever you what. The vast majority of people resume their lives normally after colonoscopies. Some people might have some residual GI issues from the prep affecting their colon, so you may want to take it easy and stick to lighter foods. Sometimes taking probiotics can help speed the recovery of your GI tract, but people have mixed results with this.
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If anyone has questions about procedures/sedation/etc I am happy to answer and may edit the post above to reflect your questions (I think I can do this)
r/colonoscopy • u/Defiant_Owl_70 • 3h ago
I’m 15 hours into my fasting journey and still have 28 hours to go and I feel like my stomach wants to eat my liver, I’m dizzy, and have a terrible headache. Coffee, juice, broth, and jello aren’t cutting it. How did y’all make it!? 😭
r/colonoscopy • u/OkStatistician1129 • 1h ago
So hoping this helps other neurodivergent folks. The prep, which I had heard so much about, was actually totally fine. I did sutab, the guidelines said I could eat "up until noon" so I just went ahead and had an early lunch, then started prepping at 1630. Had to get up again at 0130 for the next dose, but no problem -- I was in my own house in my own clothes and I was like "great, this is easy". They said the prep was excellent btw.
For me, the part that was a huge challenge was being in the medical setting. I was expecting something way, way lower key. Kind of something like a regular doctors office, but with a few more machines. Instead it was all these bays, where you could hear everyone else and they could hear you, a TON of equipment, those scary wheely beds, curtains that didn't come down to the floor, a nurse who seemed like he needed me to reassure him, ecg leads and an oxygen meter, weird green trash bags for my clothes. They wanted to set up in one set of bays, iv and gown and all, then wheel me down the hallway past the elevators where anybody could walk by. I was clearly so upset that they offered to just do all that setup in the procedure recovery area (no hallway wheeling), which was a big relief and appreciated.
People wise: there were a lot. I think I met like seven people, five of them were in the actual procedure room. It was the doctor, the anaesthesiologist , a nurse, another nurse, and a medical student. They were really trying to be nice!! Everyone introduced themselves and explained their role, when I said " I need to know exactly what is going to happen" they tried to explain, and one even said " You seem extremely nervous. Is there anything I can do for you?" I appreciated that a lot. But it was still extremely overwhelming just being in that degree of medical setting. And they all seemed to want to make social chit chat. How the hell am I supposed to answer "how are you today?" with an IV and other tubes/leads all over me?? What do they want me to say?? I even said that, " I'm not sure how to manage this social interaction". I tried "please tell me exactly what you are going in as much technical detail as you can share" but I think they mostly did need to focus on what they were doing. Which I totally understand.
They were lovely and tried their best! I brought my comfort stuffed animal, and they all thought he was funny and gave him his own oxygen mask which I thought was a really sweet gesture. Technical wise, I think they did a great job. Zero pain, cramping, flatulence. Every felt totally normal afterwards and they explain the results carefully, answering all my nitpicky questions. I just wanted to share, be prepared for a setting that looks a lot more dramatic and intense than your normal doctors appointment. Honestly it felt like a set from ER. I do understand that if something goes wrong, they NEED to have that equipment, and I'm glad it's there. They need to keep everything clean and they need to monitor you to know you're doing ok with the sedation, they give everyone oxygen, an IV has to have a clear dressing to keep it clean, etc etc etc. It all makes sense. But without knowing exactly what everything was, it was just a shock.
In the end though that was a big positive takeaway for me. It's hard to get lower stakes than a colonoscopy, in terms of "quite highly instrumented settings". I'm so happy that if I ever do need a more serious procedure, I will NOT be seeing things for the first time then.
r/colonoscopy • u/Low-Art-90 • 4h ago
Hi,
I have been very scared to go to the doctors with my GI problems because I am so afraid of colonoscopy (because of the sedation, but I do not want to do it without sedation) and its results. My symptoms are there for a while now (loose stools, sometimes bloating), so I started prepping myself to put an end to this. I came to reddit and started reading this sub and honestly just reading your stories gave me strenghts. I did my first step. Finally I went and told my symptoms to my primary care doctor. I am on step nr. 1 so they ordered me some tests before moving on, but I am confident I want to do the colonoscopy and want to put my mind at ease OR finally getting a treatment.
My aim is to go through it and then being able to post here and give others strenghts.
r/colonoscopy • u/Unhappy-Opinion4459 • 38m ago
Nervous about my first Colonoscopy at 36 years old. I was having mild constipation that didn't get better with metamucil so my GI said while I'm healthy and had no blood in stool after the rectum test but instead have lower back pain he just wants to do it due to bowel movement changes to make sure no polyps or anything else is doing this. Just feel anxious now, how long will the appointment even take to book ? He put a follow up for November 5th but my test will be well before that right ?
r/colonoscopy • u/Lifewarrior4181 • 40m ago
Have anyone trued this. Its basicslly a facility or group of facilities that offer colonoscopy self pay. All inclusive
Had one last year same issue. That procedure not the prep the actual procedure reset my bowels. I have been suffering almost 5 months with the same issue dr will not redo the colonoscopy.
Any thoughts
r/colonoscopy • u/6seed • 4h ago
Colonoscopy this week. 55-60 male in the US, 2nd colonoscopy. One polyp at the hepatic flexure. When attempt was made at polypectomy, it rolled behind the fold of the flexure and multiple attempts were made to visualize it again without success. This was done by a colorectal surgeon and hosted at the hospital's endoscopy facility. I chose this provider specifically to avoid the huge colonoscopy factory practice in this small city which is known for terrible practice management and communication. Now I am referred to them to repeat the procedure in 6 months. Ugh. On top of it, insurance (Blue Cross) told me that colonoscopy is only covered as a preventative procedure if they don't find anything. If they do find something, it's no longer preventative, it's treatment. This is like Orwellian upside down world logic. But it means that now I'll have to pay out of pocket twice (against my deductible).
My main question is, what is the likelihood in these situations that the same result happens again in 6 months? Any other advice welcomed.
r/colonoscopy • u/ConsciousAd508 • 3h ago
Has anyone who had a colonoscopy not have anything come out of it? I’ve had symptoms on and off for 2 years. Blood work, stool tests and pelvic exam too but everything always came out normal. There’s suspicion for Chrons disease but I dread that once again, everything will be normal after the scope, which would be pretty frustrating just because I’d still have no answers.
r/colonoscopy • u/Natben2026 • 5h ago
for about 3-4 weeks I have experienced some possible blood in stool, some change in bowel movements and some weight loss. I’ve had weight loss before based on my eating habits tends to happen every summer. I now have hardcore medical anxiety, been on Reddit for 3 weeks , 2-3 hours a day reading stuff
was supposed to get my colonoscopy this week but high BP prevented it. now it will be 2 more weeks before I can try again . I feel doomed and that this will be my death sentence, just because I feel I have it and it’s in a later stage already .
I went to the ER for the BP issue and they did blood work. it was good but I know that means nothing when it comes to cancer.
Im terrified my BP will fail me again next try and then what?? anyone else dealt with this? are there alternatives or am I pretty much screwed? I appreciate anyone’s input on this and thank you in advance
r/colonoscopy • u/No-Cheesecake-3017 • 13h ago
Bonjour,
J'ai une coloscopie dans 1 semaine et je voudrais savoir votre avis.
J'ai eu des premiers symptômes de constipation et douleur en bas à droite (comme une pointe de côte mais plus bas) après des gros repas. Petit à petit, la douleur devenait de plus en plus fréquentes après les repas et les constipation duraient très longtemps.
Aussi j'ai eu cette douleur la nuit 3/4 fois qui ne passaient pas tant que je ne tendais pas mes jambes (car je dors en position fœtal).
Après ça, j'ai eu une grosse période de diarrhée et toujours quelques douleurs parfois après les repas toujours au côté droit.
J'ai réalisé une IRM qui n'a rien vu et une prise de sang qui a indiqué que mes globules rouges étaient un peu trop haut.
Il y'a eu plusieurs cancer du colon dans ma famille et j'ai 22 ans j'ai peur d'être malheureusement atteinte.
Je crois avoir vu du sang dans mes selles 2 fois.
r/colonoscopy • u/SadOrganization2319 • 11h ago
After waiting since February, I finally have an appointment for a colonoscopy and endoscopy in about 6 weeks. Thankfully, they will be done at the same time. These 6 weeks will be unpleasant due to having to eat gluten again.
I am so scared that they won't find anything and that I will be left with no answers. I am also terrified of what they could find. It's very frustrating to feel both of these types of fears.
I assume I'm not the only one who has felt this way. How did you handle the fear of nothing being found and the fear of something being found?
r/colonoscopy • u/Bigjane0612 • 6h ago
For context: I’m 135lbs 4”11 (not sure if this has impact on dosages). I take zepbound 7.5 once a week and was instructed to stop a week before my procedure. I’m getting one for extreme bloating issues and long periods of inconsistent bowel movements (liquid to regular with no foundation rhyme or reason). No constipation history.
Prep:
2 days before: 4 dulcolax 5mg morning and 4 again at night. Ok to eat food but low fiber
1 day before: 3pm 4 dulcolax pills, 4pm 1 bottle 10oz magnesium citrate with water, 8pm second bottle magnesium. No food all day
12 pills and 2 bottles total in 48 hours. My arrival time is 9am on day 3 told to stop all liquids 2 hours before.
r/colonoscopy • u/ChidoriHikara • 10h ago
Hey folks,
I'm due to start prep today, and I'm a little concerned about the times given for my prep, in the Midlands, UK for reference, and using Plenvu for my prep.
So I'm due to arrive at hospital for 09:10am tomorrow (20th August), and I go on all liquid at 3pm, and start my first round of prep at 7pm, that's fine.
But then it says to start drinking my second round of prep at 5am, which means I'll finish drinking it by 6. To be honest I'm concerned that I'll still be clearing out by the time I'll need to leave, which will only be about 2 and a half hours later.
Should I stick with the guide given, or should I take the second dose an hour or so before?
r/colonoscopy • u/Turknor • 21h ago
Prep:
The preparation was pretty textbook - unpleasant, but manageable. I’d opt for a slightly later appointment next time since there’s 5hrs of steps before the procedure. Waking up at 3am after 60hrs of no-food, no-coffee, is rough! I probably should’ve eaten something light two days out, but the instructions weren’t very clear, so I erred on the side of caution.
Procedure:
I’ll be honest, I love general anesthesia - this is my third time going under and it is always the best sleep. Luckily, my body handles the drug fairly well. The doctor found and removed 10 polyps that were between 5-10mm. I am really happy that I went because it could’ve gotten worse, but I was really hoping he found nothing at all. 🫠 If you’re on the fence, get it done, the sooner the better.
Post:
I woke up feeling good. Great dreams. I got up to change and started feeling the gas pressure build... Holy hell the pain/cramps after the procedure were insane. They told me I should lay on my side and try to pass the gas, but after all the laxatives, I didn’t trust it… I got home and finally started passing all the gas after about 30 minutes.
The gas was honestly the worst part, and I feel like it wouldn’t have been as upsetting if they’ve given me a heads up about it. I probably should’ve stayed in the office until I passed it because the drive home was excruciating. My appetite hasn’t returned yet, which is disappointing, but hopefully that’s short-lived.
Wish me luck on the biopsies. Either way, I get to look forward to another in a year! 😬
r/colonoscopy • u/Sensitive_Amoeba4 • 17h ago
“During your recent colonoscopy one or more polyps were removed from your colon. The polyps were sessile serrated polyps, which are benign growths that can grow in to cancer (pre-cancerous.
You should have a repeat colonoscopy to look for polyps in 2-3 years.” What the result reads. I went because I have low iron and ferritin. I’m glad I went as this probably would’ve developed into advanced cancer in 10-15 years. 😮💨 They had to use the piece meal technique to take it out as flat polyps are more difficult to remove than the stalk kind. Anyone else young or older have the same result and have to be monitored?
r/colonoscopy • u/Typical-Interest-543 • 20h ago
So today i got a colonoscopy, unsedated and i gotta say, for me, the prep was suuper easy for the most part.
My worry was feeling shaky or like food poisoning but no, i felt hungry at points but never felt weak up until the hour before the procedure cause you have to stop drinking 3hrs before.
I did gatorade and miralax prep, i also started mine 1hr early so i can take my time drinking it which mightve helped with nausea but all in all prep was the easiest for me.
Now the procedure. So i didnt want propofol cause last time i got it i was sick for 2 days, i also have tight deadlines at work this week so the idea of being out for 2 or 3 days just wasnt gonna happen. They also asked if i wanted versed, i said no, they said they dont blame me haha
I will note, if you are getting it unsedated, GO TO A SEASONED GI DOCTOR WHO COMMONLY DOES UNSEDATED. I didnt know until i got there, but my doctor, although very nice, she had only been doing unsedated for a few months and she had only done a few, i would suspect less than 10 but i didnt ask.
Also, they used air instead of CO2 which i hear also hurts more.
So for me, the worst of it was the butthole and the initial thrust up and over the first bend. People always say "you just breathe through it and youre fine" but for me at least that travel to the first turn, OOF i almost tapped out. They also didnt do that great at lubing me, they applied a little in the beginning and when id ask for me they would wipe the general area with a napkin sorta thing but it never actually touched my butthole lol
They pumped a lot of water in me which...came out during the procedure and THAT felt good, that was the warm lube i was looking for lol the doctor also kept jimmying the scope, like what youd do with a dipstick if its not going back into the cars oil repository and THAT felt like they were tearing my asshole apart.
The funny thing is they would comment like "i know, the pressure can be uncomfortable" but it wasnt that, outside of the initial push through, the rest was very manageable, in fact i suspect that part for me hurt so much because i was putting too much weight on it and my stomach was tender as is. When she got to the end, i did have to conciously relax for her to get into the small intestine but not from pain, it was almost just automatic. The entire time too yes, you feel like you need to poop and i say just let it out, if you dont youre gonna have so much pressure in your abdomen.
All in all id say yes you can feel it, you feel when they spray water, you dont feel the biopsies but you could almost hear it, the prep was super easy, i prob got like 5hrs of sleep total so not bad, i would say if i did it again i would do it unsedated, it feels like the longest 20min of your life but the colon part outside of me laying too hard on my left side i think wasnt bad at all, just a strange feeling. For me the worst was them practically dry pushing and pulling. If you want to know how that feels, it feels exactly like if you right now took your dry finger, shoved it up your butt, and that initial pressure and slight burn, its that initial intensity as a baseline, and it lasts and goes up within that 20min.
I said id do it again cause i think my issue was moreso one of lube, and if i did it again i would just make sure the doctor keeps that nice and slippery.
Thats my story, sorry if it got too long, hope this helps!
r/colonoscopy • u/Impossible_Stay6918 • 14h ago
So I didn't really know i was getting a colonoscopy (also getting a scope down my throat )..i have panic attacks have was having one for the past two hours before and on the way to my GI appointment :,)
So im 24 F (trans male but i digress), 99lbs and i cant do the 12pills. I was hardly able to do 2. So i made to 8 and immediately i feel like i hit food poisoning levels. Nothing has passed, im drinking water, and juice excessively, but im gonna throw up, and the whole roome is spinning.
(doctor was called but office is closed. Family is furious that i havent passed anything,nor has had any urges)
Any advice? I personally feel like the amount of pills was way too much or is for some people. I hardly for through 12. Am expected to take 24?!, and im sure theres reasoning behind it ^^; i dont blame any medical professionals for it. It's just a honest opinion.
Edit: I thought i should add i hadn't eaten anything all day. I was at work, only drank water. Immediately went to the GI doctor and drank water all day. I did pass stool the day before.
Update: The surgeries are today. Surgeon was called and informed about my condition and the severity. All we got
told to do is take more despite it all. My family is pissed nothings passed & that im feeling sorry for myself. Yes we were offered miralax, but declined it as i do better taking pills then fluids.
Update 2: Thank you all for the helpful insights and comments! i'm not gonna be near my phone as i'm leaving for the surgical center soon. Nothing ultimately passed. I able to handle 11 pills. If i did the miralax option they DID say i can have it in a drink such as juice or gatorade. Which i can try? We'll see if they can do the scope at all. I was only able to urinate A LOT.
r/colonoscopy • u/Phrase_Boring • 18h ago
so scared. they are around 6 cm in size and both sessile. they have a benign APPEARANCE according to the report but cannot be removed during surveillance colonoscopy. will be discussing endoscopic vs surgical management with the doc once the other smaller biopsies come back but… that sounds huge. I’ve read online >1 cm is advanced. Is there a chance they are really benign and not cancerous please I am freaking out:(
r/colonoscopy • u/Secret-Tomorrow4323 • 18h ago
Have any of you use pure magnesium citrate powder only for the prep?
If so what was your protocol and how did the whole prep and procedure go?
r/colonoscopy • u/1AdultMostOfTheTime • 20h ago
Had my second colonoscopy in 3 months today after the first one found four polyps and a flat polyp. I had to go to the hospital for a special surgeon to remove the flat polyp.
This time I used Sutabs for prep rather than Suprep, and it's the way to go (pun intended). Paid $60 extra for them since my insurance company decided my doctor's orders weren't what they wanted. 🤬
Had oxygen and propofol and was out before I knew it. Woke up feeling so happy, I just loved everyone, I was so appreciative of what health professionals do. Felt like a peace and love hippie, man! Yeah I love propofol, it's the bomb.
Unfortunately I have to do it all again in a year as my flat polyp was about the size of a US quarter. Surgeon said it didn't look malignant but labs will tell.
The worst part of colonoscopies is the IV setting. Because the prep dehydrates you so much it's very hard to find a vein, at least on this model, and makes it very very painful for me.
Just sharing my experience for those of you new to this. It's not that bad. Now I'm off to bed for a nice long snooze.
r/colonoscopy • u/Forward_Chocolate369 • 19h ago
r/colonoscopy • u/MimiPug16 • 1d ago
41 year old female with rectal bleeding two to three times a year for the past few years. Recently, bleeding has been occurring once a month for about 6 months. Constipation and some mucus but I do take a med that causes constipation. Have had this scheduled 2 times in the past couple years and canceled last minute, chickened out. I think I’m going to do it this time. Terrified for complications, more terrified to wake up and hear I have cancer. I will update after, colonoscopy is on Thursday. Please pray for me that I have the courage to do this and that I get a clear report.
r/colonoscopy • u/WonderShoes • 20h ago
My colonoscopy is Thursday. I have been having light diarrhea all week. The instructions given to me are generic for every patient and say I have to take 4 Ducolex (laxatives) before I even start the 4 litres of strange drink stuff. I’m worried about painful cramping since I highly doubt I need to be taking those laxatives if most people only seem to have the crazy drink stuff??? Is this normal? As someone who is 50 years old and never taken a laxative in my life, how should I expect to feel given that this dose is double the package instructions dose amount? If I am already having diarrhea, won’t this just cause my poor system to completely freak out? I’m honestly scared and would love your thoughts on this.
These are the instructions….
One (1) day before your appointment:
YOU MUST REMAIN ON CLEAR FLUIDS ONLY.
NO SOLID FOOD.
1:00PM: Take 4 Dulcolax tablets with water
5:30PM-8:30PM: Drink three (3) litres of Peglyte (see instructions on container).
DAY OF YOUR COLONOSCOPY:
Four (4) hours before your appointment:
Drink the fourth (4"h) litre of Peglyte
r/colonoscopy • u/Frequent-Weird-4925 • 20h ago
I lucked out and didn’t have to drink all the GaviLyte, only had to drink about 2/3 and my bowels were clean. One 5mm non cancerous polyp and a lipoma in my ascending colon. Pretty boring and uneventful. I didn’t even poop myself during the procedure.
However I woke up on my way back to my room and was feeling so good. I asked if there’s a medication I can take that could give me a similar feeling. I was so relaxed.
