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Colonoscopy....why does it hurt sooo much?!

Posted , 7 users are following.

Scotmaz1
Scotmaz1

I've had a second colonoscopy today. Agony. I had one 6 years ago which had to be abandoned because of the pain I was in & the struggle the Dr was having to go round. I have turned down 2 because of the trauma, but because of symptoms I had to have today's. Staff were brilliant, phoned me twice to talk to me about it. I'm so traumatised even to talk about it makes me shake & cry. Staff reassured me even though I broke down again. They gave me sedation, but this seems to have no effect on me. Once again I was in agony & Dr gave up having only looked at first part. So really a sigmoidoscopy. They found diverticula in this bit, but why is it so painful. I do have a high pain threshold but they now say I am unsuitable to have one. Why can't we have a general like in France & Australia etc. never again, nothing has ever traumatised me like this.

2 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

  • steve28677
    steve28677 Scotmaz1

    Posted

    I totally agree. Full sedation is given in America as well. I had one two weeks ago and was really worried about it but luckily had no pain. I was sedated but remember the entire procedure.

    My friends back in New Jersey were horrified that it was done without general sedation. The only conclusion I've come to is it's way cheaper to offer minimal sedation only.

    BTW I had the stomach scope done at the same time. Excellent doctors and nurses just government and management cutting costs at our expense!

    • Scotmaz1
      Scotmaz1 steve28677

      Posted

      thanks for your reply & pleased yours went well. I'd hoped mine would too, to prove it was just a one off, but no! 
  • M0ncanard
    M0ncanard Scotmaz1

    Posted

    My experience, like yours, was similar and I posted my comments on this site last October.   Things have moved on a bit since then.  During the sigmoidoscopy a lesion was found that turned out to be cancerous.  After this procedure a colonoscopy was attempted, I presume to see if there were any further lesions.  It had to be abandoned because of the excruciating pain.  A ct scan was then performed.

    I had an operation (anterior resection) in October and am doing well.  To get to the point I have read that over the next few years I will have to undergo varous follow-up routines - blood tests and further colonoscopies.  That word - colonoscopy - fills me with dread and real fear.  I know that if this procedure runs along the same lines as the first I will be unable to tolerate the pain and then what happens?

    I have an appointment in March with the consultant/surgeon following on from a CEA blood test and I intend to take that opportunity to discuss with him in depth the whole colonoscopy business.  If he hasn't read the comments on this site I will direct him to it.  I know many contributors find having a colonoscopy a breeze.  Lucky them.  For those that experience pain something has to be done.  I will reiterate what I said in my previous posting - this is the 21st Century for goodness sake.  I will finish here because I am getting angry.  My thoughts are with you Scotmaz1.

     

    • Scotmaz1
      Scotmaz1 M0ncanard

      Posted

      Thank you sooooo much for replying. You feel such a fool when everyone says it's all a breeze. It has left me, like you I suspect, very traumatised when the subject is brought up. I am normally very strong & have gone through many things but this is excruciating. Yet no one can say why? 
    • Scotmaz1
      Scotmaz1 M0ncanard

      Posted

      I know what you mean about getting angry....it seems do barbaric! Yet the nurses were do very kind. The sedation I was given didn't make me feel any different, I was aware of everything! No such luck as I didnt even sleep till night time even though I was shattered!! Also, today, I feel like I have been kicked in the guts by a horse. Plus getting a sharp pain in upper right quadrant. Is this normal? 
    • Scotmaz1
      Scotmaz1 M0ncanard

      Posted

      my thoughts are with you too and I wish you well! 
    • adam98194
      adam98194 Scotmaz1

      Posted

      That was exactly my experience. No effect from the sedative and a very painful procedure last Tuesday. Still think it's worth having due to the risks of missing diagnoses otherwise but I just wish the advice given beforehand would reflect the fact that an alarming number of people do experience a lot of pain. I was not offered any more sedation. They just seemed to want to get the job done as quickly as possible. 
    • joe10258
      joe10258 Scotmaz1

      Posted

      Right upper quadrant sounds consistent with a location of a major turn, at the hepatic flexure.  I would imagine that if the tight turn traumatized the colon at that location that it may lead to soreness (or perhaps even pain) after the procedure is completed. 

      I can empathize.  I suffered from a sigmoidoscopy long ago, and worked in health care (but not gastroenterology), and I can see how that pain can happen as the colonoscopy device is foreign to the colon.

      In this universe of colonoscopies and the like, it seems that there is no normal.  You feel what you feel.

  • mel64317
    mel64317 Scotmaz1

    Posted

    Hi there,

    Really so sorry to hear of your experience.....when my Colonoscopy two weeks ago was so positive and pain free.....It becomes apparent ( hope I'm not jinxing myself here as have yet to have my follow up appointment) that the procedure is fine.....if you have a relatively healthy bowel ? Diverticuli I know from friends can be VERY painful as they form pockets and spend a lot of the time infected....and certain other problems cause narrowing of the bowel which would, of course be extraordinarily painful when blown up with air as they do, to see what they're doing during this procedure....

    Perhaps that's the conversation we should all be having with our consultants ?? I personally would always plump for mild sedation rather that a " general" where possible as the drugs are so toxic....and it's a longer recovery.....but hey that's me ! There should be a choice ?! And for those who are distressed or have more complex issues......definitely full sedation should be available...

    All the best to you....hope you have a positive outcome.

    • Scotmaz1
      Scotmaz1 mel64317

      Posted

      thanks for your reply. Like you I would always opt NOT to have a GA, but one nurse did say it IS an option when it is like this, but they do not do it lightly. ( and I wasn't given it) I have now been told I am NOT suitable for a colonoscopy. All I can say to that is......... Yeeeehaaaa!!!!!! 
    • joe10258
      joe10258 mel64317

      Posted

      Some of the pain, which doctors call "discomfort," can be attributed to doctors that either don't know how to do the procedure properly, or regrettably, other doctors that just don't care.
  • raffie
    raffie Scotmaz1

    Posted

    Scot:

    Diverticulitis or any other bowl disease could cause the test to be painful.

    Other reasons why I feel this barbaric test is so painful are;

    1. Size of the scope used. I know some doctors here in the States, have stopped using the adult version of the scope in favor of the smaller pediatric version whereby making the test more tollerable for their adult patients.

    2. The level of experience of the tester. How many times have they done this? Have they ever done sedationless scopes before.

    Their level of expertise really shows when they start negoiating the turns in the colon. Someone who's done this enough times will be able to get their patient thru the turns and the test with minimum discomfort.

    Here in the states, many facilities have replaced the standard Versed/Fentanyl drug cocktail for the test with Propofol.

    I would like to find a place here in the states that offers the patient colonoscopy shorts to wear for the test, uses the smaller pediatric scope, and offers no sedation just pain mitigation as needed for the test.

    Requirements hard to come by here in the States.

    • christianL
      christianL raffie

      Posted

      Raffie:

      Here in the northest U.S., in my case Boston, Propodol sed. is

      standard. However, you can turn it down, like I did, and just opt

      for a fentanyl dose if needed during the scope. I, unfortunately turned it all down, and made the doc stop 1/3 of the way. I had all the options( except Co2 for insulfation), but my fear of

      sedation and narcotics stopped the procedure.

    • christianL
      christianL

      Posted

      Spelling error/ propofol, sorry, dang tablet keyboards@!

    • raffie
      raffie christianL

      Posted

      Hi Christian:

      I don't want to be sedated for the test so I'm looking at a drug called Remifentanil which is a potent, short-acting synthetic opioid for pain mitigation.

      Because next month is colorectal cancer awareness month, I'm going to a colonoscopy seminar and will inquire as to why remifentanil isn't used more.

      Regards,

      Raffie

    • christianL
      christianL raffie

      Posted

      Raffie:

      I have also read good things about remifentanil. My team was

      great about having the fentanyl ready, but I just totally

      'chickened out'. and stopped the procedure. I agree that the right

      doctor and nurses could probably get anyone through it unsedated, unless of course the colon is inflamed, diseased, etc.. I truly

      thought I could do it without any sed.or opiate, but again, I think I

      just let the fear get to me. I at least got the equivalent of a

      sigmoidoscopy and my FOBT was negative. I may go for a

      virtual CT colonoscopy, but my ins. will not pay for it. That would be $500 out of my pocket. And, if the CT found a big (6mm+) a

      regular scope would be needed anyway. Thank goodness I have never had GI issues, and my scope was my 50 yr. screening.

      If I ever need a full

      scope again, I will bite the bullet with propofol, again, just my

      opinion. With the scientific advances being made, one would

      hope technology could provide a totally pain free, unsedated

      colonoscopy! Until then, Good luck to you, take care.

    • joe10258
      joe10258 raffie

      Posted

      I believe that is the drug Fentanyl, or it is closely related to Fentanyl.  Fentanyl is a very potent medication.  In the US, it appears that Demerol is frequently given for pain.  The common dose of fentanyl is 1 microgram or mcg (that is 0.1 milligram or mg), whereas the dose for adults receiving demerol for this procedure is 50 mg. 

      But fentanyl is a "purer" drug in my opinion, as demerol has a noticeable adverse effect of nausea for some that fentanyl has not demonstrated when I gave it.  I worked for over 20 years as an RN, much of that in surgical ICUs.

      Again, medication has very individual effects on everybody, so you  never know.  But frankly, I would just request fentanyl, and say that I am allergic to demerol which usually gives you that extra arguement.

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