Any help or advice you can give please

Hi, sorry you are not doing too well, I know what you mean by painful in the colonscopy, my first one was very painful and to be honest I dont think the nursing staff or consultant believed me when I cried out in pain and I had sedation. I ended up on oxygen after the procedure. I have had a second one since and to be honest this was not as painful , not sure if more sedation was used but while very uncomfortable I didnt cry out in agony. I do have to go back for another one so Im hoping it wont be painful. I do have the same problem as you re needing the toilet so often and also have regular accidents when out. I have now been supplied with pads but they are huge (like a nappy really) which is depressing. I have partly learnt to accept that problem. I have been prescribed Tramadol on regular presciption as otherwise I dont sleep but I am trying not to use this too often as otherwise Im like a zombie !! I have had to give up a well paid job due to my issues which has caused alot of financial issues as I am not pension age and still have a 19 year old to support through university abroad which we get no help for, but I dont want to stop her having the opportunity so my family are not aware of this illness. I hope life improves for you and send you my best wishes for a good christmas xx     

I have had a colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy the sigmoidoscopy is nothing like the colonoscopy thank goodness. I was like you at first I stopped eating I didn't go out for fear of needing toilet but now I have got used to eat   If I have the bad runs I take half a Imodium ( as told by my consultant) this helps. I take fybergel mabevarine and a probiotic tablet everyday. I only take paracetamol. A food diary is a great idea it shows if anything sets you off then you can discard that food   Every one is different and it's trial and error. Good look 

Hi Susan, I, too, was traumatised and had to be held down by the nurses, lol. The practitioner gave up halfway through, saying I had a tortuous told her it was torture I’d been put through. Got a second one by CT scan which was ok. At least you won’t have the awful experience of the camera going in. Over here in Northern Ireland, we have capsule colonoscopies and I’ve been told I will get this next time. Apparently, you swallow a pill which contains a camera (pill normal size, by the way!). It takes photographs inside your body and patient wears a monitor on the wrist for 8 hours. The monitor is returned and the hospital analyses results that. Sounds much more civilised. The current system is barbaric. 

You are having a very hard time and I can only wish you well as I’m new to the condition and don’t have the experience yet to offer you advice. Best wishes.g

Hi Susan

The CT colonoscopy is very much easier than an actual colonoscopy, you will be relieved to know.  I too had an aborted painful colonoscopy - twice.  You still have to go through the prep - a restricted diet then a liquid which empties your colon.  They should give you a diet sheet which tells you what you can eat - normally a bland low residue diet, then clear liquids only.  The prep liquid is different from the colonoscopy liquid, as it contains a dye that the CT scan picks up.  Mine was called gastrographin and was just 100ml of an aniseed flavoured liquid 21 hours and 9 hours before the scan.  It did the job but was far less fierce than the original prep. 

The scanner is just a donut ring, and the only part of you in it is your tummy and bottom.  It's not one of those noisy claustrophobic tubes.  First they inject some contrast into the back of your hand - that just feels a bit warm.  Before they start they lay you on your side and pump some air into you.  You just feel a bit bloated - it's not painful.  You may feel like you want to pass wind, but there is a little device which keeps the air in until after the scan.  I had to lie on my back whilst they made 2 passes, then I had to lie on my tummy for another 2 passes.  That was slightly more uncomfortable, with the pressure on the tummy, but I've had worse period pain.  I doubt it took 10 minutes from start to finish, and from entering hospital to leaving I was about 35 minutes, including all the changing, explanations etc. 

You will pass a LOT of wind afterwards and may have some minor cramps.  Compared to the colonoscopy I found the scan a piece of cake.

I was advised to take paracetemol for the pain.  The original colonoscopy - being a physically invasive procedure - leaves a lot of people with toiletting problems until their insides recover, both from the intrusion and the diverticular disease.  If you were prescribed antibiotics for some reason, that too can effect your insides and does take time for the side effects to wear off.  Depression and loss of appetite are also quite common, as is loss of confidence.  I took to carrying a spare pair of pants, incontinence pads and wet wipes, just in case.  But I quickly did not need them.  As for food, just small amounts of bland food at first - mashed potato, grilled fish or chicken, plain yogurt, scrambled egg.  Chewed thoroughly.  Then slowly reintroduce more variety of food.  If anything upsets you, just make a note of it and avoid for a bit longer.  There are lots of posts here on food with diverticular disease, and how to manage it.  I've found with diverticular disease my appetite fluctuates, and some people have recorded weight loss as they've changed their diet.

But please be reassured that the CT scan is so much better than the colonoscopy.  Best wishes.